Sandbox Tristalt (IC)

[DrunkenMists]

Mosroda: ((OOC: {} will be used to detonate personal thought for me.))

Mosroda leans back againist the wall; thinking about the merits of taking this on...

{I could always come back here and take care of this afterwards. Should they prove to be on the worse side of things.}

Hearing Garmine's and Natsu's..."conversation" she responds "I think he means after this; you will have some money then."

She turns to the Two employers then "Yea...I'll do it"; she turns head towards garmine/natsu "I'm not sure these two are up for it though.."

[darklink_shadow]

Natsu exchanges a look at Rip, then laughs. "Not up for fighting some cultists? I grew up brawling with dragons. I just have money problems. And if I am being paid the amount they've said, I still won't have any money after this job. Like I said, bills to pay. I'm not sure you're up for this... you can't even follow a conversation..."

Natsu laughed again, and nudged hid friend who growled at him. "Errr... right. Actually, Rip says I shouldn't judge people based on their intelligence. Sorry." This comment provoked another growl from his canine companion. "Errr... I guess I should have worded that better. I'm sure you're not too dumb."

Rip whined, obviously sighing at the blurting of words from Natsu. Natsu crossed his arms and yipped at Ripsnarl, then added in common: "Ok, ok, ok. Maybe you just didn't put two and two together. You could just be..." Natsu was interrupted by a sharp bark from the dog.

"Right. Anyways, maybe you'll be fine, Mr. Metal. Garmine, Ripsnarl says we should wait and see how things turn out before we discuss things any further."

((I decided to not include the blinkdog conversations, because nobody else understands it.))

[Tiny]

"I am certainly interested, and if you recall good mister Natsu. I mentioned earlier that gold was not my primary concern. If you are interested in finding this Igneel, we could make a different arrangement. But enough of that.. You can't have a arrangement without the proper etiquette." Garmine makes a court gesture towards the robed pair."Were are the contracts? Let us read the fine print and then we should have a satisfactory deal."

[darklink_shadow]

Crossing his arms, and leaning back Natsu frowned at Garmine a little bit. "Etiquette? I was raised in the wilderness by a dragon, who ditched me just as I became old enough to survive without him. I'm not very good with savoir faire. I hope you'll excuse me. If you don't need gold, I can try my best to provide a service. I don't know what I could do, but we should talk about an arrangement later. As for those contracts... um... we don't need those. Just pay us, and we'll go do the job. It's not going to be easy for us to find you, but you wouldn't have hired me without knowing me. I won't not do the job unless you lied about the job. Secretive types like you disappear too easily. Whereas people like me are easy to find."

[Dunkoro]

Garmine

Spoiler

Show

Your hunch tells you that you can trust whatever these two are saying. Detect Magic detects that they are surrounded by magical auras (not enough time to learn any specifics)

Whatever else, remember to maintain discretion, we do have our ways to know if you've had too long toungues.

You will find that you have a week's worth of staying in this tavern paid for. You won't be able to contact us if you want to discuss something later on, when the mission is over return to the city, we will find you and contact with you.

Now, if you'll excuse us...

After these words they leave the room.

[DrunkenMists]

Mosroda:

Mosroda walks over to the table to take a closer look at the map they left on the table and the area they pointed to.

While she studies the map; she speaks out to who's in general left in the room. "My Name is Mosroda; A Warforged if you've heard of them..." her voice trails off to a moment of silence as she pick up the map; rolling it up nicely and tucking it into her overcoat; after which she turns to the rest.

"Do any of you need the week to prepare?; or a day to at least secure horses, ponies..or whatever one rides these days?"

She looks expectantly at the 4; judging thier level of fitness.

{Can They keep up with me I wonder?}

[darklink_shadow]

Arrrg.... people who want to pay after don't always pay at all... especially the secretive types.

They did agree to pay his tab though. It was time to binge eat! But first, he should probably see if his new comrades had any plans that involved him.

