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Post by sleepingdragon on May 4, 2008 13:45:22 GMT
The New Coast - Table of Contents Map of the Swordlands NorthMap of the New CoastMap of MaladorMap of the City of TorathDramatis personaeTimelineProloguePart I - The Dark Harbour of MaladorChapter I - Secrets of the HarboursideSaturday, May 3rd, 2008: Session I - OffersSaturday, May 10th, 2008: Session II - the Old PirateSaturday, May 17th, 2008: Session III - the Lost AngelSaturday, May 24th, 2008: Session IV - the Broken BottleSaturday, May 31st, 2008: Session V - Take a ChanceSaturday, June 21st, 2008: Session VI - Indirect ApproachSaturday, June 28th, 2008: Session VII - VachirSaturday, July 5th, 2008: Session VIII - The TowersSaturday, July 12th, 2008: Session IX - Skag HeadsSaturday, July 19th, 2008: Session X - Razor's EdgeSaturday, July 26th, 2008: Session XI - HUH?EndnoteChapter II - Secrets of Beggar's FlowSaturday, August 2nd, 2008: Session I - the Old SharkSaturday, August 9th, 2008: Session II - the FlowSaturday, August 16th, 2008: Session III - the Body PitsSaturday, August 23rd, 2008: Session IV - the Bloody BannerSaturday, August 30th, 2008: Session V - Into the PitSaturday, September 6th, 2008: Session VI - Vive le RevolucionSaturday, September 13th, 2008: Session VII - SplitSaturday, September 20th, 2008: Session VIII - The Crimson PathSaturday, September 27th, 2008: Session IX - Cloak and DaggerSaturday, October 4th, 2008: Session X - Traps Within TrapsSaturday, October 11th, 2008: Session XI - Raiders of the FlowSaturday, October 18th, 2008: Session XII - InterceptionSaturday, October 25th, 2008: Session XIII - Crimson Path?Saturday, November 1st, 2008: Session XIV - Breaking the PathEndnoteChapter III - Secrets of the FootSaturday, December 13th, 2008: Session I - YarrrrSaturday, December 20th, 2008: Session II - Bait and SwitchSaturday, December 27th, 2008: Session III - the HydraSaturday, January 3rd, 2009: Session IV - Getting HammeredSaturday, January 17th, 2009: Session V - Mistaken IdentitySaturday, January 24th, 2009: Session VI - Gone to the BirdsSaturday, January 31st, 2009: Session VII - Conspiracy TheoryEndnote IEndnote IIChapter IV - Secrets of ClifftopSaturday, February 7th, 2009: Session I - Most FoulSaturday, February 14th, 2009: Session II - On the ScentSaturday, February 21st, 2009: Session III - Hidden LoreSaturday, February 28th, 2009: Session IV - Acrobats SpectacularSaturday, March 7th, 2009: Session V - KingmakerSaturday, March 14th, 2009: Session VI - ... And His DogSaturday, March 21st, 2009: Session VII - BlackmailEndnote IEndnote IIEndnote IIIPart II - The Blood StormChapter I - The Gathering StormSaturday, April 18th, 2009: Session I - Most GloriousSaturday, April 25th, 2009: Session II - the MessengerSaturday, May 2nd, 2009: Session III - the Fight at the End of the TunnelSaturday, May 9th, 2009: Session IV - Deep in the HoleSaturday, May 16th, 2009: Session V - Fight and FlightSaturday, May 23rd, 2009: Session VI - SophiaSaturday, May 30th, 2009: Session VII - Sinking Into CorruptionSaturday, June 6th, 2009: Session VIII - A Burning FeelingEndnoteChapter II - Storm WarningSaturday, June 20th, 2009: Session I - Dressed to KillSaturday, June 27th, 2009: Session II - Comes in ThreesSaturday, July 4th, 2009: Session III - Lady for a NightSaturday, July 11th, 2009: Session IV - A Riot of a PartySaturday, July 18th, 2009: Session V - Hello, SailorSaturday, July 25th, 2009: Session VI - KaterineSaturday, August 1st, 2009: Session VII - Carnival of the OppressedSaturday, August 8th, 2009: Session VIII - A Cunning PlanSaturday, August 29th, 2009: Session IX - NegotiationSaturday, September 12th, 2009: Session X - Divide and WinSaturday, September 19th, 2009: Session XI - CorruptionSaturday, October 3rd, 2009: Session XII - BreakthroughSaturday, October 10th, 2009: Session XIII - Blood StormSaturday, October 17th, 2009: Session XIV - QuestionsChapter III - The Storm BreaksSaturday, October 31st, 2009: Session I - Knock, KnockSaturday, November 7th, 2009: Session II - BesiegedSaturday, November 14th, 2009: Session III - Between the BridgesSaturday, November 21st, 2009: Session IV - Playing With FireSaturday, November 28th, 2009: Session V - Bad DoggiesSaturday, December 19th, 2009: Session VI - Shooting the MessengersSaturday, December 26th, 2009: Session VII - CliffhangerSaturday, January 2nd, 2010: Session VIII - Under a Red SkySaturday, January 9th, 2010: Session IX - BarnstormersChapter IV - Eye of the StormSaturday, January 16th, 2010: Session I - Bolting OnwardSaturday, January 23rd, 2010: Session II - What Gives Us StrengthEndnote IEndnote IIPart III - Status Quo?Chapter I - The Spirit of RageSaturday, March 6th, 2010: Session I - Blood in the StreetsSaturday, March 13th, 2010: Session II - New Kids on the BlockSaturday, March 20th, 2010: Session III - The PlanSaturday, March 27th, 2010: Session IV - Up and DownSaturday, April 3rd, 2010: Session V - InfectedSunday, April 18th, 2010: Session VI - UnbloodiedSaturday, April 24th, 2010: Session VII - Recovery?Saturday, May 8th, 2010: Session VIII - ReversalSaturday, May 22nd, 2010: Session IX - the ChaseSaturday, May 29th, 2010: Session X - Out of the WoodsSaturday, June 5th, 2010: Session XI - Surgical StrikeSaturday, June 12th, 2010: Session XII - BloodiedSaturday, June 26th, 2010: Session XII - TransformationChapter II - InvasionSaturday, July 6th, 2010: Session I - A MissionSaturday, July 13th, 2010: Session II - Tear Down This WallSunday, July 14th, 2010: Session III - Checkmate
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Post by sleepingdragon on May 4, 2008 13:48:09 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: upon a ship floating off the shore of the New Coast, Captain Jeremy Gaston took a sip of wine and looked over his five new passengers. "Of course you are free to pursue your own tasks while in the city, as long as you make a strong effort to find my agent. But I'm sure I can rely upon your professionalism." Enrico: "Any suggestions on where to start the search?" Tristan: Tristan looked at the other two with wine glasses and just gently set his down on a nearby table. "Were you planning on telling us the whole story once we all agreed? Or just leave us in the dark?" Rafael ben Efrim: "I am sure Captain Gaston will give us all the information we need." Rafael said softly. Sleeping Dragon: Captain Jeremy grinned at Tristan. "Of course, as I'm now convinced of your sincerity I can give you more details," he replied. "My agent is a former sailor turned carpenter, his name is Caius Seneca. He owns a shop near the western edge of the city, in the district they call the Foot. He is a somewhat noticeable sort due to his peg leg, he had several local men working under him to do the leg work. I'm afraid I don't know their names." Rafael ben Efrim: "I imagine it would be easy enough to enquire about him at his shop without arousing suspicion." Rafael said, his expression thoughtful. Ardrun: "You want us take care of carpenter with peg leg? Our skills will wasted!" said Ardrun, who did not appear particularly concerned with grammar. Enrico: "No reason why there wouldn't be a last-minute emergency job for a craftsman, and a person supposedly willing to pay good money" Ardrun: His voice was gruff and deep, and it was the first time he'd spoken to anyone besides Sakura for days. Tristan: Tristan nodded. "Simple enough." Sleeping Dragon: "Or in that vicinity, I would expect," said the Captain. He glanced at Ardrun. "A very knowledgeable and clever carpenter with a peg leg," he told him. "My last letter from him said that he was investigating possible future members of the Maladoran Council, as one Councilor, Lox Vinneret, is quite aged and was ill at the time. Though I'm told he has recovered since. Seneca thought it might be beneficial to our interests to have information about any potential successor that is not public knowledge." Sakura: Sakura nodded at that and said, "It seems to me that such inquiry of finding out successor may have nasty effects" Rafael ben Efrim: "How much do his men know of his work?" Rafael asked. "Will we be able to question them?" Sleeping Dragon: "Of his work for me? I hope very little, but fear they may know more." Captain Jeremy took a drink. "It is a most unfortunate time for Seneca to go missing, it has meant that I am nowhere near as well informed as I might be regarding this possible war." Ardrun: "War? We going to city that might be in war?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at Ardrun. "The rumours have been spreading for a time." He returned his gaze to Jeremy. "If we find out where your man is, how may we contact you?" Ardrun: Ardrun bent over and whispered something to Sakura. Ardrun: (whispering): "Perhaps this wrong place. You should not be in middle of war." Sakura: Sakura whispered back to Ardrun Sleeping Dragon: "Indeed, tales are spreading that King Darragan of Torath, having stabilised his own kingdom, is looking to conquer Malador. In Adaria we are deeply concerned." Captain Jeremy took a drink. "I will be staying at an inn in the Harbourside district called the Mast and Mainsail. When you learn news, come and speak to me...but it would be wisest if only one or two of you came. A group of five would attract attention." Enrico: "At any rate - we should be careful." Enrico looked around the group - "In my humble experience, profit turns men to quite nefarious means - and I'd hate to see what politics does to the aforementioned" Sleeping Dragon: "In Malador you will find that profit and politics are so tightly intertwined that they cannot be separated." Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly and replied, "To have any power it seems in Malador, you need coins and lot of it." Rafael ben Efrim: "We will be careful." Rafael agreed with Enrico. "What if we find your man is alive?" he asked the Captain. "But held prisoner?" Sleeping Dragon: "Liberate him." Rafael ben Efrim: "And if he is not a prisoner, but has turned his coat and sold his services to another?" Rafael asked. Sleeping Dragon: Captain Jeremy rubbed his chin. "If possible, capture him and bring him somewhere where I can speak to him. If not, find out who he's betrayed me to, what he's told them, and then eliminate him." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded his understanding. Ardrun: "That part, I like," said Ardun, grinning to show straight and white top teeth, but poorly maintained bottom ones. Tristan: Tristan looked at Ardrun but said nothing. Enrico: "I'll save elimination for less honest men than me" - said Enrico with a smile, waving his hands apologetically. Sakura: Sakura nodded as she expected such answer, "Yes, betrayers should always be dealt with harshly" Tristan: "And what if he was being threatened or coerced somehow? Would you still deal with him harshly?" Sleeping Dragon: "That would depend upon exactly how he was being threatened or coerced, and by who. If you discover such a thing, come and speak to me and I will decide. If you cannot do that reasonably, then err towards clemency, Seneca has been a useful agent and I do not want him dead unless I am sure he has betrayed me." Tristan: Tristan nodded. Sleeping Dragon: "Indeed," Captain Jeremy leaned back in his chair. "In order to hide your connection to me, I believe we will drop you several hours walk from Malador, that will take about two days sailing from here. Incidentally, as I see several of you are armed, in order to carry weapons or wear armour openly in Malador, you will have to acquire licences. That, or bribe the Watch...which it is very possible to do, but I suspect it would prove cheaper in the long run to acquire licences." Sakura: Sakura sighed at these phases but said nothing. Sleeping Dragon: "Do you have any further questions?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shook his head. Sakura: She also shook her head and responded, "No, not at the moment, Captain" Tristan: Tristan looked to the others and shook his head. Sleeping Dragon: "Very well. If you wish to speak to me on our journey, please feel free." Captain Jeremy stood up and went to the door and shouted for a servant. Soon a smartly dressed young man arrived and the Captain gave him orders to prepare food for the party, and to show them to their cabins. Tristan: Tristan waited until he was alone in his cabin before removing his armor. For the rest of the trip he would only come out for brief periods, remaining in his cabin for the most part. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael retired to his cabin, but would spend periods of the day on deck, watching the work of the ship and looking out at the sea. Sleeping Dragon: two days passed in relative comfort in their cabins upon the Golden Bough, which were larger than those they had stayed in aboard the Merry Orc. Upon the morning of the 22nd of February, Captain Jeremy sent men to bring them to speak to him. "We are only a few miles from Malador," he said. "We are making for a cove where we will weigh anchor and you can leave the ship and go the rest of the way on foot. Remember, I will be staying at the Mast and Mainsail. Also, if you cannot find me quickly, go and seek out my trading house, the Gaston Metals Company. You can find our building near the Municipal Construction building in the Harbourside district. My factor, Glenn Cartos, will probably know where I am, though as I've said, he knows nothing about Seneca and I would rather it stayed that way." Tristan: Tristan had donned his armor in his cabin before going to speak with the captain, preparing for the trek. "And we will find this Cartos in the trading house?" Sleeping Dragon: "Yes, for the most part, unless it is very late in the day in which case I should be at my inn." Sakura: Sakura looked thoughtfully for a moment and asked, "Will you by any chance know of a good inn in the city?" Sleeping Dragon: "I usually stay at the Mast and Mainsail, but there are other good establishments as well. I know I've stayed at the Bell and Whistle before, though it is quite busy. There are others but I don't know their names." Sleeping Dragon: soon the Bough had anchored just off the coast and the party disembarked upon the sandy shore. "Farewell for now," Captain Jeremy called to them. "I hope to hear from you soon." Rafael ben Efrim: "I hope we will have good news for you soon." Rafael called back. Sakura: Sakura smiled happily at her new purchases from Captain Jeremy; Two horses and a cart with good cargo. Ardrun: Ardrun, who was used to driving chariots, got up in front to drive the cart. Sakura: She then went onto the cart seat beside Ardun, making herself comfortable. Rafael ben Efrim: "May I travel in your cart?" Rafael asked politely of Sakura. Tristan: Tristan silently walked alongside the cart, shouldering his large pack with suprising ease. Sakura: Sakura shook her head and replied, "Sorry, but there is no room for you in the cart." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shrugged and picked up his pack, trudging beside the cart instead. Enrico: Enrico walked in the rear, smiling jovially at the dusty road. Sakura: The cart rolled on and on and on. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael started to sing quietly to himself as he walked - a haunting odd little tune. Sleeping Dragon: they moved on along the coast and then on into a narrow plain between the shore and the Malador forest to the south of the city. It was unpleasant travel, with cold temperatures and a strong wind blowing in off the sea. After a few hours, they began to pass outlying farms and villages tributary to the great city of Malador. A farmer came out to speak to them as they went by. "If you're headin' to the city, you'll wanna circle round and go in from the west, not the south, less ya wanna end up in the Beggar's Flow," he told them. "Take that street there," he said, pointing to a road that branched off from the path they were currently on, "that's what we all use. Go into the Flow and ya might well not come out again." Enrico: "What is this Beggar's Flow?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Thank you for your advice." Rafael said. "Yes, what is it?" Sleeping Dragon: the farmer spat. "The Flow's where all the rubbish of Malador goes," he said. "Thieves and killers the lot of them." Rafael ben Efrim: "We will most certainly avoid such a place." Rafael assured the farmer. Sleeping Dragon: the farmer eyed Rafael up and down. "Aye, good idea." Sakura: "Thank you for your advice." Sakura nodded at the farmer, "Such information is useful. Buy yourself nice drink." She gave the farmer five copper coins. Sleeping Dragon: The farmer doffed his cap. "Thank ya, ma'am." Tristan: Tristan watched the farmer casually. Sleeping Dragon: putting the coins away, the farmer returned to his work, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the party Sakura: Sakura kept farmer's face in mind and told Ardrun, "Let move on shall we?" Ardrun: Ardrun nodded silently, and spurred on the horses. Tristan: Tristan glanced at Sakura momentarily before resuming his walk. Sleeping Dragon: taking the farmer's advice, they turned and took the western road, which led them in a wide arc around to the western side of the city. About an hour after they met the farmer, they rode on up a hill and looked down to see the city of Malador spread out to the northeast, the sparkling river running through it to spill out into the sea. It was a very large city, the equal of great Zenos, Illius, and Salavoi. Houses of wood and stone sprawled along the foot of a great hill which rose up and up before suddenly stopping not far from the sea with a great ridge. A large, flat, mostly empty area of grassland separated the houses around the hill from the Beggar's Flow, a great, winding shanty town with houses that seemed to be constructed of salvaged bits of timber and cloth. A few great buildings stood out from the mass of the city - near the heart of the Flow they saw a building twice the size of the shanties around it, constructed of earth and stone, though they were not sure of its purpose. About halfway up the hill they recognised a few temples and large houses, and on the southern outskirts of the city, on the road leading to the Flow, they noticed a great rectangular edifice of brick and wood. The most opulent buildings were atop the hill - the great mansions of the merchant princes of Malador, and larger than any other, the towering, elegant basalt Council Hall. Beyond they could see many fishing vessels out in the harbour, their crews struggling in the wind whispering to Ardrun, Rafael ben Efrim, Enrico, peering out into the sea, beyond the fishing vessels and out perhaps twenty miles out to sea, could be faintly discerned the famous Drowning Towers, a myriad of huge towers thrusting up from the sea. Enrico: "The farmer was right - honest folk has no place in that vermin infested trap" - he nodded at the Flow. Ardrun: Ardrun did not speak, though he nodded his head in silent appreciation of the grandness of the city. He tugged on Sakura's sleeve and pointed out to the sea, toward the Drowning Towers. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stood looking down at the city, and then stared out at the ocean. "Those must be the Drowning Towers." Sleeping Dragon: where Ardrun pointed they could see them, a mass of tall towers thrusting up out of the sea - the famous Drowning Towers, ancient ruins of the Masters Enrico: "Enough gaping - lets get to the task at hand. The coin won't earn itself." Sakura: Sakura looked at the Drowning Towers and nodded, "Yes, it must be. What else it can be. I do enjoys sights too much." She sighed for a moment. Rafael ben Efrim: "There is time enough to look at the city." Rafael said. "To know something of it before we enter it." Sakura: "Yes, indeed. Ardrun, let go down the road." Tristan: "It's a city." Tristan said, barely looking at the city. "They look diferent up close." Rafael ben Efrim: "All cities have their own character." Rafael replied. Sakura: "But all of them got one thing in common, they all got golds" Rafael ben Efrim: "That is true." Rafael said with a smile. "Gold and much more beside." Sleeping Dragon: they continued along the road, joining many other groups heading into the city to sell their goods. Their road eventually joined another which ran along the river, heading all the way along out out Maladoran territory and along into the powerful Kingdom of Torath to the west. At length they came into the city at around mid-day. They went along a broad street and came to a square bustling with people of all races, from fair Androsians and broad Illians, slight Isperans and sharp Akhaians, as well as the diverse citizens of the city itself. The conflicting cries of a dozen hawkers tore the air. The loudest was a young crier who ran energetically up and down the square, ringing a hand bell loudly. As they passed him by they heard him shouting. "...I swear it to you, ladies and gentlemen, that there is nothing in Malador or all the world like the marvels and wonders to be seen at the Lost Angel Theatre! This very night, I tell you true!" Ardrun: Ardrun ignored the hawkers, focusing his attention on looking for inns and storage. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael seemed to be cheered by the noise and bustle around him. He walked up to a few people, asking if they knew a good inn, not too expensive. Tristan: Tristan ignored the noise staying next to the cart. Edivad (exit): 22:39 Sleeping Dragon: people simply shoved past Rafael without bothering to answer him. One man didn't seem to see him until Rafael was almost on top of him, and went off muttering angrily. "Fucking Jethi, what am I, a guide?" Enrico: Enrico was visibly enjoying the day-to-day bustle and stopped several times to look at some wares. Sakura: Taking note of Lost Angel Theatre as she often enjoyed plays. She jumped down from the cart, trusting in Ardrun to protect the cart and goods and starts talking to people about the place to sell metal goods. Ardrun: "I do not like rude people," said Ardrun to Rafael. "Perhaps I should kill some." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stared after the man, his eyes black and hard, then he laughed harshly. "If you were to kill all the rude people in the world, the population would be seriously decreased Ardrun. Let it go." Sleeping Dragon: a few people were looking warily at Ardrun and Tristan, and then a squad of guards dressed in the crimson uniforms of the City Watch came up to them. "Halt there!" called the squad leader, a stout, short-haired woman with a broken nose. "Let me see your weapon licences." Ardrun: "We want buy licenses," said Ardrun. "Mistress?" he called to Sakura. Tristan: "We've just arrived in the city. Where would get such licences?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael moved nearer the cart. Sakura: Sakura muttered few swear words on her way back, seems to failed on finding information she desire so much. On seeing a squad of guards, she speeded up and asked "Yes, Ardrun" Sleeping Dragon: as he strode around the square Enrico also asked about inns, quickly receiving far better responses than Rafael. One vendor looked away from the man he was haggling with for a moment. "Try the Old Pirate, beyond the river there and along, near the coast," the vendor said. "Affordable, and they've got the best bar in the city." Sleeping Dragon: the squad leader's tone softened. "New to the city, are you? You look like bold sorts, meaning to try your luck at the Towers?" she asked conversationally. "If you want to buy licenses, just come along with me and I'll get you filled out." Sakura: She glared at the leader and nodded, "Well, in that case, we will come along. No doubt such licences cost coins." She smiled slightly bitter Enrico: Enrico came back with directions and joined the conversation eagerly "Must one license a self defence tool as well? I want to be safe in case some loutish rabble does anything" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked puzzled at yes Tristan: "How much does a licence cost?" Tristan asked the guard Sleeping Dragon: "I'm afraid so," the squad leader told Enrico. "The price of a licence is two gold pieces a week, and there's also an initial administrative charge of one gold piece. Of course," she paused, "if you wanted your licences for free, you could join the militia." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked puzzled at the woman's words, then he nodded to himself. Rafael ben Efrim: "We'll be too busy with the Towers I'm afraid." he said, in answer to her last remark. Enrico: Enrico offered to pay the initial charge for the party. Tristan: "Would it be possible-" Tristan started to ask a question when Enrico offered. "Nevermind." Sleeping Dragon: "So you do mean to try the Towers then? Hmm." The squad leader waved Rafael over to the side and spoke to him quietly. Sakura: Sakura worked out in her mind the total cost and winced at the amount and replied, "I will pay for me and my guard for the weapon licences" whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, "If you want to get your licences for free without joining the militia, go to the Excise House and speak to a lawyer named Tremance. Tell him that Belia sent you," the squad leader told him. Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "That is very good of you to tell us." Rafael said with a smile. "We will do that." Sleeping Dragon: the squad leader nodded to Rafael and walked back to the others. "Sorry about the misunderstanding," she told them, and without further explanation she and her guards went off, leaving them alone Rafael ben Efrim: "We can get the licences at the Excise House." Rafael said quietly to Sakura. "For nothing." Rafael ben Efrim: "We just have to see a lawyer named Tremance and tell him Belia sent us." he added. "It was the Towers that did it - when she thought we were adventurers she told me." Sakura: Sakura considered this for a moment and said, "There must be a catch somewhere. Still, it is worth a try." Ardrun: "You are tricky little man," said Ardrun. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked up at the big warrior and grinned. "Sometimes tricks work better than swords." Ardrun: Ardrun laughed. "When tricks are needed, I will ask for you. When swords are needed, you ask my Mistress for me." Tristan: "Sometimes words work better than both. Still we should look for lodgings first." Enrico: "Tricks or not, lets spend the saved money wisely - some wheels might need greasing soon" Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly as she said, "Ardrun is most excellent with his sword." Rafael ben Efrim: "Perhaps it would be best to avoid a display of his skills just yet." Rafael said. "To the Excise House?" Sakura: She then went back onto the cart and settled into hard wooden seat and nodded at Ardrun to keep going. Sakura: "Onward to Excise House" She told him Sleeping Dragon: Enrico was able to remember that the Excise House was in the Harbourside district, near the great Malador ridge, and so they set off, travelling along a wide arcing road through the heart of the residential district of the Foot. The houses they saw were tremendously varied in size, squat, single storey buildings standing opposite much larger homes. At one corner they passed one quite large, run-down building, paint peeling from its wooden walls, a faded symbol of a raised fist flaking off on the door. They circled around to the southern fringes of the city, passing near to the wall which encircled the Clifftop district, where the wealthy of the city sequestered themselves away from the rest of Malador. whispering to Tristan, examining the Clifftop walls, Tristan could tell quickly that they were not intended to deter any serious attack - they were only ten feet high and lacked battlements. They were plainly intended to do no more than keep the common folk of Malador out. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Rafael recognised the raised fist symbol as being that of the Covenant of the Return, a sect preaching the imminent return of the Masters and the necessity to devote the self to them. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael narrowed his eyes as they passed the door with its raised fist symbol, and spat into the road. Ardrun: "What is that, which you disrespect?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked up at the big man. "A group which devotes itself to myths and falsehoods." he said. "And attacks that which is true." Ardrun: Ardrun shrugged, deciding that if Rafael wished to be more specific, he could choose to. Sleeping Dragon: they continued along through the streets and up the long street that ran up the middle of the narrow Harbourside district. Hugging the little strip of land between the huge Malador Ridge and the sea, the sturdy houses of the Harbourside were narrow, deep, and tall, all having at least two storeys and some three or four. Most of the buildings seemed to be shops of some sort. The smell of fish hung in the air like a thick blanket. To their right they could see the long wharves of the harbour thrusting out into the sea, crowded with ships.
At length they came to the Excise House, situated next to a very large building that was plainly a barracks belong to the Town Watch. The Excise House was a two storey stone building, with broad, flat steps leading up to the double doors above which hung a great bronze shield embossed with Malador's emblem, a ship and a tower. Entering the doors, they found themselves in a long roped-off queue wending its way along to a series of desks on the far side. A large flight of stairs marked 'Officials Only' in Coastal and Sea Speech led up to anothe floor. A single Town Watch guard stood near the doors and indicated that the party should join the seven people currently standing in the queue. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, as they went, Rafael noticed the Golden Bough docked at the wharves Rafael ben Efrim: "Someone should stay with the wagon." said Rafael. Sakura: Sakura glared at this pesky Town Watch with serious force Ardrun: "Shall I do that, mistress?" asked Ardrun. Sleeping Dragon: the guard looked utterly unimpressed by Sakura's unfriendly glare Sakura: "Yes, Ardrun. No one would even dare go near the cart." She stood up and jumped onto the dirty street. Enrico: "Good things come to those that wait, miss" - Enrico laughed and took a place in the line Sakura: edit: "Yes, Ardrun. No one would even dare go near the cart." Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and went outside to lean against the cart. Tristan: Tristan walked up the queue and nodded to Enrico. "We arn't that much of a hurry after all." Sakura: She then joined the queue, thinking of plan to deal with that annoying guard later on in the time. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stood with them in the queue. Sleeping Dragon: they waited for some time, seeing a few other merchants and sailors come in and join the queue behind them. At length they found themselves at a desk behind which sat a thin, black haired man in his early thirties with watery eyes. "Can I help you?" he asked. Rafael ben Efrim: "May we speak with Master Tremance please." Rafael asked politely. Sakura: Sakura nodded at Radael's question although she is still annoyed from waiting in the queue. She is not used to waiting in queue. Sleeping Dragon: "Can I get your name and business please?" the man asked Rafael Rafael ben Efrim: "Tell him Belia sent us." Rafael said. He was beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea. Sleeping Dragon: The man looked confused, but stood up nonetheless and went upstairs. A minute later he returned and waved the party over. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael went over to where the clerk was. Sakura: Sakura strolled over to the clerk, wary of any possible opportunity Sleeping Dragon: the clerk led them upstairs to a hallway lined with offices on either side. The clerk knocked on the door of the first office on the right and then opened the door. A young man in his early twenties with small dark eyes sat behind a comfortable desk. "Thank you," he told the clerk, and waved for him to leave. When the clerk was gone, Tremance looked at the party. "So Belia sent you then? You want weapon licences I assume." Rafael ben Efrim: "That's right." Rafael said. Sleeping Dragon: "I can get you those, and more besides, but I'll need you to do me a favour." Sakura: Sakura nodded as she now knew it. "There is always a catch. What kind of favour?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael raised his eyebrows but let the lawyer explain himself. Tristan: Tristan sighed, but said nothing. Sleeping Dragon: "It's no great favour, as you're intending to go hunting in the Towers anyway," said Tremance. Tremance slapped a pile of papers on his desk. "These are the manifests of certain expeditions to the Towers. The City has a number of very large war rafts mounted with catapults and brim full of guards to protect the Towers. Every time a licenced ship heads out for an expedition, the ship is thoroughly searched, every item onboard is catalogued, and then the ship is sent on its way. When the ship comes back, the guards come and search again, and we assume that any new items are treasure from the expedition which are assessed and then bought at half normal price. We store the items here for a while and then move them to Exotic Dreams where anyone can go and buy them. There's just one problem. I've been looking over some of the manifests and the items on there don't quite match the actual items we've received back in some cases. This wouldn't be a problem if it was just a few items here and there - there are always clerical errors, after all - but I've been digging a bit and it seems that it's been happening frequently with one particular ship licenced to take people to the Towers." He paused. "In fact, it seems to be happening with every single voyage with this particular vessel. I don't know how, but I'm sure that they're doing something underhanded, some sort of smuggling likely, which is a capital offence. I need a group of first time Tower explorers to go out on this boat and work out what's going on. I can get you your licences for free this way, and I'm sure that if we can prove what's going on then the Council will be more than pleased to provide more rewards as well, monetary and otherwise. I assure you, being favourably known by the Council will profit us all." Rafael ben Efrim: "Some of us have business to conduct in Malador before we set off to the Towers. Is that a problem?" Sakura: Sakura thought about this and found it wanting, "Well, the rewards seems to worth the risk. But as Rafael mentioned, some do have businesses although in my case, I still got a good cargo of iron to sell first." Tristan: "Not to mention a place to stay." Tristan added softly. Sleeping Dragon: Tremance nodded. "It's no problem of course if you have your own affairs to see to first, that's understandable...just don't wait too long. Are there just the four of you?" Tremance asked, rummaging through a drawer and pulling out several slips of paper Rafael ben Efrim: "We have a companion outside keeping watch on our wagon." Rafael said. Sakura: Sakura jumped in, "Five acutually. Got someone outside guarding my cart." Enrico: "I would probably not fit in very well with highwaymen and cutthroats. Probably wisest for me to look after that other business of ours instead" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael laughed. "You do like your little joke Rico. Highwaymen and cuthroats indeed." He turned to the lawyer. "We'll do the job for you. All of us. Glad to be of service to the city." Sleeping Dragon: Tremance nodded and filled out five small slips of paper which bore the ship and tower emblem next to a crossed sword and axe. "These licences are good for a week. If you find out what's going on, come back and I'll get you indefinite licences for the future. Just remember - don't take matters into your own hands. I'm not with the Watch, I'm just a lawyer with a suspicious mind. I'm not authorised to have you do anything more than investigate and I may not be able to help you if you do anything illegal. Find out what this captain is up to and report back to me, and nothing more. And that reminds me - the captain in question is called Covis Elassyn, and his ship is the Take a Chance." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took the licences and thanked the lawyer. "We'll do our best." he said as they filed out. Rafael ben Efrim: Once outside Rafael turned to Enrico. "I'm sorry about that, but the guard and now that lawyer believe us to be a party of treasure seekers. If one of us pulls out it might look most odd." Sakura: Sakura then starts asking people to find once more, good place to sell irons. Enrico: "Treasure hunters need not to be brutes. Sometimes a man of knowledge can be more useful than a mercenary" - Enrico said humbly Sleeping Dragon: they went outside and rejoined Ardrun. As they did they noticed a procession pass them by, heading north towards the river. Five guards from the watch marched grimly around a man who shambled up the street in stocks and leg irons. A masked man carrying a large two-handed axe shuffled along behind them. A few curious onlookers were following along. A young man of about fourteen was shouting insults at the condemned man. "Another raper eh? Hah! You're going to fucking die! You animal! You get what you deserve, you sick freak! You're going to fucking die, today!" The guards took no notice of the youth, allowing him to continue his harangue. Rafael ben Efrim: "It seems we are all to be mercenaries foir the time being." Rafael said to Enrico. Tristan: "So now we have to postpone our previous obligation because of this." Tristan looked tired before he noticed the spectacle. "What?" Sakura: Sakura wrinkled her nose at the thought of mercenaries. "Mercenaries huh? We are just doing services in exchange of gold." Enrico: "You'll have to make do with a very pitiful mercenary at your side then" - Enrico laughed. "A fashionable sellsword without a sword" Sleeping Dragon: Sakura was soon given the location of a number of foundries throughout the city where she could go to sell raw materials. Rafael ben Efrim: "We do the other job first." Rafael said. "Our first comittment is to Jeremy Gaston." He stared after the strange procession then his attention returned. "We are just doing what we can. A man has to work at something." Sleeping Dragon: A bystander heard Tristan's comment and smiled grimly at him. "That bastard there raped three young women, so they're taking him to the Yardarm to stretch his neck." He joined the crowd of people going to watch the execution. Rafael ben Efrim: "A vile crime, but public execution..." Rafael looked as if he found the idea distasteful. Tristan: Tristan turned away from the procession, walking over to Sakura. "Do you mind if I came with you? I was apprentance to a blacksmith back home, it would be good to have a regular job once we finish these tasks." Tristan's jaw clenched tight as he looked back at the crowd. Ardrun: "Public is necessary. Otherwise, how people know what will happen if they do such a thing?" Sakura: Sakura nodded back at Tristan, "You are more than welcome. I seen too many of them back home." Tristan: Tristan bowed slightly. "Thank you." Rafael ben Efrim: "Most of them seem to be more interested in the spectacle - it is just a form of entertainment for them." Rafael said, Sakura: She then told Ardrun, "We got licences but that only last for a week. It seems we are digging oursleves into more and more danger. I got a location of some foundries where I can sell the goods. Let go to one of them."
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Post by sleepingdragon on May 17, 2008 9:39:09 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: they set off towards the nearest of the foundries Sakura had been told of, which was a large building near to the Malador Boatyards, where iron was bought in large quantities for use in the building of ships. She was told, however, that they were not willing to purchase such a large quantity of iron all at once, unless she was prepared to offer a substantial discount - they were willing to buy no more than half of her load at the full price. Sakura: Sakura replied that she is happy to sell them at agreed price. Sleeping Dragon: they haggled for a short while and the trader at the Boatyards eventually purchased the iron for a bit above market value Rafael : Rafael watched as they unloaded half the iron. "We should find somewhere to stay. Perhaps two of us could look round for a suitable inn?" he suggested. Tristan: Tristan looked around the boatyard as Sakura made the deal. "Perhaps another place would be interested in the other half." Sakura: She was little pleased that she managed to make a profit on it and "Yes, time to go to another foundry." Sleeping Dragon: "Try Municipal Construction, just up the road," said the trader Sakura: Sakura nodded and walked up the road to Municipal, telling Ardrun to have the cart follow. Sleeping Dragon: they headed up the road to the Municipal Construction building. Along the way they passed a large stone sculpture, twelve feet high and twenty wide. It depicted a huge wave engulfing a small village, yet from out of the other side emerged a great city, resplendent with towers and banners Tristan (enter): 20:08 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9013) Tristan... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(8982) Tristan' from room... Tristan (exit): 20:08 Enrico: "I could certainly help you haggle for a better price - never traded in iron but a stock is a stock" - he said to Sakura while rubbing his hands Rafael : Rafael looked up at the sculpture. "It seems they have artists here in the New Coast." Sleeping Dragon: they headed up the road to the Municipal Construction building. Along the way they passed a large stone sculpture, twelve feet high and twenty wide. It depicted a huge wave engulfing a small village, yet from out of the other side emerged a great city, resplendent with towers and banners
repost Tristan (enter): 20:12 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9016) Tristan... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(9013) Tristan' from room... Tristan (exit): 20:13 Sleeping Dragon: Sakura was able to sell the remaining half of her iron at the forge adjoining the Municipal Construction building - either her earlier negotiation had gotten her back into practice, or maybe this trader was simply not very good, but she ran rings around him, selling the remaining iron for a significant profit Sakura: The cart was finally empty of it goods as she walked out, pocketing gold coins. She then told Ardrun and the rest, "I managed to sell the goods, let go to an inn, shall we?" Sleeping Dragon: by this point it was getting to late afternoon Rafael : "The Old Pirate overlooks the estuary." Rafael said. "This might be the likely place for adventurers heading to the Drowning Towers." Rafael : "And probably cheaper too." Enrico: "Are we really going forward with this foolish expedition?" Rafael : Rafael raised his eyebrows. "It will only be foolish if we are fools, and I don't believe that is the case. We will gain trust by doing so. And who knows, maybe we find treasure." he added with a sideways smile. Sakura: Sakura nodded as she leaped onto the cart. "With treasure you can sell, mean more coins which then can be invested wisely." Rafael : "You are a good merchant." Rafael said to Sakura. "Now your cart is empty, is there room for me to ride?" Sakura: Sakura nodded in respond to Rafael, "Indeed, you may, Rafael. It is much more comfortable than walking among these street." Rafael : Rafael scrambled up and sat on his pack with a sigh. "I find it is good to take comfort when you can." Sakura: She told Ardrun to take the cart to the inn called The Old Pirate. Sleeping Dragon: they rode along towards the Old Pirate inn, a long, rambling road that took them across virtually the entire city, making their way along a large thoroughfare through mainly residential areas. After a time they came to the river and crossed over the eastern bridge, and continued along eastwards towards the river estuary.
They found that the Old Pirate was a large, three-storey stone building with an adjoining wooden stable. With no further buildings to the east of it, it offered a fantastic view of the sea. Rafael : Rafael jumped down off the cart and swung his pack over his shoulder. "This looks a good place." he said, scanning the horizon. Rafael : He walked up and opened the door to the inn. Sakura: Followed Rafael into the inn, depending on Ardrun to keep the cart and mounts safe Tristan (enter): 20:49 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9032) Tristan... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(9016) Tristan' from room... Tristan (exit): 20:49 Sleeping Dragon: about a dozen patrons currently sat at the bar or around tables in the Old Pirate, eating, drinking, and relaxing following the end of the work week. Most appeared to be local shopkeepers or labourers, but they noticed by one table were two people who were distinctly foreign - a tall, golden-haired Illian, and a short, sharp-faced Almarid, who sat drinking and talking quietly together. When the party came in the pair looked up at them, eyed them carefully, and returned to talking amongst themselves, occasionally glancing over at them.
"Blimey, there's a crowd and no mistake," said a woman behind the bar. She was in her early fifties, with iron grey hair tied up in a bun. She moved spryly over towards the party, a pleasant smile on her face. "I'm Pesk Dannitch, owner of the Pirate. Are you friendly folks looking for a room?" Sleeping Dragon: edit: rooms Rafael : Rafael looked around at the others. "Indeed we are." he said with a friendly smile. "And for our companion outside. And room for our horse and cart too, if you have it." Sleeping Dragon: Pesk yelled at one of the bar staff, who went out and brought the cart and horses into the stable. "You're a cosmopolitan group, are you adventurers then? Planning to try the Towers?" Pesk shook herself and chuckled. "I suppose I should deal with your rooms first, really. I've got three single rooms for 4 silvers a night, a double room for 7 silvers a night, and three rooms for four at 12 silvers a night. What'll you be needing, and for how long?" Rafael : "I will have a single room." Rafael stated. Tristan: Tristan looked at the others before speaking. "As will I." He said, fishing out a few silver coins. Enrico: Enrico paid for a single room as well. Ardrun: Disconnecting from server... Ardrun (exit): 21:08 Sakura: Sakura nodded and paid for a double room to share with her slave, Ardrun Sakura: "What about the charge on cart, horses and feeds?" Skyman (enter): 21:12 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9042) Ardrun... Sleeping Dragon: "You get dinner with the rooms, but your cart will cost you another silver a day, dearie," said Pesk. She eyed Ardrun up and down. "You're an awfully big one! I'll make sure you get an extra blanket or something." Sakura: "Very well." She replied, "Here is two silvers for two days." She handed over two silvers. Ardrun: Ardrun shrugged. "That is not necessary. I am used to little comfort." Sleeping Dragon: "Terrible thing to be used to, that," said Pesk. "Are you wanting to eat now?" Rafael : "Yes please." Rafael said, handing over eight silver pieces. "It smells very good." Tristan: Tristan nodded. "That would be nice yes." Sakura: Sakura settled down to eat Sleeping Dragon: Pesk headed off briskly and shortly the party were gathered around a large table, tucking into a hearty stew with fresh, thick brown bread on the side and dark ale to wash it down. As Enrico had been told earlier, the ale was of excellent quality Ardrun: Ardrun, whose was forced to sit in a contorted position to fit his knees under the table, gulped down his portion in little more than a minute. Sakura: Relaxing as she slowly enjoyed her food and ales, she considered the coming days. Rafael : Rafael drank only one tankard of the ale, but he commented on how good it was. Tristan: Tristan ate slowly, watching the other patrons warily, paticularly the two forigners Enrico: Enrico ate with gusto, and bombarded the innkeeper with questions about anything interesting . Rafael : Rafael let his eyes wander over to the Illian and his Almarid companion. Rafael : as he ate. Sleeping Dragon: the two foreigners continued to keep to themselves while Pesk sat near the party and talked to Enrico. "Everyone's getting real worried about the Torathi, dearie. Their King is sending an envoy to talk to the fine folks on our Council," Pesk's voice was heavy with contempt as she spoke of the Council. "I've got some old friends in the Watch seeing as I used to be a guard out on the rafts, and they're all saying it's likely to be war, either that or the Council will just up and surrender though that doesn't seem real likely." Rafael : Rafael listened with interest. "What rafts are those?" he asked. Sakura: Her ears perked up as she listened in this conversation. Sleeping Dragon: "The rafts that guard the Towers, my lovely," said Pesk. "Loaded up with archers and crossbowmen, and fitted with catapults to sink any buggers that might try to steal out of the Towers. Worked on them for about twenty years, until I decided to do something a bit more sociable." Sakura: "Sounds to be it is fine decision. You do know how often these groups go out to Towers return with treasures or their lives?" Ardrun (enter): 21:46 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9057) Ardrun... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(9042) Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 21:47 Rafael (enter): 21:49 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9061) Rafael ... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(9009) Rafael ' from room... Rafael (exit): 21:50 Rafael : Rafael nodded in understanding. "They check what is brought back from the Towers, we know of this." Sleeping Dragon: "Oh, frequently enough, a time or three a week, depending on the season. Get a lot in the summer, as people decide that the nice, warm weather is the best for going out into strange towers and hacking up weird creatures," Pesk laughed. "Quite a few don't manage to come back, or at least not all of them in a group. Always admired them anyway, it takes some stones to put yourself in the way of demons and what-not just for a chance at a bit of glory and gold." Sleeping Dragon: "Oh yes," said Pesk. "Way we do it is, when one of the ships comes near - assuming it's licensed and we don't just sink it, which is something I only ever knew happen twice beyond the very first few years - we search everything on the ship, right carefully taking stock of everything onboard, then when the ship comes back we do the same and if there's anything new we figure it's probably from the Towers." Sakura (enter): 21:55 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9068) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(8981) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 21:56 Rafael : "What kind of things have you seen brought out of the Towers?" Rafael asked. Sleeping Dragon: "Oh, frequently enough, a time or three a week, depending on the season. Get a lot in the summer, as people decide that the nice, warm weather is the best for going out into strange towers and hacking up weird creatures," Pesk laughed. "Quite a few don't manage to come back, or at least not all of them in a group. Always admired them anyway, it takes some stones to put yourself in the way of demons and what-not just for a chance at a bit of glory and gold." repost Sleeping Dragon: "Oh yes," said Pesk. "Way we do it is, when one of the ships comes near - assuming it's licensed and we don't just sink it, which is something I only ever knew happen twice beyond the very first few years - we search everything on the ship, right carefully taking stock of everything onboard, then when the ship comes back we do the same and if there's anything new we figure it's probably from the Towers." repost Sleeping Dragon: "All sorts of things - gold cups and plates, books, weapons, jewels...I figure the Masters or at least the people they had under them had much the same needs we did, though they seemed to have had more fancy kit lying about. Saw a few right weird things. The worst was that armour..." Pesk shuddered. "Was made of some poor bastard's hide and painted all red. Don't want to know what happened to that." Tristan: "What happens in the event that smuggling is found on one of the ships?" Sleeping Dragon: "Smuggling? We take them to the Yardarm and give them a good hanging. Happens every now and then, some fool gets the idea to sneak some things by us. Never knew it to work. There were claims made but I figure they were just blowing hot air." Rafael : Rafael shook his head. "Too much of a risk. You can be certain we will not try anything that foolish." Sakura (enter): 22:07 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9070) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(9068) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 22:07 Sleeping Dragon: "I'd surely hope not. So you are going to the Towers then, my dearies? Best of luck to you!" Pesk smiled broadly. "The other groups staying here didn't seem interested, think they're hoping for some work with the war soon." Tristan: "Mercenaries." Tristan stated simply, returning to his soup. Rafael : "If the war happens, no doubt all will end up involved to some extent." Rafael said. Sakura: "For good and for worse" Sakura said simply Sleeping Dragon: "Of a certainty - I might even have to blow the dust off my old crossbow and go give the Torathi a few pops myself!" Pesk shook her head. More patrons were coming into the Pirate now, men looking deeply relieved about the end of the week and the rest they could have the next day. Rafael : Rafael smiled at Pesk's words. He excused himself from the table and left for his room. Sakura: With the dinner seemed to be over and Ardrun finished his meal, she went outside to check the horses and cart. Then she left for her room. Enrico: "You make it sound as if these towers are bottomless pits of treasure - surely less and less is being extracted, no?" Sakura: After packing some possessions in her room, she came down from the room and told Ardrun that she is going out to talk to common folk, merchants, and so forth during the evening. Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and followed along. Sleeping Dragon: Pesk smiled. "You'd think so, but the truth of it is..." she leaned closer to Enrico and grinned, "the Towers don't stay still, they move. Every now and then the earth shakes a bit, and some new tower or three will come up out of the ground. It must have been a great city once. No one has any idea why or how the Towers do this, it must be some magic of the Masters." Tristan: Finishing his meal, Tristan stood up. "I too am going to take a walk. I want to get a better idea of this city." Sleeping Dragon: Pesk smiled. "You'd think so, but the truth of it is..." she leaned closer to Enrico and grinned, "the Towers don't stay still, they move. Every now and then the earth shakes a bit, and some new tower or three will come up out of the ground. It must have been a great city once. No one has any idea why or how the Towers do this, it must be some magic of the Masters." repost Enrico: "Does the magic of the Masters dutifully restock the treasures as well? You'd think the returns would be less and less as time went by" whispering to Tristan, Tristan strode along through the Foot district, back towards the river. As he came near to the river he noticed a large building he had seen on the way to the Pirate but had not had time to investigate. As he came nearer he heard the sound of ringing hammers coming from the building. Ardrun (enter): 22:54 Sleeping Dragon: "Not as far as I know, but they reveal enough new floors and enough new towers that they haven't been exhausted yet. I imagine eventually they'll run out of treasure...but not anytime soon. At least I hope!" Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (9103) Ardrun... Tristan: (whispering): Tristan walked up the building, wondering as to its purpose. Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(9057) Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 22:54 whispering to Tristan, as he came near it became clear the building was a smithy, a squat brick building with smoke pouring from a chimney. Despite the late hour, the smithy was still very busy. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan knocked on the door to the building and waited. whispering to Tristan, it took some time, and several knocks, before the door was finally answered by a balding man wearing a leather apron. "Yes?" he asked. Tristan: (whispering): "This is a smithy, yes? I have just arrived in this city and I'm looking for some work." whispering to Tristan, "Oh, are you?" the man looked interested. "I'm Yrgan Shimth, and I own this smithy. We're a bit busy tonight, but if you're looking for work, come by tomorrow morning and I'll see how good you are. Does that sound agreeable to you?" Sleeping Dragon: Sakura spent the evening wandering around the streets of the Foot, talking to people and making friends. Back at the Pirate, she ended up in a long conversation with a garrulous fisherman, who complained to her bitterly of the Council's recent tax hike relating to seafood. Previously, fisherfolk paid fifteen copper pieces for every ten pounds of fish brought back to the wharves, but it had been raised to seventeen. "Complete ruination, it is," the man complained, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Complete and utter ruination. How am I meant to feed my children with the Council robbing me blind every time I so much as take a step? I tell you, there are bad times ahead." Tristan: (whispering): "I'll do so, when do you open?" whispering to Tristan, "Soon as the sun is up." Tristan: (whispering): "I will be here then. Thank you for the opportunity." Tristan bowed in thanks to Yrgan. Edivad: Disconnecting from server... Edivad (exit): 23:40 Tristan: (whispering): Tristan walked around for a short while before noticing it would be late upon returning to the Pirate, and quickly made to return there. Rafael : Rafael came in from the street and went up to his room quite late. Ardrun: Ardrun escorted Sakura back, and did some stretches before going to bed. Sleeping Dragon: in the morning they were served a filling breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast Tristan: Tristan left before the sun had risen, leaving a message with the innkeeper that he would be back shortly. Rafael : Rafael had got up very early and came in while they were at breakfast. He sat down without explanation and ate with a good appetite. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan quickly walked to the smithy. Ardrun: Ardrun once again consumed his food very quickly, and sat back quietly while the others finished. Sakura: Sakura slowly savouring each piece of breakfast before gulping them down. whispering to Tristan, Yrgan opened the door. "Good morning. Come on in and we'll put you to work, see if you're any good." Rafael : "So, today we are going to find out what happened to Mister Jeremy Gaston's agent?" Rafael asked, as he sat back from the table. Sakura: Nodding in respond, "Might as well, while we still can. Of course, we still need to do other tasks as well later in the weeks. Do anyone got any clues on him yet?" Tristan: (whispering): Tristan nodded and entered the building. "What did you have in mind?" Rafael : "We need to ask questions." Rafael replied. "Around his workshop to start with I think." whispering to Tristan, "I'll just get you to make a few basic tools - a knife, some horseshoes, that sort of thing - and I'll judge if the work's any good. I should say beforehand that if you want to apprentice yourself to me, you'll need to put in some solid hours. Some of our customers don't like to wait." Sakura: "Well, we can always turn up at the workshop and looked surprised to see him gone." Sakura smiled. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan nodded. "I do have some prior commitments before I can commit to anything, but once they are finished, I can work as many hours are needed. Is that alright?" whispering to Tristan, "That's fine. Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking? It's plain you're not from Malador," Yrgan asked as he led Tristan into the forge proper. Sakura: "He is a carpenter after all" She went on Tristan: (whispering): "Cetria." Tristan answered simply. "I don't think I've introduced myself actually. My name is Tristan." He held his hand out to Yrgan. "Where would you like me to work?" whispering to Tristan, "In here, Tristan," said Yrgan, pointing to one of the forges within. "We'll start you with a simple knife." whispering to Tristan, Yrgan worked Tristan throughout the morning, setting him to crafting a variety of small iron tools. "Very good work," he said at the end. "I'll be pleased to have you aboard. You'll start at one gold a day but if you prove yourself you'll soon earn more."
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Post by sleepingdragon on May 18, 2008 10:01:26 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: around mid-day, shortly after Rafael had returned, Tristan also came back into the Pirate Tristan: "Sorry for the delay." Tristan apologized as he noticed the others in the common room. "Are we heading off now?" Ardrun: Ardrun had his equipment ready, and waited patienty. Ardrun: *edit: patiently Rafael ben Efrim: "There is no need to apologise." Rafael said to Tristan. "We all have our own business to attend to." Tristan: Tristan frowned at Rafael's comment. "Very well." Edivad (enter): 19:38 Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael picked up his things and went outside. "We should start at the carpenter's workshop." Sakura: Sakura nodded as she strolled out through the door. Enrico: While Rafael was out, Enrico left briefly and returned with clothing that would be more appropriate for their roles - and stashed the tasteful fashionable outfit away. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael set off along the riverside road away from the inn. "We only know that Caius Seneca's workplace is in the west of the city, but not which side of the river, true?" Tristan: Tristan followed the others after dissapearing briefly to his room to don his armor. Sleeping Dragon: they went out into the streets. The day had been foggy to begin, but that had dissipated and it had now become a clear, crisp day with only a light breeze. It was a rest day in Malador, and many shops, though not all, were closed. Many people were out walking the streets, going to visit friends or to patronise those establishments that remained open such as the Baths House and the various taverns. Speaking to them, Enrico and Rafael were quickly able to find a few men who had gone to Caius Seneca for work before and were able to direct them towards his workshop. They crossed the nearest bridge over the river and made their way along to a wide square where they noticed a large number of people standing and watching something. A large burgundy carriage, drawn by six big black horses, clattered down the centre of the street. Encircling the carriage were six armed riders who wore chainmail, helms with horsehair crests, and the black and red tabards of the Kingdom Guards of Torath. They carried shields and lances from which flapped the flag of Torath, a white wolf running on a field of black and red, and they also carried swords, axes, or warhammers. They trotted slowly and precisely down the streets, ensuring that everyone who was out would have ample time to see them. As they turned and went south, taking the long route towards Clifftop, people muttered that the Torathi envoy had arrived. Some seemed pleased, but the majority sounded worried. Rafael ben Efrim: "They are very sure of themselves, these Torathi." Rafael said quietly to the others. Ardrun: Ardrun watched them passively. "Anyone is sure of themselves with such weapons and armor, whether they should be or not." Tristan: Tristan nodded to Ardrun's words. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael followed the procession with cold eyes. "There is more than one way to win a war." he said quietly. Sakura: Sakura glanced at the carriage, "Yes, by words and when words failed. There are always swords to back them up" Tristan: "Not everyone is as adept with words or..." Tristan looked at Rafael as he continued. "Hidden thrusts. Sometimes a display of force is more effective than honeyed words or backroom dealings." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked about them at the worried people. "It seems the display is working well." Sleeping Dragon: they continued on towards Seneca's workshop, which proved to be on the very outskirts of the city. The workshop was a two-storey wooden building. The windows and doors were boarded up and the grass around the building had been allowed to grow very tall. Rafael ben Efrim: "This looks bad." Rafael frowned. "I suppose we should ask around the neighbouring businesses." Sakura: She rooted around the buildings, asking for informations. Sleeping Dragon: they spent the afternoon making the rounds of the local shops, a task made slightly more difficult because many were closed and their owners away. Enrico spoke to Garus, a cobbler whose shop was nearest to Seneca's. Garus told him that Seneca had tended to keep to himself, though he had been pleasant enough when spoken to. The only person he had seen going to Seneca's very often was a lanky, tanned young man with slick black hair - Seneca had told Garus the man was a distant cousin. "Seneca must have involved himself in something shady though. Some night in early November a bunch of men came round and tore his shop to pieces. There were six or seven of them...or maybe eight or nine, I didn't look too close. They were a scary bunch. They didn't find Seneca though. A few times in the next few weeks there were these young, rough looking lads lurking near his shop every now and then, but Seneca never came back and they stopped coming as far as I can tell. Watch never did anything about it of course, useless lot. Don't care about stopping things like that unless someone passes them some coins." Garus spat. Sakura and Ardrun meanwhile learned quite a bit about Seneca at a nearby tavern. He had apparently been a voracious reader, spending many afternoons ensconced in a comfortable chair he had made for himself out in his backyard. Seneca was also apparently very fond of the theatre, going to the Lost Angel almost every week. Sleeping Dragon: Just as Enrico was about to leave, Garus spoke again. "It's just hit me, I remember something...couldn't recall the name of Seneca's cousin but now it's just come back to me. Severard, Seneca told me his name was." Rafael ben Efrim: "It seems Seneca was exposed then, but not necessarily killed for it." Rafael said when they had shared the information. "A visit to the theatre whould be a pleasant diversion. Shall we find our way to this Lost Angel?" Sakura: "We might as well. Beside, I been meaning to go to theatre after all." Rafael ben Efrim: "A cryer was advertising the place this morning when we arrived, it must be fairly well known." Rafael said. Rafael ben Efrim: *edit* yesterday not this morning Rafael ben Efrim: Before they left, Rafael took a good look around the house, considering how easy it would be to get inside. Sleeping Dragon: every window and door was boarded up - only by prying them up could the house be entered Tristan: "Should we return to the inn to leave our weapons? Or should Ardrun and myself just wait outside in case something happens?" Rafael ben Efrim: "What do you expect to happen at a theatre?" Rafael asked. Tristan: "The man we're looking for seems to be hunted. Anything could happen." Rafael ben Efrim: "Whoever hunted him would have to be quick off their mark, but it's possible." Rafael said musingly. "You can't take visible weapons into the theatre of course." Sakura: Sakura blinked as she hide her daggers among the folds of her clothes Enrico: "I'll go - the rest of you can stay outside" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at Sakura with a grin. "I think Sakura and I should go in too, I have a fancy to see the play." Sleeping Dragon: they made their way towards the Lost Angel Theatre. The theatre, and the area around it, was run-down and seedy, on the edge of the Foot and on the long road leading to the Beggar's Flow. The Lost Angel was a large, vaguely round building of wood and brick. A sign on the front of the building advertised it as 'the Best Show in Town', and another showed two poorly painted snakes writhing around the words 'Serpentia, Queen of Snakes!' Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael's eyebrows shot up. "Maybe not the play we expected. Are you sure this will be suitable for a well-brought-up young lady like yourself Sakura?" Sakura: Sakura smiled, "Maybe, maybe not. But I always love going to theatre. There are always hint of excitement in the air." Rafael ben Efrim: "I think there may be more excitement in here than you imagine. It will be an experience, though, eh Enrico?" Enrico: "I'll have to see what this Best Show is like for myself" Tristan: "Looks like it was a good idea to stay armed." Tristan commented, looking at the building and its suroundings. Rafael ben Efrim: "Seneca must have had a good reason to visit so often - I wonder if it was only the entertainment on offer that drew him." Rafael said, Sakura: "Or even the fact you can meet people who you need to speak." Rafael ben Efrim: "The theatre can be good cover." Rafael agreed. Tristan: "Especially one this seedy." Tristan added, running a finger along one of the snakes. "Is this supposed to be a snake?" Rafael ben Efrim: "I wonder what she does with them?" Rafael murmured. Enrico: Enrico rolled his eyes at the comment. Sleeping Dragon: As they stood speaking they saw a dark blue carriage with Malador's ship-and-tower symbol come down the street and stop by the doors. Out stepped two men. One was an obese man of slightly above average height, with unkempt hair and fine clothes tarnished by deep stains of wine and food. At his side was a big, muscled man who was plainly some kind of bodyguard. The fat man swept piggish eyes about imperiously and made his way towards the door while his guard frowned over at Tristan and Ardrun before following his master. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael turned away and watched the men out of the corner of his eye. "Interesting types. I'd like to know who they are." Ardrun: Ardrun smirked at the bodyguard. "He not like seeing someone who might make his master look for better bodyguard." Sakura: Sakura looked at him with distaste in her eyes, "Yes, that man's looks are crimes against my eyes" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael laughed. "What would be your punishment for ugliness then Sakura?" Tristan: "I think he's more concerned about our open display of weapons." Tristan said, fingering the hilt of his sword. Sakura: Her eyes twinked as she considered the reply for Radael. "Hmmm, hard to say. But getting thrown into sea will improve the apperance greatly" Rafael ben Efrim: "I suppose we should be going inside." Rafael said. "Where will you two be waiting?" he asked Tristan and Ardrun. Tristan: Tristan looked around. "I don't think we'll stick out too much around here. So probobly near the front then." Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and leaned against a wall. Sakura: She nodded at Ardun, it seems to her that the value of Ardrun increased every time he did something/ Sleeping Dragon: inside, they found themselves in a large foyer with a ticket office underneath a set of stairs leading up to the performance area. A queue of about a dozen people stood waiting to get tickets. The fat man strode towards them and casually shoved people aside. "Make way for Councillor Rohdell!" his guard shouted. As Rohdell elbowed his way forward, a man with greasy black hair and a nervous smile stepped out of the ticket office and went forward to speak to the Councillor. "My usual box, Relt," Rohdell told him, casually flinging five gold coins at the black-haired man and continuing towards the stairs without even bothering to stop. "Of course, Councillor," Relt told him, bowing his head and then stooping to pick up the coins. Relt and Sleeping Dragon: edit: Relt and Rohdell's guard shared a weary look as Rohdell puffed his way up the stairs Rafael ben Efrim: "Well, now we know who your fat friend is." Rafael murmured in Sakura's ear as they moved foreward to the ticket office. "No wonder the people don't have faith in the Council." Sakura: She muttered back softly, "I seen this far too many time back home" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took Sakura's arm with a wink and walked confidently to the ticket office. "Two tickets for your fine show sir." Tristan: (whispering): Tristan leaned on a wall opposite to Ardrun. "How long have you known Sakura?" He asked after a while. Sleeping Dragon: at length they came to the end of the queue. "As you wish, my fine friends," said Alban Relt. "It's six silver pieces for a seat in the stalls, or, for only five gold pieces, you can enjoy the show in one of our luxurious private boxes." Enrico: Enrico paid as well and went in separately. Rafael ben Efrim: "Well my dear, shall we join the crowd in the stalls? Or would you like a little more privacy." Rafael asked Sakura with a rakish grin. Sakura: Sakura looked at him and smiled, "I like privacy. It is much better than among the mass." Ardrun: (whispering): "When we met, she was a child and I was a youth." Ardrun spoke monotonously. "That would be perhaps 10 years. I was a newly captured slave then. Of course, we did not speak much after that, though she saw some of my fights. She purchased me only recently." He paused. "And what brings you to this city?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael dug out five gold pieces and handed them over. "What the lady wants..." Tristan: (whispering): "Just looking for work." Tristan answered simply. Sakura: She finished the sentence off with gleeful tone, "And the lord provides" Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun nodded, having no desire to pry into business that Tristan clearly didn't want to explain in more detail. "I know little of your homeland," he said, in case that was a subject the other man was keener on. Sleeping Dragon: Enrico made his way in towards the stalls while a black-uniformed usher led Sakura and Rafael up to their box. There were nine rows of seats on either side leading up to the stage, which currently had a thick blue curtain drawn across it. In front of the stage was a deep recess in which the orchestra was getting ready for the performances. The stalls looked capable of seating about a hundred people, of which about eighty were filled tonight. The wooden seats were fitted with cushions, some of which were decidedly lumpy and uneven. Sakura and Rafael were led up another set of stairs and into one of the six private boxes on the balcony. The furnishings there were in better condition, though the gilding on the bannisters had seen better days. Each contained four comfortable chairs in sets of two around a small table. Tristan: (whispering): "It is a hard place, and far from here." Tristan simply left it at that, obviously even more reluctlant to talk about it. "But what about you? You're from the Disputed lands right? I know little of them as well." Rafael ben Efrim: "Well, this is nice." Rafael said as the usher left. He looked over the side of the box, inspecting the crowds below and anyone visible in the other boxes. Ardrun: (whispering): "Yes. There is little to tell. My people do not think of the Disputed Lands as a single realm, and most do not know if there is another village a few miles away. Sometimes we are raided for slaves. More women are taken, but I am large, so I was kept alive." Sakura: Sakura sat into the chair and relaxed into it. "I like these comfortable chairs." She closed her eyes for a moment as she settled into it, enjoying the comfort of such chairs. "Anyway, see anyone interesting?" Sakura's eyes flicked around the threate, trying to see anyone out of palce. Sakura: edit: place Sleeping Dragon: four other boxes were occupied. Councillor Rohdell was in one, his feet slung casually up on one chair, his bodyguard seated across from him. Rohdell loudly called to an attendant, who rushed over to him. None of the other people in the boxes looked familiar - merchants and craftsmen of middling rank. Down in the stands were a wide variety of people drawn from Malador's lower classes, as well as a few foreigners - two of which, they saw, were some of the Torathi Kingdom Guards that had been guarding the envoy's carriage they had seen earlier in the day. The other patrons gave the two a wide berth and unfriendly looks. Rafael ben Efrim: "They're brave coming in here." Rafael said, pointing out the Torathi. "Shall we order something to drink?" Tristan: (whispering): "I suppose that is an advantage." Tristan said evenly. "But do you not wish for freedom?" Sakura: Grimaced as she eyed them, "I doubt bravery have anything to do with it." She said, "For all we know, they could be looking for something or someone." She relaxed even more as she continued, "Since we are here, we might as well have some." whispering to Tristan, Ardrun, as they spoke, Tristan and Ardrun saw two dirty, scantily dressed women walk up towards them from the road out of the Flow. "Looking for a bit more fun than you can get at the theatre, boys?" one of them called Ardrun: (whispering): "Of course. All slaves desire it, except for the foolish ones, or those who have no skills to survive outside of slavery. But I owe much to my Mistress. Perhaps I will buy my freedom, but that will not end my debt to her." Ardrun: (whispering): "You are not my sort, I am afraid, women," said Ardrun. "A bit too small, I believe I would crush you." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael called an attendant and ordered some wine, and some small dishes for them to nibble on as they watched. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan shook his head. "No, likewise you are not my type. My apologies." Sleeping Dragon: as they ordered, there came a sudden flurry of notes from the orchestra, and the curtain parted to reveal a smartly dressed young man who, they realised after a moment, was the same crier that they had seen the day before. "Ladies and gentlemen of Malador, ladies and gentlemen of the world, welcome to the Lost Angel! Prepare to be amazed! For our first act, we are pleased to present to you the exotic, the beautiful, the incomparable...SERPENTIA!" A pipe began to play shrill notes and the crowd began to whoop enthusiastically as a buxom young woman came out onto the stage. She wore a smile, two large constrictor snakes...and very little else. Rohdell hooted loudest of all as Serpentia danced, serpents writhing and slithering across her body, draped just so, allowing quick, alluring glimpses of skin for brief, tantalising instants. whispering to Ardrun, Tristan, "Oh you needn't worry, I can do with a bit of crushing. But if you lads would really like to loiter about and play with your swords..." the whores shrugged and moved on. Ardrun: Disconnecting from server... Ardrun (exit): 23:09 Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael appeared to watch the dancer but his attention was on the crowd. Sakura: Sakura for a moment watched Serpentia and discontempt crossed her eyes, she whispered to Rafeal in his ears, "This show is not even fit for slave pits back home." Sleeping Dragon: Serpentia's act was followed by that of Mad Jordi Konton, a red-haired young man with an expressive face, thick eyebrows that climbed up and down his face like fiery caterpillars as he sang several extremely bawdy songs which grew increasingly ribald as his act went on. Sleeping Dragon: *face and thick... Tristan: (whispering): Tristan watched the woman leave. "A diferent form of slavery." He said quietly as they walked away. "Would that I could do something about it all." Rafael ben Efrim: "Indeed." Rafael answered, while appearing to find the excruciating performance wonderfully funny. Sleeping Dragon: Rohdell seemed to find the songs deeply hilarious and called for an encore, his face red as he joked with his guard Sakura: She settled into her chair, reach for the wine bottle, pour it out into the fine glass and drunk it in one go as if it is to avoid to listen to these harrowing experiences. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael only sipped on the wine. "At least that man should drop dead soon from over-indulgence." he said with a glance at the disgusting councillor. Sleeping Dragon: the next act was that of a group of five young actors called the Malador Players, a second-rate comedy troupe who performed a number of short skits that varied between mildly suggestive and outrageously slapstick. Rafael ben Efrim: "Whatever do they spend the ticket money on?" Rafael murmured. "They obviously don't invest in the building or the performers." Sakura: Sakura groaned at one of these skits, it is so badly gone. "Into their little chests where they never see daylight again." She replied, "Still, That... councillor acutally like them, I could not believe someone of that rank like it. It is crime against Fine Arts, this entire... pits!" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled at that. "Wherever did you get the idea that status is the arbiter of good taste Sakura?" Sakura: Sakura sighed at that, "Maybe it is the fact I been bought up in the golden cities of Ispera. High ranking people would rather kill themsleves than allows such shows to exist before their eyes. But then, maybe I should not expect too much. Shame the manager of Lost Angel will not be in Ispera." Rafael ben Efrim: "Ispera is not all gold and fine arts." Rafael said, with a sharp look. He turned his attention back to the audience. Sleeping Dragon: their contempt grew as the crowd became louder and louder. The next act was that of the Brothers Maletti, two swordsmen who might possibly have been distantly related, who told a story of two young men fighting for the love of a young woman, played by a more well-dressed Serpentia. The 'brothers' fought a series of duels while each pronouncing their separate cases to the young woman's hand. The young woman went back and forth between the suitors, hearing them argue their respective cases - a part the crowd seemed to grow restless during, though they enjoyed the fighting. As the play went on, it seemed to them that the Brothers were, in fact, very, very subtly referencing the tensions between Malador and Torath - the fair maid, who grew increasingly distressed and despairing as the play went on, represented the people of Malador while her two equally loathsome suitors stood in for King Darragan of Torath and Malador's Council. These paralells were blatantly lost on most of the crowd, save perhaps Councillor Rohdell, who they saw frowning a few times during the performance. In the end, fair maid Serpentia was inadverently slain during one of the duels, and the skit ended with the Brothers Maletti squabbling over which of them had the rights to her money and jewellery. Rafael ben Efrim: "That is more interesting." Rafael said. Sleeping Dragon: predictably, the performance of the Brothers drew the most subdued applause of the evening Sakura: Sakura looked surprised as she responded, "Against all logic, it is barely adequate. It is somewhat is entertaining." Rafael ben Efrim: "Subtle but the councillor seems to have taken it to heart. The Torathi don't seem to be reacting though. I wonder why they are here?" Rafael mused. Sakura: Sakura glanced at the councillor and nodded very slightly. As she picked up some tit tats to eat, she muttered, "I am more astonished by the fact he can see it. That coulds suggest that what we seen of him so far is merely a cover. After all, you do not get to be member of Council by singing and dancing. As for Torathi, well, we will know soon enough." Rafael ben Efrim: "Yes, to appear a fat oaf is a good disguise for a sharp mind perhaps." Sleeping Dragon: looking across, they saw Rohdell say a few things to his guard, who nodded and left the box, heading down the stairs whispering to Tristan, the time dragged on. Then Tristan saw Councillor Rohdell's guard step outside and look over towards them. He paused as if in thought for a moment, then walked over, holding a hand up in a peacable gesture. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan cocked his head, looking at the guard expectantly. whispering to Tristan, "I hope you gents aren't intending to start any trouble. It's not a normal thing to be loitering outside a theatre while heavily armed, though as long as you have licenses you're of course free to do so. I should warn you, though, I'm guarding a Councillor of Malador and if anything happens then the response from the Watch is likely to be...excessive." Sakura: Sakura smiled back, "Well, disguises came in many ways. Still, thanks, I rather somewhat enjoy this evening." Sleeping Dragon: following the Brothers came the final act of the evening, that of the Veil Dancers, a name that ominously presaged a return to the miserable form of the evening's other acts Tristan: (whispering): "Do you think something is going to happen?" Tristan asked honestly. "We're just here in case our companions inside need help." whispering to Tristan, The man held up his hands. "I certainly hope not. Truth be told, I'd rather not have to put myself on the line defending that cunt, but if anything happened to him then my balls would be hanging from the gates of Clifftop by morning." The guard grinned. "You're getting a better show out here than your friends out there, trust me. This place is truly abysmal." With that, he turned and went back into the theatre Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael ordered more wine before they had to suffer the final act. "Based on what we have seen previously, this will no doubt be extremely bad, and possibly lewd." he sighed. Sleeping Dragon: the Veil Dancers were a group of eight attractive young men and women who danced ;rl while dressed in skimpy clothes in a stereotyped Almarid style. Sleeping Dragon: edit: danced provocatively Tristan: (whispering): Tristan nodded, then sighed after the man left. "At least we know he's a good man." Sakura: Sakura blinked as she steeled herself for no doubt the worse act yet to come. She poured out new glass of wine and start drinking it slowly. Sleeping Dragon: shortly the bodyguard climbed back into the private box with Councillor Rohdell, who was paying rapt attention to the Veil Dancers. Rafael ben Efrim: "No suprise there then." Rafael said, pouring himself some wine but only taking one sip before putting the glass down on the table. whispering to Tristan, not long afterwards, Tristan saw Councillor Rohdell's carriage come up the street and stop near the doors again Sleeping Dragon: "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much!" the announcer shouted as the performance ended. "Tell your friends! Every Saturday and Sunday, we provide the best show in town!" There were shouts of approval. "And very soon, as a special treat, our acclaimed play The Triumphs of Brutus Oramo will return for your delectation! Good night!" This last announcement was met by rueful groans and shakes of the head as people filed out of the theatre. Sakura: Sakura snorted when she finally finished her drink, "Best show? Oh how I howls with laughter, I would rather claim it as worst show ever." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael was watching the people as they moved away below. "That sounds like a real theatrical performance, judging by the way these morons reacted." he said quietly to Sakura. "Perhaps we should attend then." Sakura: She looked at Rafeael carefully and nodded delightfully, "Indeed so, considering that Brutus Oramo is famous admiral who defeated these pirates of Teeth. I think he is also father of one of the current councillor. I am looking forward to such play. So yes, we should attend it after all." Sleeping Dragon: as they filed out, Alban Relt stood and personally thanked those who had attended, shaking the hands of some of the patrons. Several of the performers were also giving their thanks - Serpentia was receiving the majority of the attention, while Mad Jordi cracked jokes with several ushers and the Brothers Maletti stood largely ignored off to the side of Serpentia Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took Sakura's arm again, and slowed their pace so that they could watch any reactions among the patrons and performers. Sakura: Sakura settled into Radfael's arm as she carefully glanced at them, only smiling slightly when she eyed Brothers Maletti, swordmen. Sleeping Dragon: Councillor Rohdell quickly exited, the crowd melting away to allow him to pass through. Rohdell glanced back over at Serpentia as he went, then at the Brothers, one of whom gave him a wink. The other noticed Sakura's look and chuckled slightl. whispering to Tristan, Tristan saw Councillor Rohdell and his guard exit the Lost Angel and enter his carriage, which quickly rode off Rafael ben Efrim: Seeing they had attracted the Brothers' attnetion, Rafael headed towards them. "May we congratulate you on your performance?" he said, letting his voice sound just a little slurred, as if from the wine. "It was the high point of the evening." Sakura: Sakura smiled for a moment, "It is so high a point that it is blazing like a sun than a candle." Tristan: (whispering): "Looks like everything is finishing. Hopefully they had found some information." Sleeping Dragon: "Thank you," said one of the Brothers. "I'm Vicente and this is Felipe. It's a fairly new act." Vicente blinked at Sakura's praise. "You're very gracious - and eloquent. I doubt Alban will be as complimentary. Back to trash stage duels I suppose. Ah well," said Vicente. "He only let us play it because we told him it we'd written it for our friend who's probably dead somewhere. Caius would have enjoyed it, I suspect." Rafael ben Efrim: "You make it sound like an epitaph, but it is for a friend who you are unsure is dead? That is most strange." Rafael said calmly, although he felt a surge of excitement at what the Brothers had said. Sakura: Sakura nodded at Vicente, telling "Well, I will praise only noteworthy act of this evening to the manager. But it is strange nevertheless on the reason formed for such act." Sleeping Dragon: "He's been missing for months. He might still be alive, but he could be dead as well. Caius had some nasty sorts looking for him," said Vicente. "Good fellow to have a chat to, and he always liked to see a good swordfight, back for years. He used to come and see us fight Adder Arasp and the others when we were all young." Edivad: Disconnecting from server... Edivad (exit): 00:42 Rafael ben Efrim: "You obviously have many interesting stories to tell. Would you let us buy you a drink when you finish here?" Rafael said with a warm smile. Sleeping Dragon: Vicente and Felipe glanced at one another warily and then shrugged. "Actors never turn down free drinks, my friend," Vicente replied. Sakura: Sakura laughed for a moment, "As performing act that is acutally worthy, you deserve a drink at very least!" Sleeping Dragon: "We'll be about a half hour. We usually go to the Broken Bottle after we're finished, you can meet us there unless you have a better pub in mind." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shook his head. "The Broken Bottle it is."
