AvB - The adventures of Scribly

[Moranica]

"Uhh, ahh, ....", Scribly manages to swallow down some rising vomit before answering.

"Yes, of course, no killing."
.....

"Could you also show me the way out? I doubt I could find it on my own."

[Monodominant]

"Close your eyes..." says one of the kobolds behind you and you hear some of them sniggering.

"Yes. Close your eyes and they will take you at the edge of our territory. Know that if you bring me the gnome all other crimes are forgiven and you can consider yourself tentatively allowed in our sewers... when you have her bring her to the place my boys found you, make a mark with some chalk that she is there and I will have someone pick her up..." the Big Boss says firmly.

If you comply after you close your eyes they put an sack over your head and take you away. You can hear at least 3 pairs of feet around you but at some point they chatter in draconic and you hear a fourth voice leading you to the assumption there may be even more silent movers.

After around 1 hour of moving around when you are completely disorianted the hood is removed and you find yourself at a dead end sewer passage with a rusty ladder leading up to a sewer grate.

"Go now shifter and see you soon!" you hear one of the kobolds say before melding into the shadows.

[Moranica]

Great. ... just great. Now I've got to tangle with gnomes, just to keep my life...., or never set foot in the sewers again.

Still, the abandoned hiding place could make a wonderful hiding place. And as far as I know, no others know about it. And with kobolds running around, friendly to me, make excellent guards. Some repairs are in order though. Perhaps the kobolds can help with that.

Before going outside, Scribly changes to Flirl Fincklepinckle, a gnome he once met, and had a hard time get rid of.

[Monodominant]

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You also gain 500 XP for the progress with the Kobolds.

And having the Kobolds as allies also means future mission potentials with the underworld without the nuances of the Flint...

Indeed he does. You are on the surface looking like a gnome...

[Moranica]

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Indeed, this sounds pretty good. It also triggered me about raising my of information network using streetkids etc. again. (Alfonso tried this) And incorporate Dreifus somehow.... I might take leadership feat in that case.

Still, an kobold chief who could eat you any time, .... scary. Then again, I could eat him as well.

Scribly goes the house of Aruna, passing it a couple of times, as if looking for someone, checking it out.

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To do list:
- Start crime/information syndicate
- Link up with Dreifus
- Sell "clock" for good price/favors
- Abduct gnome
- Check on Regira
- Find two sword guy, who's name I keep forgetting.

[Monodominant]

The store is still open as the sun is slowly setting in the horison.

You see numerous potted plants and flowers giving it a very green outlook. Above the store, connected by an outside metal ladder, there is a small house with tiny picturesque windows.

[Moranica]

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Obviously, this place harbors evil at it's worst!

Scribly appoaches and knocks at the door.

[Monodominant]

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Cleanse and purify brother!

Store door or house door?

[Moranica]

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store during the day, house in the evening.

[Monodominant]

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Sorry, it was showing me as last poster!

It is early evening but the store is still open so you head there.

Knocking the door means that a moment later it is opened by a large muscular man in armor.

The man seems to be more like a bodyguard than the owner or even a florist and he looks at you with a penetrating stare before moving aside to let you in.

[Moranica]

Scribly looks at the man.

"My oh my, you don't look like a gnome at all... or is this some kind of mechanical armor ......?"

"Anyway, I'm looking for Aruna."

[Monodominant]

"Mistress Aruna has hired us to keep her safe. She is one of the few gnomes around here that hasnt run to the embassy scared and worried which means she needed some extra friends around..." replies a second voice from inside.

You see that this man is wearing robes of crimson color and has a double pointed beard and holding a wand.

"I am Maestro Zulonio, the great Arcanist and this is my colleague Uros the Unchained!" he says indicating the warrior that opened the door.

"And I am Nikolas the Stealthy!" says a voice coming from around waist height and you turn to see a skulking halfling hiding behind the curtains.

All these introductions are cut short as a young gnome female of exceptional beauty steps from the back room and glares at the three men.

"Dont you go scaring my customers you lot! I said DISCREET protection at my Flint job offer!" she says firmly before turning to look at you and her eyes widden at the fact that you are also a gnome.

"Oh hello there... cousin!" she says and smiles at you.

[Moranica]

......... stupid kobolds. They set me up. I should have known, when they couldn't handle it themselves.

"Good day, madam, the name's Fincklepinckle, I heard you were one of the few of our kind living your life outside of the embassy. And I see, how you manage!", Scribly smiles.