To respond to the metal person, who Natsu finally discovered was named Mosroda, Natsu said "I don't really ride horses... I could be done by the end of tomorrow, but I'd prefer to eat and drink a little while its on their tab. I bet we don't get too much city food again for a while..."

[Mishkov]

Hafthyer rolled his eyes as he heard the talk about money problems. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of the "warforged" either. There may be no spirit inside which made him distrust that one...

"I'm ready as soon as now. I cannot deal with this city for much longer though, so I will wait on the outskirts until everyone else is ready." However, he made no motion to leave as he felt it was necessary to mention the symbol. "Who else noticed the symbol of Vecna our employers were wearing? We may wish to confirm these really are displaced cultists before we start destroying them, and we are not doing Vecna's dirty work by eliminating her enemies..."

[Tiny]

Garmine let's his thoughts wander for a moment before he answers the metal creature. <So.. They left before we could negotiate any of the conditions regarding those favours.. No matter, I will claim my right after our task is done..>

"I have no problems with leaving as soon as possible..." Garmine pauses and looks a bit inquiringly at Mosroda before finishing. "..Lady Mosroda?"

"Yet, Master Natsu make a compelling point. Lets make the most out of our employers "generosity" while we have the chance. We will probably find out the hard way if we are doing the work of the" Garmaine spits in disgust. "..Lord of secrets."< I knew I had seen it somewhere before.. >

Then he heads out of the room and over to the owner of the tavern.

Finding his target just behind the bar he walks up and introduces himself. "I am called Garmine Hadar, a pleasure to meet you. I trust you have been informed that our employer have paid our expenses a week in advance?" Garmine sighs deeply.

Spoiler

Show

Diplomacy: 31+10 = [41] (Take ten due to bound vestige: Naberius)

"Yet it seems like we regrettably won't be able to grace this establishment with our presence more than a night." continuing with a sad voice. "It would be a shame for you to not be able to rent out our empty rooms only because we left early. But fear not, I am convinced that a fine person as yourself would never charge for rooms not used. Garmines face broadens in a heartfelt smile. "You know what we could do to make things right? If you could prepare some of your finest meals for travel for four persons for say... a months travel? I would be deligthed and you would not have to return more than the gold for the last two days to us." Still smiling at the barkeep he adds. "You know what? I like your sense of fairness so much I might even play a bit of music later."

[Dunkoro]

Yes, indeed I've been paid for your and your... companions rooms for a week, yet, I won't exchange it for any other favours. You might get at most the food for a week if you leave early, and I'd still be only thanks to my generosity.

(OOC: Don't expect Diplomacy to work exactly as written, I'll most often apply a lot of modifiers to it, because RAW, it's simply broken. In this example, it made him even consider the possibility of supplying you with food at all.)

[Tiny]

Garmine bows slightly. "You are most generous indeed, and rest assured between you and me.. It might be for the best that we leave quickly anyway, the assimar with the dog looked like he could devour an entire stable by himself for breakfast. And still have room for a small pony!" Germine smiles again.

"Nevertheless I'm still inclined towards playing a few notes if only for practice. Do you perchance have a favorite tune you would like to hear?"

Garmine picks up his fiddle and begins to expertly tune it before playing a few quick melodies.

Perform: Fiddle:(1d20+21)[22]

"Or should I choose something more.. Rural?"



(OOC: I expected as much. ;) Are you using the giants own fix? http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172910 It makes it more of a haggeling proccess and takes things as wisdom and lvl into consideration and I find it balances it very much without making high diplomancy chars "hit or miss" (unlike high intimidate/bluff as those have combat applications as well.))

[Dunkoro]

Sing whatever you like, I don't care, as long as you won't scare other guests away!

((OOC:Yeah, Giant's Diplomacy fix seems OK, but I still fiddle with modifiers some more from time to time, so that you won't know for sure how well you convinced someone, even though you'll know your rolls))

[Tiny]

"Exelllent, very well then! I highly doubt that the guests would be frightened away by a bit of fiddling. I will gather up the food early tomorrow, and if you don't mind I would like to have some cheese and wine for dinner later."