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Post by sleepingdragon on May 25, 2008 9:29:04 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: to call the Broken Bottle run-down would greatly understate matters. As they approached it they saw that one of the windows had been broken and was yet to be repaired, the steps leading up to the front doors were slanted and uneven, and various half-hearted attempts to repair or paint the building had resulted in a smorgasbord of clashing materials and colours. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stopped and looked at the battered building. "Judging by appearances the Broken Bottle is not the most successful of establishments." Sakura: Sakura nodded as if to confirm Rafael's suspicion, "Yes, a single blow and it will crumble like an anthill" Enrico: "A watering hole is a watering hole is a watering hole" - said Enrico and strolled into the building. Rafael ben Efrim: With a look at Sakura, Rafael followed, keeping alert for trouble. Tristan (enter): 19:20 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (134) Tristan... Sleeping Dragon: within, the Broken Bottle was in little better condition than it was outside. the tavern was crowded now, filled with rough labourers and also many patrons of the Lost Angel who had come to drink after the show. the party's entry caused a fair stir and they heard people muttering and staring at their approach. Sakura, in particular, seemed to draw a few long looks, though the men looked away when they saw how Ardrun stayed close to her. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled round, as he walked to the bar. "A tankard of your finest ale." he requested from the bartender in a confindent voice. Tristan: Tristan looked around the tavern cautiously, staying near Ardrun and Sakura. His right hand twiched every now and then at his side. Enrico: Enrico ordered a drink and sat down, eyeing the people curiously Sakura: Sakura smiled kindly at Ardrun as she went forward slowly toward the bar, and asked, "A bottle of best wine please!" Sleeping Dragon: the barman gave Rafael a glare for a few moments, as if the Jeth had insulted his mother, and then went off and poured him an ale. He put it down in front of Rafael, then fetched Sakura's drink. Ardrun: Ardrun raised an eyebrow at Sakura's unusually wide smile, and made sure to stay nearby in case he needed to steady her. Rafael ben Efrim: "Have one for yourself!" Rafael said expansively to the barman, bringing out a few coins. Sleeping Dragon: the barman narrowed his eyes at Rafael but snatched up the coins anyway. Sakura: She poured the dark wine into glass and guzzle the wine Sleeping Dragon: they drank for a short time before they saw the Malettis enter the bar. They had changed out of their performer's clothes and now wore dark, loose fitting clothes. They looked about, saw the party at the bar, and wandered over to them. The Malettis, they noticed, didn't draw the unfriendly stares that they had. Tristan: Tristan walked over to Sakura. "I wouldn't drink too much here. I don't trust the other clients." And then glanced over at the Malettis. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded to the Malettis. "May we get you that drink now?" he asked. Sakura: Sakura glanced warily at Tristan as she blinked rather tired, and replied, "That what Ardrun for. Protection." Sleeping Dragon: "Lovely place isn't it?" Vicente said by way of greeting. "Hello Ferris," he greeted the barman. "I'll have what he's having..." he indicated Rafael's drink. Sleeping Dragon: Felipe also ordered a drink. "So what did you folks want?" Vicente asked directly. Tristan: "I don't know if he'll be enough." Tristan said, half to himself, and half to Sakura, but didn't say anything further, watching instead Rafael's interactions. Enrico: "We need to speak to Marius" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael paid for the drinks, mentally noting that he would have to ask the others to share the cost. "You started talking about swordfighting and how your friend...Caius was it? How he would come to see you when you were young." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael frowned at Enrico. Enrico: *Caius Sleeping Dragon: Vicente gave Rafael a grin. "That was a good tack to take, but sometimes it's better to just be direct," he said. "As far as we know, Caius is dead or fled. And no, we haven't got any idea where he might be. Are you with those last bunch of people that asked us?" Rafael ben Efrim: "It is true we are trying to find Caius." Rafael said with a sigh. "We mean him no harm though. Which bunch were asking questions?" Sleeping Dragon: "A few rough looking sorts. They didn't exactly give us many details and we had enough sense not to ask. They wanted to know when we'd last seen Caius, if we had any idea where he might be, and so forth. I'd always assumed Caius was involved in some shady business, but I didn't pry. As for your other question..." Vicente scratched his chin. "Caius always liked seeing swordfights. You get a few circles that do fights in the Beggar's Flow - not strictly legal of course, but anything goes there - and we used to fight in one before we decided to become actors." Rafael ben Efrim: "Have you any idea who was after him?" Rafael asked. "Did he ever mention any names or groups?" Sleeping Dragon: "No," said Felipe. "I think the people that were after him were involved with some gangs, but I don't know why they'd be after Caius especially." Rafael ben Efrim: "Gangs?" Rafael said. "Were these criminal gangs or something else. You must forgive our ignorance of such things in Malador." Sleeping Dragon: "Yes, criminal gangs. Thieves, rumblers, dealers, those sorts." Vicente shrugged. Rafael ben Efrim: "Are they active throughout the city?" Sleeping Dragon: "There are more in the Flow than elsewhere, obviously, but yes, they're active in most parts," said Vicente. "In Clifftop they are slightly more organised," added Felipe, "and the leaders like to style themselves 'Councillor'." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled at that. "The Councillors use methods that are not strictly legal to maintain their power?" Enrico: Enrico listened with interest at first, then ordered a drink and started talking to the barman Sakura (enter): 20:18 Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(116) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 20:19 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (164) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: "Who cares about legal? They are the lawmakers and the lawyers are all in their pockets so they can do what they wish," snorted Vicente. "I don't think the ones looking for Caius were that kind of gangster though." Rafael ben Efrim: "What kind of ganster were they then?" Rafael asked. Sakura: Sakura softly considered their words and said, "Fights huh?" whispering to Enrico, Enrico found Ferris a taciturn sort, though he seemed less dismissive of Enrico than he'd been of Rafael and Sakura. "Talk's mostly been about this Torathi envoy and wondering what kind of terms he's offered the Council. I figure this is all a trick anyway, King Darragan is just looking for an excuse to go to war. I hope the bastards come, I love a good fight and those Torathi need to have some of the hot air knocked out of them." Enrico: (whispering): "What interests does Torath have in this?" Sleeping Dragon: "The type that carry knives and hatchets under their coats," said Vicente. "Though they were attempting to be polite, which was pretty much like putting a pretty pink ribbon on a bear." Vicente smiled at Sakura. "Lots of fights, there were about ten of us - that's where we met. Most of them are dead by now though..." Vicente thought for a moment. "Which of them are still around, Felipe? You've got a better memory than me. Obviously Adder's still around, and Talsin." Felipe took a drink and began to list them, counting off on his fingers as he went. "Marco is dead, he took too much dragon's tail. Jenneth drowned while he was drunk, and Arco got himself killed in a brawl. I don't know what happened to Poul, he went off to Adaria I think. Frost ended up in a gang and got his throat slit a few weeks ago, and Cole started dealing and got run out of town. So it's pretty much just us, Adder, and Teslin still about. Adder was always the best of us anyway." Felipe paused. "He and Caius were pretty good mates, actually, until they had that business with the woman." Ardrun: "Sounds like a job almost as deadly as pit fighting," murmurred Ardrun. whispering to Enrico, "They're after our money," said Ferris. "They're jealous because we're the biggest, best, richest city in the New Coast and they know it. Their King needs more money to pay all those soldiers he's got hanging around so he means to steal ours." Tristan: "Seems like there's few diferences." Tristan agreed. Rafael ben Efrim: "Fell out over a woman did they?" Rafael said with a rueful smile. "I have seen that more than once. Would you be willing to tell us where to find Adder? And any others who might still be around? Just in case they have heard anything." Sleeping Dragon: edit: Teslin - Talsin Enrico: (whispering): "Surely there are preventative measures that can be taken to avoid bloodshed?" Sleeping Dragon: "Adder owns a bar called the Rat's Burrow, it's right on the edge of the Flow. Talsin is one of his bouncers. And yes, Adder fucked Caius' woman behind his back so they fell out. It was stupid, she was a dirty slut and Caius should have known it, we told him," said Vicente. Sleeping Dragon: "Just a word of advice...if you want to go there, dress down. Very down." Tristan: Tristan looked at the man curiously. whispering to Enrico, Ferris snorted. "They want to steal all our money, you don't stop that by being nice and friendly. We just have to wait until they come and kill a whole lot of them, and the rest of them will run back to their fields and get back to fucking their sisters." Rafael ben Efrim: "Most men don't want to hear that about their woman, even if they know it to be true." Rafael said. "We'll remember your warning - don't want to cause trouble. If you hear anything more about Caius would you let us know?" Enrico: (whispering): "You could make them dependent on Maladors wealth - and gain a profit while holding Torarth on a leash - although massacres work just as well" Sleeping Dragon: "If you tell us how to get in touch with you then yes, sure," Vicente shrugged. He looked at Tristan. "The Burrow is pretty rough, like this place, but it's also on the edge of the Flow so there's no Watch presence in the area at all. Folk down there are really desperate and will gladly slit your throat for a few coppers. I'm glad we managed to get out of there while we could." Tristan: "I'll keep that in mind." whispering to Enrico, Ferris shrugged. "They've never been that interested in buying things off us or we'd be selling to them already. It'll come down to whoever's best at killing, pure and simple." Sakura: She looked concerned for a moment, such expression would not be releaved if she is not so tipsy. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "Thank you for being so helpful to us. We are looking for Caius for a friend of his who is concerned at his disappearance, but mainly we're here to risk the Towers. You can send a message to us at the Old Pirate inn. Or we could contact you through some other method if you prefer. When will the new play be performed? The Triumphs of Brutus Oramo wasn't it? Judging by the audience reaction it might possibly be a more worthy piece than most of those we saw tonight?" Rafael ben Efrim: "We will most likely come to a performance if it is." Sleeping Dragon: Vicente and Felipe looked at Rafael, then at each other, then back to Rafael, and burst out into raucous laughter. Sakura: Sakura giggled for a moment as she said, "I know of Brutus Oramo." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked in confusion from Sakura to Vicente and Felipe. "Have I missed something?" Sleeping Dragon: Vicente wiped tears from his eyes. "I shouldn't tell you this, considering that ticket sales might result in more salary for me, but oh well. The Triumphs of Brutus Oramo is a really tiresome, pretentious piece of garbage which Relt produced because Councillor Delorri - Brutus Oramo's daughter, for what it's worth - flattered him, told him the Angel could be home to 'true, cultured theatre', and offered to take up some of the costs of production. Which she never did." Ardrun: Ardrun smiled. He liked honest people. Sakura: Grinning, "Naturally," as she responded, "Councillers always cut short." Sleeping Dragon: "You don't get to be rich by giving people money," Vicente agreed. Rafael ben Efrim: "Oh." Rafael said, understanding. "It seems the theatre requires more disembling than commerce does, if that is possible, and not all of it on the stage." Sleeping Dragon: "Running a theatre is commerce," said Felipe. "It's a pity that people in Malador are more interested in seeing a bit of skin and a few dirty words than acts with a bit more depth, but that's how it is, and when you get down to it, art isn't worth going hungry over." Rafael ben Efrim: "Maybe not, although I have known one artist who would have died rather than compromise. But at least you are able to slip something worthwhile in sometimes. Like tonight." Sleeping Dragon: "It looked like Rohdell enjoyed it," Vicente smirked. Sakura: Sighing, "Theatres back home are not commerce. In fact, slaves are used a lot to perform to keep people happy." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael frowned. "I think the less said about that the better Sakura." Ardrun: Ardrun continued to look passive after this exchange. Enrico: "So what kind of performances do they do?" - Enrico finished conversing with the barkeep. Sakura: Yawning as she finished off the glass, she felt little tired after all this evening. Enrico: Not getting an answer from Sakura, he shrugged and went back to his drink. Rafael ben Efrim: "I think we should be getting back." Rafael said, looking at Sakura. "Before our friend falls off her chair." Sakura: Sakura smiled softly as she answered Enrico, "Gladiatorial Fights are popular. Not mention great battles and songs. Shows are massive, far more than Lost Angels." Ardrun: "I was one of the most popular," said Ardrun with a hint of pride. Sleeping Dragon: "Alright," said Vicente. "Thanks for the drinks, and the praise. If we hear anything about Caius we'll let you know." Sakura: She stood up from her seat, wobbling a little as she turned toward the exit. Rafael ben Efrim: "Thank you for talking to us so freely." Rafael said. "We will let you know if we find Caius." Rafael ben Efrim: "Ardrun." he added softly as they turned to leave. "I think Sakura may need a hand." Ardrun: Ardrun nodded, and supported Sakura as they left. Sleeping Dragon: they left the Broken Bottle, with Sakura leaning heavily on Ardrun. They had only just started up the street when they heard a woman call out from a small alleyway off to their right. "HELP! RAPE! RAPE! RA..." the last shout was abruptly muffled. Tristan: Tristan rushed over to the alley peering into it, his hand on his sword. Ardrun: Ardrun carefully moved Sakura over for Rafael to support her, then charged after Tristan. Enrico: "My, first treasure seekers, now samaritans. What's next?" Sleeping Dragon: they peered down the narrow alleyway in time to see a well-dressed young woman knocked senseless by a vicious punch to the face delivered by a burly, athletic looking man with prematurely grey hair. At the end of the alley they could see four other toughs who were leaning over two unconscious people they had hurled up against a wall. The thugs were patting the two down quickly, and one was pulling a fine jacket off one of their victims.
Grey-hair turned towards them, eyes widening slightly when he saw Ardrun and Tristan looming at the end of the alleyway. "You lot, fuck off! This bitch is trying to trick you!" Ardrun: "Tricks do not deserve such treatment. If she is tricking people, she should be given to more thoughtful authorities," said Ardrun solemnly. He put a hand on his scimitar to punctuate his point. Tristan: "And you're just a helpful passerby then." Tristan responded sarcastically. "Step away from them." Sleeping Dragon: "Soon as we get the money you can take her to whatever authorities you please," said the man, drawing a short sword. "Who the fuck are you anyway?" Ardrun: "We are people who do not believe that this is justice." Sakura: Sakura narrowed her eyes as she made large effort of standing still and said, "This is just some robbery. That woman only shouted rape just to attract our attentions! How annoying!" Tristan: "You're not getting any money from her, now back away." Tristan loosened his sword as he said something softly. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael leaned Sakura against the wall and swung his crossbow into his hand. "Perhaps you could explain what these unconscious people have done to warrant you taking their property?" Sleeping Dragon: "Go piss up a wall." The thugs picked up crude cudgels. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan muttered under his breath "Tribuo mihi sapientia probatur, tribuo mihi vires actio." Rafael ben Efrim: "Drop those sticks and go." Rafael said coolly, his eyes fixed on the leader of the thugs. "Or you will regret it." Sleeping Dragon: the leader responded by drawing a dagger, so Rafael fired his crossbow and the quarrel struck the man's arm. He flung the dagger forward but the force of the bolt caused it to sail wide, and he stepped back with a curse. Tristan: Tristan looked at Sakura curiouisly, before snapping back to the man in time to move his shield in the way of the thrown dagger. "Stay back, this is dangerous." Sleeping Dragon: one of the thugs made an attempt to quickly climb the walls of one of the buildings, but he couldn't get a good hand-hold Tristan: Tristan stepped forward, pulling his sword free from its sheathe. Sleeping Dragon: two of the thugs rushed Tristan, one striking his shield while the other pounded him heavily with his club. Two of the others also began to climb, one reaching the top of the building to the right of the alleyway Tristan: Tristan grunted as one of the thugs' clubs struck his armor. "Careful, there's one on the roof!" He called back to the others. Sakura: Sakura took out her crossbow but instead of loading it, she thought it is good idea to sing and so she sang, a popular song in her homeland on harrying gladiators to do their best unto death. Ardrun: Ardrun hurried around and charged into the fray from another direction. Enrico: Enrico pulled out his only weapon - a simple dagger - and moved closer to the wall. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stared at the man on the roof, and fired at him, hitting him with a bolt. Sleeping Dragon: Iron sprang towards Ardrun, rolling suddenly and trying to stab up at a vulnerable area, but his sword went wide and he swore angrily Sakura (enter): 22:59 Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(164) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 22:59 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (239) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Iron sprang towards Ardrun, rolling suddenly and trying to stab up at a vulnerable area, but his sword went wide and he swore angrily repost Sleeping Dragon: the youngest of the thugs, who from his looks was probably a brother of Grey-hair, darted in behind Ardrun, hastily drawing a short sword and stabbing at the pit fighter, but he was too cautious and his blow went just wide Tristan: Tristan focused on the thug in front of him, jabbing with his sword, though the thug was able to sidestep it easily. Sleeping Dragon: Ardrun dodged a blow of a club, while Tristan took two blows, one of which was absorbed by his armour. Rafael was less lucky. The thug he had shot ran forward and leapt down off the squat building. Taken off-guard, Rafael was unable to get away as the thug bashed him heavily. Sakura: Sakura slightly tipsy move straight quickly past by that thug and attempt to bash him with her crossbow but failed awfully Sakura (enter): 23:28 Ardrun: Ardrun, seemingly unimpressed by the flurry of attacks against him, struck a heavy blow against one of the thugs. Enrico: Enrico twirled the dagger dangerously as he walked up to the thug. His swings and movement proved to be just a feint, confusing the enemy nonetheless Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael dropped the crossbow, drew a hidden dagger and taking advantage of his companions diverting the thug's attention, stabbed him hard in the back. The man dropped with a groan. Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(239) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 23:33 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (251) Sakura... Rafael ben Efrim: "Could go up on the roof" Rafael muttered to the others. Sakura (enter): 23:36 Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(251) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 23:37 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (254) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Iron rolled around beside his brother and stabbed out at Ardrun, but just missed. His younger brother leapt up and stabbed at Ardrun's face, but the big man jerked aside and the blow scraped his shoulder lighly instead Tristan: Tristan looked back down the alley as Rafeal dispatched the thug there. He turned back to the thugs in front of him, swinging his sword around to catch one of them in the side. Sleeping Dragon: the thugs continued their assault, but seemed shaken by their comrade's fall. One struck Ardrun lightly and then backed away, while the two fighting Tristan both missed widely Sakura: A idea occured to her to climb the building like she seen thugs doing but her drunkness made her rather unbalancing to climb. Enrico: Enrico walked stealthily around the building, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting enemy. Ardrun: Ardrun's eyes grew fiery as he was cut by his foes. Growling, he whirled around, and his long arms and scimitar allowed him to slash one thug across the back at a distance, before turning the blow toward Iron, who was also felled. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael picked up his crossbow and loaded it, then stared down the alley at one of the thugs who was running away Sleeping Dragon: "Don't run...not this time..." Ardrun heard the young man tell himself as his brother was felled. With tremendous agility he rolled around behind Ardrun and quickly drew a dagger which he drove up at Ardrun's exposed back. The big man turned and took the blow heavily in the side, blood spilling out onto his clothes. Tristan: Tristan stepped over the fallen thug and, using his shield, knocked the man who had stabbed Ardrun off balance enough that the following sword strike drove into the man. Sleeping Dragon: "Shit, Split, run!" said one of the thugs, darting forward to try to fell Ardrun, but he missed widely. The other thug, less heroically, raised his club and stood over one of the victims of their robbery. "All of you back off, or I'll kill this fucker here!" he shouted Tristan: Tristan frowned at the thug as he recovered from his backswing. Sakura: Sakura hearing these words shouted out "We will let you drag your woundeds away" Rafael ben Efrim: "Take them and go." Rafael called out, eyeing the thug down the alley and pointing his crossbow at him. "If you don't you're dead" Sleeping Dragon: "Yah, yah, we'll go," said Split. Split went over to his fallen brother and quickly checked his wounds, then slung him over his shoulder. Sleeping Dragon: "Is Ricky over there dead or alive?" he asked. Tristan: Tristan looked down at the man Ardrun had felled, looking for signs of life. Tristan: Noticing the man was alive, Tristan placed his sword near the man's heart. "This one's also alive. There doesn't have to be any dead from mess." He then lifted his sword but kept wary, watching the man at the end of the alley. Tristan: *from this mess." Sleeping Dragon: one of the thugs knelt down by one of his wounded companions, looking up at Tristan, who allowed him to make an attempt to bandage the wounds. He lacked the skill, however. "Shit, shit," he swore Tristan: Disconnecting from server... Tristan (exit): 00:39 Edivad: Disconnecting from server... Edivad (exit): 00:39 Enrico: Disconnecting from server... Enrico (exit): 00:41 Enrico (enter): 00:42 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (281) Enrico... Sakura (enter): 00:44 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (283) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(254) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 00:45 Sakura: Hopefully, she asked for their names, "Who are you guys anyway?" Sakura (enter): 00:55 Sakura (exit): 00:55 Sakura (enter): 00:56 Enrico: Enrico suddenly leapt from behind Ardrun, attempting to stab split and missing ineptly. Sleeping Dragon: seeing Enrico's action, the thug standing over the fallen man raised his club and smashed it down, pulping the man's head. Rafael ben Efrim: "Fools!" Rafael swore and released his bolt, but the shot went wide of the thugs head. Ardrun: Ardrun glared at Enrico, but turned to strike down Split. His follow up attack was ducked by another thug. Sleeping Dragon: seeing the hostage killed, Tristan retaliated, driving his sword into one of the fallen thugs Sleeping Dragon: "Holy shit!" the thugs exclaimed. Taking their chance, they both fled as quickly as they could, running rapidly away from the scene of the fight Sleeping Dragon: edit: one of the thugs Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (294) Sakura... Sakura: Sakura made her way through the alley, very annoyed about killings. "Who did it?!"
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 1, 2008 17:07:01 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: the two thugs still on their feet turned and fled, leaving the party alone with the unconscious Split, Iron, and Ricky Rafael ben Efrim: When he was sure the thugs had fled, Rafael bent down and examined the unconscious youth at his feet. Ardrun: Ardrun frowned at the events that had transpired, but didn't show any anger at Enrico. Tristan: Tristan waited until the thugs had vanished before aproaching Enrico. "What in hell's name were you thinking?" He yelled, grabbing the merchant by his shirt. "You heard him, what made you think he wouldn't do it?" Rafael ben Efrim: Having patched the young man up, Rafael moved down the alley, giving Tristram a quizzical look as he went by. He quickly checked the unfortunate hostage. Sleeping Dragon: the merchant was quite dead, his head staved in from the blow of the thug's cudgel Enrico: Enrico wriggled free of Tristan's grasp, unabashed. "I was thinking like a selfish treasure hunter that doesn't negotiate with dirty rabble. Too bad I'm not actually one." Tristan: Tristan gripped his sword and stared at Enrico, his face grim. "And what selfish motivation would you have for killing a man you didn't know? What could you have gained from it?" Tristan spoke in a dangerously calm tone. Rafael ben Efrim: With a sigh, Rafael walked over to where his companions stood over the unconscious bodies of two more thugs. He crouched over the worst injured, pulling a box of bandages from his pack. Sakura: Sakura shook her head as she said, "Maybe he cannot be bother to talk. Enrico like killing no doubt." Enrico: "Motivation?" - Enrico laughed merrily. "This whole thing was a farce - we like playing a samaritan wet-nurse to random cutthroats, don't we? You lot need to act more like what we've been trying to pretend to be all this time." Rafael ben Efrim: "This is pointless." Rafael said, his voice dispassionate. "What is done is done. Too late to go back now. There are people here that need to be taken to their homes." he gestured at the unconscious man and woman whom the thugs had orginally assaulted. Tristan: "I have not been pretending to be anything." He looked about to continue when Rafael spoke up. "What's done is done, yes, what isn't has yet to happen, and I don't want to have a soulless murderer who thinks not of others except as tools at best at my back." Tristan turned a scathing look at Enrico, but sheathed his sword. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael examined the unconscious people, looking for clues to their identity or address. "Search the thieves. They may have property belonging to these." he suggested to the others. Sakura: She yawned as replying, "At least, I now know that Enrico is untrustworthy." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael frowned. "Maybe Enrico is following what he believes to be right. Who are we to say?" Enrico: Enrico shrugged - "By all means, be friendly with cutthroats that tried to kill you moments ago. I somehow doubt that people chasing Seneca or the beasts guarding the Towers will be as amiable as these berks" Tristan: Tristan ignored Enrico and turned to check on the woman. "I cannot agree with that logic. Humans have to care for other humans, else we are no better than devils in human skin." Sleeping Dragon: the two male victims - both the dead and the living - had been thoroughly robbed, but most of their gold was scattered between Iron and the other three thugs they had felled. The woman had only just been knocked unconscious when they arrived on the scene and most of her money was still in her pockets. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell who they were or where they might live.
As they searched, they heard Iron ground and stir weakly on the ground. Sleeping Dragon: edit: first ground = groan Enrico: "Should have been a preacher, boy. Spreading thoughtfulness and love through the masses" - Enrico put the dagger away Sakura: She smirked at these words, "There is big difference between truce and fighting. Remember that next time! If you are what you are, then sooner or later, you will be in deep trouble." Ardrun: "We do not need to be friendly to negotiate. We could have saved the life of one who is not a cutthroat," murmured Ardrun. He looked down at Iron and drew his falchion, but stood back for whoever wished to talk to him. Rafael ben Efrim: "Death should not be seen as the easy solution. Only when necessary should a man kill, and then it should be done cleanly, and with no compunction." Rafael stopped as Iron groaned, and stepped over to the man. Tristan: Tristan stayed silent, his gaze switching from Enrico, to Rafael, to Iron, but he stayed near the woman. Enrico: "Currently I am a treasure seeker and a bounty hunter. And so are all of you." Sleeping Dragon: Iron looked up at Rafael, groaned again, and then quickly checked to make sure his brother was still alive. Rafael ben Efrim: "Even treasure seekers can be rational men." Rafael said. "And women." he added with a sidelong look at Sakura. Enrico: "Reason was abandoned before the fight, so let's just get on with it" Rafael ben Efrim: "Your fellow is saved, which is more than can be said for your victim over there." Rafael said, looking down at Iron. "What do these keys open?" Tristan: "Only those who cannot fight will abandon reason in conflict, then try to pass it off as something natural." Rafael ben Efrim: "Enough." Rafael hissed at Tristran. "Enrico played his part, as did we all." Sleeping Dragon: Iron glanced around, looking first at the dead merchant, then at the thug Tristan had run through. Iron spat at Rafael. "I'm sure Cole's wife and kids will thank you," he said. "The keys are presumably to their houses," he indicated their male victims, the dead one and the living Tristan: Tristan crossed his arms and watched the proceedings. Rafael ben Efrim: "No idea where those houses might be situated?" Rafael asked, ignoring Iron's remarks. Sleeping Dragon: "We didn't have time to ask." Iron let out a long sigh. Rafael ben Efrim: "Maybe beating your victims unconscious isn't a good idea." Rafael said drily. Sakura: Sakura yawned once more and whispered, "Either way, I just want to go back to the Pirate" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "We'll have to take these people to a watch-house. Can hardly leave them lying in the street." Sleeping Dragon: Iron laughed bitterly. "So we can be publicly executed thanks to you fucking idiots? Has it occured to you that no one would have died if you'd just pissed off and minded your own business? But then you'd have not saved a few merchants some of their drinking money and got a chance to look really fucking bold, and that's a price worth paying, isn't it?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Don't try to blame us for what you did." Rafael answered coldly. "You chose to rob these people, you knew the price you might pay." Sleeping Dragon: "I'll blame you for whatever I fucking choose, and how do you intend to stop me?" Ardrun: "I can think of a way," growled Ardrun, lifting his falchion, but he did not move forward without a suggestion from Sakura. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael loaded his crossbow and pointed it at the unconscious thug. "I presume from the similarity he's family. I stopped him dying, but if you like I can easily reverse the process." Tristan: Tristan sighed, and closed his eyes, muttering a few words under his breath. Sleeping Dragon: Iron gave Rafael a disgusted look. "The Watch will just hang us anyway, we have no money to bribe the judges. Go ahead and shoot, you shit-eating eunuch." Tristan: (whispering): Tristan uttered a prayer for forgivness. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled coldly. "I've been called far worse in my time. But we're wasting our evening here talking to you. These people need care and a place of safety." he looked round at the others. "What shall we do with this one and his companions?" Enrico: "Let the Watch sort them out" Sakura: Sakura shook her head at Ardrun and blinked rather waspily, "How about slavery?" Rafael ben Efrim: "They are already in slavery, to judge from their appearance." Rafael said. "The authorities here are not noted for justice. We should either free them or kill them I think." Sleeping Dragon: "Eat my shit, you drunken nob bitch," Iron spat at Sakura. Ardrun: Ardrun stepped forward with his falchion. "Shall I kill him for that, mistress?" Sleeping Dragon: "Go ahead, you castrated coward. I might be a robber, but at least I'm not some cutthroat dog who bows and scrapes to some empty-headed high-born whore." Rafael ben Efrim: "can't you see that's what he want?" Rafael said. "He knows if we take him to the Watch he's a dead man, so he's trying to goad you into doing the job for them." Sakura: Her eyes narrowed as in anger, "You really should not call me that. Still, if you want to die, Ardrun or someone else will be happy to end your life" Ardrun: Ardrun looked back at Iron passively, and replied to Rafael: "If that's what he wants, it's the one thing I'm willing to grant him. Clean deaths are a mercy evil villains deserve." Sleeping Dragon: "Evil villain? Gods forbid I try to get some money to stop my mother from being enslaved by gangsters. What a terrible crime I've committed, to rob a handful of pissant merchants! And you're right, you child molesting trollop, I should have called more attention to your habit of drinking horse's piss." Ardrun: *edit: even villains Sleeping Dragon: edit: just villain, not evil villain Ardrun: Ardrun looked back at Sakura patiently, waiting for the order. Enrico: "Lets get this over with and go already - smite down the evil villains with the lawful and honourable fist!" - Enrico spoke with pathos. "Or just kill them, like the righteous honourable saviours you are." Tristan: "I would say let him go. It is not our place to pass judgement." Tristan said after thinking a while. "But do as you will." Sleeping Dragon: "Do you have any initiative at all, you arse-faced cunt? Do you have to ask your precious mistress permission to shit?" Iron asked Ardrun Sakura: Sakura sighed as she nodded, "Go ahead, Ardrun. In fact, he had lot of initiatives in fact. Mind you!" Rafael ben Efrim: "Leave him Ardrun. I agree with Tristan." Rafael said thoughtfully. "It is not our job to execute thieves for the authorities Sleeping Dragon: "Was it his intiative to cut off his own balls?" Ardrun: Ardrun ignored the taunts, and raised his blade for a quick strike. He paused though, and instead of lopping off the man's head, he just gave him a powerful kick in the side. "I say we go." Rafael ben Efrim: "You hear that?" Rafael asked the thug. "Take your men and go." Sakura: Sakura frowned for a moment at Rafael, Ardrun and Tristen, "Frankly, they are unlikely to go somewhere else from this damn city. Beside, I want to go to damn bed." Sleeping Dragon: Iron crawled over to Split and heaved his brother up over his shoulder, then staggered over towards Ricky and dragged him along behind him. "Don't let the bed bugs bite, you twat-faced slag," he said by way of parting. Enrico: "I hope that's enough noble deeds for today. Lets head back to the inn" Sakura: Sakura grinned as she giggled, "Bye bye, have a nice evening!" as she yawned once more. Tristan: Tristan turned and picked up the woman, carrying her gently. "We should care for the survivors first." He looked around. "The nearest watch station?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shook his head. "What a place this is. Ardrun, can you carry the other? But first let me look at those wounds." Rafael quickly examined his companions, bandaging where it was needed. Tristan: "I'll be fine, worry about yourself and Ardrun." Tristan declined any assistance, easily carrying the unconcsious woman despite his size. Sakura: Sakura tried to remember where the nearest Watch station is and found the answer, "If I remember right, there is one northeast here. Not far away from here at all" Tristan: Tristan nodded. "Lead the way then." Sakura: She then walked in the direction Sakura knew that will lead the group to the Watch Station. She did wobbled for a moment every so often. Rafael ben Efrim: As they set off, Rafael spoke quietly. "We should likely be circumspect about approaching the watch - a group of us, armed, presenting them with unconscious victims. We must act the part of adventurers, who stepped in to save them, and say the thugs ran on seeing us." Tristan: Tristan looked at Rafael curiously. "I was thinking that as well." Sakura: Nodding as she responded, "I will let you nice brave men take care of it" She yawned Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gave her a small smile. "We will do our best, although it is probably you who are best suited to talking to the watch. They are less likely to be suspicious of a lady such as yourself." Tristan: "I agree. They are more likly to listen to the word of a noblewoman than a Jethi or myself." Tristan paused for a moment. "No offense." He added looking to Rafael. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way to the Watch Station, a sizeable single-storey building with a metal door. From posts at the door hung the crimson banner of Malador and a shield, both emblazoned with the city's crest, a ship and tower. Rafael ben Efrim: "None taken." Rafael said, looking back. Sakura: Sakura sighed as she nodded, "Very well then. I will tell the nice heroic tales..." as she glanced over the station Sleeping Dragon: there were five guards within the station, led by a bluff, moustachioed sergeant in his late thirties. "What's going on here?" he asked them as they entered. Sakura: Sakura stepped forward, smiling, "What does it look like? As it is, we found these people whom my friends are carrying at the moment, getting robbed." Sleeping Dragon: the sergeant shouted to his men and they brought chairs to set the two unconscious people down. "What happened to the robbers, did they run off?" Sakura: She nodded as Sakura grinned, "We are on our way back from that awful show at the Lost Angel when we came across them. It seems since while they are scum to rob good people, not even they would take on group of adventurers armed with sharp weapons. So they fled, which is a shame to be honest." Sleeping Dragon: The sergeant snorted. "Towards Beggar's Flow, I'll wager. Nothing good ever came out of there, I figure the Council ought to just torch the whole bloody place." Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly, "A fine idea. But if you burn the Beggar's Flow down, the people is unlikely to run away and build another Beggar's Flow somewhere else! Better to keep them where you can watch them." Sleeping Dragon: The watchman snorted. "Thanks for your help, we'll get these two woken up and back home." Sakura: Sakura nodded at the watchman, "Good, we might as well get back to our inn. What is your name, may I ask?" Sleeping Dragon: The guardsman raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. "I'm Sergeant Kurt Farmer." Sakura: Sakura nodded back, "My name is Sakura Ayanna. Have nice night." She strolled out of the Station. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael grinned as they walked away. "That was very well done Sakura. Now to the Pirate and some sleep." Tristan: Tristan followed Sakura out of the station. "This is the best we could have done." He said, half to the others, half to himself. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way back to the Old Pirate. By the time they had arrived back it was very late and they made their way up to bed.
The morning dawned with better weather than they had known since arriving in Malador, clear and a bit warmer than before, though there was still a chill in the air. Pesk brought them their breakfast and greeted them cheerfully. "Good night out, dearies?" Enrico: "Better than most" Rafael ben Efrim: "It was...eventful." Rafael said with a slight smile. Sakura: Sakura dressed in clean clothes groaned, "I drunk way too much wines!" Sleeping Dragon: Pesk smiled at Sakura. "I can make you a cure for that if you want, darling - it's fairly vile but it does the trick." Sakura: She looked at Pesk rather hopefully, "As long it does not kill me, anything will do!" Sleeping Dragon: Pesk departed and returned a short while later with a goblet containing a mixture consisting primarily of raw egg yolk. It was, as she had promised, disgusting in the extreme, but a little while after forcing herself to down it, Sakura felt her headache subside a little to a mere dull throb Sakura: "That is so much better!", She sighed in relief, "I can face the rest of the day now. Thank you very much Pesk!" Sleeping Dragon: "No problem at all darling," said Pesk, bustling off Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael sniffed at the goblet, interested in what had been added to the mixture. Sakura: Sakura then dug into her breakfast, "So what do we want to do today?" Rafael ben Efrim: "How about a trip to the docks? We can see about Captain Clovis Elassyn and the Take a Chance." Rafael said. Enrico: "Anything works. It's not like we really have a clue" Sakura: Sakura considered it for a moment and replied, "I love ships anyway. Let go down anyway!" Rafael ben Efrim: "Unfortunately it seems we are more likely to make headway with this odd job that with finding Senaca" Rafael said as they made their way out. Sakura: She replied, "Well, maybe Tremance the lawyer could help us with Senaca. We are not exactly got many friends here in the first place." Tristan: "It might be nice to see these towers." Tristan said, in an unusally cheery mood. "Like Sakura said, Tremance may have some information as well." Rafael ben Efrim: "We have to be very careful who we share information with." Rafael said. "We should follow up what we got yesterday from Vicente and Felipe first." Sakura: Sakura looked confused for a moment, "Before we go on mission for Tremance or after we finished with the Towers?" Rafael ben Efrim: "We'll have to arrange with Elassyn to take us to them. But I think we should follow up the clues today, before asking questions of Tremance. We don't know where he stands." Tristan: "That is true, I doubt they'd be able to take us on short notice. And that would give us time to follow up on our leads with Sencea." Sakura: She looked no longer confused, "Yes, that is more than workable." Rafael ben Efrim: "There was the man named Adder, who owns a tavern near the Flow I recall, the one who fell out with Seneca. We could find him." Sakura: Sakura looked surprised as she remembered something and strolled over to Pesk, "Pesk! I and Ardrun are still staying here for another two nights. How much it is again?" Sleeping Dragon: "It's 7 silvers a night if you want to keep your double room, dearie, or 4 silvers for single rooms." Rafael ben Efrim: "We are all staying of course. The sooner we get some treasure from the Towers the better." he joked with Pesk/ Sleeping Dragon: "You won't find me arguing with that. Oh, I've just remembered! There was a young man in for you last night, asked for you by name," she told Rafael. "He had a note for you, I'll go and get it." Sakura: She smiled at Rafael as taking out seven silver pieces from her pouch as Sakura waited for Pesk's return Sakura: edit: eight silver pieces Sleeping Dragon: Pesk returned a short while later and handed a small, folded piece of paper for Rafael. Sleeping Dragon: *to Rafael Tristan: Tristan paid for two more nights in his room and waited for the others. Sakura: Sakura handed over the silvers, "Extra silver for my cart and horsies" Enrico: Enrico paid for his room as well Sleeping Dragon: Pesk took the money and went off. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took it. "Thank you Pest. Excuse me for a moment, this is business," he said, going outside. Rafael ben Efrim: edit* Pesk not Pest! Sakura: Sakura went out to visit her nice two horsies and a cart. Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael opened the note once he was alone. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, the terse note was written in the compact Jethi script.
Come to speak to me as soon as you are able. Take no hasty actions. YbR Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael tucked the note carefully into his clothing and returned to the common room. Sakura: After looking over her possessions carefully, she came back into the inn, looking pleased Rafael ben Efrim: "To the docks then?" said Rafael. Sakura: Nodding, "Yes, let go shall we?" Tristan (exit): 22:12 Sleeping Dragon: they made their way to the Harbourside district. They discovered that they would need to register their interest in a Tower expedition at the Wharves Office. There, a clerk took down their names and checked their weapons licenses before giving them the names of the four captains currently authorised to make journeys to the Towers - Dereol Philten, Leyra Nowell, Stammett Runn, and Covis Elassyn. Rafael ben Efrim: "We had better look as though we are considering them all." Rafael said. Sakura: Sakura fronwed at she considered the names, "Let go to ummm... Captain Nowell shall we?" Sakura: frowned* Rafael ben Efrim: "Well, it depends where their ships are. How about we walk around and see where they are all based first." Sleeping Dragon: they made their way out onto the wharves. As they wandered up and down they could see Captain Gaston's Golden Bough anchored among them. The four captains authorised to go to the Towers all kept their boats near the far end of the north wharves. Sakura: She eyed these ships carefully as she said, "Well, look like they stay close together for a reason. Easy to find them I suppose." Rafael ben Efrim: "Perhaps they find there is safety in numbers." Sakura: "Maybe, or maybe not. Shall we go to one of these captains before going to Captain Elassyn?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Maybe, but it might be quicker to just go to him first - as if we chose at random." Enrico: "Any reason why him?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Because he is the captain suspected of smuggling, and we are going to see how he does it." Rafael said. Sakura: "Yes. At least we can have nice chat with him." Sakura replied Sleeping Dragon: Captain Covis Elassyn was a tall, whip-thin man in his early forties with a lined face and sea-blue eyes. His ship, the Take a Chance, was a simple open vessel with a single sail and room for six rowers. It lacked any hold or deck - instead a long tarpaulin was spread out atop some poles at the stern of the vessel, which allowed cargo or passengers to get shelter from the elements. Enrico: "That's a fine vessel you have there. And we'd like to board passage on it" Sleeping Dragon: "Music to my ears," said Covis with a smile. He sized the party up. "You look like you could handle yourselves at the Towers. Not seen you around before, are you new in town?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Indeed we are. But we're finding our way around." Rafael answered. Sakura: Sakura smiled in support of Rafarl, "Truely. Enjoying the sights" Sleeping Dragon: "Fair enough. Always good to see some new blood. I can take you to the Towers, but there's only one thing - some of my crew are still on shore leave, so we'll not be able to leave until about this time tomorrow. Is that alright with you fine folks? I charge 10 gold pieces a head." Rafael ben Efrim: "For the return journey?" Rafael asked. Sleeping Dragon: "The return journey is included in that price, my good man." Sakura: Sakura looked very surprised as she snapped, "Ten!? Well... leaving tomorrow morning would not be a problem." Sleeping Dragon: Covis spread his hands. "Paying myself and a crew of ten is not cheap, my lady, but I assure you, mine are the lowest prices on this dock." Rafael ben Efrim: "There is no problem with that." Rafael said smoothly. "We will be here tomorrow at this time." Sleeping Dragon: "Very pleased to do business with you brave folk." Covis spat on his hand and held it out Rafael ben Efrim: After a moment's pause, Rafael also spat on his palm and slapped it to the captains. "Likewise." he said cheerfully. Enrico: Enrico sealed the deal as well, and turned to the party "We got an entire day, lets make it productive, shall we?" Sakura: Glancing at Enrico and Rafael, "Yes, the goods we gained so far from our evenings." Rafael ben Efrim: "I'm sure you and Enrico would be best able to get a good price Sakura." Rafael said. "I have some small business to transact in the city while you are doing so. We can meet up at the inn afterwards and go on to the Rat's Burrow together." Enrico: "What's the merchandise?" Rafael ben Efrim: "The swords and daggers and so on from our little adventure of last night." Rafael answered with a grin. Rafael ben Efrim: As the others set off to find buyers, Rafael walked off in another direction. Enrico: "So we are raffling away the posessions of those cutters?" Sakura: "Might as well. Although I would rather give poor clothes back to the poor" Sakura nodded back as she replied, "Would be good chance to build up a reputation. Sakura: Edit: Forget it Enrico: "This will barely pay for our rooms, if that. Let's just hope we'll get something from the Towers" - Enrico sighed Sakura: "Reckon we might get rich from the Tower?" Sakura smirked Enrico: "Better than some rags. And you can make money with money - just need some starting capital" Sakura: "Indeed, like a seed of gold will grow into tree of gold, which then burst into flower of golds, creating more seed of gold. That what my House saying all the time back home." Sakura smiled Sakura: As she been finding buyers to sell the weapons and armours, she also chatted to many citizens of the city, making contracts. Sakura: Edit: Contacts Sleeping Dragon: they met up again at the Old Pirate and changed into rougher clothes before setting out for the Rat's Burrow sometime into the afternoon. They approached the Burrow via one of the two long, broken roads which led towards the Beggar's Flow. As they approached it they could see its great poverty. The homes in the Flow were poorly constructed shanties made of whatever materials its inhabitants could scavenge - bits of sailcloth, driftwood, broken lumps of stone and brick, and other debris. Its people shuffled about it clothes marginally better than rags. As they came near they could smell the terrible stench of unwashed bodies mixed with ordure and old fish. Dirty-looking whores loitered about the edges of the district, flouting their wares with vulgar language and crude hand gestures.
The Rat's Burrow was not much to look at - from aboveground. The only things to distinguish it from the other shanties in the area were the crude copper still that sat beneath a canvas awning. A series of strangled rats hung from the awning. Sleeping Dragon: *was the crude... Sakura: Sakura is currently wearing rather guady tart's clothings made from entertainer's clothings earlier. She however said close to Ardrun, wary of any dangers. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael examined the exterior of the Rat's Burrow, noting the ways of escape, if things went wrong. Sleeping Dragon: when they went inside they discovered a set of steps leading down into the Burrow itself, which was the only inn in Malador to be constructed underground, literally dug out with earthen floors and walls. The common room was a large, roughly circular area with several halls running off from it - one was lined with very small rooms for the inn's patrons, and another led to the chambers of the proprietor, Adder Arasp. At present there were only three customers in the tavern, and all three had drunken themselves into stupors. They lay with their heads on the table, snoring and drooling. The patrons were matched in number by the staff - two big, burly bouncers carrying clubs greeted them with surly glares, and behind the rickety bar was Adder himself. Adder was a lean man with greasy black hair, an uneven beard, and sly brown eyes. His clothes were dirty and his skin very pale from lack of sunlight. "Good afternoon, there," said Adder. "Welcome to the Burrow. I don't believe I've ever met you lot before. Would you care for a mug of our specialty drink, rat's blood?" Adder smirked. "I promise ya, it's just a name, I haven't really bled any of the little bastards dry." Ardrun: Ardrun entered first in case there was danger. Ardrun: edit: ignore Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "I'll try it." he answered, Ardrun: Ardrun nodded as well. Sakura: Sakura looked at the drink with great wariness and shook her head. She heard about it Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael sniffed the drink and took a very small exploratory sip. Ardrun: Ardrun swallowed a gulp. Sleeping Dragon: the drink might not actually contain any blood in it, but it was brutally strong, striking like a thumb in the eye. Ardrun fought the effects better than Rafael, though neither were affected too badly. Adder snorted at Rafael's caution. "Is that how they teach Jethi to drink? Hah!" Adder poured himself a mug and downed it quickly. "So who are you people?"
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 22, 2008 13:59:28 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: Sleeping Dragon: the drink might not actually contain any blood in it, but it was brutally strong, striking like a thumb in the eye. Ardrun fought the effects better than Rafael, though neither were affected too badly. Adder snorted at Rafael's caution. "Is that how they teach Jethi to drink? Hah!" Adder poured himself a mug and downed it quickly. "So who are you people?" he asked. "I've never seen a one of you before and most of you don't look like you're from these parts." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael put his hardly-touched drink down carefully on the bar. "We're here to try for the Towers." Sleeping Dragon: Adder looked at him for a moment. "The Towers aren't here. Why are you here?" Rafael ben Efrim: [1d20] => [19] = (19) Ardrun: Ardrun looked at Adder passively as he finished the last drop of his drink, allowing the others to speak for the group. Rafael ben Efrim: "A friend of Caius Seneca asked us to find out if he was alright. They hadn't heard from him for some time. It seems he has disappeared under somewhat less than auspicious circumstances. We've been told you used to know him well." whispering to Vachir, the streets of the Harbourside were bustling with activity as Vachir made his way towards the Docks. People eyed him curiously as he passed, as there were very few Bolgars in Malador, and they were unused to seeing armed men in the streets as well. Vachir had grown used to being watched, however. He ignored the stares and made his way towards the Wharves to seek out a boat that could take him to the Towers. Sleeping Dragon: Adder said nothing for a moment and eyed them carefully. "You've been told a lot of things by people you haven't named. Who asked you about Seneca?" whispering to Enrico, watching Adder's reaction to Rafael's words, Enrico became convinced that Adder was testing them, sizing them up before giving away any information of substance - information Enrico was certain Adder had Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked Adder in the eye. "I'm afraid his name is not ours to give. I can assure you that he does not wish Seneca harm however. He is merely concerned." Enrico: "His friend. A friend that does not want the same cutters going after him, yet wants to reach out a helping hand - and we are the helping hand" - Enrico said with a smile. Vachir: (whispering): Vachir glanced around, considering his options. He decided it might be a good idea to seek out a group that was already going there rather than try and travel to the Towers alone. Sakura (enter): 20:15 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (6710) Sakura... whispering to Vachir, Vachir wandered about the docks, asking questions. People seemed somewhat reluctant to speak to him, but eventually he learned from a dock worker that a sizeable group had been around earlier and had spoken to the captain of the Take a Chance, Covis Elassyn Sleeping Dragon: Adder shrugged. "What kind of concern is this that he has then, and what kind of help are you meaning to offer?" Vachir: (whispering): Walking around the pier, Vachir spotted the Take a Chance and tried walking up to it, asking whoever was present there if he could discuss passage with the Captain. whispering to Sakura, Sakura became sure that Adder was only testing them before he gave away any information of substance - information Sakura was sure he had whispering to Vachir, one of the sailors called over Captain Elassyn, a tall, thin man in his early forties with sea blue eyes. "I'm the Captain of this vessel," he said. "You want to go to the Towers? On your own? Not a good idea, my friend." Rafael ben Efrim: "That depends on what has happened to Seneca." Rafael replied. "If he is still alive, he may or may not need assistance to stay that way." Sleeping Dragon: "And he's instructed you fine chaps to steer him safely to shore?" Sakura: She narrowed her eyes for a moment as she listened to Rafael and Adder's discussions Vachir: (whispering): "Indeed."replied the Bolgar "But I heard there are others going. Perhaps I could join their group, and you could carry me to the Towers with them. Would you know where they are now?"asked the Bolgar Vachir: (whispering): "And.."he added after some hesitation "How much would it cost me?" Ardrun: "Hm," grunted Ardrun, nodding slowly. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael's eyes were expressionless as he shrugged. "If we can assist him, we will." whispering to Vachir, "Passage can be had for the very low price of ten gold pieces," said Covis. "You heard right that there is a group hereabouts, but I'm afraid I don't know where they're staying. You might be able to find them though, they are a bit...distinctive. For a start, one of them is one of the biggest buggers you'll ever meet, near to seven feet tall with a big curved sword and one eye that's made of copper. There were four others - a lady of high birth that the big fellow seemed to answer to, a Jeth of some sort, a stout, silent fellow in armour that wasn't of the best make, and some pretty fellow. They didn't tell me their names and I didn't ask them, figure discretion was the better policy. We'll be leaving tomorrow once we get some last minute repairs done, and all of my men are back from their shore leave." Sleeping Dragon: Adder eyed them for a few moments. "Why should Seneca trust you?" Rafael ben Efrim: "That's a fair point. You'll just have to take our word for it." Rafael said. Vachir: (whispering): Vachir took a few seconds to think about the information he had just received "Ten gold pieces? "he replied sounding a bit worried "A bit down on my luck, I am, but I'll try and scrape enough to pay you. Shouldn't be too hard to find them, though.". Having said that, Vachir bid farewell to the captain and slowly walked to the pier again, pondering where he might start his search. Ardrun: Ardrun snorted. "Not something I'd do, based on what I've seen of this city. But we are not natives." whispering to Vachir, "Good luck," said Captain Elassyn, returning to his work. Vachir wandered down off the wharves and back into the Harbourside streets, thinking amidst the throngs of people. Suddenly, his musings were broken as the air was rent by a sharp [/i] => /icrack![/i] => /i and a howl of pain torn from a young throat. Whirling about to look along with most of the other passersby, Vachir saw that a young boy of about ten had fallen to the ground and was screaming in agony and weeping as he clutched his ankle. A man walking by stopped and knelt by the boy. Sleeping Dragon: "Who are you then, whose word Seneca should just take for it?" Rafael ben Efrim: "We are just adventurers seeking our fortune." Rafael replied. "But Seneca's friend trusted us with this task." Tristan (enter): 20:59 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (6726) Tristan... Sakura: Sakura sighed as she replied, "Someone who do cares deeply about him. Someone from Golden Bough" Vachir: (whispering): Vachir looked at the scene with curiosity, raising his eyebrows. He tried to guess what had happened, but being clueless about it, decided to approach the two. "What happened?"he asked. It was obvious he tried not to look too nosy, but he wasn't very good at this. Sleeping Dragon: Adder was about to reply to Rafael when Sakura spoke, and he looked at her and nodded. "That friend then. Ya ought to have said before and we could have saved this dancing and twisting about. I always did prefer the direct approach. Do you want to see Seneca? I know where he is." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "That friend did ask us to keep his name private." Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly at Rafael as it is not often she make direct approach. Beside, it is fun to watch Rafael and Adder softly going around each other Tristan: Tristan crossed his arms and waited. Sleeping Dragon: Adder opened a door behind the bar and gestured for them to follow. "Talsin, watch the bar," he said. Once everyone was through, Adder closed the door. "I'm sure Captain Gaston would be pleased by how conscientiously you've followed that particular order," he said. Adder led them along a short passage leading down to his personal quarters, which were distinctly unclean. Half-eaten food lay on his table, there were empty bottles of cheap alcohol strewn about the floor like a child's dropped toys, and a layer of dust and grime lay over everything. Adder opened a door into a side store room. "Wanna to help me with these?" he said to Ardrun and Tristan, indicating a few boxes stacked against a wall. Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and went to work. Tristan: "Alright." Tristan agreed and moved to help Ardrun. whispering to Vachir, "I...I think I broke my ankle!" the child whined, biting his lip. Two other children darted out of the crowd of onlookers. "You clumsy fool," the larger of the two, a boy of about twelve, told the fallen child. "Let's get you home to mother." The man who had knelt by the boy offered to help, but the older boy waved him off. "We'll be alright, we don't live far away." Sleeping Dragon: Tristan and Ardrun helped Adder move the boxes, revealing a dark, narrow passage down. "Watch your step," said Adder, lighting a stub of candle nearby and crouching to enter the secret passage. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at the others then followed Adder, not needing to crouch as he did so. Sakura: Sakura then followed Rafael, having no need to crouch. Vachir: (whispering): The Bolgar looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging."Weird city people..."he whispered to himself as he turned back to resume his search. Ardrun: Ardrun nearly had to crawl. Tristan: Tristan waited for the others to enter before following, occasionally looking back over his shoulder. Enrico: Enrico sighed and followed the rest. Vachir: (whispering): Gripping the talisman of his god at his neck for a moment and muttering a quick prayer, Vachir went on his way to search for people the Captain had told him about Sleeping Dragon: Adder led them down the short, narrow passage. As they went they could see a small light flickering below, and the smell of ordure wafted up. As they came to the bottom of the passage they heard someone shift awkwardly. "The Captain's finally sent some people for you, Cay," Adder called as he came down.
They reached the bottom and found themselves in a small, cramped room. The room was almost bare of amenities, with nothing more than a straw pallet in one corner, a pile of books in another, and a poorly made table in a third. Seated at the table on a rickety chair was Seneca, a short, stocky man with a peg leg. His skin was extremely pale and there were dark circles around his eyes. "So the Captain's finally sent help has he? Thank the gods," said Seneca. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded to Seneca. "He asked us to find out what had happened to you." Enrico: "He also wanted to find out where your loyalties lie. You've been gone so long even the wildest ideas were starting to seem true" whispering to Vachir, a few people had seen the group Vachir described - the very tall warrior in particular had apparently made quite an impression. None of them knew the group or where they were staying, but one merchant gave the archer a tip. "Tower explorers, are they? Try the Old Pirate, lots of adventurers stay there." Sakura: Sakura nodded, "Well, at least you are still alive. That is the main thing." Sleeping Dragon: Seneca shrugged. "My loyalties are exactly where they always have been," he said. "As for what's happened to me, well...I had a bad run in with some gangsters and I've been hiding out at the Burrow ever since. Here's what happened, in short. At the time, Councillor Vinneret looked like he might die at any time and Captain Gaston wanted me to dig up some dirt about his possible successors. At the time, it looked likely that he would be succeeded by a...rather controversial merchant called Damos Tilaven. He's done a lot of this and that, mostly building work. Made a fortune building houses here in the Flow that ended up falling down very shortly afterwards. Has his fingers in all kinds of pies, most of them illegal pies. My agents, Frost and Severard, were carefully asking questions about his activities and ended up stumbling onto something a bit too hot. Tilaven has a few gangs that answer to him here and there, doing little jobs for him. One is based out of the Harbourside and is run by someone called Stygg Alharsen. He's small time, he does burglaries and has some local kids who pick pockets for him. But we discovered he was involved in something much bigger and more dangerous. In fact, he's involved in what is basically the holy grail for Maladoran thieves - smuggling items out of the Towers." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael raised his eyebrows. "We were led to believe that is impossible." Sakura: Sakura looked surprised for a moment as she made a possible connection, "Hmmm, we did came across of the captain called Covis Elassyn. Any connection with him?" Vachir: (whispering): Remembering the Inn was somewhere on the other side of the river, Vachir followed the merchant's suggestion and decided he might as well try looking for his quarry there Sleeping Dragon: Seneca blinked. "The very man, yes. Who told you that? Anyway, you're right, Alharsen and Elassyn are conspiring to smuggle items past the Tower Guards and then sell them off to make a tidy profit. I don't know exactly how they're doing it, unfortunately. Before we could dig any deeper, someone found out that we were asking questions and came after us. Frost was able to get word to me and I came and hid here, but Frost and Severard have been killed since and I haven't been able to leave for fear of being killed." Rafael ben Efrim: "If we were able to get you away from here where would you go to be safe?" Rafael asked. Sleeping Dragon: "I don't think there's really anywhere I can go at the moment that would be safe - except out of the city. I'm a little conspicuous unfortunately, and Alharsen and his men have been looking for me. That's about the only good news I've had about this situation - well, apart from you showing up - I'm pretty sure that Tilaven isn't involved in it himself. All the men that have been looking for me I can link to Alharsen, and anyway, if Tilaven wanted to find me he'd have done so already. I suspect Alharsen was going behind Tilaven's back and doesn't want his boss to find out what he's done." Sakura: She nodded, saying, "Excise House are getting suspicious of him. Which is how we knew in one way." Sleeping Dragon: "Well that's good to know. Basically, if I'm to be able to leave here, I need Alharsen and Elassyn dealt with in some way...preferably one that doesn't piss Damos Tilaven off, or I'll have an even worse problem on my hands." Rafael ben Efrim: "If they are caught smuggling items, they would be removed legally, and nobody would connect that with you." Rafael said. "Is there anything you can tell us about that?" Tristan: "Or." Tristan spoke up. "If you think that the one after your head is Alharsen, and that he is going behind Tilaven's back, we could inform Tilaven about the smuggling attempts." Sakura: Shaking her head, "Too riskly, if Tilaven looking to become a Counciller, last thing he want is some group knowing what happened with his smugglings. He may decide to dealt with us very sharp" Sleeping Dragon: "Tell us about what, the smuggling? Not really. I have no idea about how they manage it - as you said, smuggling out of the Towers is supposed to be impossible. It was just a rumour Severard heard, and following up on it he learned that Elassyn had been covertly meeting with Alharsen's men shortly before and shortly after each of his Tower trips." Seneca looked over at Tristan. "That could be tried, but it'd be dangerous. For a start, I might well be wrong and Tilaven himself may well be involved in the smuggling, and for another, he's not an easy man to contact unless he wants you to." Enrico: "Which means we have to go over to the towers and try to smuggle something out? That's the only real way to get evidence" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael frowned. "Catching the people doing it would be more to the point." Sleeping Dragon: Seneca considered. "Catching them at it would probably be the best way, yes." Sakura: Sakura smiled, "Well, it is good thing we got an appointment with them as we are going to The Towers after all." Enrico: "I'd like to see someone do that by just strolling in there from the street." Rafael ben Efrim: "The Excise House would be happy to have evidence of how it's done, and we could leave the rest up to them." Rafael said Enrico: "I don't see such precious information be easy to obtain without becoming a part of the operation- there's some serious money in that venture" Enrico: *being easy Rafael ben Efrim: "We'll have the opportunity to see what happens when we go to the Towers." Rafael said. Sakura: Nodding, "Not mention some chance getting some good golds!" Sleeping Dragon: "It wouldn't be easy, no, but if you're on his ship you might be able to see something." Sakura: "We got many eyes, I am sure one of us will spot something at least." She grinned back Rafael ben Efrim: "We will let the Captain know you are safe." Rafael said. "He will be relieved." Sleeping Dragon: Seneca nodded. "Tell him that I apologise for being unable to contact him at all for these months, but my movement has been rather limited, to say the least." Rafael ben Efrim: "We will." Rafael promised. Rafael ben Efrim: "Is there anyone else you want told that you are here?" Rafael asked. "Your friends in the theatre believe that you fell out with Adder. I suppose that was a ploy to throw your enemies off the scent?" Sleeping Dragon: "Do you mean the Malettis?" said Seneca. "No, don't tell them yet, I'd rather not have anyone know unless they must. And yes, we feigned to have a falling out a few years ago, I wanted to make sure that if things got hot for me I'd have somewhere I could run to that would be safe." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled. "It certainly worked." Sleeping Dragon: Seneca shrugged. "Well, you found me...but then I rather hoped someone would, just someone on the right side." Enrico: "You couldn Enrico: "You couldn't have sent a message to Gaston? Surely there was a way to do it?" Sleeping Dragon: Seneca smiled. "Well, I could have risked it, but...to be honest, I thought that Captain Gaston would send assistance more promptly if I simply stopped contacting him at all." Sakura: Shaking, "Well, it seems to work, if only months late" Sakura: EDIT: Shaking her head* Sleeping Dragon: "I was prepared to wait. I can spend many months in boredom, but I can only die once," said Seneca. "If you need anything, feel free to come and ask me...just make sure you do it inconspicuously. Oh, what are your names? I don't believe you've mentioned them and I would prefer to at least know who I have to thank for coming to help me." Rafael ben Efrim: "Rafael ben Efrim. And we will try not to come often, it may draw attention to this place." Enrico: "Enrico" Tristan: Tristan bowed slightly. "Tristan" He said simply. Sakura: Nodding in respond, "Sakura" Sleeping Dragon: "Well thank you all," said Seneca. "And I wish you very good luck in catching Elassyn and Alharsen." Sakura: "Thank you. I am sure we will do this good as ever. Should some of us go back to Captain Gaston to say good news?" she asked as she looked at others. Tristan: Tristan nodded. "That's a good idea. We can decide what to do after that." Rafael ben Efrim: "Only one or two of us should go, if you recall the Captain's words." Rafael reminded them. "To his inn." Enrico: "I'll go" - Enrico volunteered. "Could also see what else this city has to offer while I'm at it" Tristan: Tristan looked at Rafael and Sakura, waiting to see what they would do. Rafael ben Efrim: "Whoever goes will have to be careful." Rafael said. "The captain himself may be under observation. I am willing to go if need be." Tristan: "Ardrun or myself should acompany whoever goes in that case as well." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked up at Ardrun. "If we are not to draw attention Ardrun may not be the best choice." Ardrun: Ardrun chuckled. Sakura: "Yes, Ardrun is rather impressive. Tristan is better choice." She mentioned as considering what to do next Enrico: "I'll come back to the inn later then." Tristan: "So Rafael and myself will go inform Gaston then." Tristan said, "Where should we meet the rest of you afterwards?" Tristan: *ignore* Sakura: "Back at the our inn later?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Only two of us should go I think. Enrico offered. I'm sure that he will be circumspect." Rafael spoke to Tristan but his eye were on Enrico. Rafael ben Efrim: *edit* eyes Tristan: Tristan nodded, frowning slightly. "And we'll meet back up at our inn afterwards then?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked around the others. "I think so." Enrico: "Allright then" - with that Enrico started climbing back the way he came in. Ardrun: Disconnecting from server... Ardrun (exit): 23:55 Tristan: Tristan followed Enrico after giving a short bow to Seneca and Adder.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 29, 2008 10:07:27 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: they left Seneca and Adder behind and exited out of the Rat's Burrow before splitting up to go off in their separate directions Rafael ben Efrim: Before they seperated, Rafael spoke quietly to Tristan. Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "Enrico can be somewhat...precipitate. I thought you would be able to keep him in check better than any of us." Rafael said. whispering to Tristan, Tristan and Enrico made their way across to the Harbourside district, towards the Mast and Mainsail inn. The Mast and Mainsail was a large three storey building at the foot of Malador Ridge, the cliff which ran all the way along the edge of the wealthy Clifftop district. A comfortable balcony ran around the second storey of the building, and as they looked up they saw that Captain Gaston was seated on it, drinking a glass of red wine and looking out towards the Malador Wharves. Tristan: (whispering): "My patience for fools like him is not unlimited." Tristan sighed, but nodded and left. whispering to Sakura, Sakura and Ardrun strode back along to the Old Pirate to change back into their normal clothes, a long journey which took them across almost the whole length of the city. Sakura could sense the nervous mood of the city, and as she passed people here and there she heard snatches of conversation centred around the Torathi Envoy and the terms he had given the Council earlier that day. Unfortunately Sakura could not discern what those terms really were for every conversation she heard contradicted the last. The Torathi envoy had drawn his sword and demanded Malador's unconditional surrender - no, he had been polite and firm in requesting Malador become Torath's vassal state - no, he had demanded the Council instantly hand over all the city's wealth or it would be razed to the ground - no, the Envoy had been offering the Councillors flagrant bribes to betray Malador - no... Tristan: (whispering): Tristan ignored Enrico for the most of their trip, and on arriving at the inn, he didn't even turn to the man before stepping into the building, looking for the stairs to the second floor. whispering to Vachir, Vachir made his way to the Old Pirate, a long trek that took him all the way across the Foot district and across a long bridge over the river until finally reaching the inn. As he went he heard snatches of conversations from the various citizens, mostly about the Torathi envoy and what terms he had given the Council that morning. The accounts differed wildly. The Torathi envoy had drawn his sword and demanded Malador's unconditional surrender - no, he had been polite and firm in requesting Malador become Torath's vassal state - no, he had demanded the Council instantly hand over all the city's wealth or it would be razed to the ground - no, the Envoy had been offering the Councillors flagrant bribes to betray Malador - no...
At length Vachir reached the Old Pirate, a three-storey stone building overlooking the Malador estuary and the sea. Entering, he found there were few patrons for it was still only the afternoon. The innkeeper, a woman in her fifties with her iron grey hair drawn up in a bun, greeted him as he entered, showing no signs of the nervousness Vachir had noticed some of the city's other inhabitants often displayed around him. "Hello there dearie," she said briskly. "I'm Pesk Dannitch, and I own this inn. Were you looking for accomodation or just a good drink? We have the best of both in all of Malador, you can be sure of that!" Sakura: (whispering): Sakura shook her head as she reached the Old Pirates. She is not surprised about these news for rumours always seems to be bad barrel of apples. Still, she want to get back into her usual clothes soon as possible whispering to Tristan, Tristan spoke to the innkeeper, Delohan Jex, who showed him the way to the stairs up and told him where to find the door leading out to the balcony. Vachir: (whispering): Vachri shrugged "Neither, actually, but I'll take a drink."he said as with some hesitation he placed some coins on the bar "Actually, I'd be lookin' for information on some people you might have seen around here. "One of was a big guy with a big sword, probably a slave, and his mistress was some sort of Noblewoman. There were also three others. Any chance they passed by here?" Tristan: (whispering): Tristan thanked the innkeeper and proceded to step out onto the balcony, heading to Gaston's table. Sakura (enter): 20:13 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2545) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(2504) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 20:13 whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Rafael wandered away from the Burrow and into the heart of the Foot district. As he went, he heard the talk of passersby, and almost singularly their conversation was turned to the topic of the Torathi envoy and what message he had given to the Council. At first, the reports were wildly conflicting. The Torathi envoy had drawn his sword and demanded Malador's unconditional surrender - no, he had been polite and firm in requesting Malador become Torath's vassal state - no, he had demanded the Council instantly hand over all the city's wealth or it would be razed to the ground - no, the Envoy had been offering the Councillors flagrant bribes to betray Malador - no...
At length, Rafael was able to work out several coherent strands from the multifarious rumours. The Envoy, he learned, was a highly successful Torathi general, Maxxen Juthe, and there were grumbles about this. "If King Darragan wanted to negotiate, he'd have sent a diplomat, not a soldier," one cloth merchant grumbled. "King Darragan just wants an excuse to go to war." whispering to Sakura, They entered the Pirate, which was not very busy at this time of day with only a few regular patrons drinking at the moment. One patron who was decidedly not regular stood at the bar and was speaking to Pesk Dannitch. He was short, lean, and looked somewhat weather-beaten, and he was decidedly far from home - his clothes looked fit for a nomad and his shape and features seemed to be those of someone from the eastern Disputed Lands or the lands of the Bolgar. He carried a spear and a longbow across his shoulder. As they entered he turned to look at them and they saw he had long black hair, a thin moustache, and a wooden amulet carved into the shape of a thunderbolt. whispering to Vachir, Pesk poured Vachir a drink and looked at him askance. "Well I might have. Do you have any names for..." she began, and then just then two of the people Vachir were looking for, the noblewoman and the tall slave, entered the inn. whispering to Tristan, Tristan and Enrico made their way out onto the balcony. Captain Gaston heard them coming and half-turned. Seeing them, he raised his wine glass and motioned for them to come over. "Please, take a seat. Have you made any progress?" he said to them quietly when they came near Vachir: (whispering): The Bolgar looked quite stunned for a few seconds, surprised by his luck. When he recovered, he could be heard saying "Truly I must be blessed!. Thanking Pesk, as useless as her help had been, he walked over to the woman and her massive slave. Zgaimon (enter): 20:22 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2549) Zgaimon... Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael had been fingering a piece of cloth as if considering buying it, but he looked up in apparent concern. "I am new to this city. What will happen if the Torathi come. Will the army be able to keep them out?" whispering to Ardrun, They entered the Pirate, which was not very busy at this time of day with only a few regular patrons drinking at the moment. One patron who was decidedly not regular stood at the bar and was speaking to Pesk Dannitch. He was short, lean, and looked somewhat weather-beaten, and he was decidedly far from home - his clothes looked fit for a nomad and his shape and features seemed to be those of someone from the eastern Disputed Lands or the lands of the Bolgar. He carried a spear and a longbow across his shoulder. As they entered he turned to look at them and they saw he had long black hair, a thin moustache, and a wooden amulet carved into the shape of a thunderbolt. whispering to Ardrun, The Bolgar looked quite stunned for a few seconds, surprised by his luck. When he recovered, he could be heard saying "Truly I must be blessed!. Thanking Pesk, as useless as her help had been, he walked over to the woman and her massive slave. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan sat down and looked around before nodding. He told Gaston about Sencea and his circumstances. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, "The army?" the merchant snickered. "Do you mean the militia? A collection of adventurers and mercenaries. Some of them are very formidable warriors, but most of them only joined the militia so that they didn't have to pay for weapon licenses in the first place. They're not going to stick their necks on the line to defend us against Torath. Apart from them we only have the Watch, and they're no real army, certainly not next to the Torathi Kingdom Guards. There's a reason Torath was able to expand to become a large kingdom and destroy Karatekos and Arento, while Malador has just remained a city-state. Our only hope is to buy King Darragan off, or to hope that one of those endless rebellions they have in Torath draws his attention away from us." Sakura (enter): 20:32 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2553) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(2545) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 20:33 Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "I am surprised there is no trained force as we have back in Venefar." Rafael said, as if surprised. whispering to Tristan, "Your party works quickly. I only wish every group I had dealings with had your efficiency," Gaston said approvingly. He rubbed his chin and digested the news regarding Seneca. "I am pleased that Seneca is alive and safe, or at least relatively safe. It seems that you have already hit upon the solution to it. Somehow, you must catch these thieves, Elassyn and Alharsen, and prove their smuggling to the Watch. As you've already arranged to go to the Towers on Elassyn's ship then you may be able to find the evidence you need soon. Do you think you will require any assistance? I am relatively limited in what help I can give you as I do not come to Malador in person very often, but I might be able to work something out." whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, the cloth merchant shook his head despairingly. "The Council have repeatedly blocked and delayed attempts to get us a real army. Old Brutus Oramo wanted us to have one, but the others on the Council were afraid he'd use it to make himself King, and they don't want to deal with the expense of it anyway. They truly are fools. If only we'd had some trained men we could have taken advantage of so many opportunities to expand and then we would be safe, instead of cowering at the mercy of some foreign tyrant..." the merchant clenched his fist Tristan: (whispering): Tristan though for a moment. "I cannot think of anything we may need." He looked over at Enrico, who was vacantly inspecting the bottom of an ale stein and turned back to Gaston. "I do not think we need anything in particular. Though I do not know what the others may need." Tristan shrugged. Vachir: (whispering): After an awkard bow to the woman - the man certainly didn't look like he knew much of etiquette - the Bolgar spoke "Forgive my...crude ways, but I have been looking for you and your friends for some time." he paused for a moment, looking slightly awkard "My name's Vachir, and I'm an archer from the Bolgar People. I've travelled here from my land in search of fortune, and then I decided to try my luck with the towers." he paused again, catching a breath "Elassyn told me you where going there, so I thought I could join you. I ask for a fair share of whatever treasure might be there and..."and here he looked to be quite embarassed "Well, and for you to pay passage on the ship for me, as I'm quite penniless at the moment" Sakura: (whispering): She frowned for a moment, catching the name of Elassyn. "You are not only one travelling to this city in search of fortune. Still, I am unsure if you can come with the group for rest of the group is not here. Even the group do come with us, I am not charitable." Vachir: (whispering): edit: change "quite embarassed" to "even more embarassed" Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "It seems that in avoiding an imagined disaster they have laid the foundations for a real one." Rafael said, concern filling his voice. "Is there no man on the Council strong enough to change direction and give the city hope?" whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, "No," the merchant replied bluntly. "As we speak they are probably plotting how to make the most money out of this situation, most likely by selling the city to Darragan and the Envoy." Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "But what will that profit them if the Torathi invade?" Rafael asked, puzzled. "Surely these men gain wealth and prestige from being in power here, which will be lost?" whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, "Of course," said the merchant. "All else being equal, I imagine they would never even consider allowing Darragan to gain control of the city. But all things are decidedly unequal, and their first thought will be to preserve what wealth and prestige they can. I suppose some might resist. Brutus Oramo's daughter serves on the Council, Chyra Delorri...but then she's as corrupt as the rest of them." Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael shook his head. "The corruption of power. Malador surely does not deserve to be treated so badly by its leaders. Is there not one honest man or woman among them?" whispering to Tristan, "Very well. If you think of anything before you go, please come back and speak to me. As you have worked so promptly, I will give you part of your reward now - twenty-five each, say, and another fifty once you have exposed Elassyn and Alharsen's crimes, which I have every confidence you will do." Gaston stood up and made his way towards his room and came out a moment later with five small pouches, giving one to Enrico and the others to Tristan. "o whispering to Tristan, "J whispering to Tristan, edit: "For the others of your party, of course," he said of the extra pouches he gave to Tristan. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, "Not even one," he said flatly. "Nor among those who might replace them. All the power in this city is concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy oligarchs, and there is no way we can change this short of rebellion. Which would probably just result in even worse rulers, frankly." Tristan: (whispering): Tristan nodded and tucked the pouches away safely. "Thank you." He said, standing up. "I'll return if there is anything else." whispering to Tristan, Captain Gaston extended a hand to them. "Thank you for your hard work, my friends." Ardrun: (whispering): "What skills do you offer that would make it worth bringing your along?" added Ardrun. Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael sighed. "War or rebellion - it is not a good choice. People will be hurt unnecessarily. And a city divided will be no match for a powerful army." whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, "No. It will require a miracle to save us now..." the merchant trailed off, then turned away from Rafael to deal with another customer Vachir: (whispering): Vachir looked put-off by the woman's reply, but he seemed to cheer up a bit when he heard the big man's question "I'm good with my bow."he simply said, then, after thinking about it for a bit, added "Actually, screw modesty! My god has blessed me with exceptional aim, and so I rarely miss! I could serve you very well indeed." Tristan: (whispering): Tristan shook the captain's hand and left the inn, preparing to make for the Old Pirate, not caring if Enrico followed or not. Ardrun: (whispering): "That could be valuable," said Ardrun. "We have little ability to fight at a range." Sakura: (whispering): Sakura looked surprised for a moment and replied, "Yes, Ardrun. We might need someone capable of shooting someone long way. Very well, Vachir. If rest of the group will not mind you coming with us, I will cover your passage fee which I think is ten gold pieces, as long you are willing to pay me back with interest." Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael walked on through the streets considering what he had just heard. Around him the people of Malador seemed determined to carry on their lives despite the twin evils hanging over their heads. At the same time he kept an eye open for anyone who might be following him. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Raf made his way back over the bridge and on towards the Old Pirate. As he made his way through an alley, he thought he heard soft footprints behind him. He continued on, and they followed along. Raf tensed, and then a moment later heard a loud noise from the direction of the footprints.
"MEEOWWWW!" Raf turned to look, and saw two big black cats fighting, one having apparently pounced on the other from behind. They took one look at him and scurried off in opposite directions Vachir: (whispering): Vachir started to look more pleased at how things were going, though showed some doubts "Interest? You mean...give you back more than you gave me? If that's how you do things here, I'll do that. "he shrugged Sakura: (whispering): Sakura looked surprised for a moment and replied, "Yes, Ardrun. We might need someone capable of shooting someone long way. Very well, Vachir. If rest of the group will not mind you coming with us, I will cover your passage fee which I think is ten gold pieces, as long you are willing to pay me back with interest." Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael watched the cats disappear, and then laughed softly to himself. Sakura: (whispering): She frowned for a moment, catching the name of Elassyn. "You are not only one travelling to this city in search of fortune. Still, I am unsure if you can come with the group for rest of the group is not here. Even the group do come with us, I am not charitable."
Sleeping Dragon: Tristan and Enrico made their way back to the Pirate, meeting Rafael en route. The three of them arrived back at the Pirate to find Ardrun and Sakura speaking to an unfamiliar man who looked to be a tribesman of the Disputed Lands or the Bolgar horsefolk. Vachir: He was short but lean man, young but with a slightly weather-beaten look to his face and high cheekbones. Quite muscled - possibly too much for his thin frame, with arms that are visibly overdeveloped from too much time spent using a bow. He’s black haired and has a thin moustache, while his skin looks it may have been originally pale, but his now tanned from too much time in the sun. He wears rough clothes that look more fit for a nomad than for a respectable citizen, and carries a backpack, a spear and, most conspicuous of all, a large bow behind his back. A crudely carved wooden talisman of a thunderbolt hangs around his neck. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded to Sakura and Ardrun and included the man in his greeting, as they seemed friendly to him. Tristan: Tristan sat at a table next to Sakura's, letting them finish their conversation. Sakura (enter): 21:41 Ardrun: "This is Vachir. He has offered to come along on our excursion. He says he has skill with the bow." Sakura: (whispering): She nodded, looking satisfied, "Good, I am pleased we agreed on this. What just remain is rest of the group." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael eyed the Bolgar. "A useful addition no doubt, but will our employer be amenable to a new face, and how will he be paid?" Sakura: Sakura sighed as she replied, "As far I can see, Vachir want to go to the Tower. I agreed to cover his passage fees, providing he pay it back. He and Ardrun made good point on our need for archers." Sakura: *pay it back later with extra Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shrugged. "If you're good with that bow you're welcome. Hopefully what we find in the Towers will more than cover the passage over there." Vachir: "Aye. "nodded the Bolgar "Might you tell me your names? Elassyn gave me brief descriptions of you, but not your names." Rafael ben Efrim: "You were sent by the captain then?" Rafael asked smoothly. Vachir: "Sent? Well, I just wanted to go the towers, and knew he brought people there with this ship. When I told him I wanted to buy passage, he suggested me to look for a group since going alone was too dangerous."he added Sakura: Sakura nodded at him, "It seems that Captain Elassyn sent him to us since he wants to go to the Towers." Rafael ben Efrim: "A very sensible idea." Rafael said calmly. "My name is Rafael ben Efrim." Tristan: Tristan waited and watched the others. Sakura (enter): 22:06 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2588) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(2579) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 22:06 Sleeping Dragon: Enrico introduced himself to Vachir Tristan: "Tristan." The young man said simply. Sakura: Sakura gestured at Ardrun, "And his name is Ardrun. An excellent fighter" Vachir: "Pleasure to know you all."said Vachir, looking kinda pleased at how things were going Rafael ben Efrim: "Would you excuse us for a moment?" Rafael asked the newcomer. "There are some things we need to sort out before our journey tomorrow." He looked meaningfully at the others as he left the room. Vachir: Vachir nodded "Of course, I will leave you to your own private matters if you so wish" Tristan: Tristan got up and followed Rafael, looking back at Vachir once before leaving. Sakura: Sakura also followed Rafael out Rafael ben Efrim: Once out of earshot Rafael spoke to Tristan and Enrico. "What news from Gaston?" Tristan: Tristan shook his head. "Not much, he's happy to know that Sencea is alright, and agrees with our plan to investigate Elassyn. He says if we need any assistance to contact him, and he'll see what he can do." Tristan then reached into his pack. "He also advanced us this." Tristan passed Rafael and Sakura backs of gold. Tristan: *bags of gold Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took his bag and weighed it in his hand. "I am glad he will be able to help Seneca. And we now have two reasons to investigate this Elassyn." Sakura: Nodding as she received the bag of gold, trying to figuring out the amounts of gold "Yes, it seems Captain Elassyn got many misdeeds for us to look into. At least two reasons which can reward us well." Rafael ben Efrim: "About this new man." Rafael said slowly. "It will be hard on board if we are unable to talk freely in front of him. But can we trust him?" Sakura: Sakura laughed slightly, "You seen the boat. It would be quite hard to talk freely." Sakura: "But, it will take some time before we know if he is trustworthy." Rafael ben Efrim: "Indeed. But we will need to communicate with each other sometimes." Rafael ben Efrim: "Perhaps we can work out some basic signs." Rafael suggested. Sakura (enter): 22:45 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2599) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(2588) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 22:45 Sakura: [1d10] => [3] = (3) Tristan: "If we need to talk, just call us over and we'll talk quietly. Though that tactic should be used sparingly." Rafael ben Efrim: "There may be no chance. If something important happens we should have a few simple words or signs that draw all our attention without giving anything away." Rafael said. Sakura: Sakura replied, "Any suggestions?" Sakura: After these discussions, Sakura went off to chat with many people in the inn, gathering contracts. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael suggested some signs they could use for a warning, or to draw attention to something important. Tristan: After figuring out the signs, Tristan left the inn, stating that he was going to pick up some last minute provisions. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael went up to his room to meditate and pray alone for a time. Tristan: Disconnecting from server... Tristan (exit): 23:02 Vachir: Vachir somehow remembered he still had his drink on the bar, and went to drink it before paying for a room and going to rest. Ardrun: Ardrun hovered in a corne, watching out for any danger to Sakura. Sakura (enter): 23:04 Sleeping Dragon: they rested and woke early in the morning to find a blanket of fog covering the city. They made their way to the Wharves where Captain Elassyn was preparing the Take a Chance with his men. "Good morning chaps. I see you found them," he said to Vachir. "First order of business, someone needs to pay this brave fellow's passage, or he'll have to stay behind. Secondly, as I forgot to ask yesterday, I'd like to know your names, so that if any of you become filthy, stinking rich I can know your names to come and ask for money." Elassyn smiled cheekily. "And thirdly, our departure will be slightly delayed by the fog, but not by very much as it should dissipate soon." Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(2599) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 23:05 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2613) Sakura... Sakura: Sakura claded once more in her leather armour took out her pouch and counted out ten golds Sleeping Dragon: "Thank you my good lady," said Covis, carefully tucking the coins away in his belt pouch Sakura: "My name is Sakura Ayanna by the way." Sleeping Dragon: Enrico and Tristan introduced themselves Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gave his name. Ardrun: Ardrun nodded after Sakura introduced himself, and said simply "Ardrun." Ardrun: *herself Vachir: Vachir told his name Sleeping Dragon: "Nice to make your acquaintances. I'd better get back to work now, but stick around because we should be heading off soon." With that, Captain Covis headed off to supervise the last preparations. As he had said, the fog dissipated by mid-morning leaving the day crisp and clear. Shortly after the fog had broken up, the repairs were ready and Captain Covis invited the party onto the Take a Chance Sakura: Sakura went aboard to the Take a Chance, eyeing the boat Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked around the boat. "How long does it take to reach the Towers?" he asked Covis. Sleeping Dragon: "We'll arrive at the Towers at about mid-day tomorrow," replied Covis. Sleeping Dragon: they all boarded the ship alongside Captain Covis and his ten crewmen, leaving the ship very cramped indeed for it was little more than fifty feet in length and twenty wide. There was a single sail and rowing positions for up to six oarsmen if it was needed. There was a tarpaulin spread out on some poles at the stern of the vessel, some benches at the bow for passengers to sit on, and several chests also near the bow for storing food and also items retrieved from the Towers.
When they were ready, Covis strode up to the bow, peered out towards the sea and the Towers jutting up like teeth from watery jaws. "HAUL ANCHOR!" he cried, and two of his crewmen manfully pulled the heavy weight up out of the water while the others took up position Sleeping Dragon: they made good time, exiting the harbour and out onto the open sea. Captain Covis strode up and down the ship, keeping a careful eye on his men, ensuring that everything went smoothly. He quickly proved to them his skill as a sailor and his careful attention to detail, always looking out for potential problems and solving them before they could arise. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael watched the business on deck, seeing how the sailors reacted to Covis and whether any of them seemed unhappy with their captain. Ardrun: Ardrun looked uneasy on the boat, and stayed near the center of the deck. Vachir: Vachir tried to stay near the others of his new-found group. He looke idly around, watching birds fly above the ship. Several times he looked he was considering trying to shot one of them, but the cramped quarters and not wanting to waste arrows seemed to stop him from that. Sakura: Sakura approached Captain Covis and his second-in-command, Erik to engage them in light discussions on their voyages whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Raf saw no signs of dissatisfaction with Captain Covis' leadership, and, while firm, he was not harsh with any of his men Sakura: After rather delightful discussions, she then approached one of the crewmen, Blig Bignose on his experiences. Sleeping Dragon: though it took some time due to their being busy with their work, Sakura was able to steer her conversations as skillfully as the sailors steered the boat. She deftly flattered them at every turn, mixing praise with amusing anecdotes and witty banter, and soon the sailors were gladly talking to her about their various voyages to the Towers and other sea trips they had taken. "Last time we took a group to the Tower we're heading for, there were some nasty birds up on the roof, bigger than eagles, and vicious," Blig told her. "One of the poor buggers got pecked when he was climing up the rope to the windows - there's no way in down below, you see, just up on the roof and the top floor - and slipped and fell all the way down. Poor bastard, wasn't much left of him when we hauled him up." Rafael ben Efrim: "It seems you will find a use for your bow shooting birds after all." Rafael said to Vachir having overheard this. Sakura: Sakura smiled back at Blig, "Good thing we bought an archer then. Blig" Vachir: Vachir grinned widely "I'm sure these birds will not be as ferocious with a few arrows in their body. They could be tasty, eh" Sleeping Dragon: the day grew colder as they went on. At meal times Covis fetched food and drink from one of the chests - salted fish, hard, crusty bread with butter, onions, and thin ale, for the most part, cooked on a small metal stove which they placed atop a stone slab. Blig and another crewman stood over it while it cooked, careful to ensure it wasn't knocked over, keeping a bucket of water close at hand in case anything needed to be doused. Ardrun: "That is a useful tool," said Ardrun, showing an expression other than nervousness for the first time since they boarded the boat. Sakura: Sakura settled down, eyeing the stove saying "Well, I am looking forward toward some foods at least today." Sleeping Dragon: Blig grinned at him. "Useful indeed, nice bit of warm food in yer belly before tha night. Think we're in for a bollocks-freezer myself," he said. "Oh, pardon my language, my lady," he said to Sakura, looking embarassed Ardrun: "She will not have to worry about 'bollocks-freezing," said Ardrun wryly. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael wrapped himself in his blanket and looked up at the sky. Sakura (enter): 00:20 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2677) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(2613) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 00:20 Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly at the crewman, "I got used to these languages of the sea. Beside, Ardrun is right." She finished off the foods given to her and settled down into her roll. Sleeping Dragon: the night was, as Blig had predicted, a truly terrible, freezing evening. The temperature plummeted and a wind rose, and the Take a Chance provided them with little shelter against the elements. They shivered miserably under their blankets Rafael ben Efrim: "We need to get closer together." Rafael said through chattering teeth. "This is no time to worry about niceties." Vachir: Vachir quietly prayed to his god, asking him for protection from the cold and any dangers he might find on his voyage Sakura: Sakura shivered as tries to warm herself. She have not been out in cold for years. Ardrun: Ardrun seemed oblivious to the cold, but he sat next to Sakura and put an arm around her, hoping to keep her warm. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, unable to withstand the chill, Raf found himself struck by a cold. His throat was raw and he could feel snot running down from his nose, though he was able to control the urge to sneeze. The cold made it difficult to sleep. Late in the night, he saw Erik stand up and move towards the bow of the ship. At first it looked as if he was merely intending to relieve himself, but then Raf saw him look around at the sleeping people, paying especial attention to the party. Raf pretended to be asleep and for a moment he thought Erik had detected his ruse, but Covis' second in command was apparently satisfied that he was asleep. Quickly, he pulled a key out of his boot and went to one of the chests, quietly and carefully unlocking it and retrieving a small satchel and a rope. Carefully, Erik tied the rope to the side of the vessel, near the hull, and carefully he slid down it carrying the satchel. After a few minutes he returned and dried himself on a cloth he retrieved from the chest. That done, Erik crept back to his bedroll, hiding the key again in his boot. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, edit: he returned without the satchel Sakura: With the arm around Sakura, she managed to avoid the worst of the cold. Sleeping Dragon: they survived the chilly evening and woke the next morning to find Blig standing over the stove. The Towers were now very near. Sakura (enter): 00:40 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (2694) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(2677) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 00:40 Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael moved up close to Sakura when she was away from the crew, and spoke in a low voice. "Erik was up to something last night. He took a satchel from the locker, and hid it somewhere over the side." As he spoke he looked out to see and pointed as if indicating something on the Towers ahead of them. Rafael ben Efrim: *edit* looked out to sea
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 6, 2008 10:39:07 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: Blig woke them with a greasy breakfast of eggs and bacon. The night had passed with some discomfort, but after stretching they were all fine, save for Rafael who continued to suffer from a miserable cold, his throat left raw and his nose running a seemingly infinite supply of snot Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael huddled up in his blanket, sniffing horribly and occasionally wiping his nose on his sleeve, where a shiny patch was already forming. Ardrun: Ardrun patted Rafael on the back. "Don't worry, we will kill things for you that need killing." Tristan: Tristan, eshewing his armor for the boat ride, kept a close eye on his pack and spent his time honing his sword, seeming slightly agitated. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael made an effort at a smile, then coughed. He watched for an opportunity to speak to one of the others quietly. Vachir: Vachir always kept his bow at hand, and was now looking fascinated at the towers in the distance Sleeping Dragon: the Towers were a striking sight. They were constructed of some unknown black stone that seemed utterly unaffected by its long immersion in the sea. They were of a great number, more than twoscore spread over several miles of sea, and thrust up to heights between ten and sixty feet above the surface. Sleeping Dragon: *there were a great number Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael moved up close to Sakura and spoke in a low voice. "Erik was up to something last night. He took a satchel from the locker, and hid it somewhere over the side." As he spoke he looked out to sea and pointed as if indicating something on the Towers ahead of them. Sakura: Sakura glanced at the direction that Rafael pointing at and nodded, "Really? Did you notice which side of the Tower?" Sleeping Dragon: looking at the Towers, they could hardly fail to notice the Fortress Rafts. These half dozen huge rafts were anchored in a circle around the Towers. There were at least a dozen men on each raft and they were all armed with a light mangonel. As the rays of the sun grew brighter and the Take a Chance became visible, they saw the Fortress Rafts nearest to them adjust the catapults so that they pointed in their direction. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gave Sakura a funny look. "The side of the ship, not the side of the Tower," he said eventually. Vachir: Vachir looked nervous as he saw the strange device being pointed at them. As he readied an arrow for his bow, he could be heard muttering "This doesn't look good" Tristan: Tristan stopped sharpening his sword and looked at Vachir. "This is normal, they have to do this to make sure there is not going to be any smuggling on our way out." He nodded to the weapons. "Those are to make sure that none just pass them by." Sakura: Sakura returned Rafael's look with hint of annoyance, "Yes, I know. There are ears around... But it seems wasted on you. So he is hiding something... something to collect by someone." Sleeping Dragon: "Don't worry!" Covis said to Vachir hastily. "Put down the bow. They do this to everyone who draws near, they're under orders to sink any boat that doesn't have..." he stopped as Tristan explained the situation. "Like he said." Vachir: "If you say so...."said the Bolgar lowering his weapon and arrow after their explanations Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael sneezed violently and wiped his nose again. "Maybe it's a bribe for one of the guards to collect." Sleeping Dragon: "I'll be taking you to that one," Covis said once Vachir had lowered his bow. He pointed to one of the taller Towers nearby. "That one only came up a little while ago and as far as I know there's only been one group in there, who I took out a few weeks ago. They looted the top two floors but then a trap went off and killed two of them, and one had already been killed by the birds on the roof so the pair of them that were left decided to cut and run." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gazed at the Tower. "What could make them just appear like that?" he muttered to himself, then spoke to Covis. "Is there water inside them when they arise?" Sakura: Looking at him with some sympathy, "That would not surprise me. I suspect any unofficial business would require more people, your guard likely." Ardrun: Ardrun shook his head. "It seems many enter unprepared." Sleeping Dragon: Covis shrugged. "I've never been inside them. They don't just appear out of air though, they seem to get shoved up from under the water. We'll have a little tremor or three, and a new one will push its way up. How or why no one is sure of - sorcery of the Masters, beyond a doubt." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael leaned towards Sakura. "No doubt they will leave it until we're safely in the Tower." he said. A shiver ran through his body and he wrapped the blanket even closer round himself. "Birds, traps or whatever, it can't be any colder in there than it is out here." Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly, "Well, may we be luckly!" Vachir: "Or not."said Vachir drily "But we won't know until we go inside and brave whatever dangers are there" Sleeping Dragon: once they had finished eating they hauled anchor and sailed on. After about an hour Covis gave orders to pull up next to the nearest raft for inspection. As the Take a Chance came near they looked and saw that there were fifteen guards on the raft. They wore leather tabards and white uniforms which bore Malador's ship and tower symbol, and each carried crossbow, scimitar, and a small shield. A crew of three manned the mangonel, carefully adjusting it so it was always trained on them. Around the mangonel they could see piled several large rocks and barrels which Covis told them were filled with pitch and naphtha
Covis and Erik brought the Take a Chance up alongside the raft, and after a few moments three Tower Guards came over onto the ship. "Morning, Captain Covis," the eldest of the three, a sharp-faced man in his late thirties, said as the three guards retrieved quill and parchment.
"Good morning, Sergeant Mattyn," Covis replied. "I have found another bold group eager for glory and riches." Sergeant Mattyn grunted. "Whatever you say. You know the procedure, Captain. Everyone on board, start emptying your pockets and opening your packs, you're not going anywhere until we know everything that's on this ship, down to the last pebble you picked up on shore." With that, Sergeant Mattyn and his men began to circulate, checking the vessel extremely thoroughly, making an inventory of every item on board. Sakura: Sakura looked annoyed for a moment as she shown all her possessions and coins. Tristan: Tristan nodded, opening up his pack for the guards. Ardrun: Ardrun handed over his meager possessions. Vachir: Vachir grumbled, but then let the guards check his meager possessions and weapons. Sleeping Dragon: the guards wrote down every item efficiently and then promptly returned them to the owner. The youngest of the trio paused to examine the wooden thunderbolt symbol hanging around Vachir's neck. "Cool," he said as he scribbled. Rafael ben Efrim: Without hesitation Rafael opened his pack and belt pouch to show the guards. Sleeping Dragon: after about an hour Sergeant Mattyn was satisfied. "That's all then. Thank you, and may whichever gods you believe in smile on you," he told the party by way of parting. Enrico (enter): 20:49 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (5593) Enrico... Ardrun: Ardrun nodded respectfully to the sergeant and prepared to enter the tower. Rafael ben Efrim: "There is but The One, and He holds me as if in the palm of His hand." Rafael muttered to himself as he took up his pack, shivering again. Ardrun: "That is a strange thing to do," said Ardrun. Vachir: Vachir gripped his talisman muttering a few words of prayer to Alatric and then moved behind the others, his bow in hand Tristan: Tristan removed his armor from his pack and prepared for the approach to the tower. Barely looking at the guards after they left him alone. Vachir: edit:Alaric, not Alatric Sakura: She prepared for dangerous journey, wearing her leather armour and loading bolt into her crossbow. While she may look small, she is certainly ready for any possible fights. Sakura then glanced at Ardrun and asked him if he is ready as always? Enrico: Enrico stood there relaxed, playing with his clothes and making futile attempts at sharpening his dagger. Ardrun: "Of course, mistress," said Ardrun passively. "Though I'm not sure that it's right for you to enter this dangerous place." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael loaded his own crossbow. He looked up at Ardrun with red-rimmed eyes. "If we survive this, I would gladly tell you of The One. He offers freedom to all slaves." Sleeping Dragon: the Take a Chance pulled away from the Fortress Raft and made its way towards the tower Covis had shown them, a massive edifice jutting sixty feet high and about three hundred wide. As they drew near they saw that there were no entrances on the lower floors, with only little holes like arrow slits in the sides. The only windows large enough for a human to enter were on the fifth storey, some fifty feet above the surface of the water. Above that was a balcony, its peaked and tiled roof supported by a series of twelve stone columns evenly spaced around the perimeter. Each column was carved with features resembling faces, though the exact details were difficult to tell at this distance. Encircling the balcony was a badly rusted three foot tall iron fence. "Those birds are up there, or at least were when we were here last," said Covis. "Probably nesting out of sight." Sakura: Sakura shook her head as in reply, "There are chance of becoming wealthy in this place. Beside, I do have great confidence in your ability to provide such services of making me safe." Ardrun: Ardrun nodded to both Rafael and Sakura. "Perhaps we can get up there and attack the birds before they strike at us?" he whispered. Enrico: "Or we could just make a break for it and not tussle with the local fauna. I'd rather do that" Vachir: "I could try and shot them if they were to fly out of the tower"suggested Vachir Ardrun: "They killed some of the last crew. I doubt we'll be able to get past them without fighting, both inside and coming out. The bow would be helpful, but there might be too many for one." Sakura: Sakura looked thoughtfully, "Still, that does not protect us while climbing the tower." Rafael ben Efrim: "I doubt it we have any choice." Rafael said to Enrico, looking up at the balcony above. "We need something to drive them out." Sleeping Dragon: "We saw four of them," Covis offered. "Two of which were smaller. Mother, father, and children, I'd imagine." Sakura: Frowning as she looked up at the tower, "How about throwing something to get their attentions while we are still there?" Sakura: edit: here Rafael ben Efrim: "They probably attack to protect the young ones." Rafael said. "Is there anything we can distract them with?" Sakura: An idea occured to Sakura, "What about throwing bacons and fishes up?" Rafael ben Efrim: "How large are these birds?" Rafael asked Covis. Sleeping Dragon: "The two adults are about the size of eagles, the young ones smaller, obviously," said Covis. "And I'll expect to be recompensed if you're going to be throwing away perfectly good provisions." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael frowned. "Do eagles kill men?" Sleeping Dragon: "These ones do," Covis gave Raf a toothy grin. Sakura: Sakura smilled slightly at Covis. "If we do need to throw bacons and fishes up, how much you are willing to accept?" Sleeping Dragon: "That depends on how much you're intending to toss away - just a few silvers." Enrico: "Throw them up? If you want to feed those mongrels, throw it somewhere as far away from us as possible" Rafael ben Efrim: "That's at least fifty feet up!" Rafael exclaimed, and then started coughing again. "How do you propose we throw bacon and fish up there?" Enrico: "We have to construct a catapult, obviously" Vachir: "Perhaps we could draw them out with fire or smoke?" suggested the Vachir, who had been quiet previously "I could easily shoot an arrow there" Sakura: Sakura grinned for a moment, "Vachir can shoot a arrow with fish attached to it!" Sleeping Dragon: Covis shrugged and, leaning against a rail, began to trim his nails with his dagger Rafael ben Efrim: "It'll need to be some big fish to keep four of them occupied." Rafael muttered. Sakura: Sakura shook her head, "Ah well, it is an idea anyway." Vachir: "Umh...."mused the Bolgar "Perhaps one of us might just try climbing there with a rope, while the others wait for the birds to show up and fire at them" Vachir: "Seeing someone climb a rope up to their lair might draw the beasts out" Rafael ben Efrim: "Who would climb the rope?" Rafael asked, looking round at the group. Vachir: Vachir shrugged "Not me, you're better off with my shooting at them from below here..." Ardrun: Ardrun nodded. "I have no skill at bows or spears. I will climb." Sakura: Sakura acutally looked at him with concern, "In this case, your sword will be far more of use. Just do not die." Ardrun: "Does someone have a weapon that can be wielded in one hand for me to take? My falchion is too large." Rafael ben Efrim: "I have a dagger." Rafael said, doubtfully. Sleeping Dragon: Blig, who was standing nearby, offered Ardrun a club. "I could chuck up the rope if ya want, as well, I'm a dab hand with ropes." Vachir: "I could lend you my spear too"offered the Bolgar Ardrun: Ardrun took the club. "This should be easiest to use on the rope. Thank you." Sleeping Dragon: Blig took the rope. "Got a grapple, any of you?" Sakura: She smiled at him, "Thank you. Blig." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael pulled a new rope and grappling hook out of his pack, and handed it to Blig. Sleeping Dragon: Blig expertly tied the grapple to the rope and looked at Ardrun. "Ready?" Ardrun: Ardrun nodded, clenching the dagger between his teeth. Tristan: "Wait, here." Tristan offered Ardrun his sword. "It's a fair bit better than a club." Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and took the sword. edit: ignore comment about dagger, forgot about club Enrico: Enrico stepped back, muttering something about how a crossbow would have been handy Sleeping Dragon: once Ardrun was ready, Blig looked at him, nodded, and hurled the rope up. "Go, go!" he shouted as it snared firmly onto the side of the tower. Sakura: Sakura lifted her crossbow with blot ready to fire. Vachir: Vachir pointed his bow high at the window, ready to fire deadly arrows at anything that could come out of it Tristan: Tristan stepped back and watched Ardrun accend before turning and donning his armor, lacking a missile weapon to support Ardrun with. Ardrun: Ardrun did not hesitate, grabbing onto the rope and pulling himself up, the sword at his side. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael watched him swing up the rope, aiming his crossbow above, where the birds would probably come from. Sleeping Dragon: Ardrun began to scramble up the rope. As he came near to the balcony, there was a shriek and a big black bird came streaking down towards him, talons flaring Sleeping Dragon: the bird came screeching down, tearing at Ardrun's face in an attempt to knock him from the rope, but the big warrior fought it off Vachir: Vachir released his bowstring, firing a quick arrow at the bird which barely it its legs, merely grazing them. Vachir: edit: barely hit its legs Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael tracked the bird with his crossbow and let fly, hitting it squarely with the bolt. It spiralled down, hitting the ship and splattering the deck with gore. Ardrun: Ardrun watched the bird fall for a moment, then continued to climb hurriedly. Ardrun: He reached the railing and pulled himself over, glancing about quickly for another attacking bird. Sleeping Dragon: Ardrun pulled himself over the rusty railing. In the middle of the balcony was a circular room with a door heading in. The roof over the balcony was supported by many stone columns, solid cubes engraved on each side with serene, inhuman faces with fine, angular features and high brows bereft of any hint of hair. Perched upon the roof he could see the other three birds, shrieking at fall of their mate or father. Sleeping Dragon: as he stepped onto the balcony Ardrun had to be careful not to fall, for the glazed tile floor was coated with bird droppings, seaweed, and mostly devoured fish Sakura: Sakura begun a song but due to her freezing night, she failed to inspire in others apart from causing winces Sleeping Dragon: as Ardrun stepped onto the balcony, the birds came screeching towards him. Enrico, seeing them, fired at the largest of the trio, but his quarrel flew wide. The birds scratched and clawed at Ardrun, scoring him lightly with their talons Vachir: Breathing deeply to concentrate on aiming better, Vachir fired a powerful arrow which struck the last of the adult birds like a thunderbolt, piercing its body and throwing it into the waters below Sakura (enter): 22:34 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (5650) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(5536) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 22:35 Sakura (enter): 22:38 Ardrun: Ardrun, pulled the sword from his belt and readied to defend himself against the birds. Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(5650) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 22:38 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (5654) Sakura... Sakura (enter): 22:38 Sakura (exit): 22:38 Ardrun: He lashed out at one of the birds, his blow going wild. Sakura: Sakura sighted her crossbow, attempting to shoot it down. Instead, the bolt went through that bird, causing it damages Sleeping Dragon: Blig gave a laugh of triumph as the last bird went down. "Sweet shooting!" he told them Enrico: Enrico stared at his crossbow, amazed that he was able to hit something. Vachir: "That was quick and easy."smiled Vachir as he approached the rope to climb up Ardrun: Ardrun smiled back down at them and waved for the others to climb up. Tristan: Tristan finished donning his armor and waited for the others to climb up the rope. Sakura: Sakura then climb the rope. Sleeping Dragon: looking around, Ardrun noticed the birds' nest on the southern side of the balcony, a six foot bowl of twigs, seaweeds, and other flotsam. Three eggs were nestled in its base Ardrun: Ardrun picked up one of the eggs as the others were climbing up. "Perhaps these could be sold to someone." Sakura: Sakura glanced at these eggs as she considers it Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael climbed the rope easily and swung over the rail. Sakura: She nodded as replying to Ardrun, "Yes, they certainly can be sold to someone. A falconer maybe." Sleeping Dragon: they were able to clamber up over the side and onto the balcony, stepping gingerly on the accumulated droppings. A battered, rotting wooden door with rusted hinges led into the tower itself Ardrun: After bringing the eggs down to the boat, handing Tristan's sword back and retrieving his falchion, Ardrun cautiously approached the door. Vachir: Vachir was careful to place himself behind the others as they went for the door Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael went forward and listened intently at the door. Sakura: Sakura just waited for a moment, watching them if they might trigger something Tristan: Tristan stood near the door, sword and shield at the ready. Rafael ben Efrim: Raf shook his head, indicating he heard nothing Sakura: She then settled to reload another bolt into her crossbow Ardrun: Ardrun pushed the door open gently. Sleeping Dragon: Ardrun pushed the door open. The room within had been thoroughly ransacked, the rotting chairs overturned and the walls marked and scored where someone had struck them searching for hidden compartments. A set of stone stairs against the far wall led down Ardrun: Ardrun nodded to the others, assuming that all valuables had been taken, and moved to the stairs. Enrico: "Looks like we weren't first. What's next?" Sleeping Dragon: peering down the stairs, Ardrun saw a long corridor which, like this one, appeared to have been looted Rafael ben Efrim: "Covis said that other group only got two floors down." Rafael said. Ardrun: "We should tread carefully once we get down there. Traps were mentioned. And we need some light." Sakura: Sakura helped to search the areas Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael joined in. Sleeping Dragon: they all scanned the room but could find nothing of interest Tristan: Tristan pulled out his lantern, but refrained from lighting it just yet. Sakura: Sakura bored for searching decide to go walking down the stair Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael walked over to the stairs and looked down. "Better watch for those traps." he said. Vachir: Vachir looked around catiously for any traps or noteworthy things Tristan: Tristan held his hand out to Sakura, stopping her. "Ardrun and myself should go first, in case anything has returned to this floor." Sleeping Dragon: they headed down the stairs and found themselves in another looted room. A door in the west wall led out Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael examined the door, then told the others it was safe. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way through into a curving corridor which had obviously once been hung with tapestries. There was a door into another room on their right, and a set of stairs leading down again at the end of the corridor Sleeping Dragon: heading down the stairs, they found themselves in another plundered room with a door leading out on the east wall. Several patches of floor had been haphazardly ripped up, and, more ominously, there were patches of dried blood around the door. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael eyed the blood stains. "They made it this far then." Sakura: Sakura nodded as she glanced at it, "Almost mean traps" Vachir: "Indeed."nodded Vachir "That probably means anything that's behind that door is unexplored..."he trailed off Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stepped cautiously up, looking where he put his feet, and examined the door. Sakura: Sakura also crept closer to exaime it Sleeping Dragon: they could find no trace of any traps around the door. Rafael ben Efrim: "Who's going first?" Rafael asked, almost in a whisper. Sakura: Sakura glanced back with hint of nervousness. "Not me Tristan: "Maybe it has already been discharged." Tristain said, stepping towards the door. "We'll likly need light beyond here." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael pulled a lantern out of his pack. "I'll carry it, you need both hands." Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and entered slowly. Sleeping Dragon: the room beyond had also been looted. The door on the north wall was slightly ajar, and a trail of blood led from it to the door they'd just come through. Ardrun: Ardrun nodded to Tristan as they advanced slowly toward the door ahead. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael moved to the door and peered through, holding the lantern high. Sakura: Sakura followed them Sleeping Dragon: Raf could see little through the crack beyond, only a bit of the stone floor. Tristan: Tristan followed Ardrun through. "Shall we check this door as well?" Rafael ben Efrim: In the light of the lantern, Rafael checked the door. Sakura: Sakura was curious as she looked at the door Vachir: Vachir peeked around the door, bow ready to shoot anything that might jump out Tristan: Tristan nudged the door open with his sword, stepping through. Sleeping Dragon: the next room was a scene of carnage. The western side of the room was covered in a myriad of blood stains and scorch marks, and the door on that wall, which still stood open, had an enormous hole burned through it. The bloody trail ended in a large congealed pool in the doorway. Beyond the door was a staircase leading down. The room beyond had notably not been looted, though much of what was in it was badly damaged. Vachir: Vachir grimaced as he saw what was inside "Ouch. I'm happy I wasn't one of the guys who went there" Tristan: "Indeed. It looks as though it might be safe now though." Tristan looked around the room. Sakura: Sakura looked at such sights with surprise, "Maybe, maybe not. Something have to cause them." Sakura: She then started searching the area Sleeping Dragon: they examined the room. Ardrun, examining the great bloody pool in the doorway, stopped suddenly when he noticed footprints - webbed footprints. They were of a size slightly larger than an average human child and faced towards the shattered door. Ardrun: Ardrun stared. "There is something in there," he said, pointing at the footprints. Sakura: Sakura looked at it and said, "Oh... look like something is around." Rafael ben Efrim: "What made something like those?" Rafael said, looking at the others. Tristan: "A fish-man?" Tristan shrugged. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked towards the door and lifted his crossbow. Sakura: Noticing others ready with their weapons, she also made ready her weapon Vachir: "Whatever it is, we should check it."suggested Vachir with his bow pointed at the shattered door Ardrun (enter): 00:22 Rafael ben Efrim: "At least the trap has already been sprung." Rafael said. Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(5534) Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 00:22 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (5731) Ardrun... Sakura: Sakura entered the room Sakura: through the door Sleeping Dragon: Sakura went safely through the door, feet sticking a bit in the blood Tristan: Tristan followed, looking around cautiously. Vachir: Vachir follow behind all of them Sleeping Dragon: the room beyond, though not looted, was largely bare, save for a few furnishings which were badly scorched by the detonation of the trap. Sakura: Sakura searched the area quickly but failed to see anything Sleeping Dragon: they checking the room carefully. Vachir rapped along the north wall with his knuckles and about halfway along found a hollow-sounding spot. Vachir: Vachir raised his eyebrows "I think I found something over here..." Vachir: Dropping his bow for a moment, Vachir took his dagger and tried to pry that particular stone out of the wall Sleeping Dragon: Vachir was able to pry the stone out to reveal a hidden compartment. About eighty gold coins lay in the remnants of a rotted pouch, and there was also a wax-sealed crystal bottle filled with a yellowish liquid that, after a moment, they realised was perfume. The wax had gone hard and dry, but the seal was intact, protecting the perfume Sleeping Dragon: there was nothing else of interest in the room Enrico: Enrico congratulated the man on his find. Vachir: Vachir face glowed with greed and satisfaction at his discovery Sakura: Sakura smiled and told him that "Who know, this may be just a start."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 13, 2008 9:54:25 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: they put away the coins and perfume and continued their exploration of the Tower. Apart from the scorch marks and tracks around the door, and the stairs leading down to the next floor, they could see nothing else of interest in the room. Tristan: "No more reason to stay around here then?" Tristan asked, looking around the blasted room. Vachir: "I doubt they'd have hidden other valuables here..."shrugged Vachir Rafael ben Efrim: "What about the tracks?" Rafael asked. "If we keep going down these things will be behind us." Tristan: "I think they may be ahead of us actually." Tristain said quietly. "But there was that door upstairs." Vachir: "Might be best to check the door behind us first, then."suggested the archer Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and headed up to the door on the floor above. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael followed on, looking behind him frequently. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way back upstairs through the looted rooms Sleeping Dragon: they entered the oddly shaped central room of the top floor. A wardrobe against one wall had been overturned and thoroughly searched, and there was another door on the north wall Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked the door over closely. "It seems safe." Tristan: Tristan nodded and opened the door, keeping his shield interposed between the room beyond and the others behind him. Sakura: Sakura settled as some members searched the floor. As she glanced at Rafael looking at the door, "If you think it is safe then we might as well go in" Sleeping Dragon: the door opened onto a very large room with three very large windows overlooking the sea and the other Towers. The windows, rotting chairs, small, overturned tables, and a ruined rug indicated this room had probably once been some kind of private lounge Enrico: Enrico searched the room briefly, keeping his crossbow at the ready. "I wonder what happened where we passed earlier. Carnivorous demons?" Tristan: Tristan walked into the room, looking around cautiously. Sakura: Sakura crept around looking at them warily. Vachir: Vachir followed, bow and arrows ready for anything Sleeping Dragon: through the windows they could see the Take a Chance moored below, and on a clearer day they expected that they'd be able to see to Malador and likely beyond. Sakura: After enjoying the view, she started poking around to find something Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael made a much more organised search of the room. Vachir: Vachir looked around idly for anything, but didn't have much success Sleeping Dragon: under one of the tables Rafael found the remnants of some bandages smeared with dried blood. Tristan: Tristan looked out the window as the others searched, waiting for them to finish. Rafael ben Efrim: "They've been in here." Rafael said. "It looks like there's nothing to find." Sakura: Sakura nodded as she replised, "Then let go downstair then." Sleeping Dragon: they went back downstairs and into the scorched room where Vachir had found the niche Tristan: "Nothing else then?" Tristan confirmed, getting ready to step down the stairs. Ardrun: Ardrun nodded and followed Tristan. Sakura: Sakura followed Ardrun and Tristan Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took a last look round and walked down behind them. Vachir: Vachir followed behind as always Sleeping Dragon: when Tristan put his foot on the top step the staircase promptly fell away underneath him and he went hurtling downwards. He landed at the bottom with a thud and heard something start to shriek in a hideous voice from near the wreckage of the steps. Tristan: "There's something down here!" He shouted up to the others, standing up. Ardrun: Ardrun did not hesitate, leaping down to land lightly by Tristan. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael leaned over the stairs and shone the lantern down. Vachir: Vachir walked slowly towards the destroyed staircase, not jumping but watching the others from above. Sleeping Dragon: in the light Ardrun and Tristan could see they were in a small room with a solid wooden door on the south wall. They quickly identified the source of the noise - it was what seemed to be some manner of large pink fungus, emitting the loud noise through some orifice they could not immediately see Rafael ben Efrim: "That should let everything in the whole tower know we're here." Rafael groused. "Can you shut it up?" Enrico: "The tower already knows - might as well hack the bloody fungus up" Tristan: Tristan drew his sword and drove it into the creature, though it continued to emmit the sound. Sakura: Sakura tried to climb down by the wreckage left behind by Tristan's misstep Ardrun: Ardrun followed up with a quick slash with his falchion. Sleeping Dragon: Ardrun struck it heavily and its shrieking ceased as it was cloven in half Tristan: Tristan sheathed his sword and quickly lit his lantern, looking around the room. Vachir: Vachir nimbly jumped down to the others Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael clambered carefully down the wrecked stairs. Sleeping Dragon: they examined the room carefully. Beneath the body of the shrieking fungus they found that a small hole had been dug and filled in with soil. Rafael ben Efrim: "Who would do that?" Rafael mused. "Shall we dig into it?" Enrico: "The fungus too - something's up" - with that, Enrico started digging with his dagger Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael held the lantern high to give Enrico light, although he stayed clear of the fungus. Sakura: Sakura was suspious for a moment so she carefully stood apart Vachir: Vachir watched Enrico warily as he dug Sleeping Dragon: the hole was very shallow and had little in it but dirt Sakura: Sakura glanced at the empty hole. "It look like it got nothing in it after all." Enrico: "So much for treasure" He wiped his hands and kicked what was left of the fungus Rafael ben Efrim: "It would have been a good place to hide something." Rafael said. "Pity." Sleeping Dragon: they checked the door for traps, finding none. Ardrun: Ardrun opened the door. Sleeping Dragon: beyond the door Ardrun found a large room in which sat two long tables with benches. One had been turned on its side and on the other was scattered a large pile of seaweed and shells of various types. There were four statues all along the outer wall which depicted armoured humans with swords and shields. The northernmost statue had had its face smashed in with some kind of heavy object.
