Bumping along the walls, Silthras doesn't notice anything suspicious about the room. In fact, he's damn near completely certain there's nothing unusual about it. No spyholes, no hollowed out walls. Just a room.
Silthras starts counting time, planning to use it in trying to estimate how far away their contact's actual base might be...assuming they are not just letting them wait as some kind of power play.
Velyra nods, pulling the sending stone out of her pocket it hold it in her hands. "I think so. It's difficult to tell through the spell but these deaths sounded...Personal to him."
"On some level, I'm sure he'll be grateful we put that monstrous thing in the dirt."
Silthras leans down, whispering in Usul's ear. "Can we talk privately for a moment? I really need to learn that spell."
“Ooo which one?” Usul replies, happy to show what magic he knows… though he isn’t sure how helpful he will be as his spells now use his own kind of shorthand to cast.
Once they enter, Usul follows the group taking their lead and listening ((22)) to the conversations around, to also hear if any ((thieve’s can’t)) messages are being snuck in to the ‘normal’ talk.
Once they enter, Usul follows the group taking their lead and listening ((22)) to the conversations around, to also hear if any ((thieve’s can’t)) messages are being snuck in to the ‘normal’ talk.
As you walked through the common room of the tavern, there wasn't a whole lot of conversing going on. A few groans and whining complaints here and there as patrons wallowed in their hangovers, but you're certain there's no secret conversations going on.
By Silthras count, about 30 minutes go by before you begin to hear activity through the door of your side room. You hear heavy footfalls in the common room, and then the deep voice of the bartender you encountered earlier. "Alright you lot! Everyone up and out! We're closin' down for renovations." There are staggered protests from the other patrons, followed by the man raising his voice again, "I said OUT." The stern command silences the room, and you hear the scraping of chairs as people begin to move out.
About a minute passes and then you hear footsteps approaching, and then the door opens. A wolfish looking man stands in the doorway, wild and unkempt dark brown hair falling down to his shoulder. Underneath a long dark coat you can see pieces of patchwork leather armor and a pair of daggers strapped to his chest. With a sly grin on his face, he looks across the room at you all, before settling on Velyra. "Well," comes the familiar drawl you've heard several times through the Sending Stone now, "We meet face to face at last." He saunters into the room, pulling up a chair in the middle of the table. Five other people usher into the room behind him. As they come in, you can see some throw up the hoods of their cloaks, others adjusting half-masks they wear on their upper half of their faces. Another man outside closes the door behind them - and your little side room is now suddenly more crowded. The rest don't sit down, instead standing along the wall.
The man you've been in contact with turns his head to the side, winking to one of the men behind him. "An introduction is in order." He gives a slight bow over the table, gesturing towards himself, "You can call me Kaz." From within his coat he produces a leather pouch, and you can hear the clink of coins as he drops it on the table. "Now I believe you have some things that belong to me."
Do you guys have a list of everything you're returning to them?
"I"m Velyra, pleasure." She says and takes out the sack containing the belongings they gathered, tossing it to the man across the table. "Retrieving those weren't easy. The coin is appreciated, but we've had some burning questions ever since we set foot in that manor."
Kaz takes the sack, opening it up to peer in. He takes the items out one by one, laying them on the table. As he places the lasts thing on the table, he raises an eyebrow. "This is...all?" He asks, propping his elbow on the table and resting his cheek against his hand. Though his posture is relaxed, you notice him carefully looking over every one of you.
Silthras speaks from the dark corner of the room, "You said you wanted an item from each. We did what you asked. They..." he takes a deep breath, his face grimacing at the recollection, "...they were a mess. And believe me, I've seen my share of bodies. We only found three bodies, at least that's how many we think there were."
"We have come a long way to run this errand and meet with you, and would appreciate some answers. What do you know about the creature that attacked them?"
Pretty sure it was three bodies. He'd say the correct number.
As he speaks he examines the man closely: his eyes, his hands, his face, his manner. Clothes can be changed, but the body itself often has a tale to tell. Nobles like their bling, and a warrior likes to keep their tools with them. He studies their equipment as well.
Silthras divides his attention between Kaz an the others: perhaps the man speaking was not in fact the leader. He glances at the man Kaz winked at before scanning the others again and returning his attention to Kaz.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sil Insight: 3
Looking over the man before you, you don't get the reading of a noble or a warrior. You can see a silver chain around his neck, though the pendant lies hidden within his clothes, and on his left index finger you a see a silver cat's eye ring that is essentially a carbon copy of the one Usul now carries in his pocket/bag. Besides the two knives strapped to his chest, you don't see any other weapons on him. He certainly carries himself with the swagger of a charismatic leader, and from what you can tell everyone else in the room seems to operate off his cues.
