Varnell listens intently to the conversation, nodding occasionally as he listens to you discussing tactics and targets.   "So, you agree to take the job?" he asks simply.

“How’s the time to discuss ‘fees for service’ I think.” Nos Heliwr says cheerfully, which seems a really odd attitude for him to adopt.

Quote from Blakey >>

Varnell listens intently to the conversation, nodding occasionally as he listens to you discussing tactics and targets.   "So, you agree to take the job?" he asks simply.

 “We’d like very much to hear a round number for compensation.”

Varnell is prepared to offer you one hundred pieces of gold, per target compromised.

"Is that per person or total?  And yes, we'll take the jobs, after we set prices, though we won't commit to hitting all five targets until we see them.  I think we can do a bit better on the price, though, if you intend on paying us 100 gold total per task.  I know your employer has significant money to toss around.  The bottles he gave us" Salazar pulls one out. "are worth more than what our share would be per task."  

Varnell sips at his coffee, appraising you all.  "Okay," he concedes.  "Thirty gold coins each, per target.  Oh and you can hand back your orange enforcer bandanas too.  You are no longer officially working for the baron.  Understood?"

Not enough coffee yet

1. 10

2  6

3  5

4  9

5  13

Wordlessly, Claire removes the bandana, neatly folded and laundered, from her pocket and hands it back to Varnell, glad to be rid of it.  That felt like too much of a banner in any regard, she thinks absently.  "That is the wiser move, regardless.  The less underhanded tactics are associated with Baron Gilbert, and the better his reputation will come from it.  We shouldn't have been acting in an official capacity for him when dealing in this sort of business regardless," she notes.  "I hardly think he would want to get on the wrong side of the Merchant's Guild either, after all."

Looks like he only found nightshade; but one would not really expect to find any of the mushroom, but for the dung loving psylisibins, in town. Nos Heliwr is pleased with what he found so far. Try on the trail for some toadstools, ☠️

Louis hands over his bandana, and nods eagerly. “Thats a payout of 150 gold each if we manage it all... that sounds good to me!”

Vaclav nods as he hands back his marking as well. "I agree, that payment is sufficient for me as well."

Nos Heliwr nods his head, "It t'is agreed by me as well."

When the party is out of the hearing of Varnell, he will add, "We'll be needin' a plan should the good Baron think we might serve as a scapegoat if things go . . . awry, shall we say.  After all, if he attempts to be devious, blaming any misfortunes experienced by his neighbors on a ruthless band of cut throats, that'd be us, he keeps from raising the ire of his fellow players of the great game."

And when he has the opportunity to do a wee bit of work he will mix up a batch of Belladonna.

21

Well, that didn't go so well.

Varnell nods, drains his coffee, wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve and rises to leave.  "Agreed.  Come back here and report when you are happy with your progress.  I will then need a few days to verify your claims and will then pay you.  From here on, you're on your own."

With that, he stalks from the common room and leaves through the door into the street.

"My plan was to not hand him out my true name," Claire mutters, sending a rather salty look towards Louis.   "Barring that, I can't imagine that Baron Ilsa would be upset to find that we were on bad terms with the other baronies here, and that is my end goal, after all.  Though I do hope the rest of you would consider coming along for that journey.  Let's focus on the task at hand first, however.  I still think the lighthouse should be our first goal, if just for the fact that it will take the longest to have any sort of effect... therefore the sooner we do that, the more impact it will cause."

Louis just coughs and clears his throat mumbling a meandering apology and excuse about how he got mixed up. 

“if you’d rather hit the lighthouse first, I don’t think I’m so set on the dogs as to avoid that, but I think that one may be more challenging than you expect, and will put us on the run right off the bay.”

Claire snorts.  "I expect none of this to be easy in the slightest.  If any of it was easy, Varnell and his men would be doing it and lapping up the credit for Baron Gilbert himself.  No, I have a strong feeling even the 'easiest' of tasks here will be met with some sort of unexpected surprise one way or the other.  In fact, I would rather my expectations were disappointed, and the resulting surprise a pleasant one, but I'm just not that optimistic."

She looks to Nos, who seems to have busied himself with some sort of abstract planning.  "Come on then.  Spit out what you're thinking.  You're clever, and we're not mind readers.  You must have a plan cooking up somewhere."

A bright sun shines in through the windows of the Torrent, lighting up dust motes in shafts of sunlight.  Outside the slight frost has melted away leading to a warm, pleasant spring morning.  It's just before mid-morning.  The three rough louts in the corner opposite you laugh overly loud at a joke one of them has just cracked.

Nos Heliwr grins at Claire, “Aye, I has been thinkin’ and it seems to me that tackling the lighthouse first will do a couple of things that would be beneficial; give us a wee bit of practice at destroying structures, which will come into play when we take out the bridge and pull some of the Baron’s troop away from town.” He scratches a symbol that looks vaguely familiar. “If we work it right, we can make it seem as though pirates did the deed. We can all dress the part and as we wreck the place can sling about colorful phrases, ‘avast ye lubbers’ and ‘scurvy dogs, Davey’s wait in’ fer ye’ and other such salty language. Now, what happens in town kinda depends on what we find there.”

Deciding that the day is wasting away you pack up your belongings and head out into the town.  Within a few minutes you have reached the north gates to Grunal and you pass through uneventfully.  The enforcers on duty there watch you sullenly but you note a few nods of respect as you leave town.

The day is warm and a gentle breeze brings the scent of spring flowers and fresh plantings from the arable fields surrounding town.   You realize that you don't have a road to follow, but Louis is local and knows his way around this whole region very well.  He heads off confidently, picking a route down old muddy trails and farm tracks to the north, with the long, easy stride of someone born to the wilds.  You are thankful to have a knowledgeable guide leading you.  Out in the wilds, Nos Heliwr occasionally dives off into some bushes or hedgerow scavenging some herbs, mushrooms or wildflowers for some unknown nefarious purpose.   Vaclav (presumably) sends Chernobog up into the skies to scout out the lay of the land and the owl-spirit soars high above on warm air currents rising from the farmlands.

You spend a warm, pleasant and mostly uneventful day striding the farmlands and as the sun sets in the west over distant mountains you make camp on a rise.  You have made enough distance this day to see the low line of hills ahead of you to the north which marks the end of Baron Gilbert's lands.  Tomorrow you will reach and pass into them which will take you into unclaimed territory and then on into the edge of Baron Arbek's lands.