In this moment, the tome faintly thrums as Falhorn reaches toward it. Lailah, you have not witnessed it behave as such before. Falhorn, you feel a tingle come from your hand as it comes close *to the book. It is not uncomfortable, but as if awakening with excitement.
Those with magic sight do not see a sign of an active spell upon the tome.
Falhorn, when you take the book, the pages are empty. No pen is provided. In the City of Secrets, this is only a temporary problem, at worst, where you can buy inks of any kind.
Falhorn feels a tingle in his hand as the book slides across the table to him. He retracts his hand at first but then lets the Tome come to him.
"Looks like it likes me eh?" He says with a bit of a giggle in his voice. "Well then" he says as he glides his fingers across the gold clasps holding it shut, which reflexively open for him. He takes a second and looks up at Lailah with the hope that she would not take the book coming to him as an insult considering her words of being chosen to watch over the Tome. He then opens and rummages through the pages only to find them blank.
"Well it seems it is fresh and ready to be filled. There is nothing in it yet. I haven't a clue why it would react to me the way it has."
He closes the book and looks at the others. "Would any of you like to try that trick yourself? I guess just hold a hand out and ask if you can see the book." He takes his hands from the Tome and sets them palms down on the table. If it does not come to anyone he will slide the book away and try to summon it to him again.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As the book reacted to Falhorn, Lailah raised a brow in curiosity. She didn't know the magic in the book reacted to people. But they were chosen to under take this adventure, so maybe they all had a connection to the book? With Falhorn's prompting, Lailah held out her own hand for the tome, only to feel nothing. She retracted her hand and thrust it forward again, this time more forcefully but still nothing happened. She tried one last time, now slamming her palm forcefully onto the front cover of the book. The results were same as the last.
Divine fury flashed in her eyes, turning their sapphire hue into white lights. Anger was evident in all of her form, her muscles tensed and rippled, her jaw set almost painfully as she grit her teeth and her brows drew together. Falhorn wasn't even assigned a job that required him to be in contact with the tome. She was the book's protector, she was entrusted with it physically while the others were only given scraps of knowledge. Why was it silent when it came to her?
She realized what a spectacle she must look like after a few heartbeats, giving a defeated sigh and slumping back into her seat. She blinked a few times and the light was gone from her eyes, then relaxed her muscles. She gave a sheepish grin to the others, shrugging a bit "Sorry. I guess I'm a little...frustrated that it doesn't seem to like me." She gave a small chuckle then cleared her throat, waiting for the others to try their hands at the book. Once they all had, she would pick it up more gently now and place it in her satchel once more.
"Anywho, I know of the Winged Lions. At least a bit. They frequent Nura Natal. I'm unsure if I remember more than that..." Lailah thinks to herself for a moment, then it comes to her "I did a job for someone in the company once, some light guarding. I think they mentioned that a...Borelli puts up shop here. He made the man sound important, the leader perhaps?"
((Lailah lived in Nura Natal but she doesn't seem the type to pay too much attention to shipping companies, so I'll do the check to see if she knows specifics: 5 yay! She knows stuff.))
Arabella holds her hand out to the Tome. She feels it tingle, as if her hand has gone to sleep. "That's an... interesting sensation," she says. She gives the book a long, hard look. She reached out her hand again, feeling the tingling sensation one more time.
"It's certainly reacting to me, if not as strongly as it did to you, Falhorn. I don't know why though. Doesn't seem to be much point to a book that makes your hand feel odd."
Jamestakes note of Lailah's frustration and her words, holding his own hand out in turn, feeling the book thrum under his touch.
Jamesconsiders the book and looks over at Lailah,
"Perhaps the reaction is the other way around. Maybe the book likes you, but reacts to us because it is somehow resisting us."
"Until we know more about all of this, we cannot be sure."
Jamesgives Lailah a hopeful smile, before turning to the picture of Volando.
Jamespicks up the picture, looking the man over, committing his likeness to memory.
Jameslooks around, to confirm the group is still alone and then begins transforming again.
His likeness begins to change into that of the man in the picture, getting more and more like the image over the next few seconds.
Once heis happy that he has the likeness both, mentally and physically memorised, he changes back to James.
Jamesplaces the picture back on the table and picks up Arabella's booklet, leafing through it, but not getting into any serious study.
"Well this looks like a complicated process. Perhaps those of us with more advanced magical understanding, should each study the ritual, so that each can preform it if or when needed?"
"While my very nature is magical and I do have a little magical capabilities, this may be beyond me."
Tucking the booklet into his robe, Cobalt watches as the group flocks around the Tome, and listens to the haughty titles they have given themselves. He hesitates to participate in the tingle experiment but he does not react when he finally lays a cool hand on the cover. He tries not to react when Lailah grows frustrated with her charge, but he does shift back slightly in his chair. If they didn't all know she was aasimar before, they do know, he thought, perhaps a little amused.
"I wouldn't be disheartened, Lailah. The Tome is a magical thing of secrets. Naturally it would react more to witches, professional deceivers, and those with malleable identities over those who prefer a more earnest, martial calling." He has no idea what he is talking about. Reluctantly, he considers James’ platitudes - that the thrumming and tingling was a sign of antipathy. That was a possibility, he had to admit, but there were some small problems with the theory. Dwelling on it here and now would not help, though. They had already been wasting too much time with little to show for it.
"Well, given that this Volando appears to be our first target, we should consider our plans. Borelli is the Commodore of the Winged Lions. Perhaps we could ask around his people for information? The Winged Lions might be competition in this matter, though. It might be better to head straight to Friula."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Looking at the few loose parchments of Arabella's ritual, you are unable to read them without assistance- they appear to be details of an ancient ritual. The symbols are in druidic. Diabolical witchcraft, to the untrained eye. A student of magic may know better. Arabella already knows- but she might not see see the need to explain, it's just natural magic, after all. Arcana DC 16 or Religion DC 14 yields insight even without Arabella's input.
The ritual's diagrams resemble simple abjuration with some complex enchantment as part of it. This ritual coaxes out lingering spirits and then forcefully separates them from their attachment to the world. It is only effective against those who have not yet become dangerous- useless against specters and the like. Arabella being given this is an obvious sign: spirits may become attached to the tome. This ritual will delay or even prevent it from becoming cursed. The ritual is not specific to the tome, and can be used in other situations.
The user must be able to read ancient Druidic to perform the ritual.
Thuldor watches as everyone slaps out their books, hands, and possible explanations, occasionally grunting to himself. Quietly shuffling into his pack, he pulls out a single parchment. He holds it up for a moment for all to see, but not in such a way to read it. It is but a paragraph of instruction in common. "Can simply rip it out, the gift of a person, making it hurt by force. Now you know, I'll use it like that, if need be."
He stuffs it into his pocket, patting it as though to show that he didn't mean to share it for now.
His information contributed, Thuldor returned the parchment to its secure location on his person. Trusting your coworkers is wise, publicly owning that you can perform magic, at this level, is suicide. He intends to finish the tome, but he knows he's gotta be alive to do it.
Unsure of how to proceed in a group, Thuldor puts forth his plan of action. Establish a workshop at the guilds second room, upgrade it with an apprentice to high quality, get competitive in the market.
In fact, hes entirely sure that's what he'd like to do, and says so plainly. He states his exact locations at the fishing docks, inn where he is staying and room at the guild hall he intends to make the crafting shop.
"Mmm."
He sets off confident in his plan, or at least in the ability of someone with a better one to catch up to his hundred year old walking pace, given they all know where he'll be and he's impossible to miss.
"Mhmmm."
He'll first go to the inn, sleep till morning. Bright and early hit the guild and make a full days attempt into finding an apprentice in blacksmithing and upgrading the room to a working forge.
Cobalt glances after Thuldor as he leaves abruptly.
"Well, I suppose that concludes our first meeting. I'm going to try and work with Thuldor - I like the 'cup of his jig' as I think they say. With any luck, you can contact me through him. Don't quite know where I'm staying yet."
With that he leaves as well. He shoots the waiter boy a withering glare (as best he can) before trying to catch up to the old dwarf. He has enough coin to live on until Thuldor gets some work for him, so he will spend the time waiting poring over the booklet - he fully intends to return it and seeks to completely digest its secrets as quickly as he can.
Ultimately, he too takes a room at the Pointed Moon, liking its location and atmosphere a little more than the place the group had gathered - and still a little irritated that the waiter boy had made it so easy for them to be found. He rarely leaves his room unless its to meet with Thuldor or unless sought out by one of the others. At night he moves his bed in front of the door, an easy feat when he can make it half as heavy, and rests facing the window - conscious but inert.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Arabella takes her ritual and replaces it in her pocket. "I suppose we have no further business today?" she asks. "I'll need to find somewhere to hole up. This place looks too fancy. I suppose I'll need to find some work as well. This Tome doesn't seem like it's the type to put food on the table. Unless one of you has need of a healer?" She cocks her head to the side and waits for an answer.
