"Then let's earn some real money, eh, Guilim? I think I could make a sort of pump to fill these flasks, but it'll take me just a little while... maybe an hour or 2, and I'll need a pair of hand bellows as well, for what I have in mind."

Grugga places 6 silver coins on the alchemist's counter and asks for 15 of the flasks, after that he speaks with the group again, "I'm going to buy some bellows now and then make a pump for extracting the blood. I'd be happy to take a helper, but I don't need one. I think it'd be important that we guard the corpse and make sure no one takes the fruits of our hard labor. I'll make the pump and then meet you all down by the corpse in an hour or 2. Does that sound alright?" Once he buys the hand bellows for another 7 silver he begins putting the device together at the inn, assuming Nevers allows him to.

Grugga, the shopkeep looks you over as you're purchasing so many flasks.  "You serve the quicksilver god.  One of its artificers.  I didn't think you folk cared for potioncraft.  Not planning to build some glass golem or other horror, are you?" he laughs, suggesting he is only joking, but his pallid face and the hissing rasp of his laugh is unsettling.

The bellows can be purchased quite easily in the market square.

Back at the Robust Hound, Nevers politely asks you to complete your contraption in the room you slept in last night.  "I appreciate your business and I welcome all sorts into my house.  But its one thing for me to say an artificer can drink here... its quite another to have you assembling some magical tech out in front of the locals.  I'm less concerned I'll lose their business and more concerned some drunk mob will carry you off as a heretic.  And nobody wants that, eh?" he asks with a smile.

(Previously you had asked about the cold mist in the kitchen area, but in game Nevers wasn't around at that moment.  Assuming you bring it up again...)

"You noticed that?  I'll have to remember to thank the Judexi for treating my back room like its the interrogation annex of the local jailhouse."  Gesturing back toward the kitchen, "Yeah I've got a couple of tricks to keep a leg up on the competition."  He produces a pint glass of ale, its contents cold enough to frost the glass, and he slides it to a gruff looking thin man at the end of the bar.  "Here you go, Rick.  On the house.  Your wife asked me to keep you busy for a couple more hours," he jests, soliciting some laughs from a few of the locals hanging out here between lunch and dinner.  Turning back to Grugga, "Nothing I think you'd be interested in.  Call it... the 'old fashioned' science.  Something i picked up from my old man."

*****

Will the others wait for Grugga at the inn?  Or will you proceed to the underdocks to visit the hydra corpse?

If Aubrey gets the impression that the assembly of the new device will take a while he will suggest that Leelan and perhaps either Rohuzar or Guilim would accompany him to the carcass, trying to see if any preparations can be made for the exsanguination.

Grugga furrows his brow a bit at the the shopkeeper's statement. "Artificers have a strong tradition of alchemy, including potionmaking." he responds seriously. He looks like he wants to join in with the shopkeeper's laughter, but doesn't know if it's directed at him or not. He lingers a moment, considering telling him a bit about the wonders of Gel-Nagev before deciding that this isn't the time or place for such a thing. "Have a good day," he murmurs on the way out of the shop.

If any of the group proceeds to the hydra corpse, Grugga will offer his axe and dagger for the, um, preparation of the corpse. "No need to get your nice weapons dirty." He'll say.

When speaking to Nevers, he replies to the initial statement with a bit of a disapproving frown, "Actually, it's not even a magical..." he cuts off mid sentence, glances around the room, then back to Nevers, and realizes the innkeeper is right... no one here knows the difference between tech and divine tech. "Nobody wants that." He repeats.

"But we will have to talk about your freezer at some point, if you have the inclination; you might be surprised what interests me... it's basically everything!" He says with a chuckle. He hefts his gear into his arms and is about to walk off before hesitating. Nevers has been awfully kind to him when many people (excluding his companions, of course) haven't. He slides a gold coin across the counter, "For you and your employees. I'll only be an hour or so."

If any of his companions join him, Grugga will happily take their help building the blood pump. If not, he begins the work alone.

