Tales of Aequar: Runite's Rise IC II

[CoffeeIncluded]

The group walks along the dark, dank underwater tunnel for a bit, until those with keen eyes in the dark notice that the platform comes to an abrupt stop, and that there is a ladder just before this drop-off. The ladder starts about a foot, food and a half off the ground, low enough for dwarves to easily reach, and seems to rise to the surface.

As the group climbs the ladder and pushes aside the metal covering sealing away the tunnel, they blink as their eyes adjust to the sudden sunlight. They're still in Great Gate, a few blocks away from the well in a nondescript back street. They're sopping wet but thankfully not too smelly, and their soaked clothes are actually a blessing in this summertime heat; it was significantly cooler underground. They take a deep breath and inhale, along with th ever present-smell of the sea, the savory aroma of meat grilling nearby. Everybody's stomach rumbles; it's past noