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"End up in your arse, my good man." Mal smoothly navigates Titus's broad frame. "If your going make a threat, good grammar wouldn't hurt. Now, as long as we're already talking, you are quite correct. We are not Zhents. Nor are we directly affiliated with any other groups. We are an independent... enterprise, let's call it. We happen to require some of the services which you, by the tone of your initial response, you, and your compatriots, may be able to provide."
Mal performs a small sidestep, almost hopping as if to a tune only he can hear.
"What is the greatest of the four-letter words? Not as heavy as lead, except in conversation, a universal language, a symbol of power, the need of everyman. I speak of gold, my friends. That must surely catch your ear."
The dwarf stops, frowning. "Wait, are you hiring the lot of us? Cause we clearly already have jobs. And they are getting pretty heavy, as a matter of fact."
"I'm fine," the half-orc says.
"Shut up Carg," says the dwarf.
"Actually," says the halfling, "That's not a bad idea. You can hire our bugbears but you'll need to pay all of us for the privilege. After all, without them, we have to do more work."
"I see in your eyes the spark of a businessman, my good sir." Mal smiles winningly. "As for the work in which you are currently employed, might I ask what compensation you have in mind?"
Seeing the winning smiles of his comrades, Mal looks surprised for a moment, then recovers with an even wider grin.
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There's halfling and the dwarf look pointedly at each other. Rough mental calculations unfold as they attempt to determine how much they can blatantly get away with. "40 gold apiece per day," the halfling finally says. "That's for me and my three comrades and the two bugbears. 240 gold total."
"You keep a very high opinion of yourself and your comrades, my friend of lesser stature. Such a handsome price, and while I agree that you should be compensated for your additional labors, surely over a week's pay a day is, we might all agree, a tad extreme. I assume that you speak for your beloved compatriots?" Mal gestures loosely towards the group.
"If so, might I suggest that you and I speak quietly over here, just the two of us, while my comrades here help you and your fellows keep pace with tonight's chores, hmm? No sense in falling behind schedule if the deal takes a bit to negotiate."
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"Fine. Your not worth that much, and we don't require both of the bugbears - only one. With that in mind, how about 12 each for the three of you each day the one bugbear is gone, 20 a day for the bugbear that does come with us, and a bonus of 240 gold to be split among the lot of you for you to forget this ever happened?" As Mal says this, he gives a slight grin and a subtle wink to one of the bugbears. Turning his attention to the taller of the two (whichever that may be,) he says, "How does that sound?"
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Titussteps in with hopes of salvaging the deal, "Come now, clearly these men are already gainfully employed, we are not so desperate for their skills that we need drive them away from this most pressing and profitable of endeavors" He haphazardly gestures towards the piers, his tone turning disinterested, with a hint of mockery. "Perhaps though you have kin that are not so lucky as to have found such enviable work as yourselves? A brother or cousin perhaps? We're willing to pay one Bugbear 50 gold for a day of work as an armed escort. If that's not enough money to catch your eye... then we'll be on our way to find someone who hasn't come into your good fortune..." He finishes snidely crossing his arms and stares down the crew with a judgmental look in his eye.
The bugbears shake their heads and look away. The halfling's lips curl into a sneer. "You," he says with some conviction, "seem to have a very specific need. Well, we got your 'bodyguard' right here. Best of luck to you finding what you need elsewhere, if the price is too high."
"You," Mal returns, savoring his words, "have very high prices, for someone of your stature. We've taken more than enough of your time - and for free, I might add. You really ought to judge your potential clientele a little more astutely."
With a flourish of his tattered cloak, Mal turns and walks back towards the alley, another plan already concocting itself in his mind.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Morphfollows his friends away from the ship.
Once they are more than 100ft from the departing group, but not more than 120ft, Morphturns to the group.
"Guys, I'm going to try and see if one-on-one private communication with one of the bugbears, can get us the necessary pair of ears."
"Make it look like we are just talking together, and I will use my message spell to try and communicate with them."
Morphlooks back at the group of people carrying the boxes into the dock ward.
Fixing his mind of that bugbear, taking in its identifying features, Morphcasts Message at the bugbear.
As Morphand his friends follow the other group, Morphcontinues casting Message over and over, silently mouthing words that no one else can hear.
"Hello there, please don't be startled, only you can hear me."
"I am the half-elf from the group that just came looking for your services."
cast
"I was hoping that perhaps we could work out a deal for your services, just the two of us."
"As we said, we have an upcoming job, and we are in need of your specific qualities, to pull it off."
cast
"As my friend said, we would be willing to pay you 50gp to come with us on this adventure."
cast
"It would take probable less than a day to complete, definitely not more than two, and is all local, so you aren't going to be heading out of Waterdeep."
cast
"If this is something you think you would like to do, you can respond to the magic of my spell, and only I will hear it."
"Having said that, the spell only allows short bursts of speech, so I will keep casting it, to allow you to respond as you would like."
"End up in your arse, my good man." Mal smoothly navigates Titus's broad frame. "If your going make a threat, good grammar wouldn't hurt. Now, as long as we're already talking, you are quite correct. We are not Zhents. Nor are we directly affiliated with any other groups. We are an independent... enterprise, let's call it. We happen to require some of the services which you, by the tone of your initial response, you, and your compatriots, may be able to provide."
Mal performs a small sidestep, almost hopping as if to a tune only he can hear.
"What is the greatest of the four-letter words? Not as heavy as lead, except in conversation, a universal language, a symbol of power, the need of everyman. I speak of gold, my friends. That must surely catch your ear."
persuasion: 23
Morph steps up beside his friends,
"Also, this is a one time job, we aren't looking to poach your fine friends, we just need some help, is all."
Persuasion check: 24
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
The dwarf stops, frowning. "Wait, are you hiring the lot of us? Cause we clearly already have jobs. And they are getting pretty heavy, as a matter of fact."
"I'm fine," the half-orc says.
"Shut up Carg," says the dwarf.
"Actually," says the halfling, "That's not a bad idea. You can hire our bugbears but you'll need to pay all of us for the privilege. After all, without them, we have to do more work."
"I see in your eyes the spark of a businessman, my good sir." Mal smiles winningly. "As for the work in which you are currently employed, might I ask what compensation you have in mind?"
Seeing the winning smiles of his comrades, Mal looks surprised for a moment, then recovers with an even wider grin.
There's halfling and the dwarf look pointedly at each other. Rough mental calculations unfold as they attempt to determine how much they can blatantly get away with. "40 gold apiece per day," the halfling finally says. "That's for me and my three comrades and the two bugbears. 240 gold total."
A gleam shines in the little rogue's eye.
"You keep a very high opinion of yourself and your comrades, my friend of lesser stature. Such a handsome price, and while I agree that you should be compensated for your additional labors, surely over a week's pay a day is, we might all agree, a tad extreme. I assume that you speak for your beloved compatriots?" Mal gestures loosely towards the group.
"If so, might I suggest that you and I speak quietly over here, just the two of us, while my comrades here help you and your fellows keep pace with tonight's chores, hmm? No sense in falling behind schedule if the deal takes a bit to negotiate."
DM shield:
Persuasion check: 10
"Oi," says the dwarf. "We're not gonna work while you two have tea."
"And, more importantly," says the halfling, "You are not touching our stuff. If you have a counter-offer, spit it out. Time, as they say, is money."
"Fine. Your not worth that much, and we don't require both of the bugbears - only one. With that in mind, how about 12 each for the three of you each day the one bugbear is gone, 20 a day for the bugbear that does come with us, and a bonus of 240 gold to be split among the lot of you for you to forget this ever happened?" As Mal says this, he gives a slight grin and a subtle wink to one of the bugbears. Turning his attention to the taller of the two (whichever that may be,) he says, "How does that sound?"
Persuasion: 12
"Wait, wait, wait," says the dwarf. "Now you only need one o' 'em?"
"Hey, don't forget that Friggo is still on the ship," says the half-orc. "He gets some too."
"No names," says the halfling, looking increasingly nervous. "20 each. That's 120 right now. Then 240 after the job is done."
Morph has a displeased look on his face, at the numbers being thrown around.
"This is ridiculous, we only need one of the bugbears, and only for one day. we aren't going to be paying a kings ransom for them."
Morph addresses the nearby bugbear directly.
"Your friends are talking you out of a good days pay, all because they are greedy."
"Maybe we should just talk to your supervisor? I'm sure we could come to some agreement with them, for your services..."
