The gambler takes a seat. “Deal!” His eyes already have the feverish glaze of a man wholly succumbed to his addiction. He draws his five cards

He looks confidently at his cards. Milo could swear he sensed a humming from the clock on the table though. 

Wilfred nods acknowledgingly. « I’d agree. I’m sur’rised at how quickly and easily you reached your diagnosis. Whoever you learnt from must know their trade. Now, how would you try to help this poor boy? »

5 6 1 6 4 2

do we take another turn?  Did you roll for me already?

Noticing the watch begins to hum once the game starts.  Keeping all hands in a fist he turns to the man.  “Some would find it curious that the device you bring to a wager starts to work once the bet  is on.  Why don’t you tell me what it does before we continue.  In his other hand Milo will quickly use minor illusion to create a small ball of fire floating above his flat palm.before closing his hand and extinguishing the flame.

intimidation: 24 if dis/advantage : 11

The gambler now starts to sweat: « I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to... it’s just I desperately need the money, and I hoped I could get some like this. I didn’t think you’d figure it out... Please, I just need some coin to clear my debts... please. You can have my watch until I can winyour money back, just, I need the money now, else they’re gonna break my legs or take my fingers. Please, I beg you... »

Milo flips over his cards.  “That’s something we can discuss.  Why don’t you tell me about the watch, and tell me about this mess you’re in.”  Milo waves down a waitress to get drinks for both men.

The gambler starts to shake: “I just really need the money... the watch here? I won it a few days ago... Don’t really know what it does yet, but once a day or so it just... it knew what cards I wanted and I got them. Nothing amazing, but always predictable. I kept it as a curious memento, since it’s not powerful enough to cheat reliably. But now... I hit a bad streak, and well, I needed some money and borrowed from some shady types... But my bad streak continued, and now I owe them money too. And they’re not the type to mess around... So please, if you could give me 50 denars or so, I could make enough winnings to pay them back and give you a return on your investment.”

Thia would stand up again to leave the boy to rest while she addresses Wilfred and the others. “The boy needs lots of rest.” She’d sigh with that and look over her shoulders at the boy. Normally long rests are suggested and fate decides, but Thia doesn’t believe in that. She’d look back at Wilfred, “I’d suggest topical treatment of his wounds to help his body heal faster. Of course we want to treat the suspected bite, but his knee scrapes too. I’d also suggest a herbal tea to assist with his fever and other symptoms.” She’d look to the mother, “Continue with the cold compresses to help with the fever as well.”

“Do you know which of the shady type people you got into bed with?  Do they have any affiliations?  I’m willing to pay for information... if it’s good. Again, how much do you owe them?(What does Denar equate to?)

I love to watch her leave. Brandt thinks as he watches Colette fade into the distance. Well, time to go kiss the Cannith's ass. Brandt gets moving towards the nearest factory that bears the symbol of their house.

Corti perks up at his mention of a project, “Oh, of course! I would be happy to help. Might I ask if you have something particular in mind?”

Wilfred gave a quick look at Alexis, and at that Alexis bent down to the boy, and produced a set of treated bandages, and a small flask of boiled wine. Washing the boy’s wounds, she bandaged his wounds. Thia had never seen such pre-prepared packages for wound treatment before, and was quite impressed.

Wilfred himself started grinding various herbs in a mortar and prepared a tea, much as Thia herself had suggested. Turning to the mother, he handed her some more bushels of the herbs. “Give him this as a tea twice a day. We’ll be back tomorrow to see how he’s doing.”

Stepping outside, he looked at Thia and Alexis. “Well handled Thia, ready for some more?”

(A denar is the local’s name for a gold piece)

The gambler desperately carried on, almost stumbling over his words: “They were some shady eastern types. The kind you see more and more of in the Forge. No gang types or something, I know they are bad news. No, these guys are quiet, run their businesses, but have a bunch of really tough bruisers. Or so I heard. Now, for the money...”

Brandt takes the most direct route to the Forge, not intent on wasting any more of his time on this task. After a quick stroll, he reaches one of the steel mills, adorned with an iron gate bearing the Cannith crest. An awful building really. As he approached, he saw about three dozen workers there, with banners and tools laid down at their side, ready on the picket line, while a slightly smaller group was further back, preparing some kind of stew for lunch. It didn’t take long, before a dwarf with heavy facial scars and a cleft palette approached him: “Tha name’s Donar Cleftjaw. Anythin’ I can do fer ye? Ye donnae look like a worker, but ye ain’t got the air of a management type either, so what are ye lookin’ fer?”

Milo puts his hand in the watch and picks it up “You know I appreciate the gift to the speak without actually saying something, this isn’t an instance where it’s helpful.  My advice to you is to run.  Go find some farm village out in the country and start over.  Remove yourself from temptation and danger and get a new lease on life.  You have a problem and it isn’t the thugs.  It’s your addiction.  Leave now, I’ll hold onto this seeing how I won it fair and square.”

persuasion - 18

Thia let out a little sigh of relief and smiled seeing the two quickly supply treatment. She was thinking the next step may have been to find some herbs locally, but of course the pair came more prepared than herself. She admired the pair and their efficiency. Thia would want to make note of the herbs Wilfred used and keep a look out to see if they are available in the immediate area.

Thia would nod, “As ready as I can be.” She’d flash an encouraging smile. She was nervous to get stumped, but at the same time very eager to learn.

During some silence, Thia’s curiosity would pipe up, “Wilfred, you never did elaborate on why you wanted to hear my story at the beginning.” Not that she really minded, but he did leave them hanging. “And do you gather those herbs yourself?” Maybe he had some herbalist knowledge of the area she could learn from as well. 

Hearing Corti's question, Arc's brows furrow together in deep thought, and he pauses to think for a moment, "...…..tell me. What is Life? What requirements do you think are needed to consider something, not only alive, but your equal?" His gaze wanders slightly towards the sky, but maintains it's focus on the woman in front of him.

Corti, a little surprised by Arc’s question, thinks for a second before responding, “Well... I’m no expert, of course, but I would say that a good start is thought, and then within that is compassion. If a being can care about others, or care about itself then I think I’d consider it alive. Being able to act on that care is also important.” Corti shrugs a little as she finishes, and then waits, very curious as to what Arc’s response will be.

"Name's Brandt. My business today involves the individuals that you're currently striking against. I'm a representative of Derbert Sparks, whose project you might've heard about. He believes that things will go easier for him if the Canniths are backing his project instead of hindering it. I need to convince the Canniths of why they should do this, but I can't really tell them how wonderful they are if I can't speak with them. I was hoping that someone at one of their factories might be able to help me win an audience with them, or at least get their attention." 

When Brandt talks about telling them how wonderful they are, he's clearly being sarcastic.

(okay this is gonna be a little to take in, I know cause I had a headache writing it XD, so please sit down or have a glass of water XP)

Arc smiles, however something seems off with it, "If you asked around, I'm sure you'd find many who'd agree with you. After all, it's nice to think that. However, let me, unoffensively, point out something....you know about demons right? Devils? The entire lower planes? Creatures whose very existence are by birth, immoral and seek the very opposite of what you just described life to be. Are they alive? If not? Do you consider someone, born with infernal or abyssal heritage, alive?" he sighs, still smiling, his brain stimulated as his eyes slightly gaze over in deep thought, "Again, your answer is a good one, and I'm not refuting it. However, while the morality of life is answered by it, it leaves many more questions. Questions which, many wizards, clerics, heck, I reckon even most of the Gods, have thought about it." He holds out his two hands, palms out stretched and facing upwards, as if holding something, "The closest we can get to a, surefire answer, is from science & religion. But in the end, no one really knows the answer." Arc looks up from his palms at Corti.

"You, Corti, were made by my family. We know how you were made. I, however, was born from a mother, who was in turn born from another mother and so on so forth, to the point where the only one's who know how we're made are the Gods. And even out of all of them, only a small handful would know the answer. But then, comes the bigger question, who made the Gods? No some of them, are able to tell the grand story of how they rose to divinity from morality. But not all of them. Where did the first God come from? Who was their, creator?" Arc, breaks out of thought, eyes breaking from their haze, and re-focuses on Corti, ".....that is my project. A single step, towards a impossibly large question. My family built you and your people. But you have no one to represent you on the large stage. I want to present a representative. Someone who'd be able to both watch over your kind, and seek the answers I, nor anyone else in this plane, can't.....I want to give birth, to a Warforged God."

The gambling man stands up, shaking, a mixture of rage and fear on his face. « They’re going to hurt me man, they’ll find me and tear me apart... You can’t do this to me, you can’t just leave me out to hang. I need help, you’re right, but it won’t do me no good if I’m dead man. I just need a little cash to get them off my back. Please man, help me out, before I do something stupid. »

————————

Wilfred gave Thia a warm smile: « I always want to know the backgrounds and skills of potential apprentices. Alexis here had vouched for you, but I wanted to meet you myself. Now, I understand if you’ got obligations to your current guild or master, but if you want to do more than wash wounds and prepare poultices, if you really want to become a medicus, if you really want to help people that are in need, I would love to take you on as an apprentice. I could teach you far more than just where I get my herbs» Alexis flashed her a smile, amused by the surprise on Thia’s face at hearing Wilfred’s offer.

————————

Donar gave Brandt a chuckle: “Sorry pal, th’ Cannith’s ain’t been down ‘ere fer mor’an a week. An’ ever since tha’ warforged is leadin’ th’ folks down at the foundry, they’ve been gettin’ far more attention. Good fer us tho, means less beatin’s by the watch. But ‘part from our foreman Bellows, no one here ‘s talked wit’ th’ Cannith’s. Mebby down at the’ Foundry they can help ye out a bit more?”