Part 7: Back to the Brazen Strumpet

[SocraticLawyer]

Peaches downs another ale, and says something incomprehensible to no one in particular. She has more trouble than she remembers trying to flag down a serving girl for a refill.

"Watch this," she says, slurring her words. "I'm gonna [hiccup], I'm gonna fill up this mug with mead. [hiccup] With magic. I'm gonna fill it with ... magic. I mean, I'm gonna do magic on it, to get mead." She smiles.

Peaches tries a cantrip, but it doesn't work for some reason. She decides to close her eyes for a minute.

[ybn1197]

Grigg will watch the rowdy group leave and the local farmers and merchants enter. By force of habit he glances at any loose purses. Dismissing any thoughts to exercise his 'sleight of hand' he will turn and engage the innkeeper. "The shield and hammer...they look finely crafted items, do they have a story? Perhaps the rescued ware of some fallen Barrowmaze hero? Or do you just use them to get rid of the stubborn rowdies? " Grigg will take a careful look at them, trying to notice any specific runes, sigils and carvings on them. Could Grigg appraise their value?

The innkeeper, leaning forward on the bar with his fists both resting and supporting his body, turns and looks at the shield and hammer before turning back to Grigg and chuckling. "Once upon a time they might have been finely crafted items but no more. They've seen their fair amount of trouble, tried and true they are. I've used them to fell a fair share of beasties but now they remind the rowdies that I still know how to use them." From this distance, he is unable to see any significant characteristics.

Peaches downs another ale, and says something incomprehensible to no one in particular. She has more trouble than she remembers trying to flag down a serving girl for a refill.

"Watch this," she says, slurring her words. "I'm gonna [hiccup], I'm gonna fill up this mug with mead. [hiccup] With magic. I'm gonna fill it with ... magic. I mean, I'm gonna do magic on it, to get mead." She smiles.

Peaches tries a cantrip, but it doesn't work for some reason. She decides to close her eyes for a minute.

The world was spinning before Peaches closes her eyes and now that her eyes are closed the world has decided to take it upon itself to spin a little faster. While the serving girls have given Peaches a wide berth (jealous b!tches), Claude comes over and places his hand on her shoulder. "Mistress, are you all right?

[Stirling]

Grigg will feel the innkeeper leaning just a little too closely over him eyebrows raised, as he says the last sentence about dealing with trouble makers.

"They've seen their fair amount of trouble, tried and true they are."

Grigg will raise his ale in salute to the hammer and shield and barman, and then gesture at the seated party,"The big fellas' have seen trouble, are they also tried and true too?" he will ask the barman seeking for information about the party.

Grigg will lean in to the innkeeper giving him a sly wink. Casting his eyes behind the bar, he is scanning for something, specifically for pouches of tobacco or big 'havanna' cigars. "tell me barman, sorry I didn't catch your name, mines' Gr.., doesn't matter anyway, names come and go. I was thinking that perhaps behind the bar stashed away somewhere for certain customers could be some of that finest tobacco leaf, you know the sort, fragrant rolled leaf, calming, kind of sedative, takes a guys mind off things when he needs to stress out." Grigg will look expectantly at the barman but cast a quick sideways glance at the youth in a kind of stare that says, 'are you still here? don't listen in and fxxk off further down the bar'. "You know deep down in those Barrows, a man needs to trip out to pleasant places some times. Might be times like these when certain men could do with a certain smoke." Grigg, indicates the two seated fighters and will reel off a couple of slang names for 'wacky bacci' and see if he can strike a deal for some 'under the counter stuff'.

What Grigg knows is that good leaf, from the highest quality 'royal paladin' to even the lowest saw-dust enhanced 'koboldshit' can be a useful trading item to bribe a guard, get some goblins to look the other way, pacify some brutish ogre. He thinks down in the barrows he will need more than sharpened blades.

[RiotInferno]

Pyrrhic drinks his ale and looks at his companions.
"Do we venture forth tomorrow? Once more attempt to beat the Barrow into submission?"

[ybn1197]

"Them? Aye, they be tried and true. This is the third time they have been here in the past couple of days. Their first visit was peaceful and jovial. I think they were gathering people to head out to the barrows. The last two times not so much. They have lost some friends out there and apparently have little to show for it." When Grigg looks toward the kid, the kid looks expectantly at the bartender who nods to him to move a little further down the bar to give you two some space. "You want to keep your name secret, that's your concern friend. You can call me Bollo." He stands up straight and you realize he was hunched over as such for your benefit. The man is above average in height and is physically defined. His black hair is cut short but he has long mutton chops that frame his face. "Now, as fer leaf, I don't have any. The barrows does not produce fertile ground for cultivating quality source. If you are interested, I'm sure I can scare some up in a week or two. Plenty of different people pass through here."

[Stirling]

"Sure a few pressed ounces of some 'nice stuff' might be great" Grigg will pass over the counter a few silver pieces, "that should be enough for a few blocks to trade and a little profit for troubles no doubt. Now tell me Bollo, when these adventurers come and go, and I am sure there are plenty driven by tales of golden treasure. What remains of their stuff that is left behind? You know the odd rucksacks of equipment, spare tools, maybe some of these fallen questers have written logs of their findings and a careful study of them could provide useful in acquiring some relics from the Barrows. How would you like a fancy bejewelled helmet or ivory tusked hunting horn to accompany those decorating items on the walls? Maybe all this stuff left abandoned behind can be put to more use than being flogged off cheap on the bazaar to fix the church roof. Is there a place you gather this stuff?" Grigg will push a shiny gold coin across the counter with a bit of sleight of hand so hopefully no one notices the barman wipe his towel over it and pick it up...

Grigg hopes that Bollo will be able to point the way to either a cupboard or spare room full of flotsam and jetsam left behind. Principally Grigg will want to search for maps and diaries of previous explorers and written information, legends, clues. If the stuff is indeed just cleared away and stored perhaps in a local barn or even in the church store ready for the next bazaar, Grigg will want to know where so he can perhaps 'pay it a little visit'. Grigg will eye the seated party and think to himself that 'many hands make light work' and depending on what Bollo says will approach the group about doing a little 'Barrowmaze research'

[SocraticLawyer]

The world was spinning before Peaches closes her eyes and now that her eyes are closed the world has decided to take it upon itself to spin a little faster. While the serving girls have given Peaches a wide berth (jealous b!tches), Claude comes over and places his hand on her shoulder. "Mistress, are you all right?

"Juz' peachy!" says Peaches with a grin, before putting her head back down.

With an ease that bespeaks a great deal of practice, Claude hefts Peaches's massive form, carrying her up to her room with a nod towards the others. Once Peaches is safely dozing, Claude will retire as well.

[ybn1197]

"Sure a few pressed ounces of some 'nice stuff' might be great" Grigg will pass over the counter a few silver pieces, "that should be enough for a few blocks to trade and a little profit for troubles no doubt. Now tell me Bollo, when these adventurers come and go, and I am sure there are plenty driven by tales of golden treasure. What remains of their stuff that is left behind? You know the odd rucksacks of equipment, spare tools, maybe some of these fallen questers have written logs of their findings and a careful study of them could provide useful in acquiring some relics from the Barrows. How would you like a fancy bejewelled helmet or ivory tusked hunting horn to accompany those decorating items on the walls? Maybe all this stuff left abandoned behind can be put to more use than being flogged off cheap on the bazaar to fix the church roof. Is there a place you gather this stuff?" Grigg will push a shiny gold coin across the counter with a bit of sleight of hand so hopefully no one notices the barman wipe his towel over it and pick it up...

Grigg hopes that Bollo will be able to point the way to either a cupboard or spare room full of flotsam and jetsam left behind. Principally Grigg will want to search for maps and diaries of previous explorers and written information, legends, clues. If the stuff is indeed just cleared away and stored perhaps in a local barn or even in the church store ready for the next bazaar, Grigg will want to know where so he can perhaps 'pay it a little visit'. Grigg will eye the seated party and think to himself that 'many hands make light work' and depending on what Bollo says will approach the group about doing a little 'Barrowmaze research'

"Those that pay in advance for their rooms and don't return, I store what few belongings they leave behind in the basement. Every once in a while someone, like yourself, comes along and asks about these things. I sell what I can, a man needs to recoup what was lost while they were gone. The rest, things that look like they may have a sentimental worth, I give them to the church. Don't want no trouble with relations looking for their personal effects.

[Stirling]

Grigg looks at the towering Bollo. Reading into his answer it would seem that saleable equipment, weapons, etc have gone but these personals have been stored elsewhere.

"Thank you Bollo, that is very informative. Tinpot swords and armour I have no interest in really. Books, diaries, historical scrolls, maps, sketchbooks, fragments of parchments, really I have a particular interest in those. It might be a nice memorial to collect those together and you know, build a little archive of what these brave fellows discovered before their untimely demise. And who knows, maybe that undiscovered horn (Grigg raises his ale to the hammer and shield), is just hidden below the surface waiting to be grasped. So stored in St Yggs' right?"

Grigg will approach the party group. Coughing slightly and pointing to a nearby chair,"ahem...may I", Grigg will pull the chair close and sit regardless of any invitational nod. Looking at Pyrrhic and Bronn, "my apologises brothers, I was too hasty in speaking to you outside in the way I did, I meant no disrespect. I empathise with your loss as much as I grieve for my own."Grigg will signal a serving wench, "please some breads and cheeses and a cask of mead for my fellows,"Looking around into the faces of the group, Grigg continues, "glad that rowdy group of amateurs moved on, I was up for a bit of a rumble but then it would get in the way of my searching. My father see, worked for some geological ordnance survey group, exploring the Barrows and logging their discoveries in maps and parchments. I'm not much of a student myself," looks at Milo, " unlike you, why I bet you were top of the class in school. So I need your help in finding and reading through any parchments left behind." Grigg will offer a hand out to Simoni, "brother cleric, I understand from my good friend Bollo here, that all these barrow maps and books may be stored in yonder church. Do you have a key to the cupboard, maybe we can recover the items my father and his friends left behind. I feel it be a more fitting memorial to see his work finished and for your fallen comrades, if we return to the Barrows armed with greater knowledge it may lead us to discover fine things. I hear of a famed mithril jewelled wondrous horn is left undisturbed nearby. What say you help me find these maps and I'll share whatever it leads to"

OOC: sorry for long winded paragraphs, just trying to set a scene for Griggs' arrival and how he can entice/join the party.

[kalstone]

"Goodness no!" Simoni exclaims. "They wouldn't trust me with anything as valuable as that. Brother Othar should be able to help, though. He's very friendly. He's always encouraging me to carry the light of St. Ygg beyond this town." He suddenly pauses and his brow furrows in thought.

[Zhym]

Milo downs the last of his drink. "You lads sure like to talk," he says.

"So. Are we going to go raid tombs, or what?"

[RiotInferno]

"Let's head out in the morning. The moor isn't safe after dark. At least that's why the bloke outside tried telling me."

[ybn1197]

I'll let this run till Monday morning for just the chance to roleplay.

[Stirling]

"Sure head out in the morning, better to be safe than sorry. Better to be more prepared too. My smith friend, in the church where you friend lies interred are the belongings of other unfortunate souls. Maybe an extra map, fragments of papers where traps are listed, discovered knowledge of who or what is down there. Surely brother Simoni, Ygg would wish you to enlighten our path with some extra knowledge so that we would not trample upon all the unseen traps of the underworld."Grigg will try to encourage the group to visit the church (cupboards) with him. Rising from his chair, Grigg will whisper to into the ear of Milo, "you want to raid tombs eh, come lets' raid a cupboard first. we've all heard about some of these clerics and bishops having 'skeletons in their closets', (wink, wink). It shouldn't take long to search through the stuff left their if we can."

Grigg will finish his beer and set of for the church of Ygg, alone or together.

[Zorroroaster]

Bronn jerks a thumb at the back of the departing Grigg.

"Watch your loot around that one, lads. While I might not have much use for the church myself, a man that's so keenly ready to rifle through it's belongings is one to keep an eye on. Doesn't exactly engender trust, you see? Though, I'm sure he'd be useful in a fight, if he's the sneaky type."

[SocraticLawyer]

Peaches snores loudly in her room, sleeping the sleep of the just. Or at least, the sleep of the drunk.

[ybn1197]

Does anyone want to do anything else before we proceed? Grigg has left the tavern for the church. Peaches and Claude have retired to their room.

[Zhym]

Milo is ready to go tomb raiding.

[RiotInferno]

Pyrrhic is ready to lose more party members.

[kalstone]

Simoni thinks going down into the maze on purpose seems a little crazy, but there may be some therapeutic value in returning to the site of a comrade's fall.