As you look past him to the others, they're even more difficult to read. All wear the same same black half mask - unremarkable except for the distinctive almond shaped eye holes. A few - including the one Kaz winked to - have their hoods up, making discerning anything else about them even more difficult. Beneath their cloaks you can sort of make out the bulges of different kinds of weapons. You're able to see the same ring on two others, but you can't quite get an angle on the other three's hands to check.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sil Deception: 28
24 12
More than one pair of eyes is on Silthras as he skirts around the question, and Kaz drums his fingers on the table as he regards the half-elf. After a few moments of silence, he shrugs, collecting the items and putting them back in the sack - seemingly satisfied by the answer.
"So, you want answers to your questions in place of simple payment? That sounds fair."
He kicks back in the chair, leaning his feet up on the table and resting his hands behind his head. "I don't know what killed them though, you're the one that fought it. Why don't you tell us about it?"
Silthras frowns, "Well if you can't answer that question, perhaps you can tell us what what brought them to Feycrest, and what they were hoping to achieve? The town was almost overrun with undead, and they were in a Manor that I think was unlikely to be theirs."
He sighs, and looks around the room, trying to gaze at the faces inside the hoods, then turns back to Kaz.
"We have no quarrel with you or your people and will happily share information but, for the moment at least, it seems that that the debt weighs heavily on your side."
Usul scratches his head and shrugs, then continues to follow his friend towards the back room.
Watching the man com out, and seeing all the rings on their fingers, Usul knows now is a time to keep his mouth shut and watch ((insight 20)), trying to see if there is anything he can pick up on about who this man, or this group, is.
Kaz nods his head, rocking the chair back and forth gently. "You are most astute, that manor was not theirs - and the undead were most certainly not a problem when they first arrived." All four legs of the chair land on the floor with a clack, and he swings his legs off the table to sit normally and lean in. "As for what they were trying to accomplish....Well. We have clients. And these clients come to us to procure items of value or interest to them." He scratches his nose briefly before clasping his hands together, "Now this particular client is our most important, and they found something they desperately wanted retrieved from that area." He offers his hands in a half shrug, "And so that's why our people were there. Now you may ask for further details as to the who and the what, and I will have to tell you right now that I cannot answer such questions. There is a certain degree of confidentiality expected in our business."
His eyes narrow, and his voice lowers. "As for debts, you may find you lack the appropriate context to be making such proclamations."
Like a switch, his demeanor flips back to that suave light-heartedness, and he leans back in the chair again. "Your next question?"
Staring at the faces inside the hoods, Silthras isn't able to make out a whole lot of detail given the masks. He's fairly sure everyone in this room is human, though its possible a few might be half-elves like him. He can see hints of red hair underneath the man's hood that stands behind Kaz.
As Usul listens and watches intently, he wouldn't sense any dishonesty in what the man was saying. He definitely gives off the vibe of an organized criminal, the kind Usul took care to avoid growing up. But the symbols, the masks, the way the group seems to operate...None of it sounds familiar to him. Whoever they are, they've done a very good job of staying unnoticed in Sonatide.
Silthras moves back into his corner, head tilted to one side, his eyes focused on Kaz. His mind is clearly working overtime. Some kind of retrieval job, for someone rich enough to afford their services, and powerful enough to warrant extraordinary levels of discretion. Or illegal enough. Or sensitive enough. Gods! Every answer leads to more questions.
He shakes his head to clear it and smiles. "Well, sir, you have convinced me of one thing: Getting involved in this is beyond my pay grade, as they say." He pauses, glancing at his companions before turning back to Kaz.
"To summarize: You can't say what; You can't say who; and we already know where, so ..." He gives a theatrical shake of the head before offering his hands in a half-shrug like the one Kaz offered, " ...not exactly the font of information for which we had hoped."
Taking a deep breath, he wonders if he should continue, and eventually breathes out loudly, "I don't believe that we are enemies in this matter, so I will tell you one thing for free...one businessman to another: If I were you, I'd return whatever fees you charge, plus a generous payment for interest and inconvenience, and walk away from the client."
He pauses, looking around at the faces of the people at the table before leaning on the table and focusing again on Kaz, "Your people were not just killed. They were tortured, gutted and left to bleed out. Probably by one of their own. You see, one of them...one of them was..." he looks to his companions as if trying to find the right words, or for confirmation, "...worn...like a skin, or a set of clothes...taken over from the inside by something that nearly killed all of us."
