Helix: The Foul Pheasant

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin if I read that correctly. takes his winnings and gives them directly to the hostess Perni "This is for you. Let it be known I always treat those who have treated me well with the same respect." he smiles and heads back to to the usually place for the adventurers here in Helix, The Brazen Strumpet. "Thank you it has been a great time."

[Spearmint]

The Foul Pheasant.

Scarlett and Theraxx arrive in the late afternoon at the tawdry inn. Greeted at the door by a grizzled bouncer, the shaven headed beef sizing both up and checking in their bows, shields and martial gear.

"There might be some rough n' tumble occasionally but never enough to warrant blades and bolts." he says, suggesting that all fights get left to fisticuffs, blood-sporting with cocks and ratting takes in the courtyard after hours and 'more pleasant' rough n tumble with the ladies arranged by choice as you see fit.

"Other than that, enjoy the evening.", Rooster Rogan opens the door and you can take a flight of stairs into the saloon proper. Less usual but not entirely uncommon, Scarlett may feel less at ease in the bordello grounds but it caters not just for 'gentleman's pursuits' but serves imported spirits, vintage wines, hookah pipes and hallucinogenics, games of luck and chance in cards and dice.

Finngael & Ranndark are here, chilling with some high proofed hooch over a chessboard, manouvering ivory pieces carved as Mammoths and Smilodons.

meet & greet and add a [4d6] charisma check please.

[Edeldhur]

The Foul Pheasant.

Theraxx

Cracking his neck at the mention of 'rough and tumble', Theraxx threw a questioning look at Scarlett as they went in - "Ye been here afore?"

As they get upstairs, the dwarf really pays no mind to the comings and goings of the place, but he takes notice of the two dwarves.

First he heads to the bar for some drinks - "Ale fer me" - he asks, then turns to Scarlett - "And fer ye?"

Then he goes to the dwarves with his usual charismatic approach - "Ye lads are Finngael & Ranndark? Folks over at the Anvil telled me I could be findin' ye here - wantin' to have a chat about one Traelorian fella over some drinks, if ye're available dat is"

[4d6]=15
(Charisma is 5)

[Stirling]

Scarlett

"Ye been here afore?"

No, this is all new. She takes an imported spirit, Vodka Martini, perhaps with a slice of fresh lemon but no ice, shaken not stirred. Failing that, a House Red.

She is fine checking in her gear as neccessary, keeping her longsword if such fencing sidearms are allowed.

Scarlett: Charisma check vs 9 [4d6]=19

She will brush off any merchants and adventurers trying to make a move on her, hoping her rustic long skirt, checkered wool blouson and fox-fur cloak certainly picks her out as a 'guest' rather than a basque and suspender wearing 'wench for hire'.

Meeting the dwarves. "Gern from the Forge recommended you might be the best help that we seek."

Scarlett: Intelligence check vs 11 [4d6]=13

Studying the game they play, can she see and understand a winning strategy. "Sabre-tooth to C5, take the woolly mastodon, check."

[Spearmint]

The Foul Pheasant.

"Ye lads are Finngael & Ranndark? Folks over at the Anvil telled me I could be findin' ye here - wantin' to have a chat about one Traelorian fella over some drinks, if ye're available dat is."

The two dwarves look up from their game at Theraxx and then towards Scarlett.

The one making his move considers options then resolves to take the elf's suggested strategy. The other grunts his disapproval and with the masterstroke played, the winning gambit forces his resignation.

They move around the table, making extra room for the newcomers to share. Finngael reclines on his chaise lounge, puffing upon a hookah and blowing a stream of doughnut shaped exhalements. "A poor business that. To be honest I only knew the fellow for the hours of the trek. Had a 'gift' to invoke flaming arrows and never got lost upon the Moor but then ...", he puffs out, a strange mushroom shaped cloud of smoke.

"Even the best of is were beset. We saw our kinsmen deluded, acting crazed and confused. Only Rann and I kept to our senses."

He shares how the party were trekking towards a Sauron Camp when they were assaulted by strange hallucinogenic spores and in their moment of madness, each man perceived his surrounds in bizarre ways. "When we came to, he was gone. Only his bow, broken and snapped gave testimony of where he once stood."

"Friend of yours?" enquires Ranndark. He passes the Hookah pipe over to you both, if you take a draft then roll me a Constitution check. He begins to reset the pawns of the game. "So you spotted my weakness and bested my game. Easier when no bone and blood are wagered. Put the coins for the next bottle on the table and we can see who shall host the other." He puts a gold coin on the board, a minor wager, offering to challenge Scarlett while Theraxx chats.

Actions please.

[Stirling]

Scarlett

Scarlett: Intelligence check vs 11 [4d6]=16

She will not partake of any smoking, but gestyres the men do as they please. She places her own wager, -1gp on the gaming board and offering her ipponent first move, plays a few moves of the ivory carved pieces.

"I did not know this Traelorian but if he may be found, alive after so long, it would stand us in good stead with the village bowyer."

She shares what she knows, which is actually not very much, but she does hope that there might be some interest in exploring together. With that in mind she will ask about the lizardmen, their abandoned encampment and what excavations they were conducting.

[Edeldhur]

Theraxx

The dwarf accepts the hookah from Ranndark, and takes a couple of puffs on it.

Constitution Check [4d6]=9 vs 14

"Did ye ever go look for this Traelorian fella, after ye noticed him missin'?" - he asks as they continue the chat.

[Spearmint]

The Foul Pheasant

"Did ye ever go look for this Traelorian fella, after you noticed him missing?"

