Vonwalt's Brandenbrass Game

[Vonwalt]

all right, here we go.

The sky is dark but clear as you make your way to the small back room at Hagen's, a tavern in Brandenbrass's rowdy Dockside Street that is notable only for its owner, a wild-eyed tundra elf who decorates the bar with walrus ivory carvings of various heroic figures.
The streets are crowded, even on such a cold night, but the bar is nearly empty; a single drunk is snoring and lying half-across one of the tables. Hagen jerks his head towards the door at the back of the room and motions you onward.

You each received a note telling you to come here on this night, signed by a man you know as Charles. He is seated in the small room with a few lit candles on a table in front of him, dressed in the attire of an Inquisition agent: tricorn hat, long gray cloak drawn closely around him, and a porcelain mask that covers his entire face, with only two small eye-slits.

"So," he says, once you're all assembled; "You're what I've got to work with, eh? Can't say you look like much. Still, needs must when there's a devil driving, as they say." He shuffles through his papers. "Here's a nice easy one to start you off. Illegal gambling, right here in Dockside."

(In your first response, feel free to describe your character for mine and the other players' benefit)

[Hawkstar]

The dark-furred Tabaxi made his way into the tavern to answer the summons with a flourish - instead of keeping anything like a low profile, the finely-dressed catman immediately headed over to the bar to chat up Hagen for a few minutes - ordering a drink, and making some small talk before he'd fulfill the purpose of his visit. While Max talked with Hagen, he inspected and fiddled with a few of the ivory carvings, expressing great interest in the figures depicted. Being a renowned thief of sorts, Max was very careful to make sure Hagen saw him pick up and put each figure he handled back as it was (Or, just indicating the figures if handling them was directly scorned) - no swiping any of the carvings by this cat.

Before he left the tavern keeper to head to the back room, though, Max did add another figure to the collection. Of himself. And made out of painted wood, not ivory. He kept his ears perked, listening for the moment Hagen discovered it as he made his way to the back room.

Once inside to meet with the inquisitor, Max leaned against the nearby wall, cocking one leg up and crossing it over the other, letting his flashy shoulder-cloak drift behind him as his tail flicked beneath it impatiently. As he waited for the others to arrive, and listened to the brief request, he furrowed his brow. "Gambling? Is there something more to this case that really makes it worth the inquisition's time?"

[BarbieTheRPG]

"It's a fair evening tonight," the tall wizard thought to himself as he strolled purposely through the nighttime crowds headed for the meeting place. Houfrec considered the faces of those he passed from within the semi-shadowed veil of his hood, "I'm sure I'll never not enjoy the smell of fresh air. Prison air is so much like floating disease. It is good to be free and back among the kingdoms of man. Perhaps this was the moment Lathander will grant me redemption from my past. Perhaps."

Reaching Hagen's, Houfrec entered and soon found himself in the proprietor's presence along with a handful of characters interesting in their own ways. Much moreso than himself. "Catfolk? Hm," Houfrec thought, as he followed the elf to the rear of the tavern where the 'mystery man' was seated. "A mask, even? I suppose with times like these it makes sense. But ---" as he listened to the masked man speak, Houfrec's trained mind puzzled an old saying ... "--- virtue has a veil, vice a mask."

When the masked man finished, Houfrec listened to the cat-creature speak then eyed the mask again for response before speaking himself, "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together, no? We have to start somewhere." The tall man wrapped in night-blue robes nods respectfully to Max and looks at the others for their input.

[EggLilac]

Gregor, a tall, heavy man with blond hair, a bushy blond beard with streaks of red, and a perpetually ruddy face, stomps into the bar. He wears chain mail which looks practically new and unused. The only decoration he wears is a small carved wooden figure of Tarkana on a hemp string around his neck, and a simple silver band on his ring finger. Giving the barman a curt nod, he strides towards the back of the bar, halting as he catches sight of the Inquisition agent. Snorting, he seats himself in front of the man, taking a brief glance at the others in the room.

"Illegal gambling, you say? Hardly a great danger to people, but I suppose that there comes a lot of other problems with it, right?"

As Houfrec speaks, Gregor nods, apparently in agreement. "Aye, that's true enough. I wouldn't mind something a bit smaller like this, to ease into it. We all have to start somewhere. But," he says, nodding at the agent, "we don't have to wear that getup, do we?"

[Samshiir]

"Just tell me where you need me." Oragar the dwarf exclaimed with a grunted voice. As a soldier in the dwarven military, Oragar was used to taking orders. He didn't mind how big or small the job was, so long as he was capable of completing it and getting paid for it.

Oragar was relatively short for a dwarf, but was still heavily built. He kept his long, brown beard tidy and braided in the crisp dwarven military fashion. His leather armor was slightly worn due to use in his time with the military and with his recent travels to the human land, but was fit for duty nonetheless. A large crossbow, which was almost as long as Oragar was tall, was strapped to Oragar's back.

The dwarf sat with an attentive attitude, awaiting details of his assignment to come.

