DeepBlue's Vagabond - Act 1

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare

Flare wakes up early and goes to seek out Archibald.

[amanodel]

Shimar

Shimar gets up early, and prepares himself for the journey. He pruchases trail rations for two extra days, and fills his waterskin before meeting the paladin in the hall.

He thanks for the invitation to Faharam's temple, but he declines. Barbarians usually dislike the rigid hierarchy of the civilised clergy, and they feel uncomfortable in the big, stone churches.

He waits for Drahlo and Lucian.

Did you sleep well? It was perhaps the last chance for some day to do so!

He gathers some leaves from the ground, and throws them in the four directions of the wind, murmuring something, that the others might or might not reckognize as a barbarian travelling ritual.

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold half-smiles and tsks through his teeth.
"I don't like the sound of that at all. If I'm going to the bother of getting an item back for you, the least you could do is make some concerted effort to be alive when I've got it back. Obviously we won't have much in the way of money until we get this debt settled, but say we leave it at 'a sizable favored owed?' " He looks at Len sidelong.
"What do you say to that?"

[Deepblue706]

With the help of more passing citizens, Flare is able to find Archibald's shop fairly quickly. It is a small and quaint structure, not too flashy but certainly standing out in the middle of the square.

As Flare enters, he hears the ringing of a tiny bell, yet turning towards the noise doesn't place one in sight.

There are shelves of alchemical goods and strange books, as well as a rack of staves and a small box with several wands leaned against the inside wall. While some of these goods look valuable, some of it appears a bit neglected.

Flare then spots a bespecticled young woman behind the desk, looking a bit bored. She gazes into a small book as she calls out in a weary voice, "Hello."

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare

Flare approaches the desk and delicately tugs the bandanna off of his mouth to smile. Good morning Miss. I am Flare. Do you do appraisals.?

[Proven_Paradox]

Drahlo simply grunts at Shimar's query. He preferred to be able to see the stars from where he slept, and between the roof above him and the lights of the streets outside, that wasn't possible. His sleep was not as restful as he would have liked.

However, his paladin host's offer intrigues him; he'd heard much of this Faharam, and was curious to learn more. He approaches the man and says, "I will accompany you to the temple."

[Deepblue706]

"Mister Archibald?" the woman calls out to the back, and a short, bearded halfling waddles his way out to meet with Flare. His face is a bit wrinkled and his hair grizzled - and he seems to be a bit lacking in energy. "He wants an appraisal." The woman says before returning to her book.

"Hey, didn't I say you're supposed to be accomodating to our guests? Nobody shops here because they're never greeted by anyone with enthusiasm!" he halfling says wearily.

"So," he begins, turning to Flare. "What would you like me to take a look at, sir?"

-----------------------------------------

Titus is rather pleased with Drahlo for having accepted the invitation - many such as he were delighted to spread their faith to those of lands neighboring Medici. Before you depart, however, he waits for a response from Lucian.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare

Flare reaches into his pocket and pulls out the star from the silver arch, and the ring as well, putting them down on the desk. I'm a traveler, he explains. Sometimes I come across a few interesting items. I heard that you might be able to help me puzzle them out.

[Ya Ta Hey!]

"What do you say to that?"

"I'll give you my Silver Arch ticket; then you can be bored with a date of your choosing." Len quips. " Seriously though, I'll do my best to stay safe; no more picking fights with the city guard, etcetera."

The wind nearly tears the ticket out of her hand, and she looks at it thoughtfully. "You know, I wonder if we can make something of this. Granted, I'm not sure how much someone would pay for it, but it is how me met Gortana and Claudius. Its almost like having a free audience with any socialite in attendance on a given night."

Appraise: How much a Silver Arch pass would scalp for (1d20+3)[4] (OOC: Ooh, denied.)

"Heck, in that respect, we should give one to Taeger and Wyatt."

[Zed's Dead]

Lucian Salvatore:

The cold morning air is bracing, eh, my friends? I thank you for your invitation. I will be honored to worship with you, friend Titus, and you, Drahlo!

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold sighs. Then again. She may know metal, but society is a closed book to this one.
Aloud, he comments
"I wouldn't recommend that. People who get silver tickets, or silver things in general, like to know that what they have is special, or exclusive. If you buy a gold brooch, you're buying it because not everyone can have it; for holding your cloak together, steel would work just as well, and be more resilient. Privilege, you see." Harold gestures at a nearby jeweller's ,
"That's what the silver's for. It would be short-sighted to sell that silver ticket, especially considering what it might be worth to hold on to it until the theater is back on its feet."