"I am a seller of high-end timing mechanisms, and looking to do just as you do. I could use some advise, as I have little experience in this city."

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Bluff (1d20+15)[26]

[Monodominant]

She chuckles and beckons you further inside switching her speech to gnomish.

"That is true! For various reasons most of our kind leave in the Embassy in the Nobles Quarter but it takes almost 5 days until your application is checked by the Ambassador and you are then allowed to enter the Quarter and the Embassy! The tall folk dont even get to enter the NQ most of the time!" she says as she checks if you are following and enters the back room that is a small office.

She motions to you to sit at a chair across her small desk and pours you a cup of tea from a steaming pot.

"As for how I manage... well... I manage cause I put a job offer in the Flint, thats a nearby tavern, looking for adventurers to be my bodyguards. They are not best I will grant you that but they fended off some burglars the other week and even two small kobold attacks since I first opened the store. Since then I have them on retainer and they do well even though they are annoyed they dont get as much actions as they expected but they are loyal enough and funny in their way!" she says and smiles at you.

"So tell me your story, how did you end up on your own this side of the mountains!"

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I really do hope you speak gnomish!

[Moranica]

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I speak a lot of languages, thank god. Took the master linguist feat for it. Really needed for this role.

"Kobold attacks?? They have kobolds here??"

"As for my story, I used to be a different kind of guy really, the kind of guy who's favorite pasttime was having fun. Playing jokes on people his favorite kind of fun. Working as a trickster he earned his money travelling between the islands of the Free Midlands from rich family to the next or who ever could afford him. One of his best tricks was doing stereotypical types. The shapechanging helped loads with that. He got laughts and tears everywhere.

As he was up and coming in the business and finally he got invited to on the noble families parties. It was a glorious night and all his tricks went very well. He had some drinks and one of the waitresses seemed to have taken a liking to him. This really was his lucky day. They snuck away into some nearby closet and started their fun.

Swishhh, rrrrtt and bonk bonk. The closet came apart, through an ingenious system of ropes and pulleys. There he was, half unclothed being laughed at by the entire party. The host was hopping with excitement. "I tricked the trickster!! Who's the smart ass now!! HAHAHAHA!!!" He ran away, ashamed and his tricksters pride had taken a severe blow..... he'd get revenge.

It was a quiet evening a couple of days later when he snuck into the mansion and waited near the big hall for diner to start. When all where present he unleashed his spell. A huge troll appeared to come walking in the room. Everybody panicked!!! AHHAAA NOOOO!! Screams and chaos everywhere!! After a minute he made the troll dissappear again and stepped out. NEVER TRICK A TRICKSTER!! he yelled..... but the noble host wasn't watching. He cradled his daughter in his arms as she was covered in blood. A crossbow bolt sticking out of her shoulder. During the chaos one of the guards had fired it at the troll, but of course it went straight through and had hit the daughter. Then the noble looked up and across the hall at him!! Furious he issued the command of his capture....

He had to use all his cunning and tricks to escape that day and he quickly left the free Midlands. After a long boatride he thus arrived in the Aldhaven, hoping to start a new life. Well, here I am!

And since my grandfather used to be really good with clocks and time mechanism's I figured I start with that. I still have one of his best pieces! Want to see it?"

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Scribly's background.. so a bluff just in case. (1d20+15)[25]

[Monodominant]

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So basically you are telling her a true story but with the addition that you are a gnome and not... well... you and adding the watch part.

Other than that you know enough to recall gnomes live in the Mountains to the east, their settlements just above ground while their dwarf cousins dwell underneath.

"Indeed the Kobolds are a menace... they claim the Old Town sewers as their domain yet now with a major crime organisation dismantled by the heroic efforts and the guard and a marqueed agent they are free to spread like the cancer that they are..." she says softly.

"Its actually dangerous for our folk to walk in the open, its said they have spies everywhere looking for gnomes for their fat leader is a beast that eats flesh!" she says and her voice quivers.

As you finish your tale, which she listens to intently, she shakes her head.

"Your poor thing, you have been through so much! And now I realise why you didnt go to the embassy... maybe the Ambassador and the other gnomish hob nobs would have heard of you!" she says and pauses.

"I would love to see the watch but would implore you to be careful in Aldhaven... if you are just starting, alone and with no support from the Embassy you will be in terrible danger!" she says seriously.

