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[Helgoland]

"Mercenary work is not good work - I've never been fond of the idea of living and dying at the drop of a coin. And drunks are seldom a good source of information. But I don't want to rule out the possibility that some valuable insights might be gained from them; why don't you go talk to them while I talk to him?"

[Tack]

The insect nods, and moves to the trio of drunks

"Read your fortune?"


((In case GM wants to speed ahead to the roll, basic idea is to scare them via bleak predictions or some such in order to convince them to tell me the location of the mission/cause them to call it off))

[scapheap]

(Shocktouch, Stunshock, Sunshock spear and Stonehand)

'Meg' spoke "I think we should go for the miner. I have no wish to join some mercenaries and those knights-" she look in their direction "Well, I would be angry if someone stole my bounty from under my tail."

[sjm9876]

Aras had been listening in silence until now. He stirred very slightly, invisible beneath his armour, and began to speak.
'I vote to help the miner.' He pauses, before adding, slowly, 'I have some experience in such matters.'

((Is the hammer 2 handed? If so, Pebbleskin. If not, Stonefist))

[kj1225]

Kyle tactfully ignores anything he could say about things under Meg's tail.

[GiglameshDespair]

Unnamed Buzkari

The hooded insect slowly makes it's way to the drunken knights. One of them is halfway through a lengthy tale on the time he fought off a dozen elves using nothing but a buckler and hefty stick when the buzkari speaks.

"Read your fortune?"

The speaker contines while the other pair look at you.
"Eh? You a sage or summin'?" one slurs.
"'E's one of them bugs, Gavar. They got maggicc beyond us lot." the final knight interrupts and takes a slug of ale.
"'E said 'e'd tell us our fortune. Alright, bug. But no coin, you 'ear me? We ain't payin' you."

The first knight to speak to you pulls off his glove and offers his palm for you to read. The drunk who was telling the story has stopped. He begins to question what's going on before the third knight shushes him.

----

The rest of you

"We can help with your trouble, if you'll hire us. Payment will be determined after we've evaluated the situation. Is there any relevant information you haven't yet talked about?"

The miner looks almost pathetically grateful when you approach. Looking closer, it's clear he's an old man - his back is bent from long hours stooped, and his skin is dark from irremovable dust. His voice is frail and wavering. "Oh bless you, sirs, bless you! I'm old Yorkin. I'm from Minerva, a mining town to the north. We found a good seam of iron in there not too long ago and reopened the mines, but now some kind of monster's moved in.

A bunch of the lads went down one day on a shift and never came back out. Our lord shut the mines and none of us were allowed in. He said to keep the problem quiet so merchants and migrants weren't scared away, but my son was down there! My only son, and his little wife too young to be a widow." He pauses for breath, and his hand shakes as it clutches a mug of watery beer.

"If you can kill the beast Lord Blackwood will surely be grateful, and if not, the rest of the lads could gather some gold together for you. If we don't work we don't eat, and that monster's stopping the work."

[kj1225]

The pirate feels sympathy for the man but otherwise says nothing.

[Helgoland]

"Then let us waste no time. Drink up, and lead us there."

[Vorthon]

"This unit will follow and help. This unit is eager to procure more funds to help further its task."

[Tack]

The Buzkari leans over double, studying the man's palm.

"Strange. I see the lines of wealth and happiness... very strong, but there's something wrong. I must... look deeper."
"I see... deceit, and trickery... pain, and death."
He stiffens, and stares up at the knight.
Gavar! Who told you about the beast of Mulgran wood?

[scapheap]

"Seem simple enough, let do it."

[swordsmith04]

"Indeed. Worry not, Yorkin. We shall slay this monster. But how long ago was this?"

[GiglameshDespair]

((From now on, Unnamed Buzkari will be abbreviated to Ub.))

UB

Spoiler: rolls (click to show/hide)

UB: 15
Talkative Knight: 1
Gavar: 5
Third Knight: 12

The knights gape at you in sudden consternation. It seems they've swallowed the bait in their drunken state completely.
Gavar stares at you, aghast. "It was, it was a... merchant stayin' in the Drunken Swan. Said 'e'd lost half his cara-caravan to summin' nasty in the wood. Was 'e lyin'?"
The talkative knight slumps over, his head in his hands. His tankard falls over and the dregs slop across the table. "Oh gods, preserve us. It's gotta be a daemon! Teach- treact- traitorism!"
Only the third knight in the slightest keeps his wits - he must have drunk less than the others. "It was a merchant in the Drunken Swan, like Gavar said. Said e'd pay gold to recover his goods in the wagon, as they ain't no good to elves or monsters. I don't think he was lying. Talked to his lads, they was scared as well. Ain't no daemon. Paladins in town woulda - woulda deal with it."

The barman looks over at the loudly crying knight and frowns. The mercenaries look over and laugh raucously at the crying man, but he's too busy sobbing to notice.

----

The rest

Yorkin bursts into a fresh round of 'bless you, sirs' as soon as you agree to go.
"It only takes a week or so to walk back to Minerva. I 'ad a donkey, but I had to sell the poor beastie so I could eat. I've been here a couple of days before your blessed selves came along, so it crept in maybe a week and a half ago?"

He looks outside the window - dark is creeping in as the Lantern's shutters continue to move.

"Keen as I am to get back, sirs, with your noble persons in tow, it's a little dark to travel, isn't it?"
He leans in, and whispers superstitiously.
"There's all sorts of nasties creeping round in the dark now. Hangedmen and elves, monsters and daemons. The roads are barely safe to walk, this days. Gotta have good walls or a big fire."
He leans back out and takes a shaking sip of beer.
"Your noble persons should get a free stay at the knightlodge now you're questing. 's why the Lizard Queen's priests run them."

A thought seems to occur to the old man, and a brief look of terror comes across his face.

"Not that I'm saying you couldn't handle anything out there, o' course! No, I'm sure mighty warriors like you could slay anythin'. In fact, let's go. No need to wait, eh?"
He rises slowly from the table, bones creaking.

----

Spoiler: GM notes (click to show/hide)

Well, your rolls have started off on a good note. This is in contrast to the last game I started, where the first attack made in the game was a critical failure. While it is getting dark, no doubt you could get a few hours of travel in before it got impossible, but as he said - who knows what lurks in the dark these days?

[kj1225]

Kyle sighs at the vaguely panicked man.
 "Come on mate. It can wait until mornin' ya know."

[scapheap]

'Meg' smiled "Best we have a good night sleep."