D&D RP Thread

[Barbarian]

Thistle seems irritated and slightly bored by the conversation.

"So, are we gonna see Jack's old friend or what? I'm anxious to see if he'll end up like all his other friends i've met over the years."

He then points at his axe.

[Tempest Kitsune]

"Let me guess," Ogden observes dryly, "they all ended up a head shorter after you met them?"

[Greybane]

"Well, they 'were' his friends. I imagine that the enemies ended up even closer to the ground."

[Barbarian]

Thistle seems incredibly amused by this quip, and roars with laughter for a moment, drawing an eye or two from around the inn.

[Dervon]

Jack gets up slowly and shakes his head

"Sorry to disappoint you, Thistle, but he shouldn't be any trouble whatsoever."

as he passes by Sasha, he tousles her hair absentmindedly, realizes what he is doing and pulls back his hand. He begins to speak in an oddly distant manner

"Maybe I could teach you your way around a dagger. Nifty little piece of steel you hide with ease. Great way to turn an argument your way, when the opposition thinks it a good idea to underestimate you and want to hurt 'ya."

he moves towards the door, and speaks in an slightly foreign accent

"Gentlemen?"

he coughs to clear his throat

"Shall we?"

[SLAMU]

A messenger boy stumbles into the common room of the Smarmy Bilge Rat one rainy night. After warming himself by the fire for a bit, he requests to speak to Thistle and Jack. After a few minutes, he leaves again, back into the rain, and the two partners claim that they have an arranged a meeting with Sid Snidely, the man that the party had agreed to fence the eggs to. The party gathers on the tavern’s main entrance, they leave Norril and Repnir to guard Sasha and their belongings. They wandered the streets until they found the allyway that they were told to wait at. Soon, a number of dark figures approached, a pair of heavyset thugs that seemed to be at least part ox, a small, nervous man with a pinched expression, and a slimy, sleazy looking man with a hooked nose. “Damn cold night to be buying muffins.” The sleazy man says.
”Aye, but the missus wants some more, and you know how she is.” Jack calls back, cool as you please.
“Fine, but she’s getting her own butter.” The man calls back. Now that both parties have established their bonafides, the haggling begins. After another brief time, the deal is struck, and though neither party is quite happy with the sum paid, the eggs are handed over. Leeward, who had been holding them in a cloth sack, gently set them down in the cobblestone ally halfway between the two groups. The small man grabs one and hurries back to huddle with his apparent boss. They seem to have a hurried conversation, with the little man making many excited gestures to the eggs, and the sleaze’s eyes getting narrower and narrower, then took a last look at the party’s faces before reluctantly nodding and has one of the thugs set a heavy purse down in the middle of the street. “The rest will be delivered to your abode.” With that, they turned and walked off.

When the group returned to the Smarmy Bilge Rat, they found that someone had delivered a note from The Nose.

Spoiler: show

To those who might have been business partners.

I understand that there were other concerns faced by you and your fellows when you decided to sell your little omelets mix to Mr. Snidely. Although it pains me to think that you would prefer to deal with him, I understand that you have had previous dealings with him and I remain an unknown. Let us change this. It might behoof yourselves to stop by sometime. I could *arrange a meeting* if you’d like.

Below, there is a mark like a smudged nose.

[Tempest Kitsune]

Ogden peers at the note, and then gives a deep sigh. "Well, it appears that we have a new acquaintance to make. Anyone with the kind of information network needed to know about our little transaction this quickly is someone that I want on our side, or at least confirmation that he's not interested in making things difficult for us." He turns to look at the rest of the party. "What say you all?"

[Dervon]

(I need to talk to SLAMU about this little exchange :P)

"We've already fenced one of the eggs, let's just end this with the man we started to deal with and jump town."

[SLAMU]

Haggling time for the Owlbear eggs, chaps. Sid Snidley offers the first bid.

Sid, the greasy one, speaks first. "What kind of chicken eggs are you trying to sell me, Jack? I'll offer you 10 crowns for the lot, and that's just because I'm hungry." He spits to the side, narrowly missing Jack's foot.

[A crown is slang for a gold piece]

[Dervon]

"10 crowns? For chicken eggs? Come off it, Sid, you are well what these are, and what they are worth. Think 1650 crowns for the pair, and not one less."

Jack crosses his arms across his (admittedly skinny) chest. He glances down at where Sid spat.

