Dues for the Dead (DM Lerus)

Graxx quietly curses himself as he forgot to tell Doozey about the Library.

Graxx smiles at the female dwarven clerk.

"Hello there.  Friends of Lieutenant Hurn here to see Iorg Brokenjaw.  Is he around?" asks Graxx.

Graxx looks back the way they came.

"Say uh... What's the new building about that had all them folks walking around?" also asks Graxx.

Doozey stood by initially quietly for the most part, alternating between observing the conversation and side-eying any staff or officers that happen to pass by the interim, and with Taters doing much the same from his shoulder. Though the commentary on the new building prompts him to perk and focus more of his attention on the conversation with a raised brow. "You hoping it'll be an arena or somethin', Mr. Graxx?" Doozey asked half-jokingly and with no real expectations of an answer.

His facial expression changing from forgetful to welcoming in a few seconds, Graxx greets the dwarven clerk and asks two brief questions. His second question is met by a funny little quip from Doozey, but the clerk does not seem amused.

She pushes her lips upward and her brow downward, depicting either confusion or frustration. Whether it was something CRAP said or this just happens to be her default reaction, it is hard to say. She is not wearing Black Fist colors, instead being decked in some standard padded protectives. Her short brown hair does not come down past her cheeks, and she keeps her face clean shaven.

She looks Graxx up and down before responding: "Jailer Iorg Brokenjaw is not here today. And don't bother asking: I don't know when his next shift is."

She the taps some documents on the table, arranging each page in a flush manner with the next: "And the building you are pointing to is not new. That's Mantor's Library, and it is quite old, actually. It just has been closed to the general public for a long time... some four years by my count."

She then manages to look even more disinterested than before, even if CRAP didn't think it possible: "Now, is that all?"

Utar's forehead wrinkles.  He hopes that this dwarf might be all too happy to dish a little more dirt on Iorg Brokenjaw.

"Apologies, friend.  Sounds as though this Iorg Brokenjaw is a fairly unreliable fellow, we're sorry for asking."

Leaving a pause for her to fill, Utar waits to see if she'll take the bait.  If not, he'll attempt to get a little more information on the new building.

"Mantor's Library? Any idea why it was closed and why it is now re-opening?" 

(If needed, here's a persuasion roll - 8.)

Graxx is disappointed but tries not to show it.

”I’m sorry indeed.  While I’m here would it be possible to visit with a prisoner?  Hakmar, one of the Sky Ponies.  He kinda looks like me but a little older?” asks Graxx.

Persuasion:  6

While not the most socially adept of the group, even Doozey couldn't help but grimace a touch if able to discern the beginnings of further detachment (or worst yet, resentment) from teh dwarf following the bevvy of questions from his companions. Unfortunately, the best thing he can think of in hopes of brightening the dwarfess mood was to quickly whisper in halfling to Taters to fly onto Graxx' shoulder and give his best cutsey/pitiful look!

Tater's Cutesy Act: 13.

The dwarven lady frowns even more intensely than she did before. She looks at Utar: "Why would you say that? I just meant it is not my job to know everyone elses' schedule." She clicks her tongue and shakes her head is disapproval of the comment.

She then listens to Utar's follow up question, as well as Graxx's request, the latter of which is boosted by Taters' display of cuteness. She extends a palm toward the human: "The usual fee for visitations is 5 silver pieces. You get no more than a quarter hour." She then extends her second palm toward the half-orc: "As for you, I'll you decide how much that information is worth to you. And don't be skimpy, I can see the fancy armor you are wearing."

Utar holds his hands up in a show of contrition.

"No offense meant. But uh, how would we find out when Mr Brokenjaw was next due to be at work?  Lieutenant Hurn has specifically asked that we speak to him."

Dropping his hands, he wiggles one into his coin pouch and starts clicking a few coins together.

"Tell you what, one gold piece for the lowdown on the library, another if you can give us Mr Brokenjaw's shift details for the next tenday and a third if you give my friend here an additional quarter hour with the prisoner."

Persuasion - 18

Graxx reaches in his backpack and pulls out 5 silver pieces and hands them over.

"I appreciate your help." says Graxx.

Doozey fishes around among his own pouches and pulls out another five. Though before setting it on the counter he asks, "Can more than one person visit the same person?" And depending on the answer from the dwarven woman, he'd either give Graxx an apologetic look and a shrug or be following along quietly after the barbarian. Either which way, unless pointed out and requested otherwise, Taters sticks to Graxx' shoulder and did his level best to not attract any more attention to himself.

Utar negotiates with the dwarven clerk. She nods: "I wish I could earn all three coins, but I can't help you with the jail staff's schedule. I was't lying when I said I don't have it." Considering that particular matter settled, she proceeds to earn the first golden coin: "Mantor's Library was closed to the public some years back when the Lord Protector passed away. They said it was closed for mourning, but official business still took place behind the library's close doors. It was no secret, curators and scribes kept coming in and out as usual. The library was closed to the general public but the Lord Sage and their staff carried on with their business. With time, the closing of the library became old news and folks just assumed it would remain so forever, I guess. They must be done mourning now..."

She then pauses to make sure her answer was good enough to earn the first gold coin. Assuming it was, she proceeds to ear the second: "Your friend here can have two quarter-hours. We can find wiggle room for that." It is then that Graxx cuts the conversation by paying the exact amount for only 15 minutes worth of visitation. Doozey expresses his desire to accompany Graxx and the clerk collects another 5 silver pieces from him, nodding her head to indicate that more than one person can indeed visit the same prisoner as long as they pay the fee. She finally extends her hand toward Utar once again. "My two gold, please."

She waits until she is paid before leading Graxx and Doozey to a door on the corner of the room. She opens it with a large, heavy metal key and continues walking toward another room, just around the next corner. Once inside, Graxx and Doozey are asked to sit on wooden chairs and told that the prisoner will be brought to them shortly. Outside this visitation room, the clerk speaks to another jailer, who is supposedly responsible for bringing Hakmar over. The clerk then returns to the front room where Neya and Utar wait.

The visitation room is quite bare.There are a total of five wooden chairs inside and a simple, damaged table. There are no windows, and only the one door. The door was locked once the clerk left. Before leaving, the clerk lit sconces on the wall. The torches are secured so that they can't be removed. The hallway connecting the front room and this visitation room was just as gray and bleak as the visitation room itself. 

(OOC: Feel free to roll history checks on the terms "Lord Protector," and "Lord Sage.")

Utar drops the three gold pieces into the dwarf's waiting hand.

"Earn the last coin another way then.  Who should I be talking to if we wanted to know Brokenjaw's schedule?  We don't need to be talking to him at work, but it seemed more appropriate given that it was regarding Blackfist business."

Utar watches the dwarf's reaction and following response closely trying to see if he's being spun a yarn.

Insight - 16

(OOC History roll to see what Utar can recall about the Lord Sage - 16.)

Graxx looks over at Doozey then down at the food.

"It's not much but hopefully it's enough to lift their spirits a little bit."

Graxx smiles at Doozey.

"I appreciate you coming with me.  I am honored for you to meet my tribesman." says Graxx.

Some knowledge of the Lord Protector is fairly commonplace. But talk about him had more airtime than the Lord Sage. Neya tries to recall what she had on both, regardless.

History: 21

With the matter of visitation largely settled, Doozey allowed his mind to drift back to Utar's inquiries and the fanciful titles that came with it. Which while granted he wasn't one to 'dabble' in the concerns of those that usually bear the title of Lord's and Ladies outside of any specific job or sponsored hunt in any given place, his ears were too sharp to play deaf at all times. So just perhaps -- PERHAPS there'd been something in passing or during some forgotten sidebar that reached his ears. He'd have to ponder that for a bit...

History: 8.

Drawn back to the present at Graxx' compliment, Doozey just manages small smile up at the barbarian. "I'm just glade I'm not imposing. I know at times I can be a bit, uhm... pushy about things, to say the least. But this is your meeting at the end of the day of course. So, I'll try to keep the interference on my part to a minimum."  He assured before motioning Taters down so that he rested on Doozey's shoulder again.

(Coin deducted)

BEFORE THE CLERK LEADS GRAXX AND DOOZEY AWAY

Not one to refuse gold, the clerk collects the three coins from Utar and responds: "You are welcome to stop by and ask any other day. If Brokenjaw is here, I'll let you know if I see him then." Utar gets no particular response when name-dropping the Black Fist or Lieutenant Hurn.

@Utar:

REGARDING THE HISTORY CHECKS

CRAP is aware that the governance of Plhan was heavily intertwined with the local Zhentarim presence starting over a century ago. Up until then, Phlan used to be ruled by a council of nobles but, after rising in prominence, the Zhentarim Hatemaster broke up the council and declared himself as Lord Protector of Phlan, a de facto monarch. Despite the decline of the Zhentarim presence in Phlan over the next several decades (and CRAP squashing their plans of reclaiming that power), sovereignty of Phlan remained within the Hatemaster's family lineage for decades, with all successors taking the title of Lord Protector. They ruled with a stern fist from the Cinnabar Throne of Valjevo Castle, the stronghold that is only accessible through the Stojanow Gate (the Black Fist's HQ).

In more recent years, the tale goes that the latest Lord Protector was unexpectedly killed in a construction mishap while touring Valjevo Castle during a period of renovation. He had no heir apparent and rule of the city passed down to the leader of the Knightly Order of the Black Fist, that is, Knight Commander Ector Brahms. The Knight Commander has since adopted the title of Lord Regent.

CRAP has recently learned that the Lord Regent's rule has faced some issues when it comes to financing the several public works projects initiated throughout town. The Labor Guilds claim they are not being paid properly for all the projects, so work has halted on many of them. Negotiations are ongoing.

As for the Lord Sage, this person/title rarely comes up in conversation. They are a high-level official of Phlan who serves as the lead researcher and history keeper of the city. It is assumed that they live/work from Valjevo Castle, but CRAP's recent findings regarding Mantor's Library may suggest they spend a good amount of time there as well, behind closed doors. Mantor's Library itself had fallen out of Phlan's lingo after being closed to the public for many years in a sign of mourning.

Neya is aware of some additional details. @Neya:

IN THE VISITATION ROOM

Graxx's and Doozey's short conversation is interrupted by Hakmar's arrival. The older but still physically imposed figure of the tribesman is accompanied by a younger and less muscular jailer. Hakmar is not the type of men to smile much, but he seems glad to see Graxx. "It is good to see you."

After leaving the room, the human jailer locks the door and opens a little peeping-shutter on the door itself. The opening is just large enough for you to see half of the jailer's face. This is some sort of measure to help ensure nothing untoward happens during visitations.

Utar leaves the receptionist where she is.  If they need to find Brokenjaw, they've a thread here they can tug on here.  That being said, it isn't like CRAP don't have an in with Lieutenant Hurn or Captain Burrall, if a lowly receptionist can't help, he is sure that one of the others can.

Heading over to Neya, he'll point towards the door they came in through. "Want to go check out this Mantor's Library? That pair will be kept busy here for a little while yet."

"Sounds like worthwhile way to spend time. Even if it is open to the public, there may be a few gems of information among the volumes." Neya replies to Utar as she follows him out the door.