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[Caellath]

Nabih waited for a moment before moving on to business with Harbul. "Tell me, how successful were you in finding candidates who filled the criteria?" he asked. Cash would come later, of course.

[Rolepgeek]

Riskiss smiles, sheepishly, before leaving the two to their business. Time to see what the guards had in store for her. They were across the tavern, too. She took the long way round, touching herself up, adjusting her brassiere and the like before she went.

She sidles up to them, putting on her best endearing smile. "You boys look thirsty as a landstorm. What do you say I buy you a few drinks, talk a while?" Hopefully they wouldn't be opposed to a curvy goblin woman cozying up with them. Some were. She wasn't sure if it was the height or the skin, but some were, unfortunately. Though she'd seen it in the opposite direction, too, and that was almost funny to watch...the memory brought real warmth to her smile; a trick she'd learned to give it that much more sincerity.

[Tack]

Harbul watched the slim goblin leave, before turning back to his employers.
"Right. Sorry about that. Although, believe me, having that woman owing you a favor is worth any price."
He drops the folder parchment on the table.
"Regarding your acquisitions, the top half of that list is basically a who's who of gutter trash and miners' sons. All fire and no discipline. Or, skill... Subtlety, loyalty or experience."
"They'll probably be good until the first few die, but a decent drill sergeant could turn them into sub-par line infantry."
He taps the table a few times, worriedly, before continuing.
"In regards to training... I've come up dry."
"This town is frankly awful for them. Between the mines and the waterworks, most of the jobs in this city are pretty high-risk, so when someone gets a soldier's pay, they cling to it. Heck, some of the city guard will probably stay there until the armor rots off their corpses."
"If you want to find veterans, you'll have to head downriver. The guild hall may have some pickings tomorrow, but frankly I doubt you'll find anything notable, and those who are will be just as expensive as you fear. This also goes for other talent, unless you really dig."
He grins.
"Which thankfully is what you're paying me for."
"Depending on your needs, I've scraped together a few names of hunters, mess cooks, woodsmen, carpenters and the like."
"Our recent tableguest is also on that list."
[Notice3]
[Empathy1]
[Rapport8]

The guards are sitting around a low table, chatting together.
There are five in total, all human. Four of them seem to be regaling a fifth, whose hair is matted, and tabard drenched with sweat. They are all wearing guard's livery. Two have rank, one with a single stripe on the shoulder of their jacket, another with two.
The mood seems boisterous.

They are only too happy to greet a pretty lady with such a radiant smile, regardless of whether her skin is green or glowing pink.
They anxiously turn down Riskiss's offer, insisting that they buy, and the finest wine, and soon enough she is happily perched upon the lap of a soldier as the group fights to tell her about the "monster ogre sleeping in our cell".
The story is long and overlapping, but they manage to tell all of it.

[Caellath]

Nabih frowned at the partially-expected but no less disappointing news. "If the quality is so low they surely should not expect a high wage, lest they end up as disappointed as I currently am. I hope at least the hunters can swear by their aim. Any chance you could give me a smaller list with the candidates who seem more promising? And which tableguest are you talking about?" he asked distractedly while crunching some numbers mentally.

[Tack]

Harbul blinks, confusedly.
"Was there someone else here? I'm talking about the lady who just left."
He leans forward, unrolls the parchment and, with a piece of graphite, begins marking out names.
"Well, I can get maybe six men, wannabe mercenaries who couldn't handle the slim pickings and went back to the mines. They can at least handle a weapon."
"If you wanna widen your search a bit, I could make it thirteen or fourteen men by adding in young miners or failed apprentices."
"Any more than that, and we're back to the C-list."

[Caellath]

Nabih slowly turned his head to glance at the goblin woman sitting atop a soldier's lap like it was no big deal to be doing so in public. His gaze then slow and deliberately returned to Harbul. "I see. You do have some contacts downriver, do you not?" he asked.

[Tack]

[Empathy=5]
His brow furrows slightly at a perceived insult, probably to his professionalism than any care he has for the goblin girl's actions or perceived worth.
Haggling will probably be more difficult.

Harbul gives a shrug. "I do, but if you're heading down the river you should be able to pick up people as you go. Lots of farmers and hunters as you pass the villages, and then at Reridge you'll have an easier time getting troops- although you know what they say about that place."
"Truthfully, the best option will be going East, back the way you came. With the men you get here, you could register, probably get a caravan gig or something, and get a little rep before you reach the big city."
"That's if you don't have business in the Goblin lands to the west. Not my job to assume".

[Rolepgeek]

The gobliness makes all the appropriate noises at their story. She didn't even have to fake most of them. And while the soldier wasn't exactly a star athlete, he was certainly comfortable. Right now she was trying to figure out how to get them to be part of her web. She was always trying to figure that out, though. The rest of her was having fun, and deciding which guard she might go home with tonight. Perhaps if they thought they were vying for her attentions they would get into a little better shape...that would certainly help her plans, if all went well. In the meantime...

"So what do you plan to do in the morning, if he's still out and about and ready to break someone's head? I mean, he broke the cage door down, it's not like you'd be able to lock him up...I know you're strong, but please don't get yourselves hurt. I couldn't bear the thought..."

[Tack]

Expand Network: [Contacts=4] > (4)
Success with consequence.

It's always difficult to recruit lawmen into the family, but Riskiss may have found a weak link amongst them, one with palms a little too light and loyalties a little too burdensome.
Unfortunately despite him giving off all of the right signals (literally drawn on the table via the medium of spilled ale), he seems to want something a little more physical in exchange for his service.

Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers are eager to share their opinions.
"He's just another sellsword. Hopefully he'll be gone by sundown tomorrow. They never stay long. It's the bridges."
"'Sides, if he does, that's a concern for the day watch. I'm off at dawn, an it's no longer in my lil' chest o' worries."

[Caellath]

"I meant to return to the topic of finding a veteran, and there was also the cue to explain the virtues of the goblin woman you included on the list. You did so with good reason and I would like to know her virtues." Nabih explained, polite as usual despite the fact the service trader seemed to have either missed or ignored his cue; judging by his reaction, the former was far more likely. "And yes, I did consider a caravan work."

[Tack]

"A Cue? Alright, you're the boss. I'd best rate her as 'Intelligence', but that isn't the best term. Suffice to say, despite me knowing some contacts downriver and to the east and west, she probably knows more."
"That being said, nobody ever really knows what she's planning, so you might have trouble getting her help. She's been over at that table maybe two minutes and I'll bet she already knows everything about the two of you and has decided whether or not you're worth playing with."
He cocks a thumb
"That is the kind of woman I want owing me favors."

[Caellath]

"I see, I got that impression from your interaction with her. I was sure you would not disappoint. Do you have a written list, by the way?" Nabih asked, interested in checking any other names.

Though he didn't tell Harbul, he wasn't interested in hiring the goblin woman; it wasn't just the bad first impression, but the fact he was the person with contacts and his business partner had made her sound troublesome. He didn't want to pay or deal with someone who had been described as a wild card and decided whether to "play" with people.

[Tack]

Harbul seems flattered.
The goblin gestures to the parchment in the center of the table.
On it can be seen a list of names.
"Glad I could help. I put addresses in case you'd like to round them up yourself- although a few might well be found at the hall of commerce tomorrow, and will otherwise be out at work."
"If you'd like me to track them down, we can discuss that."
"But unless there's any further questions, I believe that's my due diligence done?"

[Caellath]

Spoiler: List (click to show/hide)

Cooks:
John Baker- East, 5th, fallwards 9
Samuel Cross- East, 3rd, FW 2

Hunters:
Rashak- Lonely Fox, 1st, River
Reece Marburg- Freshwater spray, 1st, FW9

Thieves:
Victoria Marth- West, 2nd, FW 7
Red Halden- East 1st, Riverward 6

Scribe: Bodric Helm- East- 5th, FW 7
Spy: Riskiss- West, 6th, FW1
Woodworker: Raymond Savvy- East, 5th, RW 7
Physician: Mahsil- East 8th, RW 7

Nabih quickly read the list and made mental notes of who, among the top-rated recommendations, could still be considered unnecessary in a pinch. He could do the scribe and physician's work on his own, to a degree. Sooner or later he'd have to hire them to keep work off his back but since things were just beginning and he wasn't sure about the number of people he'd actually hire...

"Why, of course. Before we talk coin, however, would you happen to know the income of those with a reasonably fixed one?" the Easterner asked as he went over the list once more and silently wondered why thieves - two of them, even - had been included.

[Tack]

Harbul blinks.
"It depends on the job, I guess. If you're wondering how much to pay your mercs, most smaller companies just do payouts depending on the contracts, like a standard sum plus a bonus. Gives incentive for the men to stick around and see it to the end, and means you don't have to carry your cash on the road."
"But for a daily wage... Well the city guard here are paid by contract, and they're on 3 silver a day base, plus a bonus for rank. But that's a pretty cushy job compared to camping under the stars and killing men, so your men may want more."
"So, my fee comes to 100 silver.