[Vonwalt]

Charles sighs. "Not only do you not have to wear this, you cannot, Gregor. I get a mask because I'm important. Now, as to your other concerns, Max has it well spotted. We have reason to believe that the 'illegal gambling' is people betting on monster fights, which shouldn't be happening at all. I don't want to cause a panic by putting it out that people are smuggling dangerous creatures into the city, so 'gambling' it shall remain in our public reports."
He shifts in his chair and you can practically feel him smirk, even through his mask.
"I know it's not exactly the grand old days of the Inquisition, but frankly, if it were, you'd already be dead. So down to business. Any questions about the mission?"

[Hawkstar]

Max nodded as he listened to the Inquisitor's explanation about the significance of the case. At least it seemed it wasn't simply the Inquisitor raising a stink over a bunch of people merely being idiots with their money. "Alright... I'd like to know as much as possible about where this is happening, and where we can get in on it," Max grinned, taking out a gold coin and flipping it idly. "It should be a simple sting - I get in there, find out what's happening, and we figure out where to go from there."

[BarbieTheRPG]

Rubbing his beard Houfrec considered the words of the others. "Well. This is a very enthusiastic bunch," he thought to himself and then said, "Is there a contact of some sort? Someone who can help us infiltrate these fights? How did you learn about them?"

[ProudGrognard]

Teles

Teles knew this part of the town. He has stalked here, even taken down a minor ringleader here. But he did not know the specific bar. He takes his time to get there, doubletracking, taking longer routes, even waiting still in shadows for a bit.

This is why he is late. When he gets there, the others are already in. He also goes in, a male human exceptionally well dressed in a high-collared cloaks, doublet,and expensive leather boots. He takes a sit, sitting ramrod straight, his hands tied in front of him, a longbow placed carefully nearby. When he talks, his voice is quite erudite and reasoned.

"Greetings to everyone. I am Teles. I am sorry to be late. I had to make sure I was not being followed."

After hearing the mission, Teles' face darkens when he hears about illegal gambling

"Illegal gambling is not to be underestimated. Not only good things, but bad things are made of smaller components. Illegal gambling is one of those."

I should know. It cost me my father.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I am not posting more because I don't know if my Ears to the Ground ability makes me know more.

[ProudGrognard]

Teles (after an OOC answer from out kind DM)

After a moment's thought, Teles speaks again.

"Monster fights usually means smuggling and almost certainly a gang. The most common way to bring them in is by riverboats.

I see several ways of approaching this. The first is to pose as clients. The other is to see which gang is currently involved with river-boat smuggling. Both will take some ...delving to achieve"

[Hawkstar]

"Ooh... Riverboats. Cutting out the source could be more effective than risking me going in as a gambler, and probably has less risk of copycat behavior to muddy the investigation. It's not like I don't spend most of my time lounging about on roofs I'm not supposed to, anyway," Max chimed in at the potential optional path to finding out what's going on, stretching out before leaning against the wall again. "Or, I could try to do both, but that amplifies the risks of things ending badly for me.

[Vonwalt]

"We know that the fights take place in a warehouse, down at the end of Dockside Street. We have names of three people involved, and descriptions."
Charles slides you a sheet of paper.

"My contact brought me this information a few days ago. He claimed there were all sorts of sailors and rough sorts there; I imagine it shouldn't be too hard to get in, as long as you don't look like the law. To make money, they've got to bring in people who want to gamble, right? As far as boats go, if you want to follow up on that angle, I'd start at the docks across from that warehouse."

He taps the paper with one finger, and you notice he's wearing off-white gloves.

"My contact is not someone I want to put in your hands for this one. He's an ordinary docksman, and I don't want to send him back in if there's a chance things might get violent. If you feel it's critical, of course..."

Spoiler: The Paper

Show

-A one-eyed dwarf woman with gray skin, called Zadie. Some kind of bouncer?

-A bald human in tattered robes (Royal College of Sorcery?) Spent most of his time smoking. Heard him called Heiron.

-The Announcer, human or half-elf. Missing an ear. Charismatic. wore a black suit and waistcoat. Thin goatee.

The paper also has an address written on it.

[ProudGrognard]

Teles

Teles looks carefully at the paper and nods.

"This is almost everything we might need. The question now is, what do you want us to do? Apprehend them? Break the fights? Or remove them from the picture?

And finally, what kind of authority we have? If the guards stop by, what can we say to them?"

[Vonwalt]

"Catch them if you can, kill them if you can't. See if you can get us a lead on how they're smuggling. As for authority..." Charles chuckles rather nastily.

The city guard won't be showing their faces around this part of the city, but if they do, show them this. Writ of Inquisitorial Authority."

He pulls out another piece of paper, this one dripping with wax seals.

"It says all your actions are endorsed by the Inquisition. Don't abuse it or I'll have you killed."

He laughs again and sits back.

What do you do?

[ProudGrognard]

Teles

Teles looks at the Writ in front of him. This was getting more and more interesting by the minute. Without unclapping his hands or sitting up, he looks at the others.

"This seems to be a team effort. I have not been part of a ...specialized group for some time. It would help if we knew each other, and what we each bring to the table. Then, we can plot.

I will start. I am Teles. I am good archer and a better hunter. I hunt all manner of creatures, but mostly the really dangerous ones: Men. I know this city quite well, but I know how to move outside it."