11

 Grugga, the potion shopkeep nods as you explain a bit of his misconceptions about artificers, and he smiles, but he continues his rasping laugh.  You can't make heads or tails of what this guy's deal might be.  But as you start to leave with all your flasks, he hands you a small wooden tray with slots to hold up to 20 such flasks for ease of carrying.  "I can't have you dropping one."

 Later, while you are upstairs working on your device, there is a knock.  Outside the hall is empty but there is a plate of dwarven spaetzle set on the floor outside your door.

18

Assuming that everyone else is traveling ahead to the carcass... more later.

Guilim makes his way to the corpse as quickly as he can, not wanting to let it sit out to long for the fishermen or other riffraff mess with it. As he gets there he will do a quick glance over the body before starting to guard it.

Aubrey, Guilim, Leelan and Rohuzar make the trek to the wharfs while Grugga toils away on his pump.  It is early afternoon but it is already beginning to feel like a long day after the events of the night before and this morning.  Bardstown is its usual whirlwind of activity.  In addition to the usual crowds of pedestrians, shoppers, hustlers, gawkers and entertainers on the streets, the 1st Legion is running calisthenics for the new recruits today.  This way and that throughout the city, groups of eight trainees are lead by their Decani as they jog along, each carrying a backpack weighted down to simulate weapons and armor.  Occasionally, barked commands in Old Imperial can be heard echoing down the alleys when a recruit falls behind or stops to catch his breath.

Eventually you reach the staircase down to the hidden beach under the docks.  In the daytime it is not quite so dark down here, as sunlight reaches down through cracks and seams in the wood above.  It is a bit like being in an unlit room, but where daylight sneaks through a closed shutter.  And all along the 'horizon' there is a bright strip of daylight where the docks end and the open lake begins.  

As they trudge across the sand, a shape looms before them where they expect to find the hydra.  As they approach, there is the jingling sound of chain, along with a loud grunt.  A voice says, "There.  You're getting the hang of it now."  Drawing closer, you see three human men in chainmail, with blue sashes tied to their waists.  Two of them are working on the carcass with hand axes, having stripped off the top portion of the hide and now work on one of the sides.  The third man stands beside a canvas tarp upon which lays some hide and five of the severed necks.  He seems to be supervising the work of the other two.

A few yard up the beach, you spot the form of the old fisherman Shaemus, lying on his back.

At this moment, no one has noticed your approach.

Rohuzar will start to jog. 

“That’s not yours. Vhat have you done to Shaemus?” 

The two cutting into the hydra stop and look when Rohuzar calls out.  The third man turns, then brushes his long blond hair out of his eyes.  "... the hell is this about?" he asks, while casually bending down to pickup a glaive that had been lying at his feet on the beach.  He doesn't brandish it, exactly, but leans on it as Rohuzar jogs toward him.

Seeing his leader confront the three man, Leelan will run over to Shaemus. Once he’s over the body, he will give a series of gentle slaps to wake up the fisherman

"Shaemus? Are you alright, sir?"

If he’s unresponsive, Leelan will try to check for vital signs.

Medecine: 15

"This, gentlemen, is about the fact that we have a legal claim to this hydra, since we were the one's that slew it last night. This has been confirmed with the Judexi, so unless you want to continue this discussion with them you will now quietly leave this place." Aubrey says sternly, coming up behind Rohuzar.
Help action to Rohuzar should he agree to intimidate the competition to leave the carcass.

Leelan, you crouch over Shaemus' form.  You are unable to detect any sign of injury and you are nearly overwhelmed by the odor of poor quality rum.  After a few slaps, his eyes pop open in surprise.  "Jolly fellow!  Hrrm... what?" he says/asks, then his eyes roll back and he returns to unconsciousness.

The blond man stands up straighter, nearly able to look Rohuzar in the eye, though he can't match the orcs muscular build.  "Is that right?  You lot killed this thing and fished it out of the sea?" he asks.  His tone suggests on honest question, but the smug condescension on his face shows his skepticism.

