Hot Times in Slateholm 6/23-24

[trawets]

Trawets joins the halflings and has the drink Daisy offered. I will be happy to help. Any chance to learn things is a good thing.

[Eris]

Daisy says, "Wine? Sure thing! I usually only drink that stuff with a meal, but I know some folk prefer it to good old ale."

"I see... " Vurna begins slowly, then purses her lips and leans closer. "These bits and bobs... could that be the doings of a third guild? I don't know if some kinds of theft are... you know, permitted in this town. Without official cover from our guild, we might not want to find ourselves mixed up in the, er... official activity of another guild. Do you, ah, know what I mean, miss Daisy?"

Once everyone is settled with drinks, Daisy picks up the story again, "Yeah, there's a Thieves' Guild in Slateholm...of a sort anyway...but they aren't behind this. See, I've got a contact with the Red Men, that's what the gang is called that runs things in the North District and along the docks. Anyway, she tells me that they aren't condoning any pilfering as it draws attention from the Merchants, the City Guard, and eventually from the Duke. Drawing attention is bad for their business. So, their Boss has told them to stick to business and keep their sticky fingers to themselves."

She leans back and raises two fingers, "You're new, so you need to know about the North District. First, mostly stay out of the North District! Except for Madeera's Shrine and the Mad Wizard's Tower right on the edge of the Dock District, the Red Man runs everything there. The City Guard stays out and either can't or won't protect you if you go in there.

Red Man's thugs do keep order, and by order I mean they keep order! They also shake down anyone and everyone as they feel like it, but as long as you don't interfere in them running things they'll mostly just take a few coins as their toll and leave you alone.

Second, the reason anybody, well everybody eventually, goes there is that if you're looking for entertainment that's where you'll find it. Yeah, there are taverns and bawdy houses in the South Slums and here in the Docks District, but they are nothing to the ones you'll find over there. Hells, of all sorts, for every taste and price."

"I was around when Vesper and Company had their last party a week or so ago. They stayed mostly here in the Docks District and down in the Southside, but if she wants to earn bigger money from her performances she's going to have to eventually take it up to taverns and halls in the Red Man's territory." Daisy shakes her head, "He's going to want a cut of her take, she ain't gonna go for that. He's gonna to want to control her and she's sure as hell not gonna go for that!

There's going to be trouble. Maybe not this time, but it's coming. I like her, I like her friends, they are part of our Guild, and I'll back them when it comes to it. But mark my words every one of us needs to keep our eyes and ears open because a showdown between the Red Men and our Guild is gonna happen in the not too distant future. "

"But for now, that's Vesper's affair. Until the fat really hits the griddle I'm just doing my little jobs and keeping my head down and my eyes wide open." Daisy looks around the table, "Frankly, I'd advise you to do the same."

[Rex]

Da

"Thanks for the background Daisy. That is all good information to have, I try to keep my nose out of other peoples buisness when possible. But everyone knows that sometimes to do the right thing it is going to get messy. Wghen that happens I have my friends backs first."

[archolewa]

{Elizabeth}

"Mad Wizard's tower?" asks Elizabeth.

[Eris]

{Elizabeth}

"Mad Wizard's tower?" asks Elizabeth.

GM: I thought that might draw somebody's attention.

Daisy turns to Elizabeth and says, "Yeah, there's a Wizard's tower just up the street right next to The Shrine."

"I've never met the Archmage Rokhana Zann, as far as I know, no one has for sure." she shrugs, "It is said that he never comes out of the tower and nobody ever goes in."

"I know the Vast brothers who run the Curio Shop on Market Square have tried to get Rokhana to train them in magical arts, and he has turned them down every time." she adds with a grin, "I know this because every time I go into their shop they mention wanting the Archmage to train them and him turning them down."

"They also say they have sold him several artifacts recovered from ruins, so I suppose they have actually met him." she shakes her head, "But sometimes I wonder if they are just spinning a yarn to impress their customers."

[archolewa]

{Elizabeth}

Elizabeth's eyebrow quirks. "Archmage? Did the town grow up around the tower, or did he come into town one day and set up shop?"

[Eris]

{Elizabeth}

Elizabeth's eyebrow quirks. "Archmage? Did the town grow up around the tower, or did he come into town one day and set up shop?"

"I've only been here for four months." Daisy shrugs, "I don't really know much about Slateholm's history. What I know is that Slateholm is only a hundred years, or so, old, but it is built atop the ruins of some ancient city. There are the ruins of all sorts of things all over this whole area. I've been three days travel north and south of here and there are still ruins poking up from clumps of trees, sides of hills, even peeking up from swamps and bogs. I'm sure it was once really something, but that must have been a long, long, time ago."