there was movement from behind the tables and out leapt five hunched creatures that stood about three and a half feet tall, somewhat resembling seals crossed with toads that had been made to stand on two feet. They had heavy jowls and loose, leathery skin on their whiskered faces. They clutched spears and darts which they raised with loud cries sounding like a dissonant mixture of barks and growls. Sleeping Dragon: the creatures flung their darts towards Ardrun. He was taken aback by the barrage, but the darts were only small and many struck the door frame or sliced just past him, so he was only lightly hurt Vachir: "Let this one dig deep in their flesh, Alaric!" shouted Vachir to his good at he fired a quick and powerful arrow at the closest one of the creatures, hitting it in the head and sending it sprawling to the ground Vachir: edit: to his god, not good Sakura: Sakura considered her choice and decided to sing good tuneful battle songs to inspire her allies. Enrico (enter): 21:19 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (533) Enrico... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(531) Enrico' from room... Enrico (exit): 21:19 Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael fired at the only one of the strange creatures he could see. Despite it hiding behind the table he managed to wound it. Sleeping Dragon: Tristan darted through the door and slashed at the skag Rafael had wounded over the top of the table, but his blade struck the wood, sending a chip flying Sleeping Dragon: the skags shied away from Tristan, picking up nets as they went. One flung theirs towards Tristan, but it went over his head. Two darts also flew towards the Cetrian, but stuck harmlessly in his armour Vachir: Vachir tried using rapid, zig-zagging movements to both confuse his enemies and gain momentum for his next shot. However he failed, and his arrow missed it's mark Sakura: Sakura tumbled through the door and with her back onto wall, she shot a bolt from her crossbow, hitting one of the monsters fatally while singing... Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael quickly reloaded his crossbow and fired at the creature he hit before. This time the bolt flew true, piercing the thing's brain. It fell dead without a sound. Ardrun: Ardrun leapt onto the table near Tristan, closing the distance between him and the creatures. Enrico: Enrico scurried to the doorway and fired off a hasty shot - grazing one of the skags. Sleeping Dragon: Tristan moved around to attack one of the skags, cutting off their escape route as he did, but his sword whistled wide. Sleeping Dragon: the remaining skags gave roars of grief and rage and moved to engage with their spears, striking at Ardrun and Tristan, but their blows were feeble and easily avoided Vachir: Vachir took a few steps forward and jumped on the nearby table. From there, he fired an arrow which flied beside Ardrun, piercing the chest of the skag standing there and sending it to the ground. Vachir: edit: "flew", not "flied". Sakura: She took another try to shoot last enemy but failed as she shot wide Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stepped through the door, reloaded and fired again, but this time the bolt flew wide. Ardrun: Ardrun leapt onto the next table and cut the final creature down. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael moved into the room and started checking the bodies of the creatures. Vachir: Vachir put his bow down, and took his spear, to finish off any of the monsters that were still alive Sleeping Dragon: the creatures had little of value. Each carried a small spear and net, several small darts, and carried chips of coral which they thought would be worth a small amount. Sleeping Dragon: in addition to these, they found a partially finished seaweed net and some tools made of deep-sea shells. Vachir: Having finished off the still living creatures, Vachir looked with greed at the tools made out of seashells "These pretty trinkets might be worth something to someone..." Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly at Vachir's words, "Yes, everything have a worth. At least we managed to live through this." Sakura: Taking closer look at these seashells and said, "They might worth five gold pieces" Sleeping Dragon: after ransacking the room, they had to decide which of the two doors to go through - one on the east wall, the other in the southeast corner Vachir: Vachir took his bow in hand again, thinking there might be other dangers behind the doors Rafael ben Efrim: After they had put the creatures out of their misery, Rafael moved to the east door and examined it. Enrico: "I think we should go with this one" - Enrico said and searched the door for any traps before opening it Enrico: Findind nothing, Enrico carefully pushed the door open, holding the crossbow at the ready. Sleeping Dragon: beyond was a large room which appeared to be a mixture of kitchen and dormitory. There were six narrow bunks along the walls, covered with the remains of thin straw mattresses. There was a small wooden table with two little chairs set against it in the centre of the room. Hooks were set into the wall above the table and along the far wall, and rusted iron pots, pans, and other cooking utensils hung from them. A fireplace was also set into the far wall, with a narrow flume that led up to what was presumably a small chimney in the side of the Tower. The fireplace did not seem to have been used in some time. There was a bundle of dried fish upon the table, and unlike the pots and pans, this appeared to have been placed here recently, no more than a few days ago. In the near corner was a small pile of bones. Vachir: Vachir looked kinda shocked to see furniture and crude signs of civilizations in such a place. He entered, following the others. Sleeping Dragon: searching the fireplace, Sakura discovered a loose stone which she pried loose. t, she discovered a dagger with a jewelled hilt, a small pouch containing fifteen semi-precious stones, and two small silver goblets Sleeping Dragon: *Underneath, she discovered... Vachir: Vachir smiled drily to the lucky woman "Well, I guess now it was your turn to get lucky. Good catch." Sakura: Sakura grinned with delight, "Yes. I wonder how much they are worth..." Vachir: Perhaps hoping to find some treasure too, Vachir set off to look through the pile of bones and the cooking implements. Sleeping Dragon: Vachir checked through the bones. Most he recognised as the thin bones of fish, but some others, at the bottom of the pile, seemed...larger Vachir: Vachir raised his eyebrows at his grim discovery "I....think these things were man-eaters." Rafael ben Efrim: "Is that surprising?" Rafael said. Enrico: "Lets keep moving and find some more treasure" Vachir: "Considering how small they are, you'd think they be happy enough with a few fishes."shrugged the Bolgar Sleeping Dragon: "The adventurers killed by the trap?" Tristan wondered. Sakura: Sakura looked troubled for a moment Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gave a short laugh. "Waste not, want not," my mother always said. Vachir: "Well, then you could try eating one of them"jokingly suggested Vachir to the Jeth "They're ugly, but they might taste nice..." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shook his head, his face serious. "They may be monstrous, but they are not animals." Sakura: Nodding as she said, "Considering these are here. What else will we find below?!" Vachir: "These things around, do look quite civilized, I agree. Although I wonder if they made them, or just found them here..."the Bolgar shrugged as he added "Probably the latter" Vachir: "We've got the other room to check now."eagerly said Vachir Sakura: Shaking her head as she said, "I do not think there is anything to find now. Shall we go through other door!" Sakura: handing these finds over to Ardrun, she walked off toward the next door and stares at it Ardrun: Ardrun opened the door after Vachir and Enrico determined it was untrapped. Sleeping Dragon: they opened the door to reveal a small room with a staircase leading down. On the back of the door they saw an engraved bronze plaque with words written in a very old script whispering to Sakura, 'Private. Do Not Enter.' the plaque read in First Speech Sakura: Sakura read the words and said, "Hmm... troublesome... The plaque read, 'Private. Do Not Enter'... I would think it is trapped below..." Vachir: "That's basically an invitation for people like us, isn't it?"said Vachir "There's probably something precious below..." Enrico: "That's definitely enticing, but we should be doubly careful down there." Sleeping Dragon: they came down the stairs and found themselves in a very narrow, curving hallway. There was a door just to the left Sleeping Dragon: as Ardrun began to walk down the hallway, there was a sudden rush of movement ahead...and above. Looking up, he saw another skag, mounted on the back of a large, quadrupedal creature that looked like a cross between a toad and a lizard. The creature ran along the ceiling towards Ardrun. At the same time, the door crashed open to reveal two more skags armed with spear and net. Ardrun: Ardrun reacted quickly, running forward and jumping, kicking off against the wall to strike a heavy blow against the four-legged creature above. Sleeping Dragon: the skags surged forward, concentrating their attacks on Ardrun. One spear glanced off the doorframe and another went wide, but the rider and his mount had more success. The rider struck Ardrun with his spear, and the angry mount roared and bit heavily into his shoulder. Vachir: Hearing the sounds of fighting, Vachir tumbled rapidly down the stairs, at the same time pulling his bowstring. As soon as one of the skags came in sight, he shot a powerful arrow at it, which wounded it heavily, making it lose consciousness. Sleeping Dragon: Tristan advanced and struck at the skag beyond the door, but the creature just dodged away Sakura (enter): 23:40 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (593) Sakura... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(527) Sakura' from room... Sakura (exit): 23:40 Sakura: Sakura was moved forward to another side of the wall and fired a bolt toward the beast. Remarkablely, the shot acutally killed it outright Sleeping Dragon: the skag rider leapt from the saddle and was able to avoid being crushed by his fallen mount. Angrily, it darted forward and stabbed at Tristan at the same time as its comrade stabbed through the door. The two blows were well aimed and struck, though Tristan's armour absorbed some of the force so he was not badly hurt. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael tumbled forward behind Sakura and shot at the unseated rider, but missed. Enrico: Enrico hustled down the stairs and fired at the same critter, missing widely Vachir: Deftly moving around Enrico, Vachir shoot at the now dismounted skag, the arrow biting deep but not outright killing it Ardrun: Ardrun swung his blade about, cutting down one creature and then reaching past Tristan with his long arms to fell the other. Rafael ben Efrim: Disconnecting from server... Rafael ben Efrim (exit): 00:00 Sleeping Dragon: with the skags defeated, they were able to take better stock of their surroundings. At the far end of the corridor was another set of steps leading down and a door off to their left. Nearer two was the room two of the skags had leapt from. This room appeared to be a storeroom, lined with broken shelves on which rested ruined piles of linen. In the northwestern corner of the room was a collection of six lacquered boxes engraved with restful carvings of birds, trees, and streams Vachir: Vachir went to investiage the shelves and piles of linen. Sakura: Sakura rushed toward boxes with intrests and begun searching the boxes, trying to find clues. Vachir: edit: investigate, sorry Ardrun: Ardrun leaned against a wall while the others searched, doing his makeshift best to clean his wounds. Sleeping Dragon: they examined the room carefully. The linens themselves were utterly ruined. The boxes contained the remnant of silk sheets, ruined by time. The boxes themselves, however, looked like they might be of value, for they were well made and highly decorative. Sleeping Dragon: Rafael went to tend to Ardrun's wounds Sakura: Sakura head for Ardrun and asked, "Are you doing all right Ardrun?" Ardrun: Ardrun nodded. "I have had worse in the fighting pits. But it is best not to fight again until you are sure you have no injuries that will slow you." Sakura: She smiled with relief, "Yes, your health is most important at the moment for your blade is keen and sharp as ever." Vachir: Setting out to do a grim task, Vachir speared both of the still breathing skags. After that, he walked to the beast, but it was already dead. Vachir looked it at with some interest, never having seen something like that. Sakura: Sakura nodded at them saying, "Shall we leave the boxes behind and collect them when we on our way back or take them? I want to see if there is any other rooms on this floor." Sakura: She walked out and looked at the door beside the stair and found there is no trap. She yelled for someone to open it Enrico: "Lets find something more compact than this". After making sure that everybody is ready, he pushed the door open and peeked through Sleeping Dragon: within was a very large room. All around the outer wall, the room was lined with tables. Each table was covered in bits of odd metal and shards of glass, and the floor was also littered with broken glass. Several of the tables nearby seemed to have been damaged at some point in the past by acid or some similar substance. They also noticed that the room had many small slits in the walls, leaving the room with a quite drafty feel as if a breeze was blowing through. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way into the room, stepping carefully to avoid harming themselves on the glass. The breeziness made them shiver a bit with chill, though it was nowhere near as bad as the horrible night on the Take a Chance yesterday. As they entered, Ardrun looked over at one of the tables in curiosity, thinking he had seen movement. The air rippled strangely...and quickly...and towards them
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 20, 2008 10:59:50 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: they made their way into the room, stepping carefully to avoid harming themselves on the glass. The breeziness made them shiver a bit with chill, though it was nowhere near as bad as the horrible night on the Take a Chance yesterday. As they entered, Ardrun looked over at one of the tables in curiosity, thinking he had seen movement. The air rippled strangely...and quickly...and towards them Sleeping Dragon: the air formed into a vaguely humanoid shape, taking on solidity. The elemental tore towards Sakura and lashed out with a fist-like tendril, but she backed away and avoided the blow Tristan: Ardrun quickly stepped past Tristan, ignoring a light blow from the elemental as he stepped into the room. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael tried to see past the doorpost and the crowd, unable to even tell what they were fighting. He let off a bolt where he thought something was , but it smacked into the door post. Sakura (enter): 20:56 Vachir: With a quick dash forward, Vachir fired a quick arrow, which flew through the air beside the elemental, not troubling it in the least Tristan: Tristan, not the least bit preturbed by the projectiles flying past him, brought his sword down, striking something and then stepping out of the way of the door. Enrico: Enrico stumbled back and fired, the quarrel not even coming close to hitting the target. Sakura: Despite making good tumble on the element, her fired bolt missed the element. Ardrun (enter): 21:10 Sleeping Dragon: the elemental's body whirled and spun with tremendous speed, gathering power as it became a small whirlwind. Shards of glass were flung up from the floor and hurled about with fury, forcing the party to leap aside to avoid being gouged by the razor-sharp shards Ardrun: Ardrun lashed out at the creature, but his blow was knocked aside by the whirling winds. Vachir: With another step forward, Vachir fired a mighty arrow - which this time, struck his gaseous foe squarely, dissipating it Sleeping Dragon: with the destruction of the air elemental, the cool breeze faded somewhat, though it was still chillier than the other rooms due to the many slits in the wall Tristan: Seeing the threat end, Tristan quickly wiped the bits of glass from his face and looked to the others. "Everyone else alright?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded, but looked around to see if anyone needed help. Ardrun: "The dangers of these towers seem less fearsome than we were led to believe," grunted Ardrun. Rafael ben Efrim: "Less dangerous for you perhaps, but look to the lady." Rafael said, indicating Sakura, who had been cut by flying glass. Sakura: Sakura badly hurt by the flung broken glasses glanced at Ardrun with hints of vexation. "Maybe, but at least I am still alive,. These broken glasses are really painful." Vachir: Vachir went to recover one of his arrows which had missed but was still whole and placed it back in his quiver Tristan: Tristan nodded to Rafael, and looked to Sakura, sheathing his sword. "I would help in if I could, I have some knowledge of healing." His cetrian accent making his speach seem more formal than normal. Vachir: Ignoring the wounded noblewoman, Vachir went to search through the tables. Sleeping Dragon: with the elemental gone, they were left alone to examine the room, which was large, semi-circular, and had small desks and tables lining the outer wall. Several of the tables bore signs of damage from acid or something similar.
Gingerly plucking the shards out of her flesh, Sakura noted that some of it was not glass, but rather, broken pieces of tarnished silver Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled at Tristan's words. "We must discuss our methods sometime, when time is not so pressing." Sakura: Sakura glanced at Tristan and nodded, "That would be helpful, Tristen. I see these flakes are not glass but some dirty silver." Sakura: *some of these flakes* Tristan: "Truly, that is interesting. I don't have much in the way of healing suplies." Tristan turned to Rafael. "In truth, I do not have a great deal of training, just experiance in treating my own wounds." Rafael ben Efrim: "We should clean those cuts." Rafael said. "These shards may have strange substances on them." Sleeping Dragon: they searched among the tables. Enrico and Vachir each checked the end tables and found small niches cut into the walls behind them. Vachir: Vachir's smiled to himself at his find. He then tried to check if there was anything inside the niche Tristan: Tristan nodded, glancing momentarily at the others searching the room. "I hadn't thought of that, you're right, this looks to have been a dangerous room at one point." Sleeping Dragon: Vachir and Enrico reached into the niches and their hands closed around something hard...bones. Enrico: "Is this a joke or did somebody just leave their remains here?" - scowled Enrico, wiping his hands. Sakura: Sakura nodded and settled onto the floor, relaxing, picking the silver flakes. Vachir: Vachir quickly dropped the bones in the niche again. "Eww! This is disappointing...." Sleeping Dragon: kneeling down to examine the niches carefully, they found that within them were whole skeletons, small and delicate. They appeared to have been human children, probably no older than two years of age. Sleeping Dragon: searching behind a table near the middle of the row, Rafael found several stones that could be worked loose Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael checked the stones carefully for any traps. Vachir: "Why would the skeletons of dead bones be buried here?"asked Vachir to the others Vachir: edit: of dead babies Tristan: "Ancestors servo nos." Tristan muttered darkly as Vachir mentioned the bones. "I think that would be better left unknown." Rafael ben Efrim: "Who knows what the people who inhabited these towers used them for." Rafael replied. Sakura: Sakura glanced up from her light task and snorted, "Because they taste nice?" Sleeping Dragon: Rafael searched the area carefully and was only just able to snatch his fingers away from touching the arcane rune etched very faintly into the wall. Rafael ben Efrim: "There are loose stones here but they are protected with some kind of magical trap I think." Rafael announced to the others. "Does anyone know how to get rid of it?" Vachir: Deciding that it might be more respectful to leave the bones alone - at least until he didn't knew more about them - Vachir set out to see what the others where doing Enrico: "Let me see" - Enrico rubbed his hands vigorously as he approached. Sakura: Sakura glanced at Rafael, "I might. But I would rather leave Enrico the honour..." Vachir: Vachir prayed quietly clutching his amulet for the others to succeed, so that they could share whatever treasure was there Tristan: Tristan glanced over at them, then back to Sakura. "Do you want me to take a look at those wounds?" He asked gently kneeling down. Sakura: [1d10] => [2] = (2) Sleeping Dragon: Enrico was able to disarm the trap Sakura: Sakura smiled slightly back at Tristen and replied, "That would be nice. It is very rarely that I get injured. This game does have it prices." Tristan: Tristan nodded and searched through his pack for bandages. "Best not to think of this as a game. People do perish in here, one must always be prepared." He said, tending to her wounds. Sleeping Dragon: reaching past the disabled trap, Enrico took hold of a statuette and pulled it out. About the size of his hand, it was made of onyx and depicted a serene, inhumane face with fine, angular features and a high brow bereft of any suggestion of hair. Remembering for a moment they recalled the same face had been carved onto the columns on the roof of the Tower. Sakura: She stood up, with some parts in bandages after thanking Tristan, she went forward toward the gather and have a look. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stared at the statue. "That's a nice piece. Worth more than anything else we've found so far." Enrico: "That glyph was barely noticeable. We got lucky" Tristan: Tristan finished bandaging her wounds and stood up, watching her walk away for a moment before shouldering his pack again and joining the others. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked up at Enrico. "I spotted it and you did a good job of disabling it. I call that not just luck." Rafael ben Efrim: He gazed down at the statue again. "I've seen this face before. In a picture - it is a carving of one of the Masters." Enrico: "It was hidden in a wall for no reason whatsoever. We chanced upon it." Sakura: Sakura nodded at, pleased about the find, "Any idea on which Master?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shook his head. "No idea. The painting was of several Masters arguing. " Rafael ben Efrim: "I doubt if it was hidden for no reason though." he added to Enrico. "Any more than the children's bones were put in those niches." Sleeping Dragon: a search of the remainder of the tables turned up nothing Sakura: Looking grim for a moment and then said, "I doubt we got anything more to find. Shall we go to next floor?" Vachir: "We might try being more careful not too make too much noise now to alert what's below"suggested the Bolgar Rafael ben Efrim: "I think they may have noticed that elemental throwing pieces of glass about." Rafael said. Tristan: "I don't think there would be a great deal we could do to hide our presence, beyond what we have already attempted." Tristan said, moving over to the southern door. Sakura: Almost missing as glancing around the room one more time, she spotted a door and told the group, "Maybe we could try that door..." Sleeping Dragon: they opened the door. Behind it was a room that appeared to have once been a library - the walls were lined with shelves bowed down with dozens of ancient tomes. Unfortunately, the years had not been kind. Most of the shelves had fallen to the ground and many of the books lay scattered on the ground. The books themselves were worthless - time and dampness had left them rotting and mildewed, pages stuck together or crumbling to pieces. Sleeping Dragon: in the southwestern corner of the room was door barred on their side. A bronze plaque was mounted on the door with an inscription in First Speech. Tristan: "Tristan stepped into the room holding his lantern high and looking around. "It seems safe enough." He called to the others. Vachir: "Books...rotten books"grumbled Vachir after he had entered the room and looked around for a few seconds Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael moved forward and started rooting through the books, looking for anything that had survived. Sakura: Sakura glanced at these books with vexation and decided to search through the books, hoping to find anything Sleeping Dragon: sadly, none of the books was salvageable Sakura: Muttering few choice words on these ruined books, she glanced at the plaque and smirked on it, "The chance of us entering the room when the door said, Private. Do not Enter... well" Enrico: "That's just a perfect invitation for people like us" Sleeping Dragon: *were Tristan: Tristan nodded and stepped towards the door, refraining from actually touching it for now though, and studied the plaque. Vachir: Vachir shrugged "Apparently there's nothing of value here. Shame." Tristan: Tristan attempted to open the door. Enrico: Enrico waited when everybody was ready, and pushed the door open. Sleeping Dragon: through the door was a small study. There was a small reading desk with a simple but comfortable chair in front of it, and upon the wall was a tapestry which depicted a fantastical, floating city with many tall towers. Against the far wall was a small shelf with a glass and metal front through which they could see a small collection of books Tristan: Tristan entered, looking at the tapestry. "Perhaps these towers were once part of that city?" He wondered aloud. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "A nice study." he said looking about. He started to look around the desk. Sakura: Shivering as she glanced at the tapestry, "If it is this city, then maybe we should be glad that Masters are now gone." She approached the small shelf, looking at it very carefully Vachir: "A floating city...." Vachir: add: mumbled Vachir to himself Sakura: She opened the shelf... carefully and glance at these books very closely. Sleeping Dragon: there were five books, which were very thick and did not appear to be damaged like those in the previous room Sleeping Dragon: Enrico, examining the shelf, found another rune - this one was scribed near a hinge, virtually impossible to see. Sakura: She helped Enrico to disarm the rune which by then, she picked one of these five books up. Vachir: "Good catch."said Vachir congratulating the man on his find "Just be careful with these things." Sleeping Dragon: the books appeared to all be compilations of notes. They were very long-winded, detailed, and esoteric, and were about, respectively, arcane theory, alchemy, astronomy, comparative biology, and botany. Sleeping Dragon: they were written in a seemingly haphazard combination of First Speech and Ancient Speech, but were all in the same hand. Sakura: Sakura almost danced in happiness as she flicked through the books. Vachir: "These might be worth a lot to some sage or loremaster somewhere in the city."happily suggested Vachir to the others Sleeping Dragon: Sakura found the language within so technical and dry that she could barely understand anything of what was being said. The notebooks supposed vast preexisting knowledge on the respective subjects, employed occasional shorthand and abbrevations, and often referred to concepts none of them had ever heard of Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael examined the book on botany, picking out phrases here and there. "You can understand the language of the First, can you not Sakura? I wish you could translate some of these sentences for me, I can only manage parts of it. There is so much here, if it could only be revealed." He sighed. Enrico: "This is quite fascinating. Whatever society existed here must have been a powerhouse in all aspects - and all we can do is pick up the crumbs" Sakura: Sakura frowned as even she struggled with it, "Yes, I am fully aware of First and Ancient Speechs due to my upbringing back in Ispera but these are very dry. I doubt we can learn something from them since these books require considerable backgrounds in our knowledges." Vachir: "They're sweet crumbs at least."commented Vachir "There's treasures far beyond what I expected here" Enrico: "Indeed" - Enrico brought out the statue he found to admire the artifact. Rafael ben Efrim: "These treasures could make men wiser, but it's hard to see how, in such a city as Malador," said Rafael. Sakura: Sakura shook her head sadly, "Well, hopefully at least we get good golds from them. But yes Vachir, there are treasures more than even I expect. Anyway, shall we go to next floor? Time are fleeting." Tristan: Tristan nodded and walked back to the room with the stairway down. Vachir: Vachir stayed in the back, a few feet behind Sakura, and tried to move silently to avoid causing too much of a nosie. Sakura: As she thought that moving silently would be useful, she also tries to move silently. Sleeping Dragon: the stone stairs led down to a small, cramped room empty of anything except a wooden door on the south wall. Tristan: Tristan stepped towards the door, but waited for one of the others to check it first. Sakura: She searched the door carefully and said, "It look like it is not trapped after all." Tristan: Tristan nodded and opened the door, keeping his sword ready. Vachir: Vachir kept his bow drawn, ready for action Sleeping Dragon: the door opened into a large room whose original purpose was not clear. The wall continued for a short distance to their right, blocking sight of much of the chamber, but they could see that along the south wall the floor had been caved in and water was flowing up into the room. Rafael ben Efrim: "Skags!" Rafael hissed. "At the edge of the water, about to fire!" Tristan: Tristan nodded and stepped into the room looking around, but ready to step back hastily if the creatures attacked. Sleeping Dragon: as soon as Tristan stepped into the room, the skags leapt up to hurl their darts Vachir: Quickly and nimbly bending his body to the side to shoot an arrow beside his companions, Vachir fired a good arrow at the Skag closest to Tristan, which sent the creature down to the ground, bleeding and in pain Vachir: edit: add "to squeeze around Sakura in the tight space beside her"between "bending his body"and "to shoot an arrow" Sakura: Sakura decided to glares ar these two puny enemies. She fought them several times and felt cofident in this battle Ardrun: Ardrun ran ahead and swiped at one of the Skags in the water, but, his sword sailed over its head. Sakura: EDIT: Sakura laughed gleefully in evil ways that can srike fear into her enemies' heart Sleeping Dragon: as Ardrun entered, he saw the remainder of the room - or series of rooms, he thought they must have once been, their walls now crumbled and broken. He saw there were several more skags - two of which were mounted on their toad-like mounts skittering along the roof. One rushed towards him and stabbed down, and the mount bit out, dealing heavy damage, and three others, along the ground, swarmed towards him, stabbing out with their spears but only landing one light blow. Tristan: Tristan rushed towards the creatures, thrusting his sword into one of them as he slowed his momentum. Enrico: Enrico cursed as his shot went wide. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael leaped down the stairs, firing his crossbow as he spun through the air, but the shot flew wildly off. Sleeping Dragon: the other mounted skag rode along the ceiling towards the fray, stopping a ways back. He was the largest of the skags, his fingers encrusted with coral rings, and he wore strange armour of interlinked seashells Sleeping Dragon: he watched Ardrun as he fought, examining him carefully Vachir: Vachir fired at one of the skags facing Ardrun, felling it to the ground. Then he pointed his bow at the mount on the ceiling, aiming for it for later Ardrun (enter): 00:27 Sleeping Dragon: Booting ' Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 00:28 Sakura: Sakura rolled into the room quickly and shot a Skag fighting Ardrun skillfully through the eye, killing it instantly Ardrun: Ardrun attempted to leap across the water while striking at one of the skags, but nearly tripped and fell. He was forced to balance himself on the edge of the water and was unable to strike. Sleeping Dragon: the remaining skags continued their assault. Ardrun took two light blows while a mount snapped out at Tristan, tearing a chunk from his shoulder Enrico: Enrico fired off another quarrel, missing. Tristan: Tristan spun around slashing through the creature on the roof with his sword. "Go after the leader!" He called to the others. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael leaped and spun up to one of the skags on the ground and bashed at it with his crossbow. The creature looked confused but managed to duck away just in time from his wild swing. Sleeping Dragon: the skag chieftain tore forward, aiming his spear directly at Ardrun's throat. The tall slave jerked aside, and it slid harmlessly across his shoulder while the chief's mount bit out at Tristan, drawing blood Vachir: As he rushed closer to the door to get closer to the chieftain, Vachir took an arrow from his - it was the best one, well-crafted and balanced - and fired it at him. The shot could have been lethal, had the archer had just a bit more luck - but still, it was enough to wound the chieftain, drawing blood from his chest Vachir: edit: remove the first "closer". Sakura: Sakura reloaded her crossbow and shot a bolt at one Skag but failed to shit Sakura: hit* Tristan: Tristan quickly spun his sword by its pommel, decapitating the creature hanging in front of him. Enrico: Enrico fired off into the fray, wounding the mounted skag Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael dropped the useless bow and stepped sideways, drawing one of his daggers and sticking it into the back end of the toad-like mount that Tristan was keeping busy. Sleeping Dragon: the remaining skags fought on. The chief stabbed out at Ardrun but it found only air, while Tristan fended off a bite with his shield. Rafael was not so lucky, however. The mount he had stabbed whirled and, screeching, bit viciously at him. The teeth tore into Rafael's face and he fell unconscious Vachir: Vachir fired another quick arrow at the chieftain, hitting it in the arm. Sakura: Sakura narrowed her eyes at the chief and smiled cruelly as she said, "You will die terribly" She giggled nastly. Ardrun: Ardrun was staggering from his many bloody wounds, but his eyes were filled with rage. He leapt up into the air, landing on a skag's shoulders and hacking into its skull. Even as it began to tumble to the ground, he swung his scimitar at the leader, whose eyeline was now even with his. The creature's head fell into the water with a plop. As the other's body hit the ground, Ardrun hopped off its shoulders and landed lightly on the floor. Sleeping Dragon: all of the skags now lay dead or dying on the ground - only the mounts, ironically, remained alive. One bit out at Tristan, striking past his defences and landing a heavy blow Tristan: Tristan staggered from the blow, backing away. After taking a few breaths he shook his head, a few drops of his blood spraying off as he readied his shield again. Vachir: Vachir fired a good shot at one of the mounts, the arrow dug deeply but the creature wasn't dead yet Sakura: Sakura reloaded her crossbow once more and shot at the mount that is still fighting them, the mount shook in pain as the bolt hit somewhere near it vitals Ardrun: Ardrun lashed out and cut across the nearest mount's back, causing the already injured beast to fall. He then bent down to look at the unconscious Rafael, though he wasn't sure what to do to help him. Tristan: Tristan walked over to the fallen creature, driving his sword into its head. Leaving it there he moved over to Rafael. "I'll see what I can do." He said, nearly colapsing as he kneeled by the fallen Jethi. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael was bleeding badly from a vicious wound.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 27, 2008 10:36:55 GMT
Vachir: Vachir tried to get closer to the swimming creature to shot, but aiming through the water proved difficult, and he missed Sakura: Sakura tried to shoot the swimming mount but failed as the bolt goes wide Sleeping Dragon: the creature swam down to the bottom of the pool and began to try to squeeze through a small hole in the side of the tower, but it wasn't able to push its small body through Enrico: Enrico stepped up and fired off a quarrel. The creature staggered, barely staying upright. Tristan: Tristan ignored the fleeing creature, instead working to stop Rafael's bleeding. whispering to Enrico, Vachir, under the water, near where the mount was attempting to flee, they could see a bound wooden chest Enrico: "There's a cache underwater, right by that half-dead mongrel !" - exclaimed Enrico with a glint in his eye. Vachir: Vachir looked for a moment to be distracted by something, but then he turned his attention back to the mount, and tumbling with agility near the edge of the water fired a mighty arrow which pierced the creature skull, putting an end to its misery and colouring the water red with blood. Ardrun: Ardrun nodded solemnly, put his scimitar aside, and dove underwater where Enrico had been looking. Vachir: Putting his bow to rest, Vachir pointed to the water, calling out to the others "There's something down there! A chest!" Sleeping Dragon: Ardrun could see that there was a bound wooden chest down at the bottom of the water, near the twitching body of the skag-mount Tristan: Tristan sat back after seeing that Rafael was going to be alright and watched the others. Sakura: Sakura looked surprised and walked over to Tristan and Rafael and asked, "How is he?" Ardrun: Ardrun emerged briefly to put aside his meager possessions and take another breath of air, before descending to attempting bringing the chest up. Ardrun: *edit: to attempt Tristan: "He'll be alright. The bleeding has stopped." Tristan answered, sounding a little tired. Enrico: Enrico took some of his clothes and equipment off and carefully and ungracefully doggypaddled to where Ardrun was. Sakura: Sakura glanced over Tristan and told him, "I would be glad when we finally get back to the city" Tristan: Tristan nodded and stood up slowly. "As will I. I do not like this tower." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael's eyes fluttered open and he tried to sit up. "Are we safe now?" he asked Tristan. Vachir: Vachir joined the underwater action, diving in the water to help the others with the chest. Ardrun (enter): 19:51 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (96) Ardrun... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(83) Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 19:51 Enrico: Enrico got to the chest, but was barely able to stay above water, his attempts at diving only filling his nose with water. Sleeping Dragon: Ardrun, Vachir, and Enrico were able to get the chest up onto the dry ground, dripping dirty water as they went. Tristan: Tristan nodded to Rafael. "The creatures are dead." He said, retrieving his sword from the skull of the mount and flicking the blood from it before sheathing it. Enrico: Enrico opened the chest. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael made it to his feet and looked with interest at the chest. Ardrun (enter): 19:56 Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(96) Ardrun' from room... Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (99) Ardrun... Ardrun (exit): 19:57 Sleeping Dragon: the chest was full of waterlogged treasure - ten small pearls, eight foot-long conch shells, fourteen large pieces of coral, and a scattered assortment of ancient coins Ardrun (enter): 19:58 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (100) Ardrun... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(99) Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 19:58 Sleeping Dragon: the chest was full of waterlogged treasure - ten small pearls, eight foot-long conch shells, fourteen large pieces of coral, and a scattered assortment of ancient coins repost Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael crouched down and picked out one of the coins, looking closely at it. Vachir: "Treasure!" proclaimed the Bolgar, happiness in his voice whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Rafael picked up a small gold coin, which was stamped with a man's head and bore an inscription in First Speech Ardrun (enter): 20:00 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (101) Ardrun... Enrico: "Not worth as much as gold, but still valuable" - Enrico looked at the coin Rafael was holding Sleeping Dragon: a man's head was stamped onto the coin and it bore an inscription in First Speech Rafael ben Efrim: "Sakura, I think this is the speech we saw on the doors." Rafael said, holding out the coin. "Can you read it?" whispering to Sakura, "DARRAGAN, OVERSEER", the coin read Sakura: Sakura glanced closely at it and said, "It said, 'Darragan, Overseer'. No idea who it is of course." Abotrion (enter): 20:09 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (103) Abotrion... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(101) Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 20:10 Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(100) Ardrun' from room... Ardrun (exit): 20:10 Rafael ben Efrim: "Overseer?" Rafael said puzzled. "Is that a title of the king of Torath. The same man too...this looks so old." Tristan: "He is supposedly a First." Tristan spoke up. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked down at the coin. "This would seem to support that supposition." Sleeping Dragon: the numerous coins bore other faces, titles, and symbols Sakura: Sakura nodded as she replied, "Yes, I agreed. The First lives for very long time unless they are killed" Enrico: "Doesn't everyone?" - Enrico snickered. Rafael ben Efrim: "Disease and old age take most long before the First die naturally." Rafael said reprovingly. Tristan: "Is there nothing else to do here?" Tristan wiped some blood off of his face. "Ardrun and Rafael could use a healer's attention." Vachir: Vachir glanced around as the others were still handling the coin "Doesn't seem like there's much in this room, other than what we could take from the bodies of these dead...things."he said pointing his spear at the body of the dead skrag chieftain Sakura: Sakura glanced over Ardrun's wounds and nodded, "I agreed. You was very luckly." She smiled slightly at Ardrun Vachir: "It might take a while to bring all of the stuff we found here back to the boat."said Vachir matter of factly. "After our wounded are dealt with, we might want to start this exhausting but rewarding job...." Rafael ben Efrim: "Luck, but without care some of us would be far worse off." Rafael commented on Sakura's words, and nodded to Tristan in acknowledgment of his treatment. Sleeping Dragon: they took a short while to recuperate and then began the arduous process of hauling everything back to the ship. This proved a quite difficult process, for not only did they have to actually carry everything up to the top of the tower, but they then needed to lower it down to the Take a Chance by rope.
"You brave folks look as though you've had some nasty scrapes," Captain Covis told them when they came back aboard for the first time. "Had any success?" Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(103) Abotrion' from room... Abotrion (exit): 20:33 Sakura: Sakura smiled wearily, "Better than I expected. We managed to stay alive." Enrico: "We found a couple of items that would have been worth keeping. Too bad it will all be taken away" Sakura: "Nevertheless, we will get some gold from small collection of items" Sleeping Dragon: "Yep, it's a real pity," Covis commiserated with Enrico. Rafael ben Efrim: "It's still a pity, as we have taken the risks, to have it taxed by those who do not." Rafael said. Enrico: "I mean, look at this" - he pulled the statuette out of the pocket. "This doesn't deserve to be auctioned off to some riff-raff - it's a collectors piece!" Sleeping Dragon: Covis whistled. "That's a fine piece of work indeed. I suppose if you were wanting it back, you could go to Exotic Dreams once the Council's got its hands on it and buy it, as that's where they sell them off. Assuming some nob doesn't get at it first - no disrespect meant to present company, of course," Covis glanced at Sakura. Enrico: "They probably will" Enrico stuffed it in his pocket with a frown. "We'll get a dozen gold coins and it will be whisked away to some art connoiseur for hundredrs before we even get off the ship" Sakura: Sakura dismissed the offense with a smile and frowned, "Yes but sadly, there is nothing we can do about it." Vachir: Vachir didn't say anything, but looked like he understood what the merchant was suggesting. Abotrion (enter): 20:45 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (111) Abotrion... Enrico: "Shall we search further?" Sleeping Dragon: "No, the Council have got things locked up pretty good, we'll be no sooner away from this tower than Sergeant Mattyn will be along to check what you've got. Oh well. Well, if you want to go back and get the rest of your haul, we'll start getting it put into those chests over there, don't really want to be hauling around too many ancient knick-knacks under your clothes I'd imagine." whispering to Ardrun, Enrico, Sakura, Tristan, Vachir, Covis gave a slight, involuntary smirk as he spoke which he quickly suppressed. Enrico: "Enrico helped sort the treasure into different chests, placing the statuette lovingly into a separate one and wrapping it with a bit of cloth. Ardrun: Ardrun spoke flatly: "I shall wait here and help you." Tristan: Tristan nodded and returned to the tower. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael joined Tristan. Vachir: Vachir decided to stay here and help with packing up the treasure Sakura: After looking at Enrico and Ardrun and nodded at herself, she smiled at herself evilly as she walked out to joined Tristan to help carry. Sakura: EDIT: Sakura glanced at Enrico and Ardrun and nodded to hself and relaxed on the deck as she watched them. Vachir: edit: Vachir decided to go back to the tower to bring the treasure out. Sleeping Dragon: "I'd have thought a big fellow like yourself would be helpful getting things out, but it's up to you," Covis shrugged. He and his crew began to move things into the chests with the help of those of the party who had stayed behind Ardrun: "Lady Sakura would not be going, and I will not leave her without my protection." whispering to Sakura, as she sat around and watched, Sakura noticed that Covis and Erik in particular seemed to be helping with the moving, while the crewmen did relatively little. Covis and Erik exchanged quick whispers more than once as they worked. Sleeping Dragon: it took Vachir, Tristan, and Rafael another four hours to finish hauling all of their loot up to the top and then to lower it down to the Take a Chance. It was early evening by the time they were able to haul the last of the lacquered boxes down.
"You folks are thorough," Covis told them approvingly. "Now let's get moving, if we leave soon then we'll be able to reach Malador by evening tomorrow." Sakura: Sakura glanced at Covis and Erik curiously. She approached Ardrun and the group and whispered "Captain Covis and Erik is doing strange whispering and only ones helping moving a lot. I suspected something strange." Enrico: "I agree. I'm also looking forward to some hot mulled wine after this." Rafael ben Efrim: "Have you seen any sign of them secreting objects?" Rafael asked Sakura quietly. Sakura: Shaking her head, "Sadly, no. Otherwise, I would be very irritated. I just find it strange that while the crew did not help much. They did, almost too much in my mind." Ardrun: "We shall watch them closely." Enrico: "I definitely won't be spending my part of the loot right away - let money make money, you know?" Sleeping Dragon: with all their loot accumulated, they headed away from the Tower and back towards Malador. A very short time later, they were approached again by one of the Fortress Rafts. The same three guards came aboard the ship, carrying large amounts of parchment, quills, and ink. The guards remaining on the raft trained their catapult on the Take a Chance, then loaded their crossbows and held them ready.
"You people move quickly. And what, not even one of you dead horribly? You've got a good group here Captain," Sergeant Mattyn told Covis. "Time to examine your shinies." They moved over to the chests where the party had gathered their loot and made a meticulous list of what was inside, and, when that was done, began to once again search all the people on the ship. Sakura: Sakura grumbled for a moment as she looked at them carefully, allowing herself to be searched Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael watched the sailors but especially Covis and Erik while allowing himself to be searched. Tristan: Tristan opened his pack up, not just to let the men search it, but also to get some cloth bandages out, taking the time to clean some of the blood off of him. Vachir: Vachir let himself be checked freely Ardrun: Ardrun asked "Can we examine your list to confirm that nothing was lost on the way?" Sleeping Dragon: Sergeant Mattyn raised an eyebrow at Ardrun. "As you wish," he held his list out to Ardrun and called the other two men over, while Captain Covis looked on in annoyance Sakura: When Ardrun was finished with the list, she also examined the list and thus said,"Nothing seems to be missing from this. Seem fine to me." Ardrun: "Thank you sergeant," said Ardrun. "Thank you captain," he added, this time turning to Covis. Sleeping Dragon: Covis gave a wave of his hand as the search continued.
It was well into the evening before the search finally concluded. "Still a little bit of light left," said Covis. "We might as well get away from here, I don't like to sleep with a catapult pointed at my ship." Sakura: "Who can? Considering a catapult is capable of causing this ship harm." Sleeping Dragon: Covis nodded and they cast off and began to make their way back towards Malador. Vachir: "The sooner we get to Malador, the sooner we will be able to get our well-deserved reward." said Vachir "And the sooner I'll be able to pay my debt, of course..."he trailed off speaking to Sakura Rafael ben Efrim: As the ship moved on, Rafael quietly reminded them all of how he had seen Erick climb over the side with a satchel on the journey to the Towers. "We need to keep watch overnight." Sakura: Sakura moved to Blig Bignose, a crewman she took a liking to and discussed many aspects of sailings with her over the evening. Sleeping Dragon: Blig happily chatted to Sakura as he worked Enrico: (whispering): At one point during the voyage back to Malador, Enrico approached the captain, looking for some advice as an outsider in this area. He asked whether the party could get a discount of sorts if they used Covis's transport services exclusively for as long as they were going to visit the Towers (with a hint that this is a long-term engagement for the group). He also inquired if the captain knew people who would value artifacts and well-wrought art pieces and where one would find them. whispering to Enrico, Covis mulled over it. "I don't think I could give you a discount, to be honest with you my friend, unless you were to come out to the Towers once a week or more. I need to pay my crew, after all," he said. "And the kind of people I usually deal with aren't into fine art, although...hmm...I know someone that might be interested, I'll contact him when we're back in Malador. If that's alright with you?" Enrico: (whispering): Enrico thanked Cobis hotly, trying to make an impression of a merchant bitten by gold fever Sleeping Dragon: after about an hour they weighed anchor and laid out their bedrolls for the night Sakura: Sakura relaxed but she is still sitting, thinking over what might happen Vachir: Vachir gazed at the shining sky as he quietly prayed to his god, thanking him for the experiences and rewards of the day. Tristan: Tristan quickly lay down, taking a rest from the tower. Sakura: Sakura shook her head and went to sleep Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael lay down but remained awake, his eyes half open. Vachir: edit: shining sky = night sky shining with stars Enrico: Enrico came back to where the party was put up for the night. "So, what shall our plans be?" He held a slight pause. "We could all combine our earnings, you know" - he winked at Rafael Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at Enrico with an enquiring look. Sakura: Sakura was distracted by Enrico;s annoying nosie and woke up Sakura: and watched Enrico and Rafael curiously Enrico: "I mean, we almost have it in our hand." Another slight pause. "Therefore, once we get to Malador we should make a plan - invest it or buy some stock. Better gear perhaps?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Did you have something particular in mind?" Rafael answered. Enrico: "We should find out if the government types subsidize a type of business or something. Run it past them, see if they are willing to take a small infusion of gold" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael frowned. "You think that the government is involved in business?" Enrico: "Well, I'm just an ignorant outsider - but why wouldn't a government have its hand in something like mining? Still, you are probably right. Even if this is true, we are too small of a fish to do anything. Guess we'll stick to raiding the Towers then, eh?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stared at Enrico. "We're not only here to raid the Towers." he said quietly. "Do you have any new information? Or shall we work out watches for the night?" Sakura: Sakura muttered few choice words and asked Vachir to stand watch as well over part of the night Vachir: Vachir shrugged "I don't understand why we'd really need to be on watch on a boat, but, if you think it's best for us...."he stopped for a few moments "I'll do it, of course" Enrico: "We'll have to wait till we get to Malador to be sure we're on the right track. After that, its just figuring out how to get proof" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael turned to Vachir. "We need to watch out for any odd behaviour from the captain and crew." whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Raf, on first watch, saw Erik get up about two hours into the night and look around, walking over towards the chests where the treasure was hidden. He retrieved a bucket and then urinated into it, and, after emptying it over the side, went back to bed. whispering to Ardrun, about halfway through his watch, Ardrun saw Erik get up and look around, walking over towards the chests where the treasure was hidden. Along the side of the boat he retrieved a bucket, pissed into it, and then emptied the contents over the side before going back to bed Sleeping Dragon: the morning dawned bright and clear, with a strong wind blowing towards the north. Sleeping Dragon: Blig cooked them a good breakfast and they set off. Captain Covis seemed in a surly mood and said little as they made their way back towards Malador. Vachir: Vachir rose up, and stretched his limbs as he looked at the sun rising at the horizon Sakura: Sakura ate the breakfast quickly and asked the men on watch if they seen or heard anything over the night? Ardrun: "Only if you count pissing," grunted Ardrun quietly. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael was about to nod in agreement when he stopped. "Who was pissing?" he asked. Sakura: Sakura glanced at Ardrun with hint of amusement. Ardrun: "Erik," shrugged Ardrun. Rafael ben Efrim: "How about when you were on watch Vachir?" Vachir: The Bolgar shrugged. "No, I didn't see or hear anything noteworthy." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael leaned forward, suppressing excitement. "No matter. It seems that either Erik has some problem with his bladder, or he is making it an excuse." Sakura: Sakura considered it, "Still, there is a possible chance it may be an excuse. I am always wary when there are considerable amount of treasures we found in the Tower aboard on this very ship." Vachir: "People piss all the time, you know..."commented Vachir when he heard what the others were talking about Rafael ben Efrim: "How about we take a look over there?" Rafael looked towards the treasure chests. "Erik pissed in a bucket over there then emptied it over the side. Suppose there was something hidden in the bucket and he only pretended to piss? " Sakura: Sakura stood up from where she was sitting upon and told them that she will distract Erik. Strolling over to Erik... Sakura: She went into conversation with Erik on the journeys. Vachir: Vachir idled as the other spent time investigating and trying to prove their wild theories Vachir: edit: the others Sleeping Dragon: Enrico and Rafael strode over near the bucket, feigning conversation as they checked to see that nothing was hidden there. They could see no sign that the bucket had been used for anything except urination, however Rafael ben Efrim: "There must be something." Rafael said with a sigh. "Erik was the one who got up and took that satchel over the side the first night. I just can't see how it works." Enrico: "Another boat? A net dragging everything along under the ship?" Sleeping Dragon: Sakura's distraction seemed to work, but Erik was in little mood to talk to her and broke off the conversation as soon as he could manage Rafael ben Efrim: "Could be another boat came alongside during the night I suppose." Rafael said, as they walked along the deck. "If there was a net wouldn't there be ropes here somewhere holding it up?" Enrico: "Underwater net. Extremely fine." Tristan: Disconnecting from server... Tristan (exit): 23:19 Enrico: "But then again, could have been a hundred different things" Sakura: Sakura approached the group after distracting Erik, "Any joy?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Not on deck, but Enrico suggested they might have a net under the boat. If only one of us could take a look down there..." Sakura: Sakura grinned at Rafael, "Well, someone could just fall in and someone can dive gracefully into the sea to save him." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael raised his eyebrows. "Which of us would you suggest as the rescuer? I can swim, but I wouldn't like to have somebody's life depending on it." Ardrun: "I am a good swimmer," said Ardrun. Sakura: Sakura nodded back at she responded, "I am sure Ardrun is capable of swimming. But who will just fall into the sea?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Can you swim Sakura?" Rafael asked. Vachir: Vachir looked at the group with interest. He shrugged as he didn't really understand what they were trying to do, so he decided to keep an eye of the nearby boxes of treasure, just in case. Sakura: Sakura looked back with a look that speak volume, "Yes, I can but not well." Rafael ben Efrim: "Well, the person falling in doesn't need to be able to swim well." Rafael said with a smile. "Just to act well." Enrico: "Whoever it is, he better be good" - Enrico turned towards the party as he went, walking into a neat roll of rope and stumbling. He eked out a squeak and went up in a splash down below" Enrico: *remove the " Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael, startled, ran forward. "Quick someone, he's fallen overboard!" Ardrun: Ardrun hesitated for a second (giving Enrico a moment longer to look) before running over to the side to leap into the water. Sleeping Dragon: there was shouting on the Take a Chance as people rushed in a disorganised fashion to the side. Ardrun leapt over, knifing down into the water and grabbing hold of Enrico Sakura: Sakura went to the railing with hint of fear on Ardrun. Vachir: Vachir looked only slightly worried when he saw that Enrico had fallen overboard. whispering to Ardrun, as he went under, Ardrun glanced over to the right. Sure enough, a satchel had been tied securely to the hull of the ship. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took the opportunity to take a good look over the side. Enrico: Enrico opened his eyes once he broke the surface, but all he saw was green and blue and water stung his eyes. Sleeping Dragon: "Get a rope over there, quickly, help them, you idiots!" Covis shouted, just as Blig picked up a rope to hurl towards Ardrun and Enrico. Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun grabbed the satchel as he helped pull Enrico up. Ardrun: Ardrun surfaced with Enrico and moved back to the side. Sleeping Dragon: "Are you alright?" Blig asked as they came dripping back over the side. Ardrun: As they reached the edge and Enrico was helped up, Ardrun lifted a satchel into the air. "I found this," he said. "Did it catch on the side when someone dropped it? It is lucky I went over." Ardrun: edit: ignore Enrico: "Would have been better if I had coordinated limbs" - he looked like a plucked, wet goose. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael watched the crew to see if any of them were looking concerned. Ardrun: Ardrun pulled himself up after Enrico. "I am fine," he said in his usual flat voice. Sakura: Sakura rushed toward Ardrun, Enrico and Blig, "I am so pleased that you two are still alive." Rafael ben Efrim: "Come over here and let me check you're alright." Rafael said. He opened his pack and took out a case. "And wrap yourselves up. Here's my blanket." he offered it to Enrico. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Covis appeared decidedly nervous Enrico: "Pleased? No need for the smile. Would have gotten more money per man if not for him". Enrico nodded at Ardrun. Sleeping Dragon: the crewmen went over and congratulated Ardrun for rescuing Enrico. "Once you're done gawking, maybe we can get sailing again!" Covis shouted in annoyance at the crew. "I'd like to get back to Malador today, if at all possible!" Sakura: Sakura glared at Enrico, "Well, the worth of Ardrun is much more than your." Vachir: Vachir, sitting near the treasure chests, looked at the group, now slightly relieved by the big man daring rescue Rafael ben Efrim: "That's enough!" Rafael hissed. Rafael ben Efrim: "This was done for one reason only. What did you see, if anything?" he asked the two men. Ardrun: Ardrun sat back down where they had been gathered together before. "Yes, I saw a satchel secured to the side," said Ardrun passively. Ardrun: edit: the hull Rafael ben Efrim: "That must be the one Erik took over the first night out." Rafael said, pleased. "But when all this was going on it was Covis who looked very nervous." Enrico: Enrico made a few more jokes about never touching rope or being on a ship again and followed Ardrun. "I think I saw water...and a ship. Yes, there was a ship. What the slave said." - he finally acknowledged. Sakura: Sakura looked slightly happier, "So we now know two details which is useful." Rafael ben Efrim: "You did well." Rafael said, "that fall looked natural. I don't believe any of the crew suspects." Sleeping Dragon: the crew set back to work and they continued on towards Malador Sakura: After this discussion, she thanked Blig for skillfully throwing the ropes. Rafael ben Efrim: "I wonder how they got stuff into the satchel without us noticing?" Rafael said to the others. Enrico: "More importantly, how are we going to prove that they are smuggling things? We need some cold hard clues" Sleeping Dragon: "Just doing my job, your ladyship," Blig said to Sakura. Rafael ben Efrim: "I wonder exactly what they are smuggling. If they take the treasures a party has gained, surely they would complain to the authorities?" Sakura: Sakura smiled, "You are an excellent sailor indeed." and discussion went on Sakura: For a moment, she considered what to say. For several days, she tried to gain confidence on this man. Sakura: EDIT: on the juoreny Sakura: She asked, "During my journey to the Tower and back, I found too many suspicious events to occur. Do you honestly have any idea what is happening here? I noticed Captain and Mate is acting suspiously." Sleeping Dragon: Blig looked at Sakura for a few moments, then over towards Captain Covis, then he spoke to her quickly. "I've often wondered the same thing. I'll tell you this - I've noticed before the journeys that he'll often bring on some little sack full of items, and he'll hide it away in one of the chests...but it's never there when the guards on those rafts search us." Sakura: Sakura nodded as it occured to her. When she finished her discussion with Blig, she naturally strolled over to the group and told them what Blig said. Rafael ben Efrim: "That explains the satchel being hidden from the raft guards. If only we could look in there." Rafael said. Enrico: "No need to look. Let's see if i get my statuette without having to buy it back first." Rafael ben Efrim: "If one of us could keep them from picking up the satchel from the hull when we arrive, the others could alert Tremance and catch them red handed perhaps." Rafael considered. Sleeping Dragon: they sailed through the day, the wind whipping them heavily. about mid-way through the evening they came back into the Malador wharves. Once they were moored, Covis spoke to them. "Alright, we'll need to get this treasure to the Excise Office and that's where they assess it and buy it off you. Let's get moving these boxes then. Erik, start cleaning the vessel up while we're dealing with the taxman, will ya?" Covis shouted to his second. Enrico: (whispering): As the crew was running around, Enrico strolled up to Covis. "The man you spoke of earlier. How will I be able to learn his whereabouts? Business is money, and I would be glad to meet him soonest" whispering to Enrico, "I'll contact him for you, he doesn't like to be disturbed by people he doesn't know." Covis told him Sakura: Sakura was sitting on the floor, ready to go off when suddenly she made a heartwrench yell Sleeping Dragon: Covis and several of his men went to get the chests. "Little help?" he asked, then he turned to look at where Sakura was yelling Enrico: (whispering): "Sounds fair. How will you let me know that he's been informed of my intentions?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked meaningfully at the others, then went over to Sakura. "What's happened?" he asked solicitously. Sleeping Dragon: "What's going on?" Blig asked Sakura whispering to Enrico, "I'll contact you," Covis said curtly. Sakura: Sakura was wringling her hands, "My locket. I was looking into my bag and it was gone. It is my only possession I still hold from my family back in Ispera!" Enrico: Enrico rolled his eyes. "Could have kept it safe if it was such a precious little thing" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael sighed. "Are you sure you had it there in your bag?" Sleeping Dragon: "What locket? Bah, we haven't got time for this, let's get these boxes moved, you can come back and search later," Covis said in exasperation Vachir: Vachir joined near the others, having been forced to abandon the chests, through he still kept an eye on them as they were unloaded and checked Enrico: "As if staring at it and polishing it every night wasn't enough - now we have to drop the treasure and search for it?" Sleeping Dragon: Tristan went to take some of the boxes with the crewmen Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gave Enrico a hard stare. "Don't you understand what something like that means for a person. The only connection with their family?" Sakura: She snarled back at Enrico, "The value of locket is more precious than the treasures." Sakura: "There is no way I will be off the ship unless I find my locket! It must be somewhere" Sleeping Dragon: "Yes, but do we have to do this now?" Captain Covis shook his head. "Fine, we'll get looking for the locket then as it's so desperate." Rafael ben Efrim: "We'll have to search for it." Rafael said. "I'm sorry Captain. Iif you want to take the boxes ahead with the others, I can stay with Sakura and help her search for it." Sakura: Sakura started pacing on the deck, searching for every single spot for something. Sakura: Soon, she is looking desperate. Sleeping Dragon: "I need to go to the Excise House anyway, so they know what ship we are and have confirmation that we're back," said Covis, going with Tristan and the others to take the boxes to the Excise House Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael walked up and down the deck as if looking but he kept a careful eye on Erik. Sakura: Sakura's eyes were getting tiring and asked Ardrun, "You go with these chests. Come back swiftly as possible!" whispering to Vachir, Ardrun, they took the boxes of treasure towards the Excise House. As returnees from a Tower voyage, they were put ahead of the two other men in the queue (to much grumbling from these sailors), and several Excise officials asked them to bring the treasure into a side room where it would be assessed and they would be recompensed Rafael ben Efrim: "I hope Erik is the one who rescues the satchel," Rafael muttered to Enrico. "If it's someone from on shore we'll have done all this for nothing." whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Enrico, as they remained behind to 'search', they saw Erik suddenly slip away from the ship and head towards the plank down onto the wharves Enrico: "There he goes, right now" - he muttered back Rafael ben Efrim: "I'll follow him." Rafael said. "You stay here with Sakura. Sakura: Sakura was even more desperate and starts muttering few vile oaths. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Erik began to creep down the gangplank, then looked behind him and noticed Raf following. He knelt down and began to examine the wharf carefully Enrico: "Hey, deckhands, listen up!" - Enrico spoke up. "I got no desire to spend the entire day looking for some bauble" He dug around in his pocket. "I've got booze and women waiting on shore! 3 gold pieces to whoever finds that rotten pendant" Sleeping Dragon: Enrico's announcement sent the deckhands into a frenzy and they began to rip the ship apart while bombarding Enrico and Sakura with questions about what the locket looked like and where Sakura had it last whispering to Ardrun, Vachir, Tristan quietly asked one of the officials a question, and the man shook his head in reply as they took the boxes aside whispering to Ardrun, "Tremance isn't here," Tristan told Ardrun as they went into the other room Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael could see that he was spotted. Throwing caution to the wind he turned and ran back to look over the side, presuming nobody would notice in the frenzy. Ardrun: (whispering): "We will find him after this," replied Ardrun. Rafael ben Efrim: As Erik continued to look at the wharf, Rafael ran to the other side of the boat and dived into the harbour. Vachir: (whispering): Vachir looked quite eager as he helped place the chests in the room, obviously awaiting for his reward. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Raf dived into the harbour and swam lithely down underneath the boat, unnoticed, so far as he could tell, in the turmoil. He quickly made his way towards where the satchel was tied to the hull. Sakura: Sakura was upset by Enrico's annoying speech saying her locket is nothing more than a rotten bauble and yelled at Enrico, "You will give me an apology or else!" Sleeping Dragon: "What the hell?" Blig gaped at Rafael leaping overboard. whispering to Enrico, Enrico heard the sudden sound of fleeing footsteps from the wharf whispering to Ardrun, Vachir, the Excise officials began to go about the dull task of calculating the value of their treasure. "Alright, I don't need to be here for this, I'm going to head back to the Chance and see if they've found this locket yet." Covis told them Enrico: "Someone's running away.. Could be the extra treasure" - Enrico said quietly to Sakura Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael grabbed the satchel and started back towards the quay with it. Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun nodded. "I shall go back too, Sakura will want me back. You can deal with it?" he said to Tristan and Vachir. Sakura: Sakura whispered back, "Where? Who?" Vachir: (whispering): "We should be able too."shrugged the Bolgar "Take care." whispering to Enrico, Enrico glanced over the side to see Erik fleeing towards the city whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Raf came up onto the quay just in time to see Erik turn a corner and flee into the city Enrico: Annoyed, Enrico pushed the gold coins into her palm and ran off the ship, shouting something about expensive liquior and cheap whores. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael climbed dripping onto the quay. "There he goes, he's running away!" he shouted, pointing towards the city. Sleeping Dragon: "Someone's running away now? What the FUCK is going on?" Blig shouted Sakura: Sakura looked at the running back and swore. "You bastard and your whores!" she settled down and sighed sadly. "I never going to find my locket." She sniffed Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael held up the satchel as Enrico ran down the gangplank. "He didn't get this" whispering to Ardrun, Ardrun and Covis began to make their way back towards the Take a Chance, just in time to see Erik go darting past into the city. Covis' face turned white and then he looked at Ardrun Sakura: She looked at these sailors, "You worked so far to find my locket but it is gone. Nevertheless, your efforts are not wasted, Here two gold coins each!" Enrico: "So that's our proof?" Ardrun: (whispering): "Is something wrong? Should we check on him?" Sakura: She handed out two gold coins out to each beusmed sailoirs whispering to Ardrun, "Well, we should..." Covis stopped as if to ponder, then suddenly turned and tore after Erik Rafael ben Efrim: "It's a pity we couldn't catch Erik in the act of retrieving it but he made it clear when he ran." Rafael said. "Shall we take it to Tremance to open it?" Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun was surprised, but as soon as he gained his composure he charged after Covis. Sleeping Dragon: the sailors looked terribly confused, but took the coins anyway and sat down heavily on the deck. "Where's Erik?" one of them asked, looking around bemusedly Sakura: Sakura was still sad when she told Blig, "Thank you Blig. I am sorry about this." Enrico: "Might as well. The captain will be here any minute and we got half the crew as witnesses that we aren't just treasure hunters." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael carried the bag back on deck so that Sakura could see. Then he opened it cautiously and tipped the contents on to the deck. Sleeping Dragon: "That's the one that Covis brought on board before the voyage," said Blig. The satchel contained a number of items - an assemblage of old-looking coins, a few silver goblets, a dagger, and a large number of gems and small pieces of jewellery of dubious origin whispering to Ardrun, Ardrun rushed after Covis down the long, narrow streets of the Harbourside, managing to only just keep up with Covis and stop him from being able to fade into a crowd - fortunately there were few people about and the Harbourside was a long, narrow district with few corners to hide around. Suddenly Ardrun saw several guards move away from a building and begin to come towards them. "Help! He's trying to kill me!" Covis shouted to the guards Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at the things then up at Sakura and Enrico. "Can you think of a reason he would bring this on board, hide it and then retrieve it secretly back here?" he asked. Ardrun: (whispering): "He's a smuggler!" called Ardrun. "Arrest us both if you like, you'll see!" Ardrun: (whispering): He continued after Covis, hoping to restrain him if the guards didn't stop him first. Enrico: "It's obviously a secret stash, so as to evade the customs" - Enrico shrugged. Rafael ben Efrim: "Are these the things Covis brought with him?" Rafael asked Blig. Sakura: Sakura wiped her eyes away and considered the questions. whispering to Ardrun, the guards made their way towards each man. "Halt, you're both under arrest! STOP!" Covis, however, paid this no mind, continuing to run, and his guard chased after him while the other, rather nervously, approached Ardrun. "Uhh...we should probably chase after him as well, I can arrest you later. Is that alright?" the guard was barely twenty and a foot shorter than Ardrun Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun nodded passively and continued the chase. Sleeping Dragon: "They could be, I didn't see what was in the sack," said Blig.
"He and Erik would often sneak out to meet with some guys..." one of the other sailors said. "I saw them talking once, while I was coming back from a night out drinking." whispering to Ardrun, with three men after him, Covis' energies soon flagged and the first of the guards was able to catch up to him and send him sprawling to the ground Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at the items strewn on the deck, then suddenly slapped his head. "I think I understand! Maybe these are the things they brought to the Towers, but they never had a chance to do the switch. We were on watch all night, and maybe we were spotted!" Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun slowed to a halt. "We should go back to where his ship is docked, with his crew and my companions. They'll sort it out. But there's also another friend of Covis'," he said, gesturing to the captive. "A man named Erik. He ran ahead of us." Enrico: "That's irrelevant. They were hidden and therefore contraband. Let's go get a person of authority to look at this" whispering to Ardrun, The guardsmen tied Ardrun and Covis' hands. "Never saw him, we'll get looking for him soon. Take us to this ship then," one of the guards said. "T...there's been some kind of mistake here," Covis whined, but the guards ignored him and motioned for Ardrun to lead them on. Sakura: Sakura glanced at Enrico and Rafael. "I do agreed with you two. This is too suspicious." Rafael ben Efrim: "Wait." Rafael said. He gathered the items up and put them back into the satchel. "Why don't we give the good captain a surprise with this. He doesn't yet know it's been recovered." Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun allowed his hands to be bound and led them to the ship. Sleeping Dragon: the three of them made their way towards the Excise House to surprise Covis with the satchel. They managed to get to the end of the wharves when they saw four people coming towards them - two Malador guardsmen, and Ardrun and Covis Elassyn, the latter pair with their hands tied securely behind their backs. Ardrun: Ardrun nodded to the group, seemingly unconcerned that his hands were tied. "Here is the crew. And my companions," he said, nodding at the groups. Sakura: Sakura looked at Ardrun with surprise, "What is the meaning of this?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stood still, waiting to see what played out. Ardrun: "I saw Erik running away frantically as I headed here with Covis. I asked what might be wrong, and Covis did not reply. He chased after Erik, I followed him, and these good officers arrested us so that we might come back here and work out the truth." Ardrun: edit: He looked to the guardsmen. "This is my mistress Sakura." Sakura: Sakura nodded at these guardsmen, "What crimes he broken in your eyes?" Sleeping Dragon: "If you'll all just follow us, we'll head to the nearest guard post and sort this out," the elder of the two guards said. "Your big slave here said something about smuggling," he added to Sakura. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael stepped forward. "This is more complex than you may realise." he said to the guardsmen. "If we can go to the office of the lawyer Tremance in the Excise Office, we can explain it to you." Sakura: Sakura smiled at them, "Yes, it would be easier to explain this in the prescene of Tremance." Sleeping Dragon: they made their way to the Excise House. Tremance, as it happened, was not there at the time, but a courier went off to fetch him and he arrived after a few hours, explaining to the guards that he had hired the group to investigate the possibility of Covis smuggling goods out of the Towers.
Covis made several wheedling attempts to convince the guards to speak to him privately, but eventually caved in and confessed the scheme. He and Erik had been smuggling out of the Towers for several months, in combination with a group of thieves in the Harbourside led by one Stygg Alharsen. Just prior to every voyage, Covis and Erik would go to contact Stygg, who would supply them with a sack of goods that his group had found difficult to fence through normal channels. This satchel was attached to the hull of the Take a Chance in the night during the trip to the Towers, so that it would not be discovered by the Fortress Raft guards. Once the Tower had been looted, Erik and Covis would get a good look at what treasure had been recovered, and between them would try to work out what items in the satchels were most similar to those recovered from the Towers. During the night of the return journey, Erik would make the switch, and by this means, the general value of the haul would be unaffected, the items assessed by the Excise House would roughly match those on the inventories taken by the Fortress Raft guards, and Covis, Erik, and Stygg would have a satchel full of different, and probably higher quality, items to fence. Sleeping Dragon: with this explained, Ardrun was quickly set free, and Captain Covis taken away to be sentenced. "Probably hanging," Tremance told them once the guards had taken him away. "We make a lot of money out of the Towers, the Council will want to make an example of him. I will, at any rate, contact them to tell them of your success, I'm sure you'll be paid very well for your services." Rafael ben Efrim: "That will be good." Rafael said. Sakura: Sakura smiled with relief, "Yes, I am pleased this is resolved." Sakura: She was very pleased with Ardrun. Enrico: "Speaking of the reward, is it possible to get the chance to be the first to buy out a certain item as a small bonus?" Sleeping Dragon: "I'll see what I can do about that," said Tremance. "I know Halgyn Polle, who runs Exotic Dreams, so I can probably get you an appointment." Enrico: "You have my thanks, then" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled as Enrico asked his question. The statue of course. Sakura: Sakura smirked on Enrico's words
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 27, 2008 11:05:11 GMT
After the arrest of Covis Elassyn, several Malador guards headed out to apprehend his associate, Stygg Alharsen, who they were able to capture in a winding foot-race through the Foot district, capturing the fugitive just before he could reach the safety of Beggar's Flow.
The crewmen of the Take a Chance were also arrested, but it quickly became apparent that, while they had all suspected something was afoot, none had actually been a party to the scheme. With the intervention of the party and of Tremance, they were able to escape any punishment. Covis, Stygg, and Erik (the last in absentia as the Guards were unable to locate him) were all sentenced to death by hanging, while a number of Stygg's gang were sentenced to fines and public flogging for their thievery.
With Stygg out of the way, Caius Seneca was free to come out of hiding in the Rat's Burrow, and Captain Gaston gladly paid the party the remainder of their reward. The Captain even paid a reward to Vachir, even though the Captain had not strictly hired him and he had been unaware of the full nature of the party's business in the Towers. "I will be remaining in Malador for about a month and a half still while I get some business in order," Captain Gaston told them. "I might contact you again, and of course you are free to come and speak to me at any time as long as it doesn't interfere with my business. Thank you for your excellent work, my friends."
Five days following the capture of Covis, Tremance came to seek out the party at the Old Pirate, with two Maladoran Guards in tow. These handed out the party's rewards from the Council - seventy-five gold pieces each, and free, unlimited weapons licences.
"I, meanwhile, have a new job," Tremance told them with a grin after the Guards had gone. "If you need to find me in the future, I'll be working at the Council Hall in Clifftop, or at home here in the Foot of course. And now that that business is finished...I believe I'm going to get wasted. Anyone care to join me?"
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Post by sleepingdragon on Aug 3, 2008 10:23:18 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: Several weeks passed by after the captures of Covis and Stygg. The party each set about their own individual tasks of working, gathering information and contacts, and settling into Malador. Several of the party began to rent homes in the city and left the Old Pirate, while others preferred to stay at the inn. The weeks were comfortable. For the first while, they suffered erratic weather, with great swings in temperature, frequent fog, and two lashing rainstorms, but it became more stable and clear later on.
The talk of the street was dominated by rumours regarding the Torathi Envoy, Maxxen Juthe, and his proposal to the Council. Though many conflicting stories came out, the true, full nature of the proposal soon came out. Torath was proposing a union of states, in which Malador became subordinate to Torath in exchange for protection. The word on the street was that extravagant bribery was taking place in Clifftop, to attempt to sway the Council into voting in favour of Union. The business grew ugly - not long after the party returned, one man who worked at the Council Hall was found murdered near the Lost Angel. Rumours said he had been running bribes for the Torathi. After several weeks the positions of the two most powerful Councillors had become common knowledge. Toban Wellaw, one of the most senior, wealthy Councillors, was urging Union (by all accounts he had been bribed heavily), while Chyrra Delorri, daughter of the famous Brutus Oramo, was urging the Council to reject Torath's terms and prepare to fight. Tristan: Tristan had stayed at the Old Pirate, but was there only rarely, mainly to sleep. Having found a regular paying job at a smithy, he rarly contacted the others, keeping to himself. Vachir: Vachir had been doing odd jobs around town - mostly in the Beggar's Flow. He stayed at the Old Pirate, where sometimes he could have been seen with a large Ilian guy who carried a talisman similar to his own. Sakura: Sakura for over three weeks made large profits from her trade in jewels and high fashions from her homeland, Isperia. In evening, she studied extensively from geography to religion at The Foot library in attempt to understand the underlying aspects of what make trade and to make up for her lack of knowledges. She even found young scholar to teach her on many arcane aspects and even beyond this mortal realm. She also rented a two floor home in heart of The Foot and hired a servant to take care of the home. For now, she is living a modest lifestyle for the person of her position. Enrico: Enrico stayed in the inn and did seemingly nothing but go for long walks and "enjoy the scenery". Ardrun: Ardrun spent most of his time protecting Sakura, though he also took any opportunity to try speaking Coastal, and soon he was able to hold simple conversations. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael was also out most of the time, once surprising the others by returning to the Inn very late and obviously the worse for wear. Within the first week however, he had moved out of the Old Pirate, taking a small house close to the library, which he also joined. He was kept very busy setting up one of the rooms in his new home as a surgery, and socialising in the Jethi community. He also visited the Fallen Angel once or twice. Rafael ben Efrim: edit* Lost Angel! whispering to Sakura, Ardrun, the 20th of March was the hottest day of the year so far, with a little hint of humidity that left one feeling sticky and tired. Before Sakura and Ardrun could leave to open the market stall where Sakura sold her wares, there was a knock at the door and answering, they found a young man in the city's livery. "Are you Sakura Ayanna?" he asked her. "I have a missive for one whose description matches your appearance, but I wish to be sure you are the one I seek." Sakura: (whispering): Sakura nodded her head and told him, "Yes. I am Sakura Ayanna" whispering to Sakura, Ardrun, the young man handed her an envelope which was sealed in wax with the symbol of Malador, a ship and tower. "Then this is for you, milady," he said. Sakura: (whispering): Sakura nodded her head and told him, "Yes. I am Sakura Ayanna" whispering to Sakura, Councillor Toban Wellaw requests the honor of a meeting with yourself and your companions at the Council Hall at midday on the morrow. Your discretion in not discussing this matter publicly is both expected and appreciated. Please bring this letter to show the guards.
Wellaw Sakura: (whispering): 3243, 3256=Nodding as she slashed the letter away, she gave silver coin to the man. whispering to Sakura, Ardrun, "Thank you, milady," said the courier. He bowed and departed. Sakura: (whispering): Sakura glanced at Ardrun and told him, it look like we will be coming to Council Hall tomorrow. Rafael ben Efrim: One day Rafael came to the smithy and asked Tristan if they could make a name-plate to put beside his door. Sakura: (whispering): Sakura glanced at Ardrun and told him, it look like we will be coming to Council Hall tomorrow. Sakura: (whispering): Sakura glanced at Ardrun and told him, it look like we will be going to Council Hall tomorrow. Will be in my best no doubt. Ardrun: (whispering): Ardrun nodded. "Do you know if that is good news, or bad?" Tristan: "What language?" Rafael ben Efrim: "I need a plain metal plate with 'Dr. R. ben Efrim' on it," he said. "How much would that be?" Sakura: (whispering): "Well, we will have to wait and see but I suspect we will know soon." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael considered this. "Coastal, as I won't just be treating my own community." Tristan: Tristan nodded. "Two gold should cover it for a simple plaque." whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Rafael noticed something odd in the smithy - although several of the other smiths were engaged in forging blades or armour, there were no finished pieces laying about ready to purchase Sakura: (whispering): "Meanwhile, I have to find our companions." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "That's good. Let me know when it's ready and I'll fetch it." Tristan: (whispering): As Tristan nodded, Rafael noticed the bandages covering Tristan's hands, the bandages had been there before as well, though usally hidden benieth his gauntlets. Tristan: Tristan nodded. "Should be a few days at the most." Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael eyed Tristan's bandages. "Forgive my asking, but perhaps you are in need of some treatment yourself?" he said quietly. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan shook his head. "They're old wounds. Just scars now." Sakura: (whispering): "Let go to Rafael's house." She walked off toward the direction of the Rafael's house. Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "Yet you cover them up?" Rafael asked. Tristan: (whispering): "They can be unsightly." Sakura: Sakura and Ardrun arrived at Rafael's house. Sleeping Dragon: they knocked, but found that Rafael wasn't at home at that moment Tristan: (whispering): Also, unlike the other workers in the building, who were naked from the waste up, Tristan was wearing a light tunic. Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "There are worse things than scars on the body." Rafael said. "Scars on the soul. The evil inside a man is far more to be feared." Sakura: Muttering few words of choice, she decided to make way for the Old Pirate Inn. Tristan: (whispering): "Indeed. Tristan: (whispering): "Indeed." Tristan agreed. "But they arn't as displeasing to the eye." Sakura: Finally, they reached the inn and went inside in attempt to find ex companions. Vachir: Vachir had been sitting alone at a table, and recognized Sakura when she entered Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): "Not to most people." Rafael agreed. "I should get back to my practice, but I will return for the name-plate when it is ready. I might need a knife too, if you have any to sell. There seems to have been a run on your stock." he added drily. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan nodded and got back to work. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Tristan, the owner of the forge, Yrgan Shimth, overheard the last part of the conversation and came over to speak to Rafael. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, "We don't sell weapons here, only the use of our skills," he said to Rafael. "If you need something made, simply give me some specifications and we'll see that it's done." Rafael ben Efrim: Having ordered his nameplate Rafael walked back to his house, and continued setting up the surgery. Sakura: Looking relieved that she finally found one at least and approached Pesk to ask about Enrico and Tristan. Sleeping Dragon: when Sakura and Ardrun entered the inn they found Enrico and Vachir were there, though Tristan had already departed for his job at the forge Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael agreed to do so, and left. Sakura: She approached Enrico and said, "Come over with me to Vachir. We need to talk about something concerning tomorrow." whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, when he returned to his home, David approached Rafael as he reached for his keys. "I should mention to you that two of your companions were around earlier - the very large man and the woman, I'm told. As you weren't here they departed, I'm not sure where for." Enrico: "More smugglers to catch?" Rafael ben Efrim: (whispering): Rafael thanked David for letting him know. "They are travelling companions of mine. I think I know where to find them." He dropped off some items he had bought and left. Sakura: She shook her head, "No. Not really sure but I will explain more as soon I gathered our ex companions in same place and time." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael left his house and walked accross the city to the Old Pirate to see if Sakura and Ardrun had called there too. Vachir: As Vachir saw that Sakura and Enrico were speaking, he approached them, curious. "So...something's up?" Sakura: Sakura nodded, "Yes. The very short explanation that we been summoned. But we need to find Tristen and Rafael first. We did called him at his new house but he is not there." Rafael ben Efrim: Shortly afterwards Rafael entered the bar. Sakura: Sakura glanced toward toward the door and gestured Rafael to come to the gathering. Rafael ben Efrim: "You and Ardrun called at my house." Rafael said. "Did you need my services as a doctor, or for some other reason?" Sakura: Sakura nodded at Rafael, "No. Not your services but possible other service as well. Someone need to tell Tristen about this. Anyway, to the point of this. Early this morning when we was about to go off to our market stall. I received a scroll from Councillor Toban Wellaw requesting very nicely for a meeting with all of us in Council Hall on tomorrow's midday." Rafael ben Efrim: "Wellaw?" Rafael said, surprised. "The leader of the pro-Torathi faction?" Vachir: "A meeting in the Council Hall?"said Vachir stroking his chin "Umh...Perhaps they might have other work for us?"he asked eagerly Sakura: Sakura replied back with a nod, "Yes. One of the longest serving counciller on the Council in this city and I doubt he is asking us to the meeting merely to say well done. Thus, it is likely to be something else." Enrico: "I didn't know we are making a name for ourselves already" Sakura: Smiling at Enrico, "You said it yourself. We did managed to figure out what happened to Covis's dastardly smuggling." Rafael ben Efrim: "It will be interesting to hear what Wellaw has to suggest." said Rafael. Enrico: "No more dastardly than what we did. You got to admit that they turn a pretty penny with those "taxes"" Sakura: Glancing at Enrico, "Yes. But taxes will always be going into someone's pocket. Nevertheless, I agreed with Rafel's words. I want to know why Wellaw have for us." Sakura: "Seems Rafael like to go. Is anyone else who does not want to go to this meeting which may mean more rewards." Sakura: EDIT: "Later on" Rafael ben Efrim: "I would suggest we are cautious in our dealing with Wellaw." Rafael interposed quietly. "He is willing to sell his city to the Torathi, not a good indication of integrity." Sakura: "I can understand that but I have no desire to get into trouble with such counciller in this city at the moment." Enrico: "You speak as if you care about their integrity. Let them squawk and squabble and get our share." Rafael ben Efrim: "Their integrity is their own affair. But a man without it is not to be trusted in a business arrangement." Rafael replied. Rafael ben Efrim: "We will need a carriage to travel into Clifftop." he added. "I'm sure we can hire one reasonably." Sakura: Sakura nodded, "I am sure you can get a carriage at reasonable charge. I, however will be going mounted." Rafael ben Efrim: "You have an invitation?" Rafael asked. "You will need to accompany us or we shall be unable to enter that part of town." Sakura: "Yes. I do have the letter to show to the guards. We will meet up somewhere before going inside." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "We must tell Tristan of this invitation." Vachir: "I'm sure we'll have the chance to do just that."said Vachir Sakura: Sakura then said, "I am pretty sure you can get a carriage when I stabled my horses." Sakura: "Shall we meet at the Salt Lick instead tomorrow?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Very well." Rafael said. "I shall return home now, and call on Tristan on the way. Are you going in that direction?" Sakura: Nodding, "Yes. considering the location of this inn. Everything are in that direction. Shall I come with you to Tristan?" Rafael ben Efrim: "That would be a good idea as you received the invitation." Rafael agreed. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way to Shimth's forge, a large, squat brick building, to tell Tristan about the invitation Tristan: Tristan was inside working on a name-plate when Sakura and Rafael showed up. Sleeping Dragon: Tristan worked on a name plate while the other five apprentices, and the smithy's owner Yrgan Shimth, worked on forging blades or coats of mail. They noticed that there were no finished works in the smithy, and that, while the other smiths were naked to the waist due to the hot work, Tristan wore a light tunic Sakura: Sakura on spotting Tristen said, "Tristen! I need to say something to you!" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael waited for Sakura to speak. Tristan: Tristan looked up. Seeing Sakura and Rafael, he set down his tools and came over to them. "What is is? Is something wrong?" Sakura: Dismissing Tristan's concerning words, she wishpered "No, nothing is wrong, Tristen. I want to know if you can come with the group tomorrow on an private affair?" Tristan: "I do not know." Tristan sounded a bit suspicious. "What kind of affair is it?" Sakura: Sakura smiled, "This morning, I got a letter from a Councillor, asking to meet us. And since you are member of the group which solved that dastardly Covis's plan, I thought you might come. Not sure what the meeting is about." Rafael ben Efrim: "You should add that the councillor in question is Toban Wellaw." Rafael added. Sakura: She replied back, "Indeed so. Are you interesting in coming?" Tristan: Tristan thought for a moment. "I will have to check, but it does sound worth investigating." Sakura: "Well, we are all meeting at Salt Lick where some of us are renting a carriage sometime before midday tomorrow." Tristan: "I will be there than." Tristan said, then turned to Rafael. "Your name-plate should be done tomorrow. I suppose I might as well bring it with me." Rafael ben Efrim: "That would be good of you." Rafael answered. Sleeping Dragon: the next day, they met at the Salt Lick stables, where Sakura mounted one of her horses while the others rented a carriage to carry them along behind her and Ardrun. They rode their way along towards the Clifftop district, passing alongside the Jethi quarter of the Foot and up to one of the Clifftop gates, which was guarded by no less than five members of the Watch in order to deny entry to any 'vagrants.' Their leader stopped them and only allowed them to enter the wealthy district after carefully reading the note Wellaw had sent to Sakura, and checking to ensure that their weapon licenses were in order. Tristan: Tristan was wearing a new suit of banded mail during the ride. After they had boarded the carriage, he pulled a metal plaque out of his pack and handed it to Rafael. "I can mount it if you wish once we have the time." Sakura: Sakura was in her best clothes, clearly tailored to current high class fashion,around her neck is rich jewels, mounted on her new saddle on her horse rode along the carriage. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael held the plaque in both hands and looked at it. "This is very good." he said with a smile. Vachir: Vachir looked idly around as the carriage travelled around the city. Vachir: edit: remove "around the city" Tristan: Tristan nodded in recognition and looked around, watching Sakura lead the carriage. Ardrun: Ardrun looked about warily, as alert as in a back alley full of robbers. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael watched the passers-by with interest. Sleeping Dragon: they entered Clifftop, Sakura leading them along the broad, well-paved streets of the wealthy district. The streets were regularly patrolled by the Clifftop Guard, a private group of mounted guardsmen paid for by the citizens of Clifftop themselves. These guards were substantially better equipped than their fellows in the rest of the city, wearing scale armour and carrying axes, maces, or swords and large wooden shields. The mansions of Clifftop were large and sprawling, opulent buildings of fine stone and wood, with large adjoining grounds. These estates covered as much space as any seven or eight buildings in the Foot and were usually encircled by head-high stone fences, though others were bounded with tall hedges instead. The otherwise spectacular surroundings were marred by one monument, however. Just off to their right as they entered, they saw it, an aesthetic abortion in pink marble which their driver informed them was a fountain - one which had been constructed at the expense of the city and then proceeded to never actually work, he added, rolling his eyes Vachir: Vachir grimaced at the sight of marble abomination "Money doesn't give people good taste, apparently..." Rafael ben Efrim: "Indeed." Rafael agreed, giving the pink horror a disgusted look. Tristan: Tristan glanced at the statue for a moment, not really feeling the need to comment on it. Ardrun: "I like it," said Ardrun flatly. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael turned to Ardrun in surprise. "Well." he said finally. "I suppose taste is a matter of individual...taste." Sakura: Sakura eyed the pink unpleasant fountaion, dark humour crept into her voice, "Maybe I should buy it and put it just outside my home. It would no doubt cause rent prices to crash." Ardrun: Ardrun grinned. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at Ardrun, and then smiled. "A joke, I see." Enrico: Enrico said nothing, wearing a vacant expression throughout the entire ride. Sleeping Dragon: they continued on towards the Council Hall, passing by several mansions on the way. The Council Hall was located at the highest point in Clifftop, and therefore all of Malador. "That's so they can look down on everyone," the driver told them as they approached. It stood a square 60 feet to a side and was four storeys tall with a capacious attic. Its walls were of basalt, and the roof was made of slate tiles. A gigantic depiction of Malador's ship-and-tower symbol, over twenty feet across, was set into the front wall over the pair of large bronze double doors. As they came near, a servant approached to take their horses and show their driver where to take the carriage. "You'll need to leave your weapons in the carriage, or you won't be allowed in," he added. Tristan: Tristan complied, leaving his sword, shield and a dagger he drew from within his gauntlet on the seat of the carriage. Vachir: Vachir grumbled as he found himself forced to drop his bow, dagger and spear in the carriage. Sakura: Sakura sighed as she dismounted and leave her daggers on her horse. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael removed several daggers from about his person and placed them carefully in the carriage Vachir: EDIT: Vachir grumbled as he found himself forced to drop his his spear, dagger, bow and quiver in the carriage. Ardrun: Ardrun handed over his falchion. Enrico: Enrico had his weapons stashed in the carriage before the trip started. Sleeping Dragon: after leaving their weapons in the carriage, they were allowed into the Council Hall, finding themselves in a large marble-tiled lobby with a ceiling two stories high. Elegant, sweeping staircases led up to a series of offices on the second floor, and the grand, carpeted staircase up to the Council's meeting hall on the third floor. A number of lesser offices surrounded the lobby on the first floor.
As soon as they entered, the three guards posted in the room accosted them and demanded to know their business. Sakura: Sakura snapped back that they got an appointment with Councillor Toban Wellaw on midday and showed the letter. Sleeping Dragon: the leader of the guards scrutinised the letter carefully while the other two guards checked to ensure that none of the party had any weapons hidden about their person. Once he finished reading the letter twice, he handed it back to Sakura and told her that Wellaw was waiting for them in his second-floor office, which was the third on the left-hand side of the floor. One of the guards was sent to escort them there, to ensure they didn't decide to wander about the building. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way up the stairs and along the curving corridor towards Wellaw's office. Each office bore a beautiful gold plaque with the name of the Councillor engraved upon it. They passed the office of Councillor Shelith Arco first, and then that of Councillor Varas Rohdell before reaching Wellaw's office. The guard knocked, and the door was opened from the inside to allow the party to enter. Sakura: Sakura entered the office. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael entered the room, looking about him. Tristan: Tristan followed as well. Vachir: Vachir followed the others. Sleeping Dragon: Wellaw's office was a sizeable, comfortable room with a fine gold-trimmed blue carpet and a lovely mahogany desk behind which sat the Councillor himself. Wellaw was a tall, austere man in his early fifties, with a long nose and silvery hair, with a very straight, upright posture. A guard stood by his right-hand side, armoured and with a sword at his side. There was not enough room in the office for six chairs of a size similar to the large-backed, well-carved wooden chair Wellaw sat in, but he had had six small, comfortable stools brought in for the party to sit on.
"Sakura Ayanna and companions?" Wellaw asked as they entered. As he spoke he tilted his head back slightly, as if he smelled something slightly offensive. "I am Councillor Toban Wellaw. I'm very pleased you have come so promptly. Please, you and your companions may be seated. Would any of you care for wine?" Wellaw snapped a finger, and the guardsman retrieved a crystal decanter and several delicate glasses from a small cabinet against the wall. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael seated himself and accepted the wine, although he barely sipped it. Tristan: Tristan sat down on one of the stools and shook his head to the wine. Sakura: Sakura sat down on one of the stool and nodded at the wine, accepting it, but not drinking it yet. Vachir: Vachir looked unaccustomed to this kind of luxurious room, but he seated himself and accept a glass, although he didn't start drinking it yet Vachir: edit: accepted Ardrun: Ardrun chose not to sit and refused the wine, standing behind Sakura. Sleeping Dragon: Wellaw poured out niggardly amounts of wine into the glasses before he began to speak. "Let us get straight to the matter at hand, then. You may have heard the talk of the town regarding a gladiatorial arena in the Beggars' Flow. I confess I did not at first give such tales much credence, but their persistence and specificity has forced me to review my original skepticism. It appears the 'arena' in question does exist. This in itself might not be a cause for alarm, but I have heard from reliable sources that several of the more prominent figures at the arena have been making seditious remarks during or after their events.
"The Council does not usually pay much heed to such grumblings when they are heard on the street. The common folk are as entitled to their opinions as the rest of us, and I daresay they feel their complaints are justified. But such comments made to an audience of hundreds of people come dangerously close to sedition and an incitement to riot.
"I wish to hire your group to infiltrate the arena and determine whether there is anything more sinister afoot than the vile blood sports these people practise. If there is, I want you to put an end to it. Provided any violence you commit is in pursuit of this goal, I will personally ensure you are not charged with any crime." Ardrun: Ardrun looked surprised, and frowned, but didn't say anything. Tristan: Tristan looked at the man expectantly, as though he wasn't finished talking yet. Vachir: Vachir didn't look too concerned by the mention of the arena in the Flow. He didn't say anything, but kept listening. Enrico: "What would be our compensation, then?" Rafael ben Efrim: "It would be a most dangerous undertaking." Rafael said coolly, his luminous eyes showing no reaction. "Our reward would need to reflect that fact." Sakura: Sakura nodded at Rafael's respond, "Yes, that is correct." Sleeping Dragon: Wellaw gave a knowing smile. "Of course. You will be paid handsomely for your efforts. Shall we say 150 gold pieces for you to share now, and a further 200 gold pieces each at the conclusion of your investigation? I shall also ensure that you receive further rewards should you apprehend or kill the ringleaders of any conspiracy against the Council."# Rafael ben Efrim: "It is a tempting offer." Rafael said. "But we would need to discuss it before we can accept." Sleeping Dragon: "Naturally," said Wellaw. "If you'd like to speak privately then you are welcome to discuss the matter in the corridor and then return here when you are ready." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael got up from the stool and allowed Sakura to leave first. Sakura: Sakura glanced back at Wellaw, "Just twenty five give gold each? Hmmm..." She walked to discuss the matter. Tristan: Tristan followed the two out of the room. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael spoke once they were in the corridor and out of earshot. "I think we could perhaps try to double his offer? It's a very dangerous job, and he is in a risky position if this is as serious as he makes out." Sakura: "Agreed. Twenty five gold piece at the start? That is too low! I might as well go down to my market stall and get more money over time and peaceful as well!" Vachir: Vachir went outside to discuss a bit with the others "I've heard about this arena in the Flow from a friend."he whispered "It sounds like a very dangerous place, it might be wise to ask for more." Tristan: "He must have known of these comments before now. There is likly a reason why he is moving now." Sakura: "He would be feeling nervous. I am wondering if other members of the Council know of this. If he pulled us off the street just to offer this dangerous job. Then it is serious enough." Rafael ben Efrim: "I've heard of it too, but not that there were these speakers." Rafael said. Enrico: "I say double the price right off the bat. He probably expects that, too" Sakura: Sakura nodded, "Okay. I was hoping to not to go into Beggar's Flow for some time but since I will have to. I think I will try my best to double the price!" Sakura: "Just to spite him!" Sakura: "okay, let go back in shall we?" Rafael ben Efrim: "Right." Rafael said. "We'll back you up." Sakura: Looking determined, she strolled back into the office and settled down on the stool. "I must admit that your offer are intresting but there are several points that need to be cover. One. this offer would require us to live in Begger's Flow and that would mean massive decline in living standard for me. Others do have a point to explain as well." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded. "We are newly arrived in the city, and just starting out in business, most of us. We will have to leave that just at this crucial time." Enrico: "Not to mention the sheer danger of such a task would require quite a bit more than what you offered to compensate for" Sakura: Sakura also pointed out, "Beside, I can easily make all these money by trading in the markets. Loss of earning for example.£" Sakura: Sakura finished the points by ending it with "So after careful consideration of risks and dangers, the group would like see these rewards doubled." Sleeping Dragon: "Doubled?" Wellaw scratched his chin. "You make fair points, but I don't believe that you would require double simply to cover your losses on the market. Perhaps..."
Wellaw and Sakura haggled for some time, estimating at costs and difficulties, until they finally reached a compromise position. Each member of the party would receive 40 gold pieces immediately, and 300 when the task was finished, in addition to any rewards for capturing or killing ringleaders of any conspiracy. "I cannot be specific as to what those rewards would be, I am afraid - such a matter would need to be discussed with the entire Council and depend on the severity of the threat, but I assure you that we would be generous." Sakura: Sakura was slightly pleased at reaching good compromise with the old shark, "Hmm... do the Council know about your offers?" Vachir: Vachir barely managed to contain his smile as he heard of the reward being increased. Sleeping Dragon: "I have discussed the matter with my colleagues." Enrico (enter): 23:56 Attempting to assign the role of PLAYER to (3390) Enrico... Sleeping Dragon: Booting '(3238) Enrico' from room... Enrico (exit): 23:56 whispering to Enrico, Enrico thought that Wellaw was not being entirely honest with that answer, and he had chosen his words carefully Sakura: "Fair enough. We agreed to your offer." Sakura agreed Sleeping Dragon: "Excellent. Do you have any further questions?" the old shark asked, smiling. Enrico: "However, it would be in your interest as well as ours, Councillor, to tell us why you need exactly us to mop up this mess. Promises of gold won't help if we are simply walking into a deathtrap." Tristan (exit): 00:05 Sleeping Dragon: "It was your party which captured the smugglers Elassyn and Alharsen, in great style. You successfully braved the Drowning Towers and emerged with what was, by all accounts, a substantial haul. I would like to thank you personally, incidentally, for the fine book on astronomy which you recovered, I have begun to translate it in what little leisure time I have." Enrico: "Neither would the praises. What's so bad about this fighting pit?" Sleeping Dragon: "What is so bad about it?" Wellaw looked confused. "They practise barbaric blood sports for the entertainment of the mob, and the battles these poor wretches are subjected to are said to be to the death. And that is on top of the treasonous remarks they have been making to large crowds at this most pressing time in our history." Rafael ben Efrim: "May we ask what form these treasonous remarks take?" Rafael asked. Sleeping Dragon: "I do not have many specifics as yet, but they are the standard talk of our supposed unfitness to rule, that we are of dubious parentage, and that myself and my colleagues should all suffer great harm of unspecified sorts. You cannot expect any complaints of any particular intelligence from these people, or they would not be in the Flow to begin with." Rafael ben Efrim: "Yes, I'm sure that if they were intelligent they would find far more cogent arguments." Rafael said innocently. Sleeping Dragon: "Naturally. Are you in need of any more information?" Enrico: "Not at the moment" Sakura: Sakura shook her head "No. Really do not see the problem with barbaric blood sport but I do understand treasonous remarks." Sleeping Dragon: "Very well. Thank you most kindly for attending, and I wish you the best and speediest of successes in destroying any conspiracy against the city and its rightful government. Farewell for now." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael said farewell and left the office. Sleeping Dragon: the guard standing by the door in the corridor immediately began to usher the party out of the building Sakura: Sakura said farewell and walked out of the room as if she was shaking her head at something strange to understand. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael retrieved his daggers and once more hid them about himself. He sat back on the carriage cushions with a sigh of relief. Vachir: Vachir looked relieved to be able to get back his weapons and arrows. Sakura: Sakura remounted her horse and placed her daggers back. Sleeping Dragon: they exited the Council Hall and had their horse and carriage brought out to them, and mounting up they began to ride back towards the Foot. On the way, they saw a carriage coming towards them - the burgundy carriage of the Torathi Envoy, surrounded by the six Kingdom Guards that had been brought to the city. The Kingdom Guards watched them closely as they passed by. They saw the carriage pull up by the Council Hall and out stepped the Envoy, General Maxxen Juthe. The uniformed envoy was in his mid-fifties, a balding, weathered-looking man with a grey beard and a sword in a beautiful decorative scabbard belted at his waist. He kept one hand on the hilt of the blade, and in the crook of his other arm he carried a small, dog which was nearly hairless and had a squashed-in, repulsive face. Sakura: Sakura glanced at the dog and whispered to herself, "That dog should be put to sleep." Enrico: Once they were in the carriage, Enrico spoke up: "That man was slimier than an eel. There's bound to be a catch." Sleeping Dragon: * small dog, not small, dog Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took in the man and his revolting dog, keeping his expression neutral, then looked out of the carriage. "He's not the only one" he muttered in reply to Sakura's comment. Sakura: Sakura looked at Rafael, "Hmm... at least we got better deal with that old shark." Vachir: Vachir ignored the general and his unpleasant pet, replying to Enrico "Of course there is. That and we might not get out of there alive...there's horrible stuff down in the Flow. Cannibals, even!"he said trying to sound somewhat dramatic Ardrun: "He does not seem like an old noble that has hidden from the sun or from battle," observed Ardrun as he watched the weathered Envoy, paying less attention to the talk of rewards and missions. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked her in the eye. "Old shark? A good name for him." Sakura: "Yes. We better watch we do not get bleed in process." Sakura smiled. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gave a short laugh. "Even sharks are not immune to the knife. Metaphorically speaking of course." Sakura: Sakura laughed tad gleefully, "Yes."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Aug 10, 2008 14:29:06 GMT
Sleeping Dragon: they left Clifftop behind and brought their carriage and horse back to the Salt Lick. Dropping them off there, they began to prepare to head to Beggar's Flow Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael returned to his house. Enrico: "We risk being recognized after the smuggling incident. We need subtlety this time - and perhaps some new ways of dealing with problems" Tristan: Tristan began returning to the smithy where he worked. Sakura: Sakura went back to her house and spent sometime considering her alias, Gemma Nolava. She got her disguse kit out. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan returned to Shimth's forge, informing him of the mission. "I shall make up for my absence once I return." He promised. whispering to Tristan, Shimth looked alarmed when Tristan mentioned the Councillor, but regained his composure. "Yes, well, that's, ah...very important work, so I understand. Try not to be gone for too long, we've got lots of orders coming in with all these mercenaries coming to town." Tristan: (whispering): "I'll make as much haste as possible." Vachir: Vachir, not having much to do, waited patiently for the others to finish their chores so that they could investigate the Flow. Enrico: Enrico departed, promising to meet the rest of the party at the same location in a bit. Tristan: (whispering): Tristan bowed and turned to leave the forge and return to the inn to meet the others. Rafael ben Efrim: Having arranged everything Rafael returned to meet with the others. Tristan: Tristan returned to the inn not too soon afterwards. Rafael ben Efrim: "You were suggesting we disguise ourselves Enrico?" Rafael asked. Rafael ben Efrim: edit * remove last sentence Enrico: Enrico never showed up. Instead, a woman dressed in gaudy clashing clothing that looked a bit like a cheap hooker was holding Tristan by the arm. She had an assortment of angry pustules on her face that would ensure nobody confused her with someone attractive. Tristan: *Ignore above post, Tristan arrives at the inn alone. Enrico: The woman introduced herself as "Bunny", pinched Tristan's butt and giggled with Enrico's voice. Tristan: Tristan moved away from the woman and sat down, waiting for the others. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael gave the woman a disgusted look and ignored her. Vachir: As Vachir saw the newly arrived woman, his eyes filled with mild disgust. Enrico: "What's the matter, sweetling?" - she turned to Vachir. "You look like you're made from the right stuff - I could give you a discount" Vachir: "I...think I'll pass."refused the Bolgar, slowly taping a few steps away from the woman. Vachir: edit: taking, not taping Enrico: Bunny snuggled up to the man despite his obvious disgust and whispered something in his ear. Vachir: (whispering): "I'll try...to."he replied back after some seconds of surprise "Sorry, was just put a bit off. An excellent...disguise though. Fits well with the area, though." Vachir: Vachir was silent for a few seconds after "Bunny"had whispered to him, but then said something back Enrico: As Vachir relaxed visibly, the woman grinned. "That's right, sweetling - it's only half of what I can do." Sakura: A short and lithe woman with dark skin and piercing dark brown eyes with dark golden blond straight hair reaching her shoulders wearing a front-fastening gown with ties for attaching sleeves, a green apron, and a chemise. arrived at the scene and smiled at them Enrico: (whispering): "Just play along, you bloody dolt" - she whispered in Enrico's voice. Sakura: EDIT: Sakura also left enough money for two weeks rents, maid and stablings. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael left the bar. After a while he returned, but his Jethi features were disguised by a large moustache, and his black curls were hidden under a workman's cap. His clothes too were old and work-worn. Rafael ben Efrim: "I think we should not draw attention to ourselves by arriving in a large group." Rafael said to the others. Sakura: Sakura nodded back, "But where shall we meet?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael considered. "We could meet up at the Rat's Burrow. Adder may know where the arena is. But that is on the edge of the Flow. We need somewhere to aim for in the heart of the Flow, and that would serve if we become seperated at any time." Sakura: Sakura nodded back, her hairs waving, "My name is Gemma. What are your?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael smiled. "Geraldus." he answered. Vachir: "I know a place near here."suggested the Bolgar "We could meet there. It's the Drunken Cow." Vachir: edit: near there, not here Rafael ben Efrim: "You have been into the Flow?" Rafael asked Vachir. "Your knowledge would be most useful to us then." Vachir: "I've done some odd jobs there, aye. "replied the Bolgar Sleeping Dragon: they left the Old Pirate and started to walk along towards the Flow, a lengthy journey taking them all the way across the city. It had begun to rain just after they left Clifftop, and yet it remained warm, leaving them very uncomfortable as their clothes stuck to them with sweat and rain.
Splitting into smaller groups, they made their own way towards the Drunken Cow. Passing out of the Foot, they passed down one of the two long roads into the Flow, across a bare patch of ground which the city had yet to expand onto. They continued down the gradual slope and into the Flow itself. The homes of the Flow were made of whatever cast-off materials that could be found - scavenged driftwood, bits of old sailcloth, uneven lumps of stone or brick, or packed earth. The people of the Flow shuffled about miserably in the rain, huddling beneath inadequate rags. They saw many people with faces drawn with fatigue and hunger, bodies gaunt and pale, while others stumbled about in various states of inebriation. Here and there small groups of big men with clubs, knives, or handaxes strolled about. Tristan and Ardrun drew long looks, but none of the thugs chose to challenge any of the group. At length, they met up at the Drunken Cow. The building was half of stone, but much of it had fallen down at one point and been replaced with old wood and dirt. The bar had no door, but rather a gaping, uneven hole in the stone wall with a bit of sailcloth thrown over it to provide some minimal protection from the elements. Sakura: Sakura looked around the Drunken Cow, expressionless. Vachir: "It should do."said the Bolgar pointing at the hole Bunny: "You said it! First drink's on you." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael came in and leaned wearily on the bar. He bought a small glass of some kind of spirits, taking it to another table. Tristan: Tristan entered the tavern, his face grim. Vachir: Vachir went in with the others Sakura: Sakura entered this... pit Sleeping Dragon: there were only a handful of people in the bar at that time, most of whom were gathered around a table in the far corner playing at dice. The proprietor, a lean man with a reddish face and a nervous disposition, anxiously served them whatever they ordered. It seemed plain to them that much of the bar's stock probably went into the man's stomach, as he refilled a battered mug of his own to the brim and then quickly downed it while they were settling in. Bunny: Bunny made frequent passes at Vachir, the teasing punctuated by rude jokes and gestures. Tristan: Tristan moved to sit with Rafael. "Now what?" he asked in a hushed tone. Vachir: Vachir did what he could to put off the woman advances - though he didn't look like he was too hopeful about it. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at Bunny with a frown. "This place is going downhill." he said in a rough voice, and then laughed. Vachir: Taking the chance to escape from this loathsome woman, Vachir quickly moved to sit with Rafael and Tristan Tristan: "Quite." Tristan agreed, looking at Bunny with a dark expression. Rafael ben Efrim: "She's a bit of a lively girl." Rafael said, grinning unsympathetically at Vachir. "Where'd you pick that one up?" Vachir: "I wish I remembered, then I could drop her there."replied Vachir smiling faintly as he uselessly tried to make the best out of his predicament Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded at Vachir's bow. "That's a nice piece of wood you got there, any good with it?" Sleeping Dragon: the barkeep laughed, choking on his beer as he did Sakura: Sakura rose from the table she shared with Ardrun and approached the table, "That is one hell of ugly girl. Do you always find them... desirable?" She looked annoyed. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at Bunny. "In a dark alley when you're desperate maybe." he giggled. Vachir: "Why, of course."said Vachir almost sounding offended "It's not for show." Sakura: Shaking her head, "Maybe it is true after all. Someone would fuck anything." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael winked at Sakura. "Are you the competition then?" he asked. Sakura: Gemma nodded her head as she smirked, "Sorry. Got a man to look after tonight." Rafael ben Efrim: "Ah, the big guy over there?" Rafael asked, looking round at Ardun. "Is he from the arena?" Sakura: EDIT: shook Tristan: Tristan looked at Gemma curiously for a moment before looking away. Sakura: Gemma shrugged, "I am not in habit asking what they do for living. But he is very good with his sword. That I know." Rafael ben Efrim: "I bet he is." Rafael snorted. "But he looks as if he'd be a good bet. I'm looking for someone to put a few coppers on." Sleeping Dragon: "Sandelt, Cotter, or Verne," the barkeep shouted, overhearing Rafael's comment. "They're the best ones there. I think Cotter is fighting tonight." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael got up and walked over to the bar. "What style of fighting?" Sakura: Looking at Bunny, "You know... you woud improve your look by cutting your head off." She left for her table with Ardrun. Vachir: Vachir almost burst laughing as he heard the woman's comment Vachir: "I'm sure someone with a sword could help"he added Sleeping Dragon: "Whose, Cotter's? He's a big fucker that slashes you to bits with some sort of giant spear-sword...thing...hey, Wayn, what's it called?" he shouted to one of the gamblers. "A glaive," Wayn replied, tossing some dice. "Ah, right, a glaive. He put it right through one bugger's throat last week, dropped him right dead as a fucking brick. It was amazing." Bunny: Bunny, looking bored, ignored the comments and sidled up closer to the barkeep. She ordered a cheap drink and listened to people talk, winking at the man sometimes. Rafael ben Efrim: "A glaive? Can make a real mess of a man, one of them." Rafael said. He looked from Sakura to Bunny then grinned at the barman. "I reckon these two ladies could put on a pretty good show themselves if they keep on like this. People'd pay money to see them wrestle I bet." Sleeping Dragon: the barkeeper eyed Bunny askance and tried to ignore her winks. "Sandelt is the Arena champion anyway, but she doesn't fight too often as she insists her battles are all to the death, while with the others, death's just something that could happen to you if you suck." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shook his head. "Women can be vicious." he said, then turned to Vachir. "How about it? You fancy taking on a girl like that?" Sakura: Gemma after some discussion with Ardrun, rose from the table and approached the bar smiling nicely at the barkeep. "I spoken to him and he said he want to know where the Arena so he can teach Sandelt a lesson on her proper place." Vachir: "Me? I prefer to keep my foes at a good distance, not my style."he replied "And I think I've had enough of vicious women, for now..." Sleeping Dragon: The barkeep gave Sakura a startled look, then glanced over at Ardrun. "It's your bollocks on the chopping block," he said, shrugging. "Just go along up the street outside, towards the sea, and then go right where the two fallen stone houses are. You'll see the Bloody Banner shortly enough, it's bigger than any other building around, made of bricks, and it's got a bunch of red banners hanging out the front." Sakura: Gemma smiled even more nicely, "Thank you. For all we know, he might join the Arena after all. If only to teach a girl." She strolled away back to the table and settled down. Sleeping Dragon: the barkeep looked over Ardrun for a while. "That could make for a good old fight. Not often they do one against one, except when Sandelt's fighting, usually they operate in teams..." From the street outside there came a woman's terrible scream. The barkeep glanced uselessly towards the 'door' and then continued on. "...of three, four, five...sometimes six a side." Vachir: "Sounds more like a brawl, or a small skirmish, even."commented the Bolgar "Could be interesting to watch..." Tristan: So far having just sat there listening to the conversation, Tristan looked up suddenly when he heard the scream and quickly moved to the door looking out. Sakura: Sakura looked at the door with disinterest which then she admiring him. Rafael ben Efrim: "You see?" Rafael said to Tristan. "You could fight on his side. Reckon the two of you would be worth four of any other men." he laughed. "If you can find another two I might even put my money on you instead of Cotter." Sakura: EDIT: Ardrun Bunny: Bunny looked up, frightened, but soon returned to nursing the cheap booze she bought. Vachir: Hearing the sound and seeing Tristan rush outside, Vachir went there, with hands already on his bow, to check what was happening Vachir: edit: seeing Tristan approach the door Sleeping Dragon: there came another scream from outside. Looking out, they saw a slight, dark woman running this way and that, clutching her head in her hands. "They took him! They took him! They took him!" she cried. Passersby ignored her screams, and then she misplaced a foot. She slipped on the muddy ground and fell down on her knees, sobbing and shaking. Sleeping Dragon: "Oh good, that bitch has shut up," the barkeep commented to Bunny when the screaming finally stopped. "And out go a bunch of my customers! Fucking bitch!" Vachir: Witnessing the scene, Vachir approached her "What do you mean, woman?"he asked "They?" Rafael ben Efrim: "This looks interesting." Rafael said to the barman as he went out of the door. As soon as he was out of sight he hurried forward. Tristan: Tristan walked over to the woman, helping her to her feet. "Took who?" Sleeping Dragon: the woman looked up at Tristan and tried to reply, but as she attempted to speak she was wracked with a great sob and she couldn't get any words out Sakura: Ardrun reacted instantly as he stood up and walked out into the street, looking at Tristan and the crying woman. Gemma sighed as she moaned, "Why are you doing that! It is just same old story of sadness and crying every single time!" She stood up and followed Ardrun out. As if in temper, she approached the woman and attempt to calm her down. Tristan: Tristan took the woman over to an overturned barrell to let her sit down. "Take it easy. Just tell us when you're ready." He added the 'us' after seeing Ardrun and Gemma come out of the tavern as well. Bunny: Bunny looked up from her drink "Do you know her?" Sleeping Dragon: the woman nodded to Tristan, sniffed, and wiped at her tears, then began to speak. "It was the ghouls," she said, her voice cracking a bit. "The city built the pits too close to the houses this time, we all know they did! The ghouls came and took my boy Feren! Please, help me! They'll eat him! He's only one...my boy..." this thought proved too much for Elahna and she began to cry again. Sleeping Dragon: edit: the woman Rafael ben Efrim: "Pits?" Rafael asked, coming up to the others. Tristan: Tristan looked to Vachir for a moment. "Where are these pits at?" Vachir: "Ghouls..."said Vachir with some uneasiness "I had mentioned that to you, I think."added shrugging "The pits..that's where the people bury their dead. In the rest of the city, they put them in the river" Sleeping Dragon: "The...the pits are just back behind my house, I can take you there..." Tristan: "Please do." Tristan looked to the others for a moment but said nothing, helping the woman to her feet. Rafael ben Efrim: "Just behind your house?" Rafael murmured. "It's a disgrace." Vachir: edit: change "put them in the river"to "throw them in the sea" Bunny: Getting no answer from the barkeep, she threw some coin next to the glass and went outside. Sakura: Gemma looked warily at this sad woman, trying to figure out if it is lies. whispering to Bunny, "Know who? Just some idiot bitch shouting outside. Always got people screaming around here." whispering to Bunny, edit: ignore Bunny: *strike "Getting no answer from the barkeep" Sakura: "Well, she is telling a truth from what I can see. I think I might come along if Ardrun want to help." Rafael ben Efrim: "It will take all of us if these ghouls are as bad as they are said to be. " Rafael said. "Lead us to your house please." he added to the woman. Sleeping Dragon: the woman looked up hopefully. "Oh please! Thank you! Thank you! I'll take you there at once, please, follow me!" Tristan: As Tristan passed the others he said quietly to them, "You don't have to come if you don't want to. There is still that business to be taken care of." Vachir: "Aye, lead us there."said Vachir, taking his bow in hand Rafael ben Efrim: "There is a time for business. This woman needs our help." Rafael replied equally quietly. Sleeping Dragon: the woman stood up immediately and quickly set off down the street, waving for them to follow her Tristan: Tristan nodded and quickly followed the woman. Sakura: Ardrun also followed the woman, Gemma sulked a little, "I was looking so forward for tonight." as she followed him. Bunny: Bunny looked confused. "What's going on? Are we saviors of the downtrodden now?" Tristan: "You don't have to include yourself in that catagory if you don't want to." Tristan said, a hint of anger in his voice. Bunny: "Forgive me for not washing a beggars feet while we're trying to do something. Leave the broad and lets go to the arena" Vachir: "You might try seducing the ghouls..."Vachir suggested with a sarcastic grin "I doubt they'd be picky, ya know?" Tristan: "Go by yourself then. I'm sure the gladiators will tell you all you want to know, dressed like that." Tristan turned away from Bunny and followed the woman, paying no further attention to the disguised man. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael came back to where the others had slowed. "There are times when a man should not pass by. This woman has asked for our help. An innocent life is at risk. We can save that life." Bunny: Bunny chortled. "I'll meet you at the Bloody Banner then." - she said walking away. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael sighed and followed the others. Sleeping Dragon: the woman sped along down the street and around behind her own tiny hovel of a house. Part of the wall had actually been torn down, revealing a small room with a rough pallet of straw for a bed. Clothing and small toys were scattered about the floor and around the broken wall.
Striding past it, the woman led them down a slope and towards the Body Pits. They could smell them from some distance off, a horrible stench of decay like an abbatoir of humankind. It took about five minutes of jogging before they reached the ragged edge of the Pits. The pit was roughly circular, about sixty feet in diameter. Around this edge it was around three feet deep, but it sloped down towards the middle to reach a depth of about ten feet.
The inside of the pit was a gruesome sight. Perhaps thirty bodies had been scattered about, covered in little more than dirty rags. They also noticed eight or nine crumpled heaps of rags with no bodies inside them. A bitter, caustic taste filled the air, emanating from the white quicklime dusting the pit. The woman covered her face. Tristan: "And these ghouls, er live here?" Tristan asked looking over the pit, breathing through his mouth. Sleeping Dragon: "Yes..." the woman coughed. "I don't know where, the entrance must be hidden." She scampered down into the pit to investigate Vachir: Vachir put an hand on his nose - he found the stench truly terrible. Sakura: Gemma coughed as she said, "That quicklime! It is poisonous!" Tristan: Hearing Sakura's warning Tristan tried to grab at the woman to stop her. "We'll take care of it." Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael took out his waterbottle and unwrapped a scarf from his neck. "Use something to wrap around your mouth and nose, and wet it. It will help to some extent. But we must be speedy." Vachir: Vachir nodded, thanking the man for the suggestion. He dropped his bow for a moment, then took a knife and his waterskin from his backpack. He cut off part of his right sleeve, and then dropped some water on it before placing it on his mouth. Bunny: (whispering): Bunny got rid of the most hideous growths on her face, but left enough to not attract suitors Bunny: (whispering): She then proceeded towards the Bloody Banner to do some reconnaissance Sakura: She untied one of her sleeves and damp it before tieing it around her mouth and skull. Tristan: "It's dangerous here." Tristan added, taking his waterskin out, along with a few strips of cloth. whispering to Bunny, Bunny made her way along the streets and towards the Bloody Banner. The evening's match drew near and throngs were flocking towards it to see the fight. The Bloody Banner was much as the barkeeper in the Drunken Cow had described - looming twice the height of the other buildings in the area, and nearly 100 feet in diameter, it dominated the surrounding neighbourhood. Upwards of twenty banners hung from the walls, in varying shades of red from bright crimson and cherry to dark purplish-red. Huge numbers of people were making their way towards the enormous double doors. Several security guards led by a huge, broad-shouldered, scarred man with a face like chipped granite were keeping watch over those entering, while a gangly peddler was enthusiastically trying to flog various oddments to those passing into the arena. whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, Rafael scanned the pit as he put his wet cloth across his face and then his eyes narrowed. Two bodies were sprawled up against the far edge of the pit, but behind their tangled limbs and bits of rags Rafael thought he saw a gap Rafael ben Efrim: As they made rough masks for themselves Raphael looked accross to the far side of the pit and suddenly pointed. "See over there, between those two bodies. I believe there is an opening there." Tristan: Tristan nodded, tying the damp cloth around his face. "Wait here, we'll deal with it." He said to the woman. Sleeping Dragon: the woman nodded and climbed back out of the pit. Tristan walked over to where the bodies were and pulled them aside to reveal a small hole about three feet across which led down into the ground. Sleeping Dragon: as Tristan pulled the bodies back, the rags fell away from one of the corpses and they found themselves looking at a familiar face. One of the bodies was unfamiliar, but the other was Iron, the thug they had confronted near the Lost Angel. His throat had been deeply cut. Tristan: "Poor man." Tristan said, moving the body gently out of the way. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael shook his head and moved up to the hole, peering in and listening. Sakura: Gemma loaded her weapon, crossbow and came nearer Bunny: (whispering): Bunny paid the entry fee and walked inside, taking in the people inside as she went Vachir: Vachir pointed his bow at the hole, in case anything hostile came out of it Sleeping Dragon: they could hear nothing from within, and nothing came out of the hole Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael looked at Ardrun, waiting for him to go first. Tristan: Tristan lit his lantern and entered the hole first, drawing his sword. Sleeping Dragon: they made their way into a narrow, confined tunnel with walls of bare earth, clods of which fell away as they brushed against them. The tunnel continued on for a short distance and then opened up into a wider cavern with two passages running off from it. What appeared to be a large piece of sail was stretched across the roof, pulled taut by ropes attached to four posts in the approximate corners of the room. Tristan: Tristan stepped into the room, looking from one passage to the next, uncertain of the way to go. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael came up beside him, searching around in the dirt for any tracks or signs. Sakura: Sakura also tried to find any tracks. Sleeping Dragon: Rafael examined the ground. There were actually footprints heading in both directions, but those heading for the upper passage were the more recent. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael pointed out the footprints at the upper passage. "In here." he said. Sleeping Dragon: as Rafael pointed out the footprints and moved towards the passage, he crossed the middle of the room and felt something tug on his leg. There was a low twang and suddenly two of the posts in the corners were hauled out of the mud. The sail stretched across the roof abruptly collapsed, and dozens of rocks came falling down on those unlucky enough to be near the middle of the room Tristan: Tristan nodded and started to follow Rafael when the rocks began to fall. Though caught off-guard, the rocks clanged off of Tristan's armor. Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael ducked as rocks fell about them. Sakura: Sakura was hit painfully by the rocks. Vachir: Vachir was lucky enough to be outside the rock's range. He looked uneasily at the others, grimacing as he saw them being bruised Rafael ben Efrim: "We should have been suspicious of that to start with." Rafael said, checking himself for wounds where the rocks had hit. "We underestimated the intelligence of these things." Tristan: Tristan pushed some of the rocks away. "Are you two alright?" Rafael ben Efrim: Rafael nodded, "I am." Sakura: Gemma glanced back with painful glance, "Yes, but hopefully, we will be more aware of this." whispering to Rafael ben Efrim, as they brushed themselves off, Rafael heard the sound of feet scrabbling along the upper passage towards them Rafael ben Efrim: Suddenly Rafael crouched staring at the upper passage, dagger in hand. "Something's coming," he hissed. Tristan: "Behind me." Tristan said, readying his sword. Sleeping Dragon: just as Rafael spoke and backed away, three figures emerged rapidly from the passage. They were foul, gray-skinned beasts with long fingers like claws. They were filthy and covered in grave dirt, and bits of rotted meat were stuck between their jagged teeth. They glared at the party with maddened red eyes.
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