Behind him, one of the men steps away from the carcass, still wielding the handaxe he was using to butcher in his left hand.  His right hand plays with the handle of a shortsword hanging on his hip.  He has a shaved head with brown stubble on his cheeks and chin and he grins as he approaches, but his eyes are sharp, lingering at first on Rohuzar before glancing to Aubrey and then down to Guilim.  "Naw."  He spits on the sand.  "I say no.  No chance you lot brought this beast in.  'Sides, this here is Bart Cossa," he points his axe at the blond man, "heir to Northtower.  And his goodcousin Pious back there is half a noble as well, and a cleric of mother Alcona to boot.  So I say 'no' and I say the word of the Blue Crowns carries more weight around here than an Orc and a little boy in chainmail.  And I say we own this salvage."  He comes to stand alongside the blond man.

The third man linger back by the corpse.  He does have a faint resemblance to the blond man, but has a pig nose and a large birthmark on his face, making him the inverse of his handsome cousin.  "Gentlemen... I'm sure we can all be reasonable about this... There's no need to involve the Judexi...". 

"Yes, well, in that case you should be aware that I am Citizen Aubrey Goldentide, heir to the Goldentide title, and unless you gentlemen leave now I'm afraid we do have to involve the Judexi, who we have had long discussions with in the hours since we fell this beast, and who were most appreciative over our deeds." Aubrey says, taking another step forward.
Intimidation: 21 expecting help action from Rohuzar or Guilim.
History regarding the Northtower and these upstarts:16

Aubrey:

“You vill leave after submitting to a search of your persons for further stolen belongings. Any argument vill be taken as a theft of Red Band goods. Vhen the authorities find your corpses, the judexi send scourge to round us up and a Judex to determine the truth. Their own reports vill confirm it, as vell as their magic. The Blue Crowns vill determine you are rogue members rather than declare support against the Judexi. Your family vill pursue revenge and be ordered by the Prince to cease, to keep peace between the Citizens. And the Scourge vill enforce it to maintain the Prince’s honor.”

”I tell you again: this is our property.” 

Rohuzar puts a hand on his battleaxe. 

Leelan turns to his companions with a sigh of relief.

"Good news, everyone! Shaemus is alright. He’s merely heavily inebriated."

Guim glares and pulls out his halberd and steps up towards the body, pointing to any wound his weapon made. "So then you are all spoiled whelps. Oh and I see we can add assaulting our friend here to the list of crimes..." He turns on them and leans against his weapon, ready to attack if they make a move.

"That is good news Leelan, now if you'd care to join us by the hydra that would be splendid."
As Rohuzar and Guilim brandishes their weapons Aubrey positions himself behind them ready with his loaded crossbow.
"You seem like a sensible one. Take your comrades and leave and there will be no bloodshed between us this day." Aubrey mentally messages the pig nosed man. (Awakened mind)

"For St. Christopher's sake... the drunk on the beach is a friend of yours?" the blond man starts to ask?  But then both the blond man and the shaved-headed men widen their eyes at Rohuzar's threat.  Then the shaved man speaks, talking to his ally but his eyes locked with Rohuzar.  "Enough of this.  Bart, there ain't no eyes down here but a dead drunk and a dead beast.  Nobody to interrupt us.  I won't see some Orc scum threaten you like that - threaten all of us.  Let's teach these curs a lesson.  If they survive, they'll think twice about threatening their betters.  And if they should get a little too hurt... well that's a big lake behind us....".  He slowly starts to draw the shortsword.  14

Behind them the pig nosed man near the hydra widens his eyes in surprise of his own, looking at Aubrey.  "Um.  Bartleby.  This isn't worth it.  These guys aren't worth it.  We cannot afford to get in trouble again.  If they really do know the drunk, then maybe they are telling the truth.  And if so, neither of us need trouble with the Judexi.  I'm on thin ice with the church after that warehouse incident already.  Let them have their corpse and let's get out of here."  13

Bartleby Cossa's face goes flush with anger.  But as his partner takes a step toward Rohuzar, Bartleby raises his glaive to block his path.  "No."

"We'll leave.  But if you think I will allow you to search us... or even touch us... it is going to cost you those chubby green fingers of yours.  Pious!  Let's go."

The shaved man looks to start to argue, but a sharp look from Bartleby quiets him.

If allowed, they gather and depart for the stairs upward, leaving behind the hydra, their tarp, and those parts they had started to harvest.