Greed is Good (IC)

[Gullara]

Cecily falls into that category. She also requires a careful approach; Alec isn't sure how she'll feel about his proposal. Once he sees her, he begins with small talk. "Good evening," he waves. "How're you liking the city so far? Have you been here before?"

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Sorry for the delay. I managed to miss this entirely.

"Hello there, Alec. I've actually been here once or twice. Never for long, though, so I'm hoping for the chance to see a bit more of the city this time." Cecily says, greeting him with a smile. "I don't suppose you've been here before, have you?"

[Blarghy]

Cecily

Likewise smiling, he corrects, "No, now's my first visit." Probably because his captain correctly thought that Stormgate would be hostile to a pirate vessel. "But I like it so far. I always enjoy exploring a new city; you never know what you'll find. Speaking of which, I came across some rumors. I wanted to talk to you about them. Some people have said the local lord is training a good number more troops these days. It worries me a bit; we might've arrived at the beginning of a war, or right before he declares martial law. Have you heard anything about that?"

[Gullara]

[Cecily]

Cecily drums her fingers on her cheek, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I haven't heard anything like that. What I have heard is he's been in contact with some minor nobles from Altyria. To work out some trade agreements or some such. He's certainly up to something, but my information has been less than detailed."

[Blarghy]

Cecily

"I'd be surprised if those two are related, personally. Unless the trade agreements need significant protection, which I suppose is possible." Alec pauses to decide on his approach here. "...It may not affect us, but I think I'd like to know what's going on. Unfortunately, matters of the state like this tend to be well-guarded. I won't be able to walk up to the keep and just ask around. But bards, I hear, sometimes have talents in this area."

He makes a small of course gesture. "Given the value of the information, and the risk involved, compensation would be in order."

[Gullara]

[Cecily]

Cecily's eyebrows shoot up. "You'd like to know what's going on, hm?" Alec is going to have to deal with her curiosity it seems. "It's best we know what's going on, I agree. Of course, your only concern is our safety." She smiles knowingly. Not going to slip that he's up to something past her. Not when he's making a request like this that is.

[Blarghy]

Cecily

He laughs lightly. There's an element of relief to it; she doesn't seem suspicious in an accusing way, so perhaps Cecily is more open to, ah, nontraditional means of profit than he expected. Not that Alec is about to invite her to visit Finley with him, but still, it's nice to know he doesn't have to tip-toe around her.

"Wellllll..." He steeples his fingers. "Safety and the possibility of turning the matter to our advantage. Depending on just what's happening up at the keep, there could be a way to profit from it. If nothing else, information itself is always valuable. But the important thing is to not be caught off-guard. If soldiers are about to start patrolling the streets and locking down Stormgate, I'd like to have some advanced notice before we become trapped in a police state."

[Gullara]

[Cecily]

"Alright, I'm in. I'm not forgetting about that promise of compensation, though." Cecily gives him a wink. "It'd be easy enough getting in I think, b ut getting close to someone noteworthy could be challenging. If you've got any more information to give me, now's the time to do it."

[Blarghy]

Cecily

"Sadly not." Alec shrugs mildly. "All I know is that an unusual number of troops are being trained and massed at the keep. If you keep in touch with Thorus, he may learn something useful during his training sessions. Perhaps you could enlist him."

[The Orange Zergling]

Alec

Thorus nods his head curtly. "Another job or two ain't a big deal. World's pretty much built on favors." When the pirate adds his request, Thorus snorts with laughter. "Gotta say, never thought I'd get a squire." He thinks for a moment, then nods. "Alright, sure. If he tries out a weapon he might get roughed up a little, but I'll make sure it ain't too bad."

[Blarghy]

Thorus

"Bruises never hurt anybody; gods know I've had my share. They're a good way to learn to move faster."

He goes back to the wagons and vanishes inside the one they collectively borrowed from Indrys. When he comes out, he has a sizable pouch. Alec hands it over; it's full of gold. "Try not to beat your instructor to death. That has a way of making people jealous."

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Sheet edited: -200 gp.

[Destro_Yersul]

Laelaer

"Trouble? Not as such. The Lord likes to be prepared, is all." Leading the way, Hariel took Laelaer around the top decks, before heading below. The elf seemed to know all the sailors, and to have earned their respect - she saw him get a lot of friendly waves as they walked by.

"It's been interesting, working in the sun like this, but not entirely disagreeable. I'm a little odd, though, or so I'm told. WHat brings you to the surface?"