[Moranica]

"Bah, kobolds, no threat by themselves and often no danger on their own, but in groups and when left to fester, kobolds can become a true menace indeed. The guard should flush them out and cut them up. The only good kobold is one who's clock stopped ticking, my grandpa used to say. [grin]"

Scribly feigns surprise and fear as she warns him of the city's dangers for gnomes.

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Bluff for just that. (1d20+15)[27]

"Are you serious? Is it that dangerous? Dear Garl, so my staying at a local tavern nearby, could be lethal? What should I do? What to do?"

[Monodominant]

"Well I would suggest that first of all you get by the Nobles Quarter entrance and leave a message for the ambassador... best start that process soon..." she and smiles.

"And then it all depends... if you have the coin hire yourself a few men like I did for the next few days... if not you could ask at the relevant guild for protection or if they can guarantee a room for you in the guildhouse... and make sure you dont go anywhere with strangers!" she says seriously.

"Ah, you never did show me the clock after all!" she says.

[Moranica]

"Alright, I will do that first then. I haven't even talked to a guild yet, since I arrived only yesterday, I figured today was just to get some rest and look around a little. Guess rest is over. Not sure which guild to talk to really. Are familiar with all the guilds here in Aldhaven?"

After some more talk Scribly takes out his "clock". The one made out of metal.

"This is it, my grandpa said it was his masterpiece. And I believe him. Even with his instructions I still don't fully understand it's workings."

[Monodominant]

When asked about the guilds she informs you that the one most close to what you are asking is the Smiths guild.

When you pull out the watch her eyes widden and her mouth forms a wide O.

"That is amazing!" she tells you and looks at you carefully.

"Who was your grandpa? There are only few craftsmen that could produce something like this and most of them are actually dwarves! Maybe I actually knew your grandpa or a relation of yours!" she says impressed.

[Moranica]

"Well, I doubt you would have heard of him, since his name was Fincklepinckle just like me. And he did employ some dwarves, who helped him make it. [grin] He always used to say, Gnomes are the brains, dwarves are the hands."

"So, what do you sell here?"

[Monodominant]

She ponders for a few moments trying to remember the name and she shrugs eventually.

"Hmm never heard of it but if indeed your grand-dad was that talented perhaps the Ambassador will have heard of him and grant you permission faster rather than later... just yesterday a fire gnome was murdered lured by kobolds in disguise!" she says with a worried voice.

"As for my store... just flowers for now... I plan to expand in intelligent plants to bring some color to the city... I am actually just using contacts I have in cultivating them and then sell in bulk to a famous store that also does magical flowers in the city and to those that want to host bigger events with lots of flowers... on occasion I deal with the public but not that often!"

[Moranica]

"That is quite interesting. Growing flowers in the city must be hard."

"All this talk certainly has made me hungry. Care to have lunch/dinner with me?"

[Monodominant]

She nods fervently.

"Sure why not! There are two places I can suggest... my house as I make a mean goulash or alternatively the Fancy Pony a tavern that caters to small folk!"

[Moranica]

"You do goulash?!? No way, I haven't had a good goulash in ages. I would love to take you up on your offer."

"Also, you have such a lovely house, I almost feel at home here."

[Monodominant]

"Very well! But this isnt my place silly, its just the workspace, my house is upstairs!" she says and grins.

"Just give me a few minutes to finish up some paperwork for a couple of orders and then I will close up shop and come up!" she says and asks the roguish looking bodyguard to head upstairs along with the armored one while the caster stays with her.

"Feel free to go upstairs with the guys... I send them first to check out the place for any breaches usually before going up myself!"

[Moranica]

"Haha, you had me fooled there for a second. I suppose there is a toilet upstairs as well?"

Either way, he goes upstairs.

[Monodominant]

She nods. "Yes there is indeed an indoor plumbing facility..."

You are lead upstairs by the two men and shown in.

The house is small designed to house a gnome but very colorful. There are small ornaments from diffrent places and of diffrent kind all around and paintings showing the woman you just met with a young gnome and two gnomish kids.

The two bodyguards dont pay any further attention to you and they go about checking the house after showing you where the toilet is.

[Moranica]

Scribly heads over to the toilet, makes some interesting sounds and then opens the door a couple of inches.

"Hey, can one of you help me here? This toilet seems to be .... broken."

Which is followed by some more ruckus with the toilet.

[Monodominant]

The armored man makes his way to you, the roguish seems to have made himself scarce either to avoid doing anything or just due to his talents.

"Broken? How is it broken exactly?" asks the man as he approaches.