If no one replies, Arabella will head out to look for a cheaper inn, but one where she still can have a room to herself. The next day, she'll use the cats to help her find a healer in town that she can offer her services to.
"Well then." Flahorn says with a tone of finality. "I can work my ways to get closer into the Winged Lions and this Borelli fellow. I'm going to do my best to start up shop here and work with Midnight to build an informant network. With my connections and his skills, we should be up and running in no time." He looks over to the changeling and nods. "In the mean time, I'll be staying in the more wealthy district." Falhorn looks around the room"When and where should we next meet?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Drow enthusiast Lover of lore and magic. -The White Crow-
Jamesnod's at Falhorn's talk of setting up an information network.
"Yes, we should be able to find people to help us accomplish our plans."
"I'm probably going to get a room here, alongside Lailah, its a good central location.
"Then I will start exploring the Inn's and taverns of the city, get to know the people a bit."
Jamessmiles and winks at the comment about getting to know the people.
Jamesbecome a little serious again.
"If I could ask that from now on, no one use my real name unless I am in my true form? I would rather people don't get confused or associate my true name with my persona's."
"I will be using James as my primary persona for our endeavour, at least while it remains a useful identity."
The morning, you meet with Karnath and a couple of the prominent smiths to arrange upgrades to the second hand shop. An estimate is agreed on after some inspection and deliberation; about 4 days of work on the shop itself, raw materials worth 185 gold, and 4 days work on the materials. Most of the material is very luckily readily available, allowing the two of you to get started right away converting the section to include another forge. Karnath will procure the other materials for you at no additional cost.
Thuldor starts by demolishing everything in poor condition, from tearing off rotted sections of shelves, drawers that only half-open, even dragging out an old pile of disused wood in the corner of the shop hidden behind more fresh layers of wood. Cobalt works very efficiently, collecting and sorting the tools between salvageable and rusted and deformed refuse. After, you busily repair what you can without magic, and rebuild the rest. In the first day, the two of you accomplish four days worth of labor working together, completing half the work on the upgrade.
Karnath promises the rest of what you'll need to arrive in the morning. He appraises your work, and then remarks how such effort would be highly valuable on ships seeking quick service after running into trouble at sea. Both of you spend 4 gold on daily living for the last two days, staying at the Pointless Moon inn and buying from the marketplace.
Falhorn
Falhorn focuses on setting up his temporary shop and introduces Midnight to Oonderbite. Looking for suitable open property (which is scarce), he does find a portable stall with an included tent setup that will suit his needs- offering enough private space to meet in the tent, and present a viable storefront. Similar to a deploy-able wagon, it is only just road worthy- not well suited to travel from country to country. Combined with the paperwork required, it is 95 gold. You feel like you've gone across the town a few times, and just by the end of the day, you have all that you need to open. 4 gold is spent in the last two nights on food and lodging (comfortable), staying at the Sky Cabin Tavern meant for ship officers near the docks.
Midnight
Falhorn introduces you to Oonderbite, near a brothel by the docks on the north side of town. His confounding speech with Falhorn eludes you, but Oonderbite seems to regard you well by association with Falhorn. He chats with you in the alley, telling you that the guild loosely operates with quite a few folk, and you're encouraged to recruit them. The guild primarily arranges for quick, willing hands when the need arises and prizes sharing information for opportunities and threats- and as such generally looks to have a feel for who is willing to do what. Oonderbite asks if you intend to operate outside the law, and if so, if you'll be dealing in information or goods. Once you've responded, he advises a few individuals to scout out.
Assuming he cooperates as James or another guise, Midnight finds and meets with 5 willing scofflaws though the day. Each of them have different requests before they agree to work for him. It will take 65 gold in advance pay if he's willing to negotiate debts for them, which will take a day or two to accomplish, or 100 gold to settle the debts immediately. You spend 2 gold on the last two nights to live modestly at the inn you met Lailah, the High Ambassador, or 4 gold to live comfortably at the Sky Cabin Tavern where Falhorn is staying.
Lailah
Looking for mercenaries, you find quite the array of hopefuls, veterans, and ordinary soldiers in the marketplace. You can hire 5 well trained soldiers for 190 GP, or you can take some time (3-8 days) to hire and train some hopefuls for 110 GP. Alternatively you could low-ball it to hire modestly armed and trained folk for 80 GP, or train inexperienced but willing commoners for 50 GP and 1-3 days of training. The competition for mercenaries keeps soldiers priced appropriately for their skill and equipment, which you have ease discerning. You live modestly at the High Ambassador Inn for 2 gold in the last couple days.