"You know Sid, I may have been drunk at the time, but I do seem to remember you had a bit more class then that. Especially around ankle-biters."

He points with his thumb behind himself to draw attention the rather odd tableau of a little girl perched on the shoulders of a giant of a man who seems to handle balancing his fragile load and picking his nose with his axe at the same time with great ease. The little girl is absorbed with the act of trying (and failing) to flip a coin across her knuckles. Every time she drops it the axe-man catches it in mid air and offers it back to her, without a sound or glance. He seems rather bored.

[SLAMU]

Sid looks disgruntled for a second before grudgingly swallowing whatever he had in his mouth. By the sour look on his face, it didn't taste too good. "You're right; you were drunk. And if you think that I'm paying a lords ransom for some eggs I've just seen, then you're not any soberer. 50 for all of them."
One of the thugs is keeping his eyes on Thistle and Sasha, trying to decide whether to be alarmed with the man's size, coo at the little girl, or grin at the image of the two of them together. It results in a sort of pained expression on his face.

[Dervon]

Jack sighs

"Look at it from my perspective, Sid. I know you're going to sell 'em at a massive mark up. I even have a bit of an idea to whom you might. And let me tell 'ya, they'd be willing to pay a fair bit for these eggs."

Behind him, the little girl manages to get the copper piece to flip across her tiny knuckles. She smiles broadly and leans over the axe-man's head so her eyes are level with his. She then pulls back and holds her hand in front of his face and repeats the feat. The massive man only grunts in reply, but he is now also smiling.

"So I'm thinking, maybe you'd realize that me asking 1400 for the pair ain't that much? I'm sure you'll sell 'em for far more then that, and probably individually."

The little girl is now practicing the coin trick, and she seems to be catching on quite fast. The massive man seems to be thinking about something, his face scrunched-up into that expression universal to people who depend on their muscles, and who now try to use their brains for something complicated.

"Besides, you know I'll be paying back my debt to you from my cut, so you'll be getting some of it back right away."

Jack grins

[SLAMU]

"Oh, why don't you tell me who I could sell this lot to at a decent markup for the prices you're giving me? Because I don't know anyone who'd be fool enough to buy anything for that price. That's sayin' somethin' too, 'cause I know this bloke down by the docks who must have bought salvation for at least a dozen lives now. 120 for the lot, and you better be giving me them tied up in a bow." He shows some teeth. It might be a smile, except the yellowed gaps make it a bit unsettling. "And I know that you'll be paying your debt, I'm taking that off the top."

A begger who was creeping up on the voices was noticed by the other thug. He gives the meagre figure a scowl and the begger scampers off. The thug gives a little sniff that goes unremarked by his companions.

"So, Jack. I don't remember you packin' muscle last time. I know you ain't exactly goin' up in the world, 'cuz the way I heard it that band of carrion hunters you joined up with got wiped out a while back. He owe you a favor or somethin'? He's makin' my boys a bit nervous." Sid scratches a rib under his cloak. "And what's with the little thing? You never struck me as a famly man."

[Dervon]

"Oh, I know a few people who'd probably pay quite a fair bit for the pair. For starters, word I hear is that some nob right in this here town would be interested. Fairly well placed too, has the ear of the keep's lord. You'd get your money and some influence to boot, I'd wager." Jack shrugs "Would have gone to him, if I didn't distrust nobs as a matter of fact."

Behind him, the axe-man snaps his fingers in front of the little girl's face to draw her attention. He then begins to flip the very sharp weapon through the air, catching it with ease. The girl looks delighted.

"The Crows... The Crows got themselves into something the couldn't handle. Jumping ship seemed appropriate." ,he shakes his head ruefully "As for the muscle, as you put it, I find him to be an absolute necessity, given what some of my old friends want to do with me. He's stopped them a few time, hell, I'm down a few friends because of him. Not that I mind. And for that matter, neither does he, do 'ya Thistle?" he calls behind him

"Old friends like you are the reason I'm still hanging about" Thistle replies, still focused on getting his axe to climb higher and higher in the air. "I'm just waiting for some scrub like you to need killing." On his next flip, he looks away from the axe, stares at Sid for a second with an evil looking grin on his face, then concentrates back on the axe. The girl claps every time he grabs the axe in mid-air.