Alec - Earlier

"I'm not entirely sure," Adrian said. "It was hard to overhear. You came out with a little more information, and a lot less money. Why pay the man so much?"

Glaffin

Brother Eric, as promised, was not difficult to find once the scrolls had been created. The priest wasn't expecting so many, so soon, but he rounded up the money for Glaffin all the same. It was a good chunk - ten scrolls were worth a lot more than the few he'd sold earlier.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Eric asked, once the scrolls were payed for and collected.

Indrys

"You're most welcome," was the reply. "But now, I must be going. I look forward to dealing with you later."

Corvi excused himself with a bow, leaving Indrys alone to go find Tallhelm. The merchant wouldn't be hard to locate, the elf was sure - it was only the caravan's second day in the city, and Tallhelm was likely to be manning his own personal wagon, or speaking with some of the other merchants. Either way, he'd be with the wagons.

[Slii Arhem]

"Not today, but tomorrow around mid-day I should have the other half of them for you as promised. Now, with my labors done it's time I turned to the spiritual pursuits we spoke of before. Tread kindly on the earth brother, and breathe the air sweetly. Drink slowly of the water and tend the fires hot." With all that has happened to him lately, Glaffin feels that a less standard dwarven prayer suits his parting with Brother Eric. It's an old one, and little known among the mountain people, but it feels natural rolling off his tongue today.

Collecting his money, Glaffin departs and heads back to the caravan and the wagon he shares with the others. Such a large amount of money made in one day, and a fair start on his spiritual troubles as well.

While he's there at the wagon, he'll look for anyone from their little group of allied merchants to share the news with, and finds himself looking for Alec in particular. Despite their obvious philosophical differences, the conversation they once had left him seeking more of the same. It was intellectually and emotionally stimulating to speak with someone who was almost entirely opposed to your way of thinking.

And the young (relatively anyway) dwarf thought he could use all the stimulation he could get.

[Blarghy]

That Afternoon

Alec expected something different, but this works. "I might have gotten away with offering him less, yes," he agrees. "But I didn't just buy the information--I bought an agent. Unless I miss my guess, he won't hold onto that gold for long. Either he'll spend it quickly, probably a good bit on gambling, or he'll lose it to someone else in this city. Then he'll want, even need, more. You may've noticed that he wasn't the smartest sort. He knows things, though, and he's a way into...certain elements of Stormgate. That makes him valuable. I can use him, and he's simple enough to be used. Besides, the things I learned were worth the gold anyway. It's hard to break into a new city when you don't have the right connections. People on this level of society are suspicious. They don't know me; who's to say I don't work for the Fire Lord, that I'm not a spy, if not for him then for someone else? As far as Finley knows, I might work for Sam, and vice versa. It'd be hard to meet with one of them on my own. That greedy, low-level thug can be my way in, not because he's particularly trusted but because he's already known. Finley will still be suspicious, but he's more likely to see me than he would be otherwise. And that's what I paid for."

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Sheet edited again.

Evening

Despite not having any particular news for Glaffin, unlike some others of their company (best to check out that dwarf shop first before he recommends it; he might decide to rob the place, after all), Alec still nods and smiles when he spots the priest.

[Slii Arhem]

Evening

"Trust your day's been profitable Alec? I've managed to find some paying work myself, at least for a few days. Seems like everyone is off on their own schemes since arriving in the city though, as I haven't seen a hair of anyone from the wagon since I cast out myself." A simple start to a conversation he's still rather hesitant to start. It's not lacking in knowing references to Alec's somewhat shady actions, but Glaffin knows far less than he suspects.

Hopefully playing a bit with words will draw Alec into a longer conversation, because he feels he needs it right now.

[Blarghy]

Glaffin

The pirate is apparently in a good mood; he laughs deeply and honestly. "Profitable, yes. I'm glad to hear yours was as well. Have you taken up with another blacksmith, like in Seabreak?

[Slii Arhem]

Glaffin

A short shake of the head, "Nay, a priest looking for spell scrolls. Much more lucrative work if you can stand the cramps writing runes all day will give you. What of you, found any taverns looking for a show to be arranged to draw a crowd?" Glaffin hoists himself up on the back of the wagon, letting his legs dangle as he looks up to the sun hanging low in the sky.

[Blarghy]

Glaffin

With another laugh, he agrees, "A tavern was involved at one point, but no, I traded today. Good prices for some fish I bought." Alec decides there's no reason not to vaguely mention his other success, even if he probably won't go into details. "I also spent some time familiarizing myself with the city. With any luck, greater profits may be in my future, in some form or another."