Arabella
With Lailah and the others hard at work, you're free to find employ with the locals. The tabby, having been rewarded with a unique treat, is eager when you find her in the morning. "The people coming back from the sea look for cures to their ailments often. I'll take you to where they go." It doesn't take long to find The Briny Swill Preserves, an alchemist shop with easy work for someone of your skill in the southeast corner of the city. They're lacking in medicines, though they have the supplies, typically making them to order. The workspace is decent by alchemist standards, though noisy and meant for humans. Your inexperience in a workspace like this proves difficult, but you still earn 14 silver for on-the-spot work. You feel that under better circumstances, you could be much more productive.
The clerk of the store, Gramer, gives homage to Seggotan (the dragon-god of the sea) in the afternoon at the end of the workday and offers you a spot on the floor at his house nearby. Gramer has children and a wife, who give respect to you as a guest. With both the shop and the house being outside the city walls, you'll be able to come and go without the hassle of the gate guard.
(Passive Perception) Having worked with the medicines, you can tell that potions are made at the shop, with ingredients to make potions of lesser restoration stowed away, but they don't make them openly available.
Thuldor laid there staring at the roof of his room thinking about the past few days.
He got his chance to watch Cobalt work, and he was impressed. He might just help set up shop for Cobalt, then head to the docks to pursue Karnath's suggestion!
It was clear Cobalt was someone who valued, if not quality, skill in his trade and took pride in the work. He would be more than enough of a smith for this town.
In a similar, but much graver, note, no apprentice showed up on the first couple of days as well. A clear sign that the demand for blacksmiths is low or at least not rampant or urgent here and the two of them would find it hard to find consistent work. Even with the mercenaries, you only need so many swords and chain mails.
He puzzled for a long moment, but couldn't decide. For now, he'd see to the forge being finished.
Arabella finds herself reasonably content working for Gramer. True, the workshop is oversized. She's coming to expect that everything in this city will be made with a giant in mind. She thinks that she can make some simple adjustments to help her work. If the job keeps going well, she might suggest them in a week or two. Her pallet on the floor is all she needs. She's used to rough living, and the thought of a feather bed seems wrong to her. She smirks to herself when she realized that Gramer is selling healing potions on the sly. She lets him keep that secret... for now. Freyja knows that the halfling has secrets enough of her own.
At the end of the day, she takes a walk to find her kitty friends. Offering them a bit of her lunch that she'd saved and wrapped in a napkin, she scratches their heads. "Such good kitties," she says softly. She tries to make the conversation look like she's just a middle aged woman talking nonsense to some cats. In between statements of admiration for how pretty the cats are she asks, "What news do you have for Arabella today?"
The idea of leading others gave Lailah a nervous itch at the back of her neck, but she didn't think she had much of a choice. She needed work, and while there were plenty of mercenary bands everywhere, having her own grouping of soldiers that could relay information that may be pertinent to their quest to her and only her would be invaluable. So she set about forming the foundations of her mercenary organization, the name of which she still needed to think of.
She didn't want to train hopefuls all on her own, so Lailah would approach two of the trained soldiers for their assistance in establishing the company. She would also begin scouting out places to make the base of operations for the company and a good place to stash the tome. She couldn't carry it around with her all the time, and leaving it at the inn made her a bit nervous. Locking it up somewhere she could have guarded would put her at ease.
Lailah is going to hire two of the trained soldiers and all of the hopefuls for the start to her company.
She will also start looking for a small place they can work out of, maybe somewhere they can throw up cots and what not so they don't have to throw money at an inn.
Cobalt was content with his arrangement with Thuldor, for now. It was easy enough work - certainly better than the work he had once been forced to do. They were going to have to pace themselves, though - their supply might outrace the demand.
He wondered at that. Would it be possible to have James and Falhorn stir up conflict? Territorial disputes nearby could certainly give them a party to sell weapons to - and the joint efforts of Thuldor and himself would make steel that was more than passable on the battlefield.
That was a secondary concern though, one that his business partner was more suited to tackling. He finished his nightly reading of Falhorn's booklet, carefully folded and tucked it away, before going inert for the night.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
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In this moment, the tome faintly thrums as Falhorn reaches toward it. Lailah, you have not witnessed it behave as such before. Falhorn, you feel a tingle come from your hand as it comes close *to the book. It is not uncomfortable, but as if awakening with excitement.
Those with magic sight do not see a sign of an active spell upon the tome.
Falhorn, when you take the book, the pages are empty. No pen is provided. In the City of Secrets, this is only a temporary problem, at worst, where you can buy inks of any kind.
Falhorn feels a tingle in his hand as the book slides across the table to him. He retracts his hand at first but then lets the Tome come to him.
"Looks like it likes me eh?" He says with a bit of a giggle in his voice. "Well then" he says as he glides his fingers across the gold clasps holding it shut, which reflexively open for him. He takes a second and looks up at Lailah with the hope that she would not take the book coming to him as an insult considering her words of being chosen to watch over the Tome. He then opens and rummages through the pages only to find them blank.
"Well it seems it is fresh and ready to be filled. There is nothing in it yet. I haven't a clue why it would react to me the way it has."
He closes the book and looks at the others. "Would any of you like to try that trick yourself? I guess just hold a hand out and ask if you can see the book." He takes his hands from the Tome and sets them palms down on the table. If it does not come to anyone he will slide the book away and try to summon it to him again.
Drow enthusiast
Lover of lore and magic.
-The White Crow-
((My bad, I meant as your hand comes close to the book, not the book slides to you))
The tome reacts if/as you hold your hand closer to it.
Thuldor participates in the experiment, holding his hand up to it. It thrums as it did for Falhorn. "No tingling."
Cobalt:
The tome is silent, and does not tingle.
Arabella:
Your hand tingles, but it does not thrum.
Midnight:
The tome thrums, but does not tingle at all.
Lailah:
The tome is silent, and does not tingle.
As the book reacted to Falhorn, Lailah raised a brow in curiosity. She didn't know the magic in the book reacted to people. But they were chosen to under take this adventure, so maybe they all had a connection to the book? With Falhorn's prompting, Lailah held out her own hand for the tome, only to feel nothing. She retracted her hand and thrust it forward again, this time more forcefully but still nothing happened. She tried one last time, now slamming her palm forcefully onto the front cover of the book. The results were same as the last.
Divine fury flashed in her eyes, turning their sapphire hue into white lights. Anger was evident in all of her form, her muscles tensed and rippled, her jaw set almost painfully as she grit her teeth and her brows drew together. Falhorn wasn't even assigned a job that required him to be in contact with the tome. She was the book's protector, she was entrusted with it physically while the others were only given scraps of knowledge. Why was it silent when it came to her?
She realized what a spectacle she must look like after a few heartbeats, giving a defeated sigh and slumping back into her seat. She blinked a few times and the light was gone from her eyes, then relaxed her muscles. She gave a sheepish grin to the others, shrugging a bit "Sorry. I guess I'm a little...frustrated that it doesn't seem to like me." She gave a small chuckle then cleared her throat, waiting for the others to try their hands at the book. Once they all had, she would pick it up more gently now and place it in her satchel once more.
"Anywho, I know of the Winged Lions. At least a bit. They frequent Nura Natal. I'm unsure if I remember more than that..." Lailah thinks to herself for a moment, then it comes to her "I did a job for someone in the company once, some light guarding. I think they mentioned that a...Borelli puts up shop here. He made the man sound important, the leader perhaps?"
((Lailah lived in Nura Natal but she doesn't seem the type to pay too much attention to shipping companies, so I'll do the check to see if she knows specifics: 5 yay! She knows stuff.))
Arabella holds her hand out to the Tome. She feels it tingle, as if her hand has gone to sleep. "That's an... interesting sensation," she says. She gives the book a long, hard look. She reached out her hand again, feeling the tingling sensation one more time.
"It's certainly reacting to me, if not as strongly as it did to you, Falhorn. I don't know why though. Doesn't seem to be much point to a book that makes your hand feel odd."
James takes note of Lailah's frustration and her words, holding his own hand out in turn, feeling the book thrum under his touch.
James considers the book and looks over at Lailah,
"Perhaps the reaction is the other way around. Maybe the book likes you, but reacts to us because it is somehow resisting us."
"Until we know more about all of this, we cannot be sure."
James gives Lailah a hopeful smile, before turning to the picture of Volando.
James picks up the picture, looking the man over, committing his likeness to memory.
James looks around, to confirm the group is still alone and then begins transforming again.
His likeness begins to change into that of the man in the picture, getting more and more like the image over the next few seconds.
Once he is happy that he has the likeness both, mentally and physically memorised, he changes back to James.
James places the picture back on the table and picks up Arabella's booklet, leafing through it, but not getting into any serious study.
"Well this looks like a complicated process. Perhaps those of us with more advanced magical understanding, should each study the ritual, so that each can preform it if or when needed?"