Garmine spends a few hours playing for his own amusement in the tavern.

Perform: (1d20+21)[22]

[Dunkoro]

Your play is pretty well welcome, some people offer you a drink.

[darklink_shadow]

Natsu patted Hafthyer on the back. "I agree, cities are terrible, but they have work and better food. So you should try to get used to them. Unless you are a really good cook... and you don't need a job... Then I guess you could just not get used to them and live in the wilderness. That would be nice. As for the Vecna-thingy, don't worry, we won't just blindly kill people. We have to make sure the people are bad first. We can't trust people in all dark clothes who don't even pay you first."

He had done a lot of talking, and since his food was paid for, he decided he had talked plenty and went to order more food and drink; expensive tasty food, and cheap filling food, enough for him and his friend.

When Garmine started singing, Natsu listened with interest. Natsu loved a good song, and he cheered at the end of many of them. "Sing something about food!" Natsu yelled at the end of one of his songs. "Tasty, tasty food song!"

Natsu wasn't sure about the quiet little flying girl, or the metal thing, or even the other what's-it-called, but he like Garmine!

[Mishkov]

Hafthyer grumbled "I don't even eat."

He studied the map for a good while. Seeing as no one had made a considerable effort to head out, he mentioned to Natsu and Sakura that he'd be on the road out of town when they were ready.

[Ravanan]

The pixie simply sips at her tea, while the hustle and bustle continues.

Nodding to herself as if deciding something, she takes out both of her warfans and gets flies up onto a table near the performer.

Wordlessly, after he finishes a song, she enters an odd stance. As she does, a number of glowing butterflies swirl around her, only their outlines possessing any real substance. She then begins a slow rhythmic dance, very slowly are measuredly picking up momentum.

Spoiler

Show

Hopefully the singer will play some fitting music for my own performance.
Sakura enters in to the Deadly Dance stance, more for effect than anything else.
Perform (dance) (1d20+23)[39]

Reaching a state of a frenzy of light and movement, before anyone quite realizes it, the butterflies disappear, the fairy has stopped, and is pointing at a young man in the tavern with the lesser of her fans.

This lasts for just a moment before she nods, gets down from the table, and asks for another cup of tea, plum if they have it; after receiving the cup, she sits silently at a table, gazing distantly across the room.

The boy shall soon perish.

[Dunkoro]

The crowd seems amazed by your performance, some of the more tipsy men even try to offer you a drink. The youngster you've pointed your fan at gives you a strange stare as he comes out of the tavern.

[DrunkenMists]

Mosroda sighs and shakes her head at these...humanoid antics.
She heads outside and takes a seat outside the place; a reasonable distance from the door so she doesn't get mistaken for a bouncer of some sort.

She takes a kit out from her cloak and slowly and surely works kinks and dints out from her shield; polishing each piece meticulously while she waits out the night of the rest of her..."companions" revelry.

[Dunkoro]

Some passing people give Mosroda strange look, but generaly leave him be.

[Tiny]

Garmine observes the skill of the dancing fairy, yet keeps holding back his own performance. <No reason to make this too spectacular. Secrecy is still key.> He keeps making mental notes of the pixie's movements. <She is quite skilled.. Is that.. a martial stance? Interesting..>

When the show is over. Garmine retrieves some of the books in his small "library" and starts to go trough specific pages of "Fate and Faith", "Arcane Mysteries" and "Grand history of the realm" and after some afterthought even some sections in "Natures bounty and beasts".

<Let's see.. Cult of vecna... Here it is! Hmmm, yes.. as I thought.. Blue dragons.. Weak to.. Strengths.. Red Dragons... Hmm>

Spoiler

Show

Garmine is spending the rest of the time researching vecna and his cults, dragons and local history and wildlife of the two locations marked on the map they are heading towards tomorrow.

Take 20 or 10 if possible:
Religion: 35 or 25
Arcane: 35 or 25
History: 35 or 25
Nature: 35 or 25

or:

Religion:(1d20+15)[22]
Arcane:(1d20+15)[32]
History:(1d20+15)[27]
Nature:(1d20+15)[19]

[Dunkoro]

Garmine

Spoiler

Show

You can take 20 in this situation. The books are also giving you a circumstance bonus, so you're getting a 37 on each of the rolls. That should give you basically all info on them that would not be extremaly secret (which only applies to vecna's cult). I hope you don't need me listing all the stuff your character remembered/learned?

[Tiny]

Dunkoro:

Spoiler

Show

Well, any info as to what we reasonably could encounter on the way and some such. Any local info on the cult, or the blue dragon (age, name, etc) thing like that. So I can choose an appropriate Vestige to bind.

[Dunkoro]

Garmine

Spoiler

Show

Nothing paculiarities about the local cult. The blue dragon is about 40 years old, so not the biggest of wyrms. The area you're going to is unguarded, so a lot of lesser animals and some bandit groups fester in the area. Some undead were also spotted in the area, but you can easilly account these to the Vecna's cult.

The next day... you all wake up (except these that need not sleep).

[darklink_shadow]

When Natsu wakes up, he gets dressed and does his morning stretches. Once he feels limber enough to fight dragons, he heads down stairs to orders a breakfast fit for a dragon.

Since Hafthyer said he would be waiting down the road for him, Natsu ate quickly, bagged any left overs, gathered supplies, asked for any supplies left for his journey that the innkeeper may have left for him, and took said supplies with him to go find Hafthyer, the thing that doesn't need to eat.

[Ravanan]

Sakura is on top of the inn's roof by dawn, watching the sun rise. Thus sated, she heads down to the inn's commonroom, and leisurely eats a couple of simple biscuits with jam.

The sun is barely above the horizon when the pixie arrives at the designated meeting point.

[Mishkov]

Hafthyer waited out the night, he spent his time moving around, getting the lay of the land. He remembered some of the map and had a good idea the direction to go. His spirit-wolf was happier now, and spent some time, rubbing up against him wagging his tail. He felt happy to be outside the city finally.

The morning was spent in peaceful meditation and preparing his spells, bindings, and meldshaping. How do people have time to sleep? he wondered.

He saw the pixie approach. He quickly stood from squatting down waiting and raised one arm to wave, "Hail spirit! Happy to be back on our way to the wild as well?" he asked.

[darklink_shadow]

Natsu leaned against a tree and yawned. He scratched Ripsnarl's head, then slide down the tree, and gave his canine friend a more through neck rub, back scratch, and flank pat.

They spoke briefly in blinkdog, with Natsu teasing Ripsnarl for being too domesticated, and Ripsnarl saying Natsu was too wild to be a pet owner.

[Ravanan]

"I certainly cannot begrudge you your desire to do so, but I care little one way or another. You'll find I'm not the most...conventional fey."

Waiting for the rest of her companions, the pixie began idly twirling her smaller fan.

[Tiny]

Garmine woke up from his reverie and unrolled one of his contracts.
<"Travel... I believe I shall call upon the service of the knight...">

Just as he is about to begin the necessary steps of invoking the contract. A stray thought hits him and he hesitates. <"That was.. A rather impressive dance last night..."> He unrolls another contract and stares at it unblinking for a moment. <"Heh.. Yesss.. The dancer.. "> Smiling to himself as he prepares the ritual.

(1d20+16)[32]

A bit later Garmine arrives at the outskirts of town to join his new companions. Carrying the supplies the innkeeper promised safely inside his pack. <"A deal well struck."> He was in a good mood today and greeted the small group with a smile on his lips. "A most beautiful morning to begin a dragon-hunt! Is it not?" Not waiting for any reply he approached Hafthyer and nodded to the others. "I don't believe we had the time to acquaint ourselves last evening. I am usually known as Garmine and your name.. I did not quite catch it earlier."