Suddenly all of the occupants of the tavern disappears except for the five of you  and a putrid smell of decay permeates the air. The Tavern door swings open and a hooded and heavily bandaged man walks in. As he crosses the threshold you see claws protruding from his fingers and he is hunched over and twitching severely. He begins walking forward.

“Or we can just- die now!” Xing mimics as he also begins to mimic warning bells and assumes a defensive position.

The creature speaks in a raspy and animalistic voice.

"Please I mean you no harm, I would to offer you all a job, I believe it would be quite... Beneff...icial to all of usss..."

Feng stands, sliding his shield onto his arm. He rests a hand on the battleaxe slung at his side.

"You better not mean us harm. What's this job? Why are you all bandage-y?"

Alexander went to reply to his temporary allies, when the scene in front of him shifted. He covered his nose and mouth with his left hand, trying to avoid the smell that forced it's way into his senses. While doing so he raised his right arm, the palm of his hand pointing towards the hooded figure. If the creature made a hostile action, he got ready to fire an Eldritch Blast at it.

"You're going to need to go into a lot more detail on what you are, and why you're here, before I'm willing to hear any kind of deal." He stated, palm still pointed towards the creature. He had already made one pact with a being, and it had gone pretty well, but he wasn't willing to enter another without significantly more information. Particularly one that came off so sketchy.

Casting Shillelagh on the quarterstaff and have the shield ready, but not attacking just yet.

This was after Xing's earlier statement, and before the thing said it wasn't going to harm us. Ugh, not getting forum updates in a timely manner!

OOC: Hey I'm from Florida, too! :D 

Also, no worries about infrequent posting, good DM. I originally expected maybe 2 posts a day, but this is going real quick at the beginning here.

Donar is trying to not breath through his nose too heavily but address the new figure.

”Okay. I’ll bite but why don’t we go somewhere a little more airy to talk.” 

The creature pulls out a chair and sits down.

"You need not concern yourselves with me I merely offer gold for services rendered. You may refer to me as the cursed and I need a motley crew such as yourselves to secure a trading outpost near the Scar. Over a hundred mercenary companies have failed me and I have been forced to seek alternative options." 

Xing sits down, “Gold?- Fame?- Name?- Well now you’re talking this dwarf’s language laddie!- I suppose we have a deal then...” Xing gestures back to the rest of the group, “-Don’t know about them.”

"Secure a trading post? Why exactly do you need it secured?" Alexander inquired, raising an eyebrow. He did not let his guard down, expecting this creature to have a few tricks up it's sleeve. It wanted to be called The Cursed, that never ended well.

The creature pulls a large bag from nowhere and throws it at your feet. The bag is roughly the size of a calf and gold is spilling from it.

"So, any takersss?"

The creature smiles a toothy grin.

"The why of the trading post is of no concern to you."

“Well. Gold always speaks for a dwarf. Where is this outpost again? Also what should expect to be at this outpost you want so much?” 

"The outpost is located north of here, on the southern flank of the Scar valley. You will head to the stables and talk to a man named Xarac he will supply with horses. You will head to the outpost slaughter the invaders who occupy it and receive your pay. Understood?"

When the creature finishes it snaps it's fingers and the gold disappears. 

Alexander does not speak, just observing the scene. He is a little thrown off by the willingness these men had, at least he assumed Xing was male, to deal with such a creepy entity. He focuses his gaze on The Cursed, attempting to determine if the creature seems to be malicious or underhanded.

Insight 16

Xing also is judging this creature’s intent.

Insight: 11

And has met more than enough people to be familiar with lies and deceit. However, he’s never quite met a creature such as this...

"Wait ... so we just have to go out into the middle of the desert, kill a bunch of guys and get paid a ton of gold?"

Feng furrows his brow.

"Why exactly is it that 'hundreds' of mercenary groups have failed? Seems almost too easy to me..."

Alexander is unable to gauge the creature.

Xing is able to see that the creature is hiding something but before he can figure it out the creature disappears with one final remark.

"You need not answer I will know what you decide."