Persuasion check: 11
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Titus steps in with hopes of salvaging the deal, "Come now, clearly these men are already gainfully employed, we are not so desperate for their skills that we need drive them away from this most pressing and profitable of endeavors" He haphazardly gestures towards the piers, his tone turning disinterested, with a hint of mockery. "Perhaps though you have kin that are not so lucky as to have found such enviable work as yourselves? A brother or cousin perhaps? We're willing to pay one Bugbear 50 gold for a day of work as an armed escort. If that's not enough money to catch your eye... then we'll be on our way to find someone who hasn't come into your good fortune..." He finishes snidely crossing his arms and stares down the crew with a judgmental look in his eye.
Persuasion 12
Vercinius Thrax: Lizardfolk Cleric - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
L’Ouverture Zinn: Kobold Sorcerer - Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Titus Vorenus: Dragonborn Paladin - Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Nemean Goldenmane: Tabaxi Fighter - Lost Mine of Phandelver (Retired)
The bugbears shake their heads and look away. The halfling's lips curl into a sneer. "You," he says with some conviction, "seem to have a very specific need. Well, we got your 'bodyguard' right here. Best of luck to you finding what you need elsewhere, if the price is too high."
"You," Mal returns, savoring his words, "have very high prices, for someone of your stature. We've taken more than enough of your time - and for free, I might add. You really ought to judge your potential clientele a little more astutely."
With a flourish of his tattered cloak, Mal turns and walks back towards the alley, another plan already concocting itself in his mind.
The halfling snorts. "C'mon, let's get this ship down to empty and go home."
A human emerges atop the gangplank with a crate in his arms. "Oi, what're waitin' around for? We can relax when we're done, right?"
The dwarf points at Mal and the others. "These ponce-y fellows are looking to bugger a bugbear," he says with derision.
The lot of them laugh, except the bugbears who look at each other.
"The price was too steep for 'em, though," says the halfling.
"Bugger," says the half-orc through uncontrollable laughter. "A bugbear."
"Alright, alright," says the halfling. "Let's go."
They continue on, carrying their crates down the pier and somewhere into the Dock Ward.
Morph follows his friends away from the ship.
Once they are more than 100ft from the departing group, but not more than 120ft, Morph turns to the group.
"Guys, I'm going to try and see if one-on-one private communication with one of the bugbears, can get us the necessary pair of ears."
"Make it look like we are just talking together, and I will use my message spell to try and communicate with them."
Morph looks back at the group of people carrying the boxes into the dock ward.
Fixing his mind of that bugbear, taking in its identifying features, Morph casts Message at the bugbear.
As Morph and his friends follow the other group, Morph continues casting Message over and over, silently mouthing words that no one else can hear.
"Hello there, please don't be startled, only you can hear me."
"I am the half-elf from the group that just came looking for your services."
cast
"I was hoping that perhaps we could work out a deal for your services, just the two of us."
"As we said, we have an upcoming job, and we are in need of your specific qualities, to pull it off."
cast
"As my friend said, we would be willing to pay you 50gp to come with us on this adventure."
cast
"It would take probable less than a day to complete, definitely not more than two, and is all local, so you aren't going to be heading out of Waterdeep."
cast
"If this is something you think you would like to do, you can respond to the magic of my spell, and only I will hear it."
"Having said that, the spell only allows short bursts of speech, so I will keep casting it, to allow you to respond as you would like."
cast
Persuasion check: 18
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
"You...do not wish to...bugger me...do you?" the taller of them says.
On hearing a no, there is relief in his reply.
"I would like to help you but I do not have a lot of freedom to come and go as I please. My kind find little to welcome us in the city."
Rethan snorts at the assumption of what the dockworkers thought they wanted the bugbear(s) for.
(I'm still alive, I promise!!! :P. And still computerless :( )
Morph continues casting Message over and over.
"Are you a slave to these others? Can you not choose for yourself where you will go, what you will do?"
"Perhaps you know of other bugbears then, ones that are free to make their own choices?"
"If you cannot help us directly, if you could introduce us to others instead, we could reward you with a finders fee perhaps."
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Morph:
"No, we are not slaves. We just have no place else to go."
"I have not seen another bugbear in many years. It is just us."
"We are not asking you to give up working for your current employer, we just need you for a day or so."
"Would you get in trouble, if you were gone for a day, or would it make your life difficult?"
"We have a property here in the city that you can come to meet us at, if you can get away for a day."
"If it is easier, you can come at night, and stay over, although we may want to head out at night anyway, we haven't yet decided."
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss