Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[NRDL]

Welp, going with Maldevious, because he's the only one who actually made a tangible suggestion.  I'm sure to get my ass handed to me by LordBucket again for accidentally overlooking a piece of information, but here goes.

                                                                                                     

Briskly strolling over to the fancy, high class shops, you decide to browse through their luxuriant items.  You probably won't be able to afford them, but it can't hurt to check.

In stock:


5x pearl encrusted mirrors

20x ceremonial daggers ( practically useless in combat )

3x jeweled necklaces

Several assorted crafts, ranging from toys, busts, and even masks

That was only a cursory glance, should you think of anything specific, ask about, they might have it.


Well, that wasn't particularly useful.  Heading to the artisans, many of them grouped around, sharing mugs of wine and beer, when not at their trade.  Slowly, you mingle with them, and ask a few questions about the world outside Murtan.


"Well, I heard from my missus' cousin, that them pirates, over by the Eastern ocean, well, the Lomerian ships managed to sink the whole lot of them.  Seeing as I'm a ship tradesman meself, you can say I'm pretty happy 'bout it."

That's interesting.  The Balonese pirates from the southern lands, they've always been a marvelous nuisance, at last, trade can resume along the seas. 

There's talk of some other happenings, but the only interesting pieces of information is that there's some disease catching on in a few Lomerian villages, and that the new king of the Rok islands is facing much opposition due to his failed military expeditions to the south.


Breaking away from that jolly group, you find yourself at the 3 or so blacksmith shops.  Going to one, you are faced with a massive, sweaty, but completely clean shaven blacksmith.  He looks...a lot like Fjord.

"...Are you gonna buy something?"

You've been staring perhaps a few seconds too long, you compose yourself.

How are you going to ask your questions?

                                                                                                 

Do you guys still want active participation in these questioning phases, or do you find it tedious? 

[LordBucket]

going with Maldevious, because he's the only one who actually made a tangible suggestion.

Was kind of waiting for more before I weighed in, but ok:

* Send our bard to the tavern to collect gossip. He can sing and play songs and gossip and gather information. Instruct him to gather information, we'll meet up with him later. He can keep any tips he gets.

* Go to the farmer's market, and chat up the farmers/vendors while buying cheap food. Be sociable. Spend a couple coppers so they feel like they're making sales, but be chatty and stay and talk to the vendors. Ask questions about the town, recent events, etc.

* Go to the keep / city guard and directly inquire as to local problems, see if there are any outstanding bounties or bandits in the woods, ask about mercenaries, etc. . If the authorities ask why we want to know, explain that we're mercenaries ourselves, and we're looking for legal work, but that of course if the market is too glutted with mercs, then we might just move on.

(Edit: As mentioned previously, we were specifically directed to the keep to find the mercenaries. So...let's go to the keep and look for the mercenaries. Cloak and dagger is fine, but seriously...let's check up on the lead we were given when we took this job.)

"...Are you gonna buy something?"

You've been staring perhaps a few seconds too long, you compose yourself.

How are you going to ask your questions?

Thank him for his time and move on. The point of visiting the blacksmith isn't to talk to the blacksmith. He's a busy, expensive craftsman. We're more interested in his clients. Find a suitable spot near the smith area to wait and watch. An open restaurant we can eat slowly at, a street entertainer we can pretend to be watching, etc. Spend an hour or two watching the area and look for suspciscious people, mercenaries, and people going to have their weapons/armor repaired.

 * After all the above, regroup with our bard, compare notes.

Do you guys still want active participation in these questioning phases, or do you find it tedious? 

The pace is a little slow for how infrequently updates happen, but like you say...you didn't have much feedback to work with this time.

[NRDL]

Lack of other suggestions make me sad.

                                                                                                     

"Sorry, sir, just browsing.", you say awkwardly, before moving away.

You walk back to Tomas, who, judging by the perplexed look on his pasty face, is wondering what happened between you and the blacksmith.

"Tomas, I need you to do something."

He nods, waiting.

"Head to the tavern.  Play a few songs, your BEST songs, put on a good show.  Afterwards, and this is important, gather as much gossip about Lian City as you can, especially anything about the nobility, or mercenaries.  Keep any money you earn, if you do this, you deserve it."

He smiles briefly, and turns around and walks to his destination.  Just as you should be doing.

Next on your mental list is the farmer's market.  Similar to the artisan shops, the farmer shops are quite lively, if only because a considerable amount of the goods they sell are alive.  Heading there, you take out the money you have with you.  Some spending ought to loosen their tongues.


*1 hour later*

Well, after buying some bread, fresh cheese, and a skin of ale, you are left with 10 copper pieces ( with 25 copper pieces equaling a single gold coin ).  More valuable than these groceries is the information you gleaned.

You have managed to learn a bit more about this military expedition that Count Dorn's been planning.  The "expedition to the east" that he's been preparing for has apparently been in reaction to the raiders.  In the past, these raiders had been divided, partly because the Murtan kingdom has been manipulating the raider clans to war with each other for decades.

Unfortunately, the raiders have, according to second-hand sources, called a truce, and this has allowed them to increase their attacks on Lian City's trade routes, along with several outlying villages. 

                                                                                                 

Part 2 coming up. 

[NRDL]

Part 2

                                                                                                     

All this information gathering has been enlightening, and even a tad fun.  But you're on a mission.  If you keep getting sidetracked, you'll never gain a position as Lady Emerfarth's aide. 