[Ya Ta Hey!]

"O forgive me for a humble oaf, m'lord, so bewitched was I by its silvery radiance. I'd best return to my hovel now." Len teases playfully at his exhasperated sigh. Oh Len, you're such a card.

"Nah, what I mean is, 'do you think it would help Wyatt get in contact with the right people if I lent him mine?' I don't want to attack a counting house any more than you do, and if giving Wyatt the tools to find better options means I have to wait outside next time we visit the Arch, that's one-hundred percent cool."

They walk in silence for a minute, and a few turned heads makes Len secretly hope she didn't say the part about the counting house too loudly. Somehow reminded of her spyglass, she takes out the instrument; she's been itching to test it. She extends the sightpiece and peers out into the harbor at a particularly overrigged vessel, nearly smothered under a disaster of sails.

Spot: For absolutely no reason at all (1d20)[17]

"I don't see what was so wrong with your first idea, legitimately borrowing the money. A bank is bound to give us more than two weeks." She grumbles absently as she scans along the harbor. She even takes a glance at the late doctor Ziye's estate, that small patch of woodland perched on a seaside bluff.

Spoiler

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I hope she doesn't trip and fall :(

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold clasps his hands behind his back.
"Ah, now there we touch on the realm of finance. Yes, it's true that banks often can make loans of comparable sums. However, these loans are made to, say, merchant consortiums, or noble families. People who are established and have obvious collateral. We have no such collateral. We might be able to take out something of a loan, but without them having a much-inflated impression of our importance, well..." he shrugs.

[Ya Ta Hey!]

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I was wondering what happened to O-Chul. Poor sod.

"It almost sounds like you want to try it anyway." she comments. "The costumes, the letters, etcetera; if you decide to go through with it, I'm behind the idea."

The harbor finally rolls out of view as they proceeed in town, cutting through skid row along the way. The wind pushes them along as they banter their way past the squalid gutters and unlit lamps, eventually leading them to the city's western entrance. They wait.

"Undead." Len shudders abruptly. "Yeesh, I hope that's just a rumor."

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold shrugs.
"Probably is. I think our friend the paladin has a bad case of the zeals. We might be able to send him off chasing the "bigger bad" that of course would be the true mastermind behind this plot. The magistrate would have been a helpless puppet of course, and a prime candidate for forgiveness and grace, no need to ruin the poor man's life even more, etc. etc."
Harold taps his chin.
"I've been doing some thinking, yes, along the lines of the first scheme I laid out. As I said, safe, fast, or honest; The way things are going, We're lucky if we can get two out of three. I don't know if you've noticed, but our coterie of conscripted con-men is...dwindling. Flare's decent in a fight, but his temperament changes direction faster than a sick sheep's digestion system. No, You saw him in the bar. You saw him leap to the idea of robbing a tax-house instead of somewhere relatively safe, and you saw him smile at the thought of taking down a magistrate; I do believe he'd spill the head executioner's beer on purpose, or fart in the face of the inquisitors, if he could."
Harold shakes his head morosely at the thought, but then turns to smile at Len, his blue eyes intelligent and laughing.
"You, however, have a refreshingly practical outlook on things. If we were more in number, we might consider the idea...But no. Best to just pursue the task at hand."

[Proven_Paradox]

At Lucian's words, Drahlo shakes his head. "I go to learn, not to worship."

[Zed's Dead]

Ah yes. Of course. You know not of Faharam. Do not fear. He knows of you!

Lucian chuckles lightly and then walks toward the church.

[Ya Ta Hey!]

Harold shrugs.
"Probably is. I think our friend the paladin has a bad case of the zeals. We might be able to send him off chasing the "bigger bad" that of course would be the true mastermind behind this plot. The magistrate would have been a helpless puppet of course, and a prime candidate for forgiveness and grace, no need to ruin the poor man's life even more, etc. etc."
Harold taps his chin.

"You guys are a bad influence on me." Len laughs, entirely too much in favor of playing the holy warrior like that. There was a time when she wouldn't have dreamed of joining a conflict with taking sworn statements from everyone involved.

"Even so, mister Thaddeus did claim to see that peasant murdered, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's some thugs in the area. How about you and that new caster visit the magistrate first, while I try to get the paladin wound up to go ghoul hunting in the meantime? You two will do the actual investigating and on the off-chance that there is some black magic happening, you'll see it.