[Gullara]

Cecily

"Sadly not." Alec shrugs mildly. "All I know is that an unusual number of troops are being trained and massed at the keep. If you keep in touch with Thorus, he may learn something useful during his training sessions. Perhaps you could enlist him."

[Cecily]

"That's an idea. I think he owes me a favour anyway." Cecily smiles wryly. "I think I might need a new outfit, though. This one is so worn and dusty from the road. What do you think?" She looks at him expectantly, only seeming to grow more amused. She can't help but wonder how much he wants her to do this, and how much he's willing to give to see it done.

[Blarghy]

Cecily

Alec lifts his eyebrows and chuckles. "I suppose it's important to look the part. I could probably give you an advance. Say...thirty gold coins?" Surely that's enough for a nice, tailored outfit; he hopes she won't demand that he pay for jewelry as well. Although that could be a good way to cash in some of his pearls...

[Slii Arhem]

Glaffin

With another laugh, he agrees, "A tavern was involved at one point, but no, I traded today. Good prices for some fish I bought." Alec decides there's no reason not to vaguely mention his other success, even if he probably won't go into details. "I also spent some time familiarizing myself with the city. With any luck, greater profits may be in my future, in some form or another."

He gets a nod for his troubles, and an abrupt switch to the superficially harsh dwarven dialect, "A sound plan that. I had to take care of some more personal business, so I squandered the chance to visit more than the chapel today, thought my profits spilled over my purse even so. Did you happen to sell the fish we got for those bows, or just the ones you bought on your own?" He's interested to see if there's another payday coming to him today. Heck, if the chits have been cashed as well then he's well on his way to being well off instead of struggling!

[The Orange Zergling]

Alec

Thorus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow - being paid two hundred gold up front was something that didn't happen every day - but accepted the pouch with a lopsided grin. "Only one way to find out, right?"

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Added to my sheet under Other Possessions instead of Currency.

[Blarghy]

Glaffin

"/Only my own,//" he likewise changes languages. "/Maybe I'll try to sell the rest tomorrow. I could take the apples down to the docks as well. Silk might not sell so well in that district; perhaps you could look for a buyer? Your fellow priests could use them for robes.//"

Thorus

The lack of questions is filed away in Alec's memory; whether or not Thorus is corrupt (or corruptible) is still in the air, but apparently he doesn't worry too much about where his payment comes from. A useful thing to know.

"Indeed. Now that we've gotten business out of the way, why don't we round up any of the others who're feeling hungry and find something to eat? You've emptied my pockets, so I might as well fill my stomach." He flashes a wide, sharp grin.

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Nothing in particular planned here, other than giving everybody something to do while we all get to the end of the day in other timelines. A group conversation might be nice anyway, since we're split up more often than not.

[Gullara]

[Cecily]

"Oh, that's so kind of you, Alec. Thirty would be plenty I'm sure." The bard favours him with a broad smile. "I'll start looking into things tomorrow. I'll come to you as soon as I find anything out."

[Slii Arhem]

Glaffin

"You'd be surprised. A lot of traders I knew liked it for its lack of weight, and not all ships in the harbor are fishermen. Some of them are bound to be merchants looking to buy up anything they can bring to the next port and sell, the lighter and pricier the better." It's not as though they have to sell everything to people who would want it for their own use. Resellers have just as much right to it, if they're asking the right price.

"I'm afraid I've already stretched the church's budget selling them scrolls. It would take a better salesman than me to convince them to buy more now, with the high priest tightening their purse strings. Not that I didn't make out with a pretty penny. Sold all but two of my scrolls and got an order for another 20 by tomorrow." Rubbing his beard, the dwarf briefly considers where to go from there.

"Does it matter to you, where your mandate comes from? I imagine members of some faiths might be more flexible in that respect than others. You can probably guess that I was raised to follow one path, and when others present themselves it's hard not to wonder if they should be taken." Though his statements are vague, it doesn't seem as if Glaffin's in the midst of a crisis of faith. He does seem troubled still, but maybe his trip to the church did more to sooth him than it seemed to.

[The Orange Zergling]

Alec

"Y'won't regret it 'fore long, trust me. Better an empty pocket than an empty skull." He sniffles, then adds "Aye. I could go fer a good ale, too." He stashes the coins in a safe place in the wagon and will follow Alec if he chooses to find a tavern.