The question is asked. The dwarves each take another puff of sedative inhalation. "After
our kin came to their senses we searched of course but the effort seemed futile. Perhaps he was snatched up and carried away. His tracks stopped, only his broken bow remained where he once stood." they repeat a previous answer with little more information to add. They never saw any creature attack and heard no sound or scream. As an opinion, they offer Wyverns, but that could be a catch-all term for actual Wyverns that a dwarf named Greybeard encountered or to cover the ancient Pterosaurs that fly across the more from the Moon Peaks range.

but she does hope that there might be some interest in exploring together. With that in mind she will ask about the lizardmen, their abandoned encampment and what excavations they were conducting.

They perk up with this suggestion. The camp was quickly abandoned once the captive cleric's body was recovered. They know the Lizardmen had begun an excavation, hunting underneath a line of buried menhirs they supposed marked a barrow that held a draconic relic.

"It is off the trail but surely we could locate it again."

If you want to form a quartet in equal terms they will be happy to go on the next day.

"Discovering some Sauron treasure or legend may bring a measure of justice and tribute for Three-Moons" they say.

if okay with this I will open an expedition thread and you guys can be off on adventure.

[Stirling]

Scarlett

Thanks the guys for their commitment.

I will play to win at the boardgame then leave the dwarves to any extra pursuits that gambling dens and brothels offer, returning to my bunk in the tavern.

I have all equipment I need except for some shovels and sledgehammers. So we need those if no one has one. I can purchase 10gp worth of equipment, not much more, enough for a basic labouring kit I hope.

[Edeldhur]

Theraxx

The dwarf is satisfied with the agreement - "We have a deal then lads!"

(I have about 8 gold pieces to spend on any extra stuff we might need. Also convinced I have the base stuff I need, but haven't played this version of the game in quite some time, so I may be missing something )
(Should we get a mule)

[Stirling]

Should we get a mule

I bought all we need, we are here now

viewtopic.php?p=689985#p689985

[Edeldhur]

Posted!

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven walks around the one building he has never been inside, looking for a good place to paint a nice mural on one of its outer walls.

[Spearmint]

The Foul Pheasant

Offering to paint the outside of the dilapidated barn conversion that doubles as the tavern and gambling den.You can talk with Pernicious, detailing what sort of tribute you wish to erect to commemorate Vann Hector, not one of her patrons but certainly she has engaged him for some personal business.

It seems a win-win offer as it may draw extra customers towards her den of iniquity and brighten the place up. She will concede to the offer and leave it up to you to commission a suitable design.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven finds the painter RossBob, pays for the paint, and instructs him on what he would like painted on the side of the seedy tavern.

"I don't care what the rest of the job looks like, but the likeness of our friend Vann needs to be big, really big! He was as big as life himself, and I want that to be portrayed in his memorial."

He sketches out a quick picture of the image he would like painted, coloring it in for good measure. "Can you make him look something like this?"

Vann.jpg (20.34 KiB) Viewed 186 times

"Oh ya......and I would like you to make one of his arms look like it's invisible. Can you do that? And don't forget to include his fancy finger ring. He just loved that thing."

"He was known as Ghosthand by some, so I would like that name painted under his image as well, maybe have his good arm pointing towards the entrance, you know, to make Pernicious happy."

"300 gold should do the trick, I hope."

"And maybe add a couple of those happy trees you like so much as well."

300 removed from sheet

[OGRE MAGE]

Is this a go?

I was waiting to see if he could benefit from the XP before we leave again.

[Spearmint]

The Foul Pheasant

Rossbob & 'Rooster' Rogan begin immediately to sort out wall preparations and give an undercoat of whitewash. The artwork may take a few days but you can advance the +300xp now as it will cover other investments made during your brief downtime.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sweet!

300xp added to sheet.

Thanks!

[subaltari]

Elbart
15 July

The armed and cloaked man sizes up the entrance to The Foul Pheasant and greets the bouncer, "Rooster." Hearing the brief about checking weapons, Elbart nods compliantly and begins to unlimber his bow, shield, and sword-belt. "I take it from these tavern signs, yours is the more upstanding of the two? ...all the brazen strumpets being up the way?" he asks officiously, gesturing a thumb behind him.

[Spearmint]

The Foul Pheasant

Elbart arrives at the other tavern after swerving the Brazen Strumpet. Set back a little way down down some alleyways away from the market. The further you travel down the alley the more dingy and run down the area is. The rats are larger, the dog has three legs, a few desperate toothless crones wait by red lit cottage doorways to entice the vulnerable to licentiousness.

The Foul Pheasant however is undergoing some restoration. One side wall is being plastered and painted with an undercoat of apple-white and blue eggshell hues. A curly haired artisan overseeing the renovation and first markings out of a portrait mural.

"Something of a local hero apparently, according to some. Rescuing brigandine damsels from distress, banishing demonic knights back to the Abyss.

A shyster vagabond rogue according to others. Sleight of hand on his right, death on his left, silver tongued and fox-sly.

Came here regular. A right pheasant plucker the wenches testified ..."

An unusual obituary, the mural attributed to his grief stricken colleagues.

Elbart checks in his bow, shield, broadsword and daysack, taking a chit receipt and enters the upper room of the barn conversion.

The interior of the tavern reinforces the outside perception. A seedy little joint which entices the low life. There is a long bar and several low tables with plush velvet couches set amid secluded corners and sections of the room. The decor is burlesque. Some stairs go to an above floor of attic rooms whose floorboards, depending on your time of day or night, might might creak rhythmically for short periods.

A couple of green doors lead to private rooms where various cards and dice games are wagered.

Pernicious is the extrovert and flamboyantly dressed landlady, greeting patrons and pouring drinks, usually imported wines and spirit or crafting exotic cocktails. Serving wenches dexterously weave between tables and booths. At midday, the place is a hustle and bustle of people relaxing over drinks, games, hookah pipes and hushed conversations.