He waits a few moments for that to sink in then shrugs, clearly curtailing his story, "Suffice to say, we got lucky, and it died."
Almost as an afterthought, he adds. "Perhaps you can answer a different question then: These creatures seem to like burning out the eyes of their victims...have you heard any tales of such things locally, or of strangers wearing hawk crow-like masks? We believe they are all connected in some way."
While Sil does the talking, Usul stands on his toes to reach up on the table and grab the coin pouch that the man had thrown down. He glances in it and gives it a toss in his hand trying to get a basic feel for how much is inside, while trying to appear aloof and that this kind of dealing is all part of a 'normal' day for him.
Bumping along the walls, Silthras doesn't notice anything suspicious about the room. In fact, he's damn near completely certain there's nothing unusual about it. No spyholes, no hollowed out walls. Just a room.
"Wonder how long they will keep us waiting."
Silthras starts counting time, planning to use it in trying to estimate how far away their contact's actual base might be...assuming they are not just letting them wait as some kind of power play.
Velyra nods, pulling the sending stone out of her pocket it hold it in her hands. "I think so. It's difficult to tell through the spell but these deaths sounded...Personal to him."
"On some level, I'm sure he'll be grateful we put that monstrous thing in the dirt."
“Ooo which one?” Usul replies, happy to show what magic he knows… though he isn’t sure how helpful he will be as his spells now use his own kind of shorthand to cast.
Once they enter, Usul follows the group taking their lead and listening ((22)) to the conversations around, to also hear if any ((thieve’s can’t)) messages are being snuck in to the ‘normal’ talk.
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Silthras shakes his head, "Never mind."
17
As you walked through the common room of the tavern, there wasn't a whole lot of conversing going on. A few groans and whining complaints here and there as patrons wallowed in their hangovers, but you're certain there's no secret conversations going on.
The man you've been in contact with turns his head to the side, winking to one of the men behind him. "An introduction is in order." He gives a slight bow over the table, gesturing towards himself, "You can call me Kaz." From within his coat he produces a leather pouch, and you can hear the clink of coins as he drops it on the table. "Now I believe you have some things that belong to me."
Do you guys have a list of everything you're returning to them?
Stuff for Our Shady Contacts
Main list in OOC. The 'stuff' in a sack:
"I"m Velyra, pleasure." She says and takes out the sack containing the belongings they gathered, tossing it to the man across the table. "Retrieving those weren't easy. The coin is appreciated, but we've had some burning questions ever since we set foot in that manor."
Kaz takes the sack, opening it up to peer in. He takes the items out one by one, laying them on the table. As he places the lasts thing on the table, he raises an eyebrow. "This is...all?" He asks, propping his elbow on the table and resting his cheek against his hand. Though his posture is relaxed, you notice him carefully looking over every one of you.
Silthras speaks from the dark corner of the room, "You said you wanted an item from each. We did what you asked. They..." he takes a deep breath, his face grimacing at the recollection, "...they were a mess. And believe me, I've seen my share of bodies. We only found three bodies, at least that's how many we think there were."
"We have come a long way to run this errand and meet with you, and would appreciate some answers. What do you know about the creature that attacked them?"
Pretty sure it was three bodies. He'd say the correct number.
As he speaks he examines the man closely: his eyes, his hands, his face, his manner. Clothes can be changed, but the body itself often has a tale to tell. Nobles like their bling, and a warrior likes to keep their tools with them. He studies their equipment as well.
Silthras divides his attention between Kaz an the others: perhaps the man speaking was not in fact the leader. He glances at the man Kaz winked at before scanning the others again and returning his attention to Kaz.
Sil Insight: 3
Looking over the man before you, you don't get the reading of a noble or a warrior. You can see a silver chain around his neck, though the pendant lies hidden within his clothes, and on his left index finger you a see a silver cat's eye ring that is essentially a carbon copy of the one Usul now carries in his pocket/bag. Besides the two knives strapped to his chest, you don't see any other weapons on him. He certainly carries himself with the swagger of a charismatic leader, and from what you can tell everyone else in the room seems to operate off his cues.
As you look past him to the others, they're even more difficult to read. All wear the same same black half mask - unremarkable except for the distinctive almond shaped eye holes. A few - including the one Kaz winked to - have their hoods up, making discerning anything else about them even more difficult. Beneath their cloaks you can sort of make out the bulges of different kinds of weapons. You're able to see the same ring on two others, but you can't quite get an angle on the other three's hands to check.
Sil Deception: 28
24
12
More than one pair of eyes is on Silthras as he skirts around the question, and Kaz drums his fingers on the table as he regards the half-elf. After a few moments of silence, he shrugs, collecting the items and putting them back in the sack - seemingly satisfied by the answer.