It takes you a while to reach the castle at the center of the city.  The castle itself is well fortified, manned by what appears to be alert looking guards.  Any raider or invading force would think twice before assaulting this place without a plan.

You seamlessly slip into the crowd shuffling inside, just as you did at Tur.  While walking, you're taken aback at how...injured several of the people here are.  There are those with bruises, cuts, and even missing appendages.  And there are dozens, if not hundreds of them. 


Going inside, you find a man seated on the throne in the middle of the hall.  It is not Count Dorn, the jolly drunkard, but a plain, hard-looking man dressed in full mail armor.  He is flanked by two very much armed knights.  Listening to the chit-chat of the commoners, you hear that this is the Marshal.  Odd, for a man of a military position to act in the lord's place.

Breaking off from the crowd, you head to a nearby guard, standing straight as a lance. 

"Excuse me, may I ask a few questions?  I'm quite new here."

He looks at you, bored.

"Sure."

"Are there any bounties about?  Also, are there any other mercenary bands here?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm a mercenary myself."

He chuckles to himself.

"You don't have the look of a warrior."

"I don't do the fighting, I handle the men who do.  Please, I need this information, or my employer will have my head."

"Well, there's bounties all over the place for the raiders, but if I were you, I wouldn't go after 'em.  As for any other mercenaries, well, there's Athar and his folk, but they're under the employ of Marshal Aaron.  You'll find no competition there.  "

Suddenly, you get the feeling that these guards don't get the opportunity to chat very often. 

"Thank you, sir.  Where can I find Athar and his band?"

"What, why?"

"I may have to negotiate with them, I shouldn't even be telling you this."

He eyes you, cautiously, then shrugs. 

"In the spare room, next to the barracks.  Beyond that door there.  Watch out, they're a rowdy bunch."

Nodding in thanks, you head for the room at the right of the main hall.

                                                                                                 

Part 3 coming up.
 

[NRDL]

Part tres

                                                                                                     

You go through the door, leading to a hallway, which is quite empty, except for the occasional servant or off-duty guard.  There are no turns or extra passageways, so finding the barracks is easy. 

Luckily for you, the place appears to be empty.  Lines of weapons, shields, bows, and ammunition line the walls, along with several dozen cots.  And there, you see the door to the spare room. 

Just as you are about to walk towards it, two young men walk in behind you.  You stifle a small gasp of surprise, for the men appear to be twins.  Yes, they certainly are twins, except for a few freckles, a slight difference in hair color, and very different clothing ( one's wearing bright red, with a hood and jeweled necklace, while the other wears a lower-key suit of blue and brown. ) 

"Who are you, peasant?", the one in red demands.

Your mind turns quickly.  Two obviously wealthy individuals, possibly nobles, appearing in the barracks out of nowhere.  Their objective?  You see that there can only be one reasonable conclusion.  They're hopefuls, sent on the same mission, and just a scarce few minutes behind you. 

What do you do?

                                                                                                 

[Evil Lincoln]

Well if they aren't calling us as a peasant that they really think we are one we should pretend to be a servant. We can direct them the other way and buy us some time to deal with these mercenaries.

[Maldevious]

Well if they aren't calling us as a peasant that they really think we are one we should pretend to be a servant. We can direct them the other way and buy us some time to deal with these mercenaries.

+1

[zomara0292]

Well if they aren't calling us as a peasant that they really think we are one we should pretend to be a servant. We can direct them the other way and buy us some time to deal with these mercenaries.

+1

tHAT WE DEFINETLY SHOULD.
+2

[NRDL]

Ahh.  And I thought this was dead.

                                                                                                     

"Nobody sir.  Just a servant, tis all."

Sure of their superiority, the twins look smug.  It repulses you, but you have to pretend true servility if this is gonna work.

"Masters, if I may be on my way..."

"Yes, yes, peasant, out of our way.", the one in red, again, says.  They begin to move towards the room where the mercenaries reside.

"Sirs, are you looking for Athar and his mercenary folk?  They be in another section of this castle."

Both look at you with such hostility, you pity whatever servants they may have.

"What an imbecile.  Brother, this one doesn't even know the lay of his own castle.  The mercenaries are here, you dimwitted servant.  Our father's a friend of the lord here, we have a map.", the one in red says. 

Oh no.  They will come in contact with the mercenaries before you if you let them proceed. 

                                                                                                 

Whaddya gonna do? 

[NRDL]

Also, completely unrelated to this game here, I'm thinking of starting an RTD about the Wild West, where the players are bandits ( with full revolver, poncho, and cowboy hat set ).  Is this a good idea? 

[Maldevious]

Try to barge in ahead of them and announce ourselves as Lady Emerfarh's representative. Possession is 9/10ths of the law.

[NRDL]

You are not ( yet ) Lady Emerfarth's representative.  You have no political power ( yet ), that's the point of this test, to deal with the problem, and other hopefuls, without using anyone else's name, just your own skills.

Also, what does the "Possession" part mean?  I'm not sure I get it. 

[Maldevious]

I was implying that if we got in the room first, we would be looked at as the representatives and they would seem the impostors. But if we aren't supposed to name drop, I withdraw my suggestion and await a more excellent and devious one from my fellow players.

[NRDL]

Darn my rigidness, I just lost myself a player...

[Maldevious]

Still playing, just have no good ideas besides that one.