"While my very nature is magical and I do have a little magical capabilities, this may be beyond me."
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Tucking the booklet into his robe, Cobalt watches as the group flocks around the Tome, and listens to the haughty titles they have given themselves. He hesitates to participate in the tingle experiment but he does not react when he finally lays a cool hand on the cover. He tries not to react when Lailah grows frustrated with her charge, but he does shift back slightly in his chair. If they didn't all know she was aasimar before, they do know, he thought, perhaps a little amused.
"I wouldn't be disheartened, Lailah. The Tome is a magical thing of secrets. Naturally it would react more to witches, professional deceivers, and those with malleable identities over those who prefer a more earnest, martial calling." He has no idea what he is talking about. Reluctantly, he considers James’ platitudes - that the thrumming and tingling was a sign of antipathy. That was a possibility, he had to admit, but there were some small problems with the theory. Dwelling on it here and now would not help, though. They had already been wasting too much time with little to show for it.
"Well, given that this Volando appears to be our first target, we should consider our plans. Borelli is the Commodore of the Winged Lions. Perhaps we could ask around his people for information? The Winged Lions might be competition in this matter, though. It might be better to head straight to Friula."
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Looking at the few loose parchments of Arabella's ritual, you are unable to read them without assistance- they appear to be details of an ancient ritual. The symbols are in druidic. Diabolical witchcraft, to the untrained eye. A student of magic may know better. Arabella already knows- but she might not see see the need to explain, it's just natural magic, after all. Arcana DC 16 or Religion DC 14 yields insight even without Arabella's input.
The ritual's diagrams resemble simple abjuration with some complex enchantment as part of it. This ritual coaxes out lingering spirits and then forcefully separates them from their attachment to the world. It is only effective against those who have not yet become dangerous- useless against specters and the like. Arabella being given this is an obvious sign: spirits may become attached to the tome. This ritual will delay or even prevent it from becoming cursed. The ritual is not specific to the tome, and can be used in other situations.
The user must be able to read ancient Druidic to perform the ritual.
Thuldor watches as everyone slaps out their books, hands, and possible explanations, occasionally grunting to himself. Quietly shuffling into his pack, he pulls out a single parchment. He holds it up for a moment for all to see, but not in such a way to read it. It is but a paragraph of instruction in common. "Can simply rip it out, the gift of a person, making it hurt by force. Now you know, I'll use it like that, if need be."
He stuffs it into his pocket, patting it as though to show that he didn't mean to share it for now.
((When he gets back, don't hold it against him!))
His information contributed, Thuldor returned the parchment to its secure location on his person. Trusting your coworkers is wise, publicly owning that you can perform magic, at this level, is suicide. He intends to finish the tome, but he knows he's gotta be alive to do it.
He looks over the group as he finished,
"Must have Trust AND caution."
Unsure of how to proceed in a group, Thuldor puts forth his plan of action. Establish a workshop at the guilds second room, upgrade it with an apprentice to high quality, get competitive in the market.
In fact, hes entirely sure that's what he'd like to do, and says so plainly. He states his exact locations at the fishing docks, inn where he is staying and room at the guild hall he intends to make the crafting shop.
"Mmm."
He sets off confident in his plan, or at least in the ability of someone with a better one to catch up to his hundred year old walking pace, given they all know where he'll be and he's impossible to miss.
"Mhmmm."
He'll first go to the inn, sleep till morning. Bright and early hit the guild and make a full days attempt into finding an apprentice in blacksmithing and upgrading the room to a working forge.
Cobalt glances after Thuldor as he leaves abruptly.
"Well, I suppose that concludes our first meeting. I'm going to try and work with Thuldor - I like the 'cup of his jig' as I think they say. With any luck, you can contact me through him. Don't quite know where I'm staying yet."
With that he leaves as well. He shoots the waiter boy a withering glare (as best he can) before trying to catch up to the old dwarf. He has enough coin to live on until Thuldor gets some work for him, so he will spend the time waiting poring over the booklet - he fully intends to return it and seeks to completely digest its secrets as quickly as he can.
Ultimately, he too takes a room at the Pointed Moon, liking its location and atmosphere a little more than the place the group had gathered - and still a little irritated that the waiter boy had made it so easy for them to be found. He rarely leaves his room unless its to meet with Thuldor or unless sought out by one of the others. At night he moves his bed in front of the door, an easy feat when he can make it half as heavy, and rests facing the window - conscious but inert.