"So, you want answers to your questions in place of simple payment? That sounds fair."
He kicks back in the chair, leaning his feet up on the table and resting his hands behind his head. "I don't know what killed them though, you're the one that fought it. Why don't you tell us about it?"
Silthras frowns, "Well if you can't answer that question, perhaps you can tell us what what brought them to Feycrest, and what they were hoping to achieve? The town was almost overrun with undead, and they were in a Manor that I think was unlikely to be theirs."
He sighs, and looks around the room, trying to gaze at the faces inside the hoods, then turns back to Kaz.
"We have no quarrel with you or your people and will happily share information but, for the moment at least, it seems that that the debt weighs heavily on your side."
Usul scratches his head and shrugs, then continues to follow his friend towards the back room.
Watching the man com out, and seeing all the rings on their fingers, Usul knows now is a time to keep his mouth shut and watch ((insight 20)), trying to see if there is anything he can pick up on about who this man, or this group, is.
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Kaz nods his head, rocking the chair back and forth gently. "You are most astute, that manor was not theirs - and the undead were most certainly not a problem when they first arrived." All four legs of the chair land on the floor with a clack, and he swings his legs off the table to sit normally and lean in. "As for what they were trying to accomplish....Well. We have clients. And these clients come to us to procure items of value or interest to them." He scratches his nose briefly before clasping his hands together, "Now this particular client is our most important, and they found something they desperately wanted retrieved from that area." He offers his hands in a half shrug, "And so that's why our people were there. Now you may ask for further details as to the who and the what, and I will have to tell you right now that I cannot answer such questions. There is a certain degree of confidentiality expected in our business."
His eyes narrow, and his voice lowers. "As for debts, you may find you lack the appropriate context to be making such proclamations."
Like a switch, his demeanor flips back to that suave light-heartedness, and he leans back in the chair again. "Your next question?"
Staring at the faces inside the hoods, Silthras isn't able to make out a whole lot of detail given the masks. He's fairly sure everyone in this room is human, though its possible a few might be half-elves like him. He can see hints of red hair underneath the man's hood that stands behind Kaz.
As Usul listens and watches intently, he wouldn't sense any dishonesty in what the man was saying. He definitely gives off the vibe of an organized criminal, the kind Usul took care to avoid growing up. But the symbols, the masks, the way the group seems to operate...None of it sounds familiar to him. Whoever they are, they've done a very good job of staying unnoticed in Sonatide.
@DM: Do accents carry much inforamtion in this world? Are they speaking with a recognizable accent?
Silthras moves back into his corner, head tilted to one side, his eyes focused on Kaz. His mind is clearly working overtime. Some kind of retrieval job, for someone rich enough to afford their services, and powerful enough to warrant extraordinary levels of discretion. Or illegal enough. Or sensitive enough. Gods! Every answer leads to more questions.
He shakes his head to clear it and smiles. "Well, sir, you have convinced me of one thing: Getting involved in this is beyond my pay grade, as they say." He pauses, glancing at his companions before turning back to Kaz.
"To summarize: You can't say what; You can't say who; and we already know where, so ..." He gives a theatrical shake of the head before offering his hands in a half-shrug like the one Kaz offered, " ...not exactly the font of information for which we had hoped."
Taking a deep breath, he wonders if he should continue, and eventually breathes out loudly, "I don't believe that we are enemies in this matter, so I will tell you one thing for free...one businessman to another: If I were you, I'd return whatever fees you charge, plus a generous payment for interest and inconvenience, and walk away from the client."
He pauses, looking around at the faces of the people at the table before leaning on the table and focusing again on Kaz, "Your people were not just killed. They were tortured, gutted and left to bleed out. Probably by one of their own. You see, one of them...one of them was..." he looks to his companions as if trying to find the right words, or for confirmation, "...worn...like a skin, or a set of clothes...taken over from the inside by something that nearly killed all of us."
He waits a few moments for that to sink in then shrugs, clearly curtailing his story, "Suffice to say, we got lucky, and it died."
Almost as an afterthought, he adds. "Perhaps you can answer a different question then: These creatures seem to like burning out the eyes of their victims...have you heard any tales of such things locally, or of strangers wearing
hawkcrow-like masks? We believe they are all connected in some way."While Sil does the talking, Usul stands on his toes to reach up on the table and grab the coin pouch that the man had thrown down. He glances in it and gives it a toss in his hand trying to get a basic feel for how much is inside, while trying to appear aloof and that this kind of dealing is all part of a 'normal' day for him.
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM: