[Nexus] The Black Dragon's Den XIII

[Artemis97]

[Office]

Raril blinks at the bat-girl. 'Golly Mister'? hoo boy, this was going to be an interesting adventure.

Seeing that no one left, the drow continues. "Good, good, so long as I'm understood. Now we'll be taking a little trip into the Underdark to procure some rare and not-so-legal alchemical ingredients for a client of mine. I've already taken care of getting the customs house to look the other way on our return, provided he doesn't want to double cross me." It was a risk with drow. "And so long as we stay out of the way of any of the Houses, we should be fine. If we're caught by my family, I can probably get them to spare your lives. If it's anyone else, though, it's all up in the air. Just so you know the risks, not to mention the general maliciousness of the Underdark. Any questions so far?"

[Fenric]

Frederick shrugs with a grin

Wouldn't be much of an adventure otherwise. Are there any expected altercations to be aware of?

[Deathkeeper]

The bat-girl tilts her head a bit.
"Well...yeah. Easy one: What are we looking for? A rare mushroom is still a lot easier and less dangerous to procure than dragon kidney stones. So what's the mark?"

[Ashen Lilies]

"On a scale of 'pretty likely' to 'even more likely', how much do you expect to be betrayed by one or all of the other people who know about this?"

[Cyber Punk]

"How'm I supposed to know if that worked? I don't have much experience breaking curses. They don't turn up often where I'm from- natural magic tends to either be beneficial, subtle, or passive. Or a mixture of the above. Unnatural magic is hard to shape, rare, expensive and not often worth the effort of twisting into something openly malignant to a prospective wielder." There are exceptions, but more often 'cursed' items in his homeworld are ones created to have effects which either don't work as intended, or with effects that weren't fully thought through. Slightly Bizarre possesses an example of the second type.

((How soon can we end this scene?))

"Figures." Askh grimaces and grabs the very hot metallic pot and moves it aside. Then he starts digging a hole. "Tell me burying this stupid coin won't come back to bite me in the behind!" He exclaims, making an exaggerated frowny face as he does so.

[Artemis97]

[Office]

"What are we looking for? Uh, hold on one sec..." The drow starts digging through the paperwork on his desk. Finally, he produces a scrap of paper. "Ah yes, here it is. We're stealing a valuable creature from inside a walled compound. It's likely whoever has the thing won't want us to take it, and it's probably not going to come quietly. Will we be betrayed? Well, I'm not going to be betraying anyone, I don't think you all will be betraying anyone, so that leaves my client and my contact at the customs house. He's the weak link in all this, I admit, but I don't forsee any real problems cropping up. He might have me on bribery and smuggling, but my family is the one paying his salary, and I've got him specifically doing some not so nice things, so it'd be risky for him to turn on me, to say the least."

[Fenric]

Frederick arches an eyebrow

A creature? That ought to be entertaining... how are you planning to move it, then?

[Murkus]

((Ye, if I take more than a day to reply since the last person in the group, please don't hesitate to skip. Although hopefully a gap like this won't happen again for a while))

[Raril's Office]

"What manner of resistance can we anticipate once within the compound?" Asks Eschelle, steepling her steel-plated fingers before her and keeping her eyes trained on Raril. "Or was it your hope that an engagement would be minimal? I can leave my armor behind, if that suits you, for within it I am rather poor at subtlety."

[Deathkeeper]

Office

The girl frowns.
"That's not very specific. What kind of beastie is it? Is it a big one?" she asks. This mission seems a bit vague.

[Ashen Lilies]

Kal looks to the two people who have already asked the same question he was going to ask. What kind of creature, and more importantly, how big was it? Transporting a parakeet in a cage is definitely a very different task to transporting a wild bison or giant lizard or something.

[Artemis97]

[Office]

Raril sighs. "I don't know what sort of resistance we might meet, but I feel like you'd rather have your armor than not if we do run into trouble. As for what we're transporting..." He looks down at the sheet of paper in his hands. "I quote 'an incredibly dangerous poison-breathing frog.'"

[Fenric]

Frederick blinks

I suppose that does narrow it down a bit. But um... size? Special resistances? Can we just flop Trap the Soul over it and carry it is a gem, or are we talking a jar, or is it the size of a horse and life will be entertaining?

[Murkus]

[Raril's Office]

"Oh, this shall be entertaining regardless I should think. What is life without a surprise or three?" Eschelle seems naught but amused by all of this. "We haven't, I suppose, an antidote to this terrible poison? An airborne toxin sounds concerning."

[Morty]

Dipsnig arrives here one evening. The Den is one of his favourite places to relax. Must be the gloomy atmosphere. He rides inside on Kullervo, then dismounts and takes a seat at a table.

[Fenric]

Some time later, the door thuds open and heavy steps presage the arrival of someone reasonably stout.

In walks a rarity in the Nexus: an actual honest-to-goodness dwarf: from flowing black hair (with a solid bald patch on top) to a long black beard (but all shot through with gray), eyes like unlit coal, craggy features and a prominent nose, build like a grizzly but only a touch over four feet tall - there's just no mistaking it. He's dressed in solid-looking leather garments topped with a smith's apron that has clearly seen a lot of use. Two smith's hammers hang from his belt alongside many a leather pouch.

He stomps up to the bar, seemingly in a somewhat foul mood... but then again, he's a dwarf so it's hard to tell...

I'll be havin' yer finest dwarven ale.

[Morty]

Dipsnig raises an eyebrow and his ear quirks upwards. Dwarves from other worlds really are different from those on his homeworld. Those back home are less... what's the word. Boisterous? His large, grey wolf raises his head and sniffs at the dwarf, who might notice that he's being watched.

[Fenric]

Money is exchanged and a tankard of the notoriously potent beverage arrives. Malukhar picks it up and takes a healthy gulp from it before turning to survey the tavern. He does indeed notice that he is being watched. He nods once

'evenin.

[Morty]

Malukhar will see the small, brown-skinned and red-eyed goblin from his player's avatar. He nods in response as his wolf settles down at his feet.

"Greetings."

[Fenric]

Malukhar stumps over to Dipsnig's table

Be ye mindin' if I take a seat? Drink' alone's fine enou' but company's always better.

He doesn't exactly wait for an answer before settling down and taking a deep draught from his tankard, after which he sets it down and eyes the receptacle skeptically

If this be their best, I'll nau'be havin' their lesser.

[Morty]

Dipsnig shrugs.

"Sure, why not. Mind the wolf," he says. In response to the dwarf's comment, he remarks: "Not to your taste? I've never had cause to complain."

[Fenric]

Malukhar smiles wryly

Never hae' minded wolves: had better company wi' em than some people I've ken. Fine looking lad ye got there, too.

he shakes his head

Nae, nae: this be fine enou. 'Twas the epithet of "best" I had sommat to disagree wi'. Nae great complain, ta be sure.

[Morty]

"If you say so," Dipsnig says. "The name's Dipsnig Razortooth, by the way. This is Kullervo. Unlike many animals here, he doesn't speak."

[Artemis97]

[Office]

Raril looks down at his sheet of paper, at a loss. "I don't know. Some sort of way to block or counteract the poison would be adviseable. I've got a mask designed for bad air in the Underdark, should do well enough. I'm sure you all can find something similar."

[Fenric]

[Raril's Office]

Frederick chuckles

And since we're heading down to the land of endless paranoia, I won't even bother trying any divination. Well, looks like we're running short of reasons to dally around here, then: grab what seems best and work it out when we get there.

---

[Goblin and Dwarf]

Malukhar nods with a grunt

Malukhar Soulsmith. Pleased ta be meetin' ya. And also ta ye, Kullervo. Nae talkin' be no shame atall: there be enough folk who ougt ta be follwin' that path more often' themselfs.

[Murkus]

[Office]

Raril looks down at his sheet of paper, at a loss. "I don't know. Some sort of way to block or counteract the poison would be adviseable. I've got a mask designed for bad air in the Underdark, should do well enough. I'm sure you all can find something similar."

[Raril's Office]

Frederick chuckles

And since we're heading down to the land of endless paranoia, I won't even bother trying any divination. Well, looks like we're running short of reasons to dally around here, then: grab what seems best and work it out when we get there.

"Amen," the steel-clad woman warrior gains her feet with a rattle. "When is it we leave?"

[Deathkeeper]

Office

The bat bobs her head up and down.
"Yeah, I came prepared. No problems there." she insists.

[Artemis97]

[Office]

Raril gives a shrug."Well, if you all consider yourself ready, we can leave now. There's a passage to Underside in the basement. If not, we can meet back here tomorrow?"

[Fenric]

Frederick nods

Ready as I need to be - we still all use that permanent Magnificent Mansion like a big closet.

[Morty]

[Goblin and Dwarf]

Malukhar nods with a grunt

Malukhar Soulsmith. Pleased ta be meetin' ya. And also ta ye, Kullervo. Nae talkin' be no shame atall: there be enough folk who ougt ta be follwin' that path more often' themselfs.

"Ha, indeed. Well, maybe I'm not the one to talk. But I'm a businessman, so what can I do?" Dipsnig says, chuckling. His wolf simply flicks his ears in response to being addressed. "Maybe it's why I enjoy the company of wolves."

[Fenric]

Malukhar nods

Mayhap. But a businessman ye be? What business, ifn I might be so bold as tae be askin? Me trade be clear enou' ta those who be kennin the signs.

Indeed, his equipment and attire scream "blacksmith" even if you are only passingly familiar with the occupation.