0. Prelude

[ybn1197]

Athriel shakes his head negatively, "I am more worried that we paid for bogus information than I am about a trap. I am sure we will find him deep in a bottle next time our paths cross."

[Das]

Marshal was just quiet and rubbing the bridge of his nose a whole lot for this. Once Harold was gone he nodded. "I can almost assure you that its a trap. Even if not it'll be dangerous no matter what."

[tooleychris]

"It's our only really good lead, even if the source is...undesirable. " says the witch.
"If one of us...one of you can scout it out without seeming suspicious.. shouldn't we at least take a look?
She scrunches up her face thinking.

[tooleychris]

"Perhaps we could pay a local lad to take a peak? While the sun still shines, of course."

[Alethan]

Ty quickly breaks away from the group, heading to the entrance of the alley and peaking around the corner to see if he can spot where Harold went to. Having just been a few seconds, he shouldn't have gone far...

[dmw71]

While the rest debate whether or not to pursue the potential lead provided by Harold, Ty breaks away and attempts to locate the vagabond to see where the vagrant went with his newly acquired gold coin. Able to catch the departing urchin, Ty watches him until the man disappears behind a roughshod building to the south.

If Ty follows Harold, he notices him enter what looks like a condemned building, but is actually a low-quality drinking establishment called 'The Pig'.


---

Notes:

• See area map: Beacon's Point.
• Zograthy tent is on Washer's Row (B8).
• Harold left Washer's Row and headed directly to 'The Pig' (B9).

[Das]

"If anyone gives it a look it has to be us. The more who know us or our business then more likely we are going to be found out...and end up as slaves or dead."

Watched Ty leave and snapped his fingers obviously annoyed that Type had done that first, as it was something he had thought about as well.

(Damn you mad max! Lol)

[Alethan]

Curious to see if he is just going to spend his coin or if he is meeting someone, Ty waits for the count of 20 and then follows Harold into the bar, keeping his head down and trying to not draw attention to himself.

When he enters, he tries to spot the vagrant as quickly as possible as he finds an empty table.

[ybn1197]

Athriel looks as Ty walks away, following Harold. "Baring any new information Ty may find, I think the use of a local lad would be best. Less conspicuous."

[Das]

Marshal rubbed his nose. "I strongly disagree. Like I said...the more people we involve the more we get exposed. He said the place was boarded up right. So we send a lad in there and he joins the other slaves?" He thumbed after Ty. "I say we take Harold. If he is setting us up I would prefer he is close..so I don't have to hunt him down later, anyhow."

[tooleychris]

"Harold may be the least conspicuous... "

[dmw71]

Ty gives Harold a twenty-count before following him into the bar, where he is overwhelmed by the sink of raw meat almost immediately. Built in a condemned building that started life as a slaughterhouse, the Pig’s copious leaks and drafty walls do little to help ameliorate the stink of decades of butchery. The smell is bolstered by the Pig’s customers, of which there are approximately a dozen, the vast majority of whom are themselves abattoir workers in wretched nearby slaughterhouses.

Ty watches as Harold takes a seat at the bar and manages to secure an old, wobbly table in a far corner of the room. It's a dark place, where the staff look to be every bit as dangerous and unpredictable as the patrons. A rough-looking wench roughly drops a pitcher of water down at Ty's table, not caring that the splash hits him. "Be back," she says coarsely as she passes by without stopping. She never returns.

Ty watches as Harold sits at the bar, struggling for several long minutes to get anyone's attention, in order to be served. He eventually places and order and, over the course of the next hour, empties several tankards of whatever beverage he's drinking and finishes off a plate of the house specialty -- brineskin curls, which are strips of pig flesh pickled in brine and blood, and are actually more effective at stopping hunger by their sight and smell, than their taste.

When he attempts to pay for his order with his piece of gold, Harold gets into a loud squabble with the barkeep. The barkeep, who assumes, because Harold is who Harold is, that the gold is fake, keeps the coin and has Harold tossed out.


I have no idea if Ty is going to stay in the inn for the entire time Harold is there, but will share the entire experience regardless so as to not spend days role-playing what is otherwise a simple event.

[Alethan]

After spending no more than 15 minutes watching Harold not meet with anyone, and done with trying to hold his lunch in, Ty leaves the "bar" and returns to the alley to inform the others of what he found out.

[ybn1197]

Athriel takes Ty's story in. "Then may-hap Harold is the best decision. Apparently he is nothing more than he appears to be."

[Das]

Marshal nodded. "I don't think anyone is ever that. But hopefully we can all agree to have Harold show us."

[tooleychris]

"Really?" Petra replies to Marshalls comment. She shakes her head and smiles.
"Perhaps you are more observant than I. I suppose Harold would be ideal for scouting. Who would question a homeless man seeking shelter? Perhaps, according to Tys account, a bottle of something good would make a worthy payment instead of gold?"

[dmw71]

With Ty having only observed Harold in the Pig for 15-minutes, and Harold spending almost an hour there, Ty had plenty of time to return to the rest, and for the group to agree to recruit Harold.



So, what is the plan?

Is the plan to wait for Harold to exit and engage him then? Go in and ask him right away? What plans does the group have for Harold? To just show everyone the location, or to keep him there with you (or instead of you?) until the alleged pick-up at midnight?

[ybn1197]

Athriel

"It would be best if we engage Harold after he leaves the tavern. From Ty's description it sounds like a place these kidnappers would frequent. We do not want them seeing us with him.I doubt we will be able to persuade him to accompany us so showing the location would probably be the most we would get from him."

[dmw71]

The group agrees to inconspicuously camp outside the Pig while they wait for him to finish his meal and drinks. After about 45-minutes, Harold finally exits the establishment as he is forcefully removed from it. He offers little resistance, but does yell back at the men that tossed him, slurring his words as he stumbles when turning to leave.

Petra, with whom Harold was clearly enamored with, is able to indiscreetly swoop in and guide the rather drunk vagrant back to her companions. With Petra doing most of the talking, the group is able to convince Harold to lead them to the supposed drop-off area. "It's thisssss way..." he slurs, as he flails his arm around and points in the direction in which to head. Any efforts to get him to stop and work off his inebriation are met with stern protest with, the potential for violence from the crotchety old man.

It takes him some effort, and there are several confused pauses as he considers his bearings, but Harold is able to successfully navigate the group through one side street after another until... "There," he starts, pointing at an old, boarded-up tavern along the shore in Dockway.

PuffyPelican.png (378.35 KiB) Viewed 276 times

His speech slightly less slurred, he continues. "The Pelican. I mean, the Puffy. No, that's not it. The Puffy Pelican. Yes. Yes! Yes, that is it." he says excitedly, before stopping and vomiting all over his worn shoes. A faded painting of a fat pelican still graces the facade of the empty building Harold is pointing out, making it easy to distinguish from the other, equally worn down buildings it neighbors.

A preliminary investigation of the building during the day reveals nothing out of the ordinary -- the building’s back features a half-collapsed wooden deck that hangs over the high-tide mark, and the tavern truly looks abandoned. It bears no signs of having been used recently.

[dmw71]

"So," Harold starts, wiping his mouth and chin clean with the back of his sleeve. "We gonna just wait here 'til midnight?" he wonders aloud.