Just think, Harold; for once, you'll be able to do your job without five other people butting in to do it for you...badly."

[Deepblue706]

Lucian, Drahlo

Lucian and Drahlo accompany Titus to a temple of Faharam - which, upon approaching, you are sure is the grandest of cathedrals in all Medici. It is an elborate and stunning piece of architecture; primarily influenced by the same design of the old buildings in Lawmaker's Way of Porto Giedion, but flashier, and certainly more decorated. Atop the structure is a tall spire, reaching higher than nearly every building of the city; and mounted atop it is the symbol of Faharam - which no doubt serves as a symbol of reaching God through this holy house. The symbols of all his children decorate the sides of the dual entrance-doors, to show that a man of any traits is accepted by Faharam, so long as he honestly seek repentance.

Inside the building are many rows of seats, that extend back to a tall altar, from where a minister would preach. However, it is currently vacant, and only a handful of people are found here in prayer. It is a very calming atmosphere, a small silent haven in a bustling city.

Titus approaches the altar goes down to a knee, and prays at a whisper. "Dear lord Faharam - we pray this day for your guidance, vigilance, and wisdom, to better serve you and all of your servants, to punish the wicked and cruel, and to uphold justice for all. Please grant us your blessing."
He spends a few moments in silence before rising.

--------------------------------------------------------

Harold, Len

As Harold and Len made their way, Len's appraisal would place the silver ticket at a high price, were the theatre more popular. Due to recent affairs, she would guess a few gold coins from a naive upper-class man or woman, fewer from one aware of the Arch's standing.

As Len then plays with her spyglass, she thinks she sees a small boy hiding in a barrel on the vessel she gazes to, the crew completely unaware. He suddenly ducks back in as someone gets close.

The two arrive at the designated point, but with no one else of the group in sight. It would appear they have arrived first.

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Unless Shimar also has no business to do?

Nearby, a few merchants beg entering citizens to purchase their odd - and from the look of full-carts, unsuccessful - wares, such as "Dale's Extra Juicy Fungus-Pickles" and "Burt's Medium-Quality Imitation Silk and Frog-Leather". There is also a man with a cart of small crates, each containing vials of cloudly liquids. There is a sign that reads, "Ackbar's Potion Cart".

---------------------------------------------------------

Flare

"Hmm?" The halfling reaches for the items, to examine them closer. Without casting any spells, he takes a moment to first check the ring, and then laughs. "Ha! I know what this is!" He then mutters an few arcane words, casting a spell you presume reveals the magical qualities of items. "Yep!" He nods, quite pleased. "This here ring - my friend used to make these. They're for young magicians who found themselves without a spell in their head!" He hands it back. "Hold onto this one, mr. explorer - if you catch yourself in a bind, it can make you run, like a charging steed! Takes a while to recharge, though - so make sure you don't become too dependent on it!" He then explains the easy and intuitive method to use the ring, which Flare comprehends with no problem.

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The ring casts Expeditious Retreat 1/day, as a first-level caster. He's willing to buy it for 200gp, for the sentimental value.

"Now, as for this..." he closely examines the star, looking concerned. "I've...never seen anything like this before." He continues to look closely as he keeps flipping the star from side-to-side, and then eventually lets out a tiny yelp. "AH! My finger!" A tiny bit of blood drops to the floor, and he tosses the star onto the desk. "rrrrr....." he grits his teeth as he tries not to look at the cut. "Is it bad? Is it bad? IS IT BAD?" the woman glances over. "It's just a tiny cut! Does it really bother you that much?" He starts shaking his hand, tightening his fist, pacing back and forth, growling. He finally looks back to it - the blood covers his entire hand, and the sight of it turns him pale. "B-B-B-B...blood...I...I...hate..." he suddenly faints.

The woman finally rises from her seat, peering over the unconscious halfling.

"It's okay, he um, kinda has this thing with blood." She looks to Flare with some sympathy. "Perhaps, you can come back later? He's, um...gonna need a little while to recover."

[amanodel]

Shimar

The barbarian remained at the meeting place, and now he spends the time playing with Whisper, his dog. To observers, it may look more as if they were wrestling, if even not fighting.