"As for the Tower?" she considers, "Well, it looks old. Older than anything else in Slateholm, so I wouldn't be surprised if it predates the town and the town was built around it."

Daisy says seriously, "I could make you up a tale about the Tower and the Town and the mystery of behind it all. That's what I do. I spin yarns and tell tales. It's what I did before coming here, it's what I do now. The difference is the yarns I told before came from other people's experiences, now I am making experiences of my own as explore places and discover creatures and things that no one, in living memory, knows anything about."

She adds, "Vesper sings and dances and flirts with every man and woman she meets. Ferd, I think, you play the lute, right? Me, I tell stories to make people laugh and cry and sometimes to think."

"Anyway, now I explore wild places and when I can I find shiny things to gawk at before taking and selling them to the Vast brothers. Then I have the coin to set up in taverns and buy a round of drinks or two for the house, draw in the crowds to listen to my yarns. Yarns I can tell that are all mine, told for the first time."

"If I embellish them into heroic legends, it's my business and it's a good business, too, as my hat always comes back from the pass around jingling with coins." she grins and winks, "So, don't always take what I say, when I'm speaking in public, to be the god's honest truth. Remember a good story is often not the whole or true story. It's the story that is most memorable and that touches the listener's heart, head, and wallet that is the best story."

Daisy taps her mug on the table adding, "You're my Guild mates, though, so I won't shine you along. Well, not in private like we are now, anyway."

[Marullus]

"Oh, the town is older," offers Ferd, master of lore and gossip. "Slateholm is built atop an ancient city called Vellon where Wizards practiced dark magics. Certainly a point of curiosity for both this Duke and the one he deposed.... Though a wonder if the Archmage is remaining or discovering from ancient arts."

He takes a drink of his ale. "I'm a lore collector, tale teller, walker of roads, and spinner of yarns. A little luting on the side to keep coins in the pocket, as it were." He winks. "Soldiers tend to seek conquest the hard way. Redistribution of wealth is best achieved by a convincing word and a trustworthy demeanor. People will willingly do much that they would resist at swordpoint."

[Eris]

"Now, for those that will come with me on my little job tonight, here's the plan." Daisy leans in and speaks seriously, "Vesper and those with her will probably start here in The Trident with song and dance to rouse the crowd, then when it starts to get too rowdy move to The Pig's Whistle, just down the road. That's what they did last time. It'll start getting crowded as word spreads and knowing how these things go, start getting right rowdy. From there, last time, she took the crowd to The Sea Serpent's Tooth on a little square at the edge of the South District. Last time the crowd spilled out to fill the street and the square as she performed on a make-shift stage where the Tooth's big glass window was until it got broken out by the rowdy crowd."

"The Tooth's owner changed the window so it can be taken out without breaking it now." Daisy says grinning, "In anticipation of a return engagement, and she'll be expecting Vesper to come take advantage of the stage and the square of people. As do I."

"My plan is to tag along with them in my finery until they really get going at The Sea Serpent's Tooth. That'll give us all a couple of hours to have some fun before we get down to business. Anyway, once things start to get confused, and they will, I'll fade away from the crowd and come back to the Guild Hall to change into my leathers and pick up my gear." she says "Half of Slateholm will probably be attracted to Vesper's act by then and moving around unseen should be much easier."

"The warehouses that are getting pilfered have guards stationed outside now, day and night." she says, "I don't know if they will still be there or if they'll wig out to join the festivities. If they are gone, we waltz in. If they aren't, we sneak in. Either way, we need to get inside and look around."

"The Merchant I talked to and my Red Men contact swear nobody is getting in from outside, so there must be another way to get in those warehouses. I'm betting whoever it is, they are coming up through the floor and I doubt anybody has thought that solid stone floors aren't always as solid as they appear to be." Daisy says, "Merchants don't think that way, and neither to Thugs...a thief would, but Red Man mostly hires thugs, bruisers, and cut-throats. He doesn't thieve, he takes. So, a secret floor isn't how he'd think, either, I don't believe."

"So, what do you think?" she asks, "Who's willing to go do a bit of business with me tonight?"

This thread is going to split shortly. One thread will be Carousing through the Night where our partiers will play though their fun and eventually get their Carousing Outcomes. The other thread will be A Little Night Business where Daisy and those that go with her explore the warehouse and whatever they discover there. If Daisy's group finishes before Vesper's, they can get a short carouse in for themselves if they so choose, too."

However, everyone will start HERE as the Carouse begins, before dividing. I'm playing how long it takes by ear, as I don't know how much RP you want to do before the split happens. We'll just have to see.

In any event, I expect the two threads to eventually link up a day, or three later, back at the Guild Hall where survivors from each group can regroup. Tales can be told, updated parties can be formed and new or continued adventures can take place. However, as we all know, A GM's plans never survive contact with the Players, so...we'll see how it all plays out.

[trawets]

Trawets nods and says Sounds like a plan. I won't be drinking any more as a drunk mage isn't a good thing. I used to sneak a bit so hopefully I won't get us caught.

[Rex]

Da

"I am with you Daisy. I will watch how much I drink, can't afford much anyways. Looking forward to seeing how sneaky I can be."

[archolewa]

{Elizabeth}

"I think I'll pass," says Elizabeth. She holds up a tattooed hand. "I am very...distinct, and covering my covenant is like asking a locksmith to wear mittens."

[Eris]

Time Passes!

The crew from the Bathhouse step into the Trident and Shield and look around. They quickly see a collection of their fellow Guild Members at a table over near the corridor leading to the Guild Hall. It looks like Daisy Hodbringer is "holding court" as she appears to be telling a story while they eat and drink.

Walking closer you hear Daisy say, "Turns out the Goblins were as scared as I was and when the lid to that tomb slammed shut they ran for the exit! I followed suit, but not before I grabbed the necklace with the shiny, shiny, stones! They trailed me for half a day after that until I stumbled across a merchant caravan heading up to Slateholm and hopped up on one of the wagons. Didn't see hide nor hair of the little Gobbos after that. Likely sneaked off back to their camp in the forest."

"Oh, hello!" Daisy waves at Vesper and Tinu when she sees them enter saying, "You smell a lot nicer now girls! Come join us and I'll order you that drink I promised earlier."

"And hello to you too Gentlemen!" Daisy says to the men in the group she adding with a grin, "Nice and fresh and clean! Just in time for getting filthy again? Filthy drunk that is!"

"I was just telling the others how I came by the latest jingle in my pocket...and the wherewithal to buy everyone that round of drinks." Daisy says as she waves a waiter over to get drink orders for the new arrivals after which she says to Vesper, "I take it you're planning to perform again tonight? I was telling the others how good you are."

"Oh!" Daisy touches Vesper arm and leans in, "Did you know that The Sea Serpent's Tooth replaced that window you broke last time with one that opens and has a stage they can put in the opening now? You filled the square last time! I heard you just about closed down Northside as they came down to watch your act, well until you finished and everything turned into a big party. The swells went back to their hells up north then."

"Doris, she's a bar maid at the Tooth, told me they completely sold out their stock of spirits that night. Had to bring in barrels and casks from other taverns."

"And a triple prices, too!" Daisy leans in further and lifts her eyebrow at Vesper saying quietly, "You might want to think about something more than just passing the hat if you're going to draw a big audience like that to The Sea Serpent's Tooth."

[ateno]

Galreth just smiles and gets a wine thats been paid for and will sit quietly and listen to hear if Jake has anything to say.

"By the way Jake, are you going to attempt murder with Zberač? Or can you do that with Rooks?"

He breaks up some bar food for Jake to eat.

Galreth

[subaltari]

All listening to his BARKLINGS tale are inspired by the retelling. (Robin, Daisy, Vurna, Elizabeth get a Luck Token)

Vurna raps her knuckles on the table in applause for Ferd's yarn. "Amazing! I've heard tales of gnolls, and wolflings, but not such creatures... as you describe."

He winks. "Soldiers tend to seek conquest the hard way. Redistribution of wealth is best achieved by a convincing word and a trustworthy demeanor. People will willingly do much that they would resist at swordpoint."

"I find it so also, Ferd," the witch smiles.

* * *

Vurna listens as the other newcomers agree to Daisy's plan, or in Elizabeth's notable case, decline.

"I'll go with you. I may not be very stealthy, but perhaps I can leave this hat behind," she smiles.

[subaltari]

"By the way Jake, are you going to attempt murder with Zberač? Or can you do that with Rooks?"

Vurna merely smiles at her fellow Witch, without comment.

[Tiglath]

"I'm going to change and pack for the show!" Vesper hurries ahead towing Tinu with her.

The crew from the Bathhouse step into the Trident and Shield and look around. They quickly see a collection of their fellow Guild Members at a table over near the corridor leading to the Guild Hall. It looks like Daisy Hodbringer is "holding court" as she appears to be telling a story while they eat and drink.

Walking closer you hear Daisy say, "Turns out the Goblins were as scared as I was and when the lid to that tomb slammed shut they ran for the exit! I followed suit, but not before I grabbed the necklace with the shiny, shiny, stones! They trailed me for half a day after that until I stumbled across a merchant caravan heading up to Slateholm and hopped up on one of the wagons. Didn't see hide nor hair of the little Gobbos after that. Likely sneaked off back to their camp in the forest."

"Oh, hello!" Daisy waves at Vesper and Tinu when she sees them enter saying, "You smell a lot nicer now girls! Come join us and I'll order you that drink I promised earlier."

"And hello to you too Gentlemen!" Daisy says to the men in the group she adding with a grin, "Nice and fresh and clean! Just in time for getting filthy again? Filthy drunk that is!"

"I was just telling the others how I came by the latest jingle in my pocket...and the wherewithal to buy everyone that round of drinks."

To the assembled company it seems that Tinu has gained an "escort" at the bath house. From the look maybe some young noble bravo strayed from the North District? All in black save for a white shirt but now that... That is surely an impressive hat - but it's the huge white fluffy feather that's doing most of the work! Talking of which the bravo's swagger can't disguise shapely legs and the little black jacket hugging, now definitely "her", ribs is very much playing a supporting role...

Vesper's red lips smile from beneath the wide brimmed Cordoba hat as Daisy waves and she offers "If you're telling a tale I'll play barmaid. If you've told your tale I'll take a drink and, why yes, a certain level of "filthy" is always acceptable".

Daisy ... waves a waiter over to get drink orders for the new arrivals after which she says to Vesper, "I take it you're planning to perform again tonight? I was telling the others how good you are."

"Oh!" Daisy touches Vesper arm and leans in, "Did you know that The Sea Serpent's Tooth replaced that window you broke last time with one that opens and has a stage they can put in the opening now? You filled the square last time! I heard you just about closed down Northside as they came down to watch your act, well until you finished and everything turned into a big party. The swells went back to their hells up north then."

"Doris, she's a bar maid at the Tooth, told me they completely sold out their stock of spirits that night. Had to bring in barrels and casks from other taverns."

"And a triple prices, too!" Daisy leans in further and lifts her eyebrow at Vesper saying quietly, "You might want to think about something more than just passing the hat if you're going to draw a big audience like that to The Sea Serpent's Tooth."

Vesper's lips twitch "Good? Daisy you're too kind and, yes, I think I'm in the mood to dance. The massage after the bath certainly helped warm me up..." she bends at the waist and rolls her hips adding "...but my ribs are still a bit sore from the fall...". She runs her hands over the top of the little jacket the pressure putting some extra tension on the fastenings. The sound of an accident in the workplace emanates from the bar area as she concludes "... but I think I'll manage".

She laughs and says "I didn't break the Tooth's window! It happened during the "Big Finish". Things did get a bit out of hand - someone actually swallowed my seventh veil!" She takes a draught of ale and continues "Can you get your Doris from The Sea Serpent's Tooth here? I'll have a note to deliver to the owner" she smiles "with a very unreasonable offer for my fee. Especially at triple drinks prices - the bandit!"

She takes up a couple of silvers and sticks her head out into the street to perform an ear splitting whistle after which she haggles good naturedly with an urchin. Upon her return she declares "I've sent to The Pig's Whistle to let them know and that they're to match what's in the hat".

[Eris]

Turning to Vesper Daisy says, "I doubt I can get Doris over here. Her boss would object, but I think we can get a note to her, or better yet right to the Tooth's owner. Would that do it for you?"

OOC: If Vesper agrees, then the following...

Daisy while placing the order with the waiter says, "Joe, I've got a silver for you if you run over and deliver a message to Doris (or the owner) at the Sea Serpent's Tooth from Miss Vesper here?"

OOC Daisy's story was also inspirational so let's see. I think Da, Ferd, Elizabeth, Robin, & Verna were at the table when she told her tale (if I'm missing anyone tell me and I'll add a roll for you), any roll 12+ gets a LUCK token :
Da -- [1d20+3]=15+3=18
Ferd -- [1d20+3]=19+3=22
Elizabeth -- [1d20+3]=19+3=22
Robin -- [1d20+3]=7+3=10
Verna -- [1d20+3]=11+3=14

I'm going to get more strict on Inspire rolls from now on, though. It is supposed to be One target in
near gains a luck token, per Performance. A story really should be one performance, I think, so really only one target (picked by the performer or the Ref if the player doesn't specify) gets the token for a story. Otherwise with 3 bards floating around there are going to be more Luck Tokens banked up than all the rolls attempted.

[Tiglath]

Turning to Vesper Daisy says, "I doubt I can get Doris over here. Her boss would object, but I think we can get a note to her, or better yet right to the Tooth's owner. Would that do it for you?"

Vesper agrees "Thank you Daisy. A note to the Tooth's owner would be ideal".

[trawets]

Trawets raises a mug as Daisy's tale finishes. A fine tale if I ever heard one. You should publish some of your tales. There might be some coin there with less danger.