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Arabella takes her ritual and replaces it in her pocket. "I suppose we have no further business today?" she asks. "I'll need to find somewhere to hole up. This place looks too fancy. I suppose I'll need to find some work as well. This Tome doesn't seem like it's the type to put food on the table. Unless one of you has need of a healer?" She cocks her head to the side and waits for an answer.
If no one replies, Arabella will head out to look for a cheaper inn, but one where she still can have a room to herself. The next day, she'll use the cats to help her find a healer in town that she can offer her services to.
"Well then." Flahorn says with a tone of finality. "I can work my ways to get closer into the Winged Lions and this Borelli fellow. I'm going to do my best to start up shop here and work with Midnight to build an informant network. With my connections and his skills, we should be up and running in no time." He looks over to the changeling and nods. "In the mean time, I'll be staying in the more wealthy district." Falhorn looks around the room "When and where should we next meet?"
Drow enthusiast
Lover of lore and magic.
-The White Crow-
James nod's at Falhorn's talk of setting up an information network.
"Yes, we should be able to find people to help us accomplish our plans."
"I'm probably going to get a room here, alongside Lailah, its a good central location.
"Then I will start exploring the Inn's and taverns of the city, get to know the people a bit."
James smiles and winks at the comment about getting to know the people.
James become a little serious again.
"If I could ask that from now on, no one use my real name unless I am in my true form? I would rather people don't get confused or associate my true name with my persona's."
"I will be using James as my primary persona for our endeavour, at least while it remains a useful identity."
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
1st day, 3rd month of Spring, 470 AR
Cobalt and Thuldor
The morning, you meet with Karnath and a couple of the prominent smiths to arrange upgrades to the second hand shop. An estimate is agreed on after some inspection and deliberation; about 4 days of work on the shop itself, raw materials worth 185 gold, and 4 days work on the materials. Most of the material is very luckily readily available, allowing the two of you to get started right away converting the section to include another forge. Karnath will procure the other materials for you at no additional cost.
Thuldor starts by demolishing everything in poor condition, from tearing off rotted sections of shelves, drawers that only half-open, even dragging out an old pile of disused wood in the corner of the shop hidden behind more fresh layers of wood. Cobalt works very efficiently, collecting and sorting the tools between salvageable and rusted and deformed refuse. After, you busily repair what you can without magic, and rebuild the rest. In the first day, the two of you accomplish four days worth of labor working together, completing half the work on the upgrade.
Karnath promises the rest of what you'll need to arrive in the morning. He appraises your work, and then remarks how such effort would be highly valuable on ships seeking quick service after running into trouble at sea. Both of you spend 4 gold on daily living for the last two days, staying at the Pointless Moon inn and buying from the marketplace.
Falhorn
Falhorn focuses on setting up his temporary shop and introduces Midnight to Oonderbite. Looking for suitable open property (which is scarce), he does find a portable stall with an included tent setup that will suit his needs- offering enough private space to meet in the tent, and present a viable storefront. Similar to a deploy-able wagon, it is only just road worthy- not well suited to travel from country to country. Combined with the paperwork required, it is 95 gold. You feel like you've gone across the town a few times, and just by the end of the day, you have all that you need to open. 4 gold is spent in the last two nights on food and lodging (comfortable), staying at the Sky Cabin Tavern meant for ship officers near the docks.
Midnight
Falhorn introduces you to Oonderbite, near a brothel by the docks on the north side of town. His confounding speech with Falhorn eludes you, but Oonderbite seems to regard you well by association with Falhorn. He chats with you in the alley, telling you that the guild loosely operates with quite a few folk, and you're encouraged to recruit them. The guild primarily arranges for quick, willing hands when the need arises and prizes sharing information for opportunities and threats- and as such generally looks to have a feel for who is willing to do what. Oonderbite asks if you intend to operate outside the law, and if so, if you'll be dealing in information or goods. Once you've responded, he advises a few individuals to scout out.
Assuming he cooperates as James or another guise, Midnight finds and meets with 5 willing scofflaws though the day. Each of them have different requests before they agree to work for him. It will take 65 gold in advance pay if he's willing to negotiate debts for them, which will take a day or two to accomplish, or 100 gold to settle the debts immediately. You spend 2 gold on the last two nights to live modestly at the inn you met Lailah, the High Ambassador, or 4 gold to live comfortably at the Sky Cabin Tavern where Falhorn is staying.
Lailah
Looking for mercenaries, you find quite the array of hopefuls, veterans, and ordinary soldiers in the marketplace. You can hire 5 well trained soldiers for 190 GP, or you can take some time (3-8 days) to hire and train some hopefuls for 110 GP. Alternatively you could low-ball it to hire modestly armed and trained folk for 80 GP, or train inexperienced but willing commoners for 50 GP and 1-3 days of training. The competition for mercenaries keeps soldiers priced appropriately for their skill and equipment, which you have ease discerning. You live modestly at the High Ambassador Inn for 2 gold in the last couple days.
Arabella
With Lailah and the others hard at work, you're free to find employ with the locals. The tabby, having been rewarded with a unique treat, is eager when you find her in the morning. "The people coming back from the sea look for cures to their ailments often. I'll take you to where they go." It doesn't take long to find The Briny Swill Preserves, an alchemist shop with easy work for someone of your skill in the southeast corner of the city. They're lacking in medicines, though they have the supplies, typically making them to order. The workspace is decent by alchemist standards, though noisy and meant for humans. Your inexperience in a workspace like this proves difficult, but you still earn 14 silver for on-the-spot work. You feel that under better circumstances, you could be much more productive.
The clerk of the store, Gramer, gives homage to Seggotan (the dragon-god of the sea) in the afternoon at the end of the workday and offers you a spot on the floor at his house nearby. Gramer has children and a wife, who give respect to you as a guest. With both the shop and the house being outside the city walls, you'll be able to come and go without the hassle of the gate guard.
(Passive Perception) Having worked with the medicines, you can tell that potions are made at the shop, with ingredients to make potions of lesser restoration stowed away, but they don't make them openly available.
Thuldor laid there staring at the roof of his room thinking about the past few days.
He got his chance to watch Cobalt work, and he was impressed. He might just help set up shop for Cobalt, then head to the docks to pursue Karnath's suggestion!
It was clear Cobalt was someone who valued, if not quality, skill in his trade and took pride in the work. He would be more than enough of a smith for this town.
In a similar, but much graver, note, no apprentice showed up on the first couple of days as well. A clear sign that the demand for blacksmiths is low or at least not rampant or urgent here and the two of them would find it hard to find consistent work. Even with the mercenaries, you only need so many swords and chain mails.
He puzzled for a long moment, but couldn't decide. For now, he'd see to the forge being finished.
Arabella finds herself reasonably content working for Gramer. True, the workshop is oversized. She's coming to expect that everything in this city will be made with a giant in mind. She thinks that she can make some simple adjustments to help her work. If the job keeps going well, she might suggest them in a week or two. Her pallet on the floor is all she needs. She's used to rough living, and the thought of a feather bed seems wrong to her. She smirks to herself when she realized that Gramer is selling healing potions on the sly. She lets him keep that secret... for now. Freyja knows that the halfling has secrets enough of her own.
At the end of the day, she takes a walk to find her kitty friends. Offering them a bit of her lunch that she'd saved and wrapped in a napkin, she scratches their heads. "Such good kitties," she says softly. She tries to make the conversation look like she's just a middle aged woman talking nonsense to some cats. In between statements of admiration for how pretty the cats are she asks, "What news do you have for Arabella today?"
The idea of leading others gave Lailah a nervous itch at the back of her neck, but she didn't think she had much of a choice. She needed work, and while there were plenty of mercenary bands everywhere, having her own grouping of soldiers that could relay information that may be pertinent to their quest to her and only her would be invaluable. So she set about forming the foundations of her mercenary organization, the name of which she still needed to think of.
She didn't want to train hopefuls all on her own, so Lailah would approach two of the trained soldiers for their assistance in establishing the company. She would also begin scouting out places to make the base of operations for the company and a good place to stash the tome. She couldn't carry it around with her all the time, and leaving it at the inn made her a bit nervous. Locking it up somewhere she could have guarded would put her at ease.
Lailah is going to hire two of the trained soldiers and all of the hopefuls for the start to her company.
She will also start looking for a small place they can work out of, maybe somewhere they can throw up cots and what not so they don't have to throw money at an inn.
Cobalt was content with his arrangement with Thuldor, for now. It was easy enough work - certainly better than the work he had once been forced to do. They were going to have to pace themselves, though - their supply might outrace the demand.
He wondered at that. Would it be possible to have James and Falhorn stir up conflict? Territorial disputes nearby could certainly give them a party to sell weapons to - and the joint efforts of Thuldor and himself would make steel that was more than passable on the battlefield.
That was a secondary concern though, one that his business partner was more suited to tackling. He finished his nightly reading of Falhorn's booklet, carefully folded and tucked it away, before going inert for the night.
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.