[The Great Skenardo]

Harold Betruger
Harold nods to Len, the gears turning in his head.
"Good thought. I'm not sure how far to trust these mercenaries with any scheme you and I have in mind, though. I suppose I'll see how amenable they are. Hmm. Luckily Wyatt did get me those papers...with a little work, they might be sufficient cause to get us inside the manor. I'll look around a bit, certainly...And, as you say, I'm looking forward to having a little more free rein."
He taps his temple with a long but calloused finger.
"And don't think I've forgotten about that necklace. Shall we say a favor owed for its return? If you prefer, the settlement can be 100 gp after repayment of our debt to the powers that may or may not be."
The minstrel smiles to himself, then.
And besides; Faragrim still owes me for walking free from prison after only one day.

[Ya Ta Hey!]

"Deal. Favor or gold, whichever you need first." Len says, shaking Harold's hand firmly as a playful canine growl draws her attention. Nearby, the towering barbarian from yesterday horses around* with his pet, a flurry of clawing and nipping fur. The dog is putting up a pretty good fight too.

"_{Well, shall we get to know these terrible, treacherous mercenaries?}" she snarks before calling with a wave "Shimar! What's snappin', cap'n?"

*

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Not trying to belittle your English vocabulary, amanodel, its just for your convenience. Slang is fun.

[Zed's Dead]

Lucian Salvatore

Lucian waits respectively until Titus is finished. He also kneels and prays silently for a few minutes. When he rises, he looks refreshed.

[amanodel]

Shimar

The barbairan suddenly picks up the wolf-like dog, and raises him in the air, while spinning around. Then he puts down the dog, and turns to Len.

This campaign surely starts slowly! In my home, by this time the battle usually has begun.

Then he pauses, and takes his hand out of Whisper's mouth.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare

Flare glances around, looking uncomfortable as he retrieves the parties items. Alright. Don't worry about it. I'll be leaving town for a while, but I'll be sure to drop back in when I return.

Flare's pace is quickened as he joins his companions at the front of the inn. Hope I didn't keep anyone waiting. He steps over to Len and looks up at her. I was making inquiries on those items we found. Is everyone ready to go?

[Proven_Paradox]

Drahlo spends his time at the temple examining the grand art and such of the temple, pointedly ignoring those who are in prayer for the time being. He has a frown on his face, and thoughts of how much must have been wasted to create such a pretentious temple.

[Ya Ta Hey!]

Flare's pace is quickened as he joins his companions at the front of the inn west gate*. Hope I didn't keep anyone waiting. He steps over to Len and looks up at her. I was making inquiries on those items we found. Is everyone ready to go?

Len looks herself over. "Lessee here; armed, equipped, have a plan, remembered the horse, not naked...I'm all set as soon as the paladin gets here.

So, what'd you find out about that creepy-voice-shuriken that nearly took my eye out?"

This campaign surely starts slowly! In my home, by this time the battle usually has begun.

"I know, I'm itching for some action too." Len sympathizes while secretly hoping for quite the opposite when it comes to undead.

"But its our responsibility to investigate the situation first and make sure that our paladin isn't trying to attack an innocent governing official. Investigating is a slow process and we need to be prepared." She explains in the most friendly tone she can manage; she doubts that Shimar would appreciate being talked down to.

"So, sounds like your homeland isn't too peaceful, Shimar?"


*OOC: we're at the west gate, not the inn

[EvilRoeSlade]

Flare

That one? Well, it's rare, whatever it is. The wizard I spoke to sort of... left me hanging. Flare retrieves the ring from his pocket. This ring can give you an burst of speed, one per day. What do you think? Do you want to use it?

[Ya Ta Hey!]

"That's kinda cool." Len looks over the copper ring until she imagines herself tripping and faceplanting at fifteen meters per second, gangly arms and legs faliling all over the place. "But I probably shouldn't be the one running. Thanks."

[amanodel]

Shimar

Our people have to fight with the monsters, the ogres, and other goblin-like tribes, and the harsh winter, the famine, and the hunting of dangerous beasts. But it would be too easy for us, so we Northerners even wage wars against ourselves to make our lives challenging. Heh.

It sound like that Shimar's actually cynical, and after seeing some other parts of the worlds he has a broader perspective than most of his kin.

In my land, we wage wars almost about everything. We prefer direct confrontations, standing face-toface, and the stronger gets to win. I'm not familiar with these terms "investigate", "prepare", "negotiate"; warfare in your lands is sometimes hard to understand.

Explains the barbarian, and takes his kilt's edge out of Whisper's mouth, and orders to dog to sit down, and surprisingly, the dog obyes the order.