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[Pancaek]

Ritualistic gnomes? Like, I get the secrecy stuff. Sneaking around must be fun when you're tiny. But what sort of rituals are we talking about here? And slightly off topic, are there any magical people-slash-creatures I can meet that are just...normal? Like, just have a straight up chat with them? Just out of curiosity, that last bit.

John converses with his magical sugardaddy while squinting and looking at his surroundings

[Harry Baldman]

Ritualistic gnomes? Like, I get the secrecy stuff. Sneaking around must be fun when you're tiny. But what sort of rituals are we talking about here? And slightly off topic, are there any magical people-slash-creatures I can meet that are just...normal? Like, just have a straight up chat with them? Just out of curiosity, that last bit.

John converses with his magical sugardaddy while squinting and looking at his surroundings

These being gnomes, you don't particularly see anything. The grass isn't particularly tall around here, so it's not quite as apparent where little figures might be hiding exactly.

"Normal? Being mysterious is our entire purpose! Mysterious, mystical, magical, maniacal, just plain strange! Otherwise, how would you know we're magical at all? Wouldn't work! It'd all be mild-mannered people with reasonable demands, and we can't have that!"

[Pancaek]

Yes...yes, I see that now. Can't have you lot being boring, now can we? What'd be the point. Now then. Gnome rituals. Tell me everything you know. Also, what do they eat. This is important.

John sat on his haunches to look a bit closer at the grass

[Parisbre56]

Eta smiled, glad that the shade could not see it.
Good. He took the bait and almost swallowed the fishing rod.
Time to put the pressure on him. See if he cracks.
This is going to be hard.
She turned around, adopting a more serious but slightly smiling facial expression.
"Oh, it's quite simple really. It is vitally important that I deliver a message to a certain shade. I know the name of the recipient but not much else. So all I need is for you to help me find that person or give me any information that would help me find them."
She took a few steps forward, making sure she was between the shade and the form on its desk so that it could not see it. At the same time she stared at the shade intently.
As they say in my profession, "Things not seen are easily forgotten"
"I believe that anyone who aids me in my quest deserves an appropriate reward. And, since I am a witch of some power, I am usually able to grant them something they desire. But the easiest thing for me to give you would be gold. I have plenty. I have already offered one to the one that led me here, but he said he didn't want a reward. Very noble of him, don't you think? What about you, is there anything you desire... Gef?"
Eta dropped what she thought was the shade's name casually, but with a small pause before it so that the shade would notice.
Get it to think that I can learn their names by supernatural means so that there's no point in hiding them from me, get it to think that there's a reward for them helping me and get it to think I'm in some noble quest. The more info I get, the easier it gets. Just got to keep them talking and keep them isolated.

[Toaster]

Larry winked.  "You can get to know me whenever you want, babe."

[Harry Baldman]

Yes...yes, I see that now. Can't have you lot being boring, now can we? What'd be the point. Now then. Gnome rituals. Tell me everything you know. Also, what do they eat. This is important.

John sat on his haunches to look a bit closer at the grass

~I don't know much, you see! They're tiny, they're sneaky, and it looks like they're paranoid survivalists, too! As for what they eat... I dunno. That guy you talked to seemed to like sausage?~

Eta smiled, glad that the shade could not see it.
Good. He took the bait and almost swallowed the fishing rod.
Time to put the pressure on him. See if he cracks.
This is going to be hard.
She turned around, adopting a more serious but slightly smiling facial expression.
"Oh, it's quite simple really. It is vitally important that I deliver a message to a certain shade. I know the name of the recipient but not much else. So all I need is for you to help me find that person or give me any information that would help me find them."
She took a few steps forward, making sure she was between the shade and the form on its desk so that it could not see it. At the same time she stared at the shade intently.
As they say in my profession, "Things not seen are easily forgotten"
"I believe that anyone who aids me in my quest deserves an appropriate reward. And, since I am a witch of some power, I am usually able to grant them something they desire. But the easiest thing for me to give you would be gold. I have plenty. I have already offered one to the one that led me here, but he said he didn't want a reward. Very noble of him, don't you think? What about you, is there anything you desire... Gef?"
Eta dropped what she thought was the shade's name casually, but with a small pause before it so that the shade would notice.
Get it to think that I can learn their names by supernatural means so that there's no point in hiding them from me, get it to think that there's a reward for them helping me and get it to think I'm in some noble quest. The more info I get, the easier it gets. Just got to keep them talking and keep them isolated.

At the mention of its name, the shade shivers dramatically and takes a step back, bumping into the sarcophagus.

"Um... well... here we usually trade in... IOUs? For, er, services rendered?"

The law-shade pokes its head into the room, its neck elongating and curving as it fixes its eyes on Gef, one clawlike hand wandering over the hatch slowly. The effect of this is not lost on Gef.

"But I'd take gold! Yeah!" he says, and you see a much, much deeper sense of panic descending on his voice.

Larry winked.  "You can get to know me whenever you want, babe."

"Ew!" Tracey reels back, putting her hands over her ears and closing her eyes. "You guys are the worst!"

"That's... uh, one way to deal with it? Anyway, uh, I was thinking we could, uh, go look at something, maybe, but I don't really have any, you know, ideas on what. You got anything you want to look at or some such? Or should we just wrap it up now?"

[Parisbre56]

Success!
I just hope Lawman doesn't do anything stupid.
"Excellent!" Eta said, as she smiled and put her hands together. "Good choice."
She continued with a polite yet cheery tone, relaxing her body a bit.
"Why don't you start with the names of the other shades living here? I want to make sure that the recipient of the message is indeed here, you see."

[Pancaek]

Right, I guess I'll improvise then.

John puts down a small heap of sausage, then walks back a few feet. He kneels in the grass.

"Greetings, Gnomes and other assorted magical creatues. My name is John, and I bear you no malice. I am merely lost and looking for someone named Charlie to deliver this suitcase to. It isn't much, but I present you this gift of sausage in good will."

He also eats a chunk of sausage himself, to prove it isn't poisoned or anything. 

[Harry Baldman]

Success!
I just hope Lawman doesn't do anything stupid.
"Excellent!" Eta said, as she smiled and put her hands together. "Good choice."
She continued with a polite yet cheery tone, relaxing her body a bit.
"Why don't you start with the names of the other shades living here? I want to make sure that the recipient of the message is indeed here, you see."

Gef occasionally glances at the law-shade, who seems to be looming at the back of the room.

"There's me, Gef Rachin, and then there's Zigward Bonzo, Lulamaz Ger, Hazar Teb and Onzerlak Gamu. Um... what else do you want to know?"

It seems to still be nervous, but a little more relaxed, though it does shiver a little when regarding the law-shade.

[Parisbre56]

I was under the assumption that this was not his block. But it turns out it is. Makes sense, I suppose. More chances to become friends if you spend your spare time together. Unless it's lying. But it doesn't look like a very good liar.
"Good. So he is here." Eta noded in approval.
"Second question. Do you know where any of the others live? What rooms they usually stay in? I need to make the delivery in private. It is better that way."
It's a long shot, but no reason not to try it.

Spoiler: Map and notes (click to show/hide)

Notes assume nobody is lying and/or extremely paranoid.
Names are: Gef Rachin, and then there's Zigward Bonzo, Lulamaz Ger, Hazar Teb and Onzerlak Gamu


[G] [X] [E]
 +---+---+---EX
[C] [F] [T]


EX - exit.
G - Gef's room
E - room with nothing in particular in it. Either Bonzo or Teb.
C - unoccupied room.
F - room the frightened shade entered. Shade it was talking to could also be in there. Not Bonzo, not Teb. Either Ger or Gamu.
T - shade talking to the frightened shade could be in there. Not Bonzo, not Teb. Either Ger or Gamu.
X - unexplored room. Either Bonzo or Teb.

[Harry Baldman]

I was under the assumption that this was not his block. But it turns out it is. Makes sense, I suppose. More chances to become friends if you spend your spare time together. Unless it's lying. But it doesn't look like a very good liar.
"Good. So he is here." Eta noded in approval.
"Second question. Do you know where any of the others live? What rooms they usually stay in? I need to make the delivery in private. It is better that way."
It's a long shot, but no reason not to try it.

"Well, they're the same exact room, so it doesn't matter where exactly each of us lives - I mean, we had our token spaces, but then Ziggy had us take down the names, you know, and so it's anyone's guess where any of the others live. Uh, I think. Maybe they all went to their own rooms? Ger lived next to the exit, to the right as we enter, and Bonzo lived to the left. Gamu was next on the right, and Teb on the left. And then there's me, Rachin, here at the end."

The shade, who you suppose is essentially, if not biologically a he, pauses for a moment.

"Is... this about Ziggy? Is he gonna be okay?" he asks uncertainly.

[Parisbre56]

No point in lying.
Eta looked at the shade seriously.
"Yes, and yes, if I can help it. I am not here to hurt anyone. I'm just here to talk and maybe help a bit. Maybe not. We'll see how it goes."
That doesn't mean it won't happen though. I do have a job to do. I just have to hope that if things are that bad, then I can find another way.
"Why? I already know something is wrong with him, but is he really in so much trouble that it is life-threatening?"

[Harry Baldman]

No point in lying.
Eta looked at the shade seriously.
"Yes, and yes, if I can help it. I am not here to hurt anyone. I'm just here to talk and maybe help a bit. Maybe not. We'll see how it goes."
That doesn't mean it won't happen though. I do have a job to do. I just have to hope that if things are that bad, then I can find another way.
"Why? I already know something is wrong with him, but is he really in so much trouble that it is life-threatening?"

"I've just never heard of anyone who's avoided a debt before. It seems a little ominous to me. Maybe all the successful ones never get found out. But I haven't heard of anyone who's tried and failed, either."

[Parisbre56]

"Hm. That does sound ominous."
"How much does he owe, anyway? Is it so much that he can't pay?"
"Or is the question I should be asking be 'what does he owe'?" Eta added, remembering the system of exchange they had down here.
I would understand running away if the alternative was something like slavery.

[Harry Baldman]

"Hm. That does sound ominous."
"How much does he owe, anyway? Is it so much that he can't pay?"
"Or is the question I should be asking be 'what does he owe'?" Eta added, remembering the system of exchange they had down here.
I would understand running away if the alternative was something like slavery.

"He, uh, took out a loan to do a little bit of investment trickery, get himself out of here, maybe us too. It... didn't seem like it worked out. So now we've been sticking together mostly, trying not to let anyone know who we are, sort of holing up to weather the storm until we figure out a way to pay Ziggy's loan back... and also accumulating loans of our own as we get people to cover his shift. It's... spiraling out of control."