[Blarghy]

Cecily

Mild surprise flickers over his face as though he expected her to try haggling for more, but the pirate does his best to suppress the look just in case it gives Cecily ideas. He matches her smile. "Thanks very much. I'm sure you'll solve the mystery in no time." As promised, he takes more of the gold he earned from the fish, counts out thirty coins, and hands them over.

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Sheet edited yet again. =P

Glaffin

The switch of topics catches Alec somewhat by surprise; he was in the midst of considering just taking the entire wagon down to the harbor tomorrow, given that he'd otherwise need to rent a cart to carry everything, when they apparently began talking about religion. Nonetheless, he doesn't complain; few moments pass when he isn't willing to discuss matters of theology.

"/I don't entirely understand your meaning,//" he says, "/although if you're speaking of unusual sources of inspiration, I would say that the gods can use nearly anything to make themselves heard. It's always wise to watch for signs. Rather, if you mean their aspects, I follow all of Loktar's. ...To be fair, some suit me more than others, but I do my best to give them all their due respect and attention.//"

Thorus

"Good. I noticed a place last night that could be entertaining; they provide shows with their meals, so they say. I'd like to have a look."

Alec makes a pass through the caravan to gather any of their other friends who'd like to join them at the Headsman's Axe. Other guards and merchants are welcome too--with the...not quite exception of Tallhelm, though Alec tries to avoid their employer during his search. He'd prefer not to spend the whole evening listening to past exploits he's already heard several times.

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Mind introducing us to the restaurant/inn, Destro?

[Slii Arhem]

Glaffin

"Perhaps a bit of both. I sort of pegged you for the type to not leave yourself tied to one aspect of the laughing god, so I figured I'd ask. I've devoted myself to one aspect of Tharius out of practicality as all in my clan do, earth being the one I was brought up in contact with. Since starting on the road, air and water both have troubled my dreams with inspiration, and my thoughts even turn to fire when I let my mind wander. So, what would you do if all aspects of your god were asking you for tasks without explaining what they were? Assuming of course, Loktar doesn't do such a thing often. I'm not exactly wise in the way he works." In many ways Glaffin led a sheltered life before his mountainhome was destroyed, and his lack of knowledge of Loktarian practices is one of the consequences of that.

[Blarghy]

Glaffin

"/I've never known the gods to be straightforward,//" he chuckles. A dream of his own comes to mind; Alec debates sharing it, but decides not to. He hasn't quite interpreted it himself. The guesses he can make, and those Glaffin is likely to make as well, don't exactly paint his instructions in the most wholesome light, so why trouble the priest with Loktar's orders?

"/Tharius may be different, but with the laughing god, I believe that half our task is to discern our instructions. The road to service is as important as service itself. Then again, Loktar constantly offers tests in all things. I welcome the puzzles. Any task too important to pass on cryptically probably wouldn't be given to mortals in the first place.//" Alec strokes his bear like some old philosopher. "/Although, I wonder if this is an agreement between our gods. Perhaps they promised one another to never give clear, outright commands to their followers on this plane, lest they turn us into puppets and pawns in an endless struggle for power. By forcing us to think for ourselves in these matters, we are allowed to maintain our free will.//"

[Slii Arhem]

Glaffin

The dwarf laughs at the suppositions, shaking his head in amusement and wonder, "I see you've never spoken with a dwarf on these matters before. Plenty of Tharius' commands are as plain as the air in front of my nose, else I wouldn't be so puzzled by this one. 'Forge a sword from the ash of your ancestors' and 'Craft three thousand nails before your next birthday' are among the more memorable ones from my clan, the first for its sacred nature and the second for its mundanity. And of course, the immense gifts of nails spread about to every single person who came to Mordrin's celebration that year. Oftentimes a member of my clan would receive simple tasks and suggestions nearly every day at risen prayer." More laughter, genuine because of the fond remembrance that story brings, bubbles forth.

"But it could be that dwarves are simply different. I admit to never asking a human how Tharius comes to them, and I know more than a few clans consider themselves Tharius' favored sons and daughters, as prideful as they are. Load of stuff and nonsense." He grumbles, good mood dashed for a moment.

"You've given me a bit of insight into how Loktar provides his words, so let me try and return the favor in kind. If you were an earth-minded dwarf, where would you go looking for something of air, water, and fire?" There's a glimmer in his eye, as if he's already got an answer in mind.

[Blarghy]

Glaffin

He thinks he doesn't fully understand the question. "/Do you mean idealized forms of the elements? Or a combination of the three, somehow? Symbols of their concepts that aren't strictly made of the elements themselves, like statues?//"