Jack chuckles "So yeah, haven't had to worry quite as much with him around. As for the girl... Let's just say that my current companions have a rather large soft spot. They're off doing... Something. I figured I should keep my eyes on her, got enough people tracking me for reasons I don't care to recall, wouldn't want to add a band of avenging blades to that list."

Thistle seems to fumble the axe on his last grab, and it embeds itself into the ground mere inches away from his foot. The girl giggles in delight, and Thistle grins broadly as he dislodges the axe and once again begins flipping it into the air.

"So, the eggs. Maybe you are right, maybe I'm asking too much. So, how about a nice round 1000 for the pair, hmm? Come on, Sid, I'm sure you'll find the nob easy enough to deal with, and I'm also sure that living here will have it's perks once you have some favor to curry with the higher-ups."

[SLAMU]

"Heh. If you think that anyone wants to be seen getting in bed with Lord Grigus, then I suggest that you be the one to do so. I have to live here, and I fully intend not only live, but do it here. 200 for the eggs, and I'll even throw in some information for you." Sid chuckles dryly "And what makes you think that our mealy-mouthed waste of piss lord here would be interested in some eggs? He prefers to hunt animals, not have others bring them to him."

Sid seems to think to himself for a second. "How long you boys have these, anyway? I don't want to go around reselling these with false promises of when they's gonna hatch. Easy way to get a bit shorter with some folk, if you catch my drift."

[Dervon]

"Which is why it isn't him what wants the eggs, but some nob willing to wait a bit and provide his lordship with some excellent game. I'm sure the old fool would love to hunt a pair of owlbears, now wouldn't he?" Jack scratches his head "Now that I think about it, why don't you offering him that option, Sid? I'm sure you work your way into his pockets with ease."

"And yeah, the eggs are fresh. Which is why I'm asking 800 for 'em. Seriously, Sid, just raise the bleeding things in a basement and offer Lord Grigus the opportunity to hunt some rare game once they've grown a bit. I'm sure you could pull it off, and it'd be worth your time, now wouldn't it?"

[SLAMU]

"Raise a pair of owlbears in my basement? Are you crazy, or do you just have it in for me? The cubs alone could easily maim a man! I don't know how many men you lost getting these two, but 300 should be more than enough to console their widows. And I'm willing to sell you two peices of information as well, to top it off. One of which I know you'd be interested in. That's more than fair, I'd think. Come now, it's cold and the little one might catch something."

One of the men with Sid mutters something under his breath. His partner snorts in agreement, then stomps his feet to get the circulation flowing. Sid doesn't seem too effected by the weather, despite the patched cloak he's wearing. In the distance, a wolf howls, making the small, skittish man glance around nervously. One of the guards, the one that muttered under his breath, puts his hand on the little man's shoulder. "Don't you worry, that one's a ways off. Besides, they don't normally come into the city. Too many people. Don't you learn this where you come from?" The man doesn't say anything, but seems to relax just a hair.

[Dervon]

"Actually Sid, we lost no one gettin' 'em. The crowd I'm with, they know what they're doing. And it 'aint hard dealing with the bloody things. You feed 'em enough to keep 'em docile, cats and rats and what have you, and you get 'em off your hands before they are fully mature. Besides, you confuse sport with fairness. I'm sure a pair of juvenile Owl-Bears would be worth a lot to the nobs, and they'd care more for the chance then for the fact that the damn things aren't fully grown."

Jack pulls his cloak tighter around himself.

"500 for the pair. Take it or leave it, Sid."

[SLAMU]

Sid looks like he's swallowed a ball of nettles. "500?! What do I look like to you, some landed ponce? 400 and two peices of information, that's my final offer. I can't have you bleeding me dry, I don't care if these eggs come straight from the Green Man's garden itself. And good luck getting anyone less desperate to agree to this kind of highway robbery."

[Dervon]

"400 and some information, ehh?"

Jack seems to consider this for a while, then sighs.

"Deal. Though I'm hoping that information is worth it, old friend."

[SLAMU]

Sid nods to one of his lackeys, who sets a pair of sacks down halfway between the two groups. "There's 150 right there, and I'll get the rest to you in letters of credit from some merchants in a day or so. As for the information, well, Jack lad, why don't you step this way for a minute?"
The two of them walk off from the main group for a minute, with both groups trying to hear what was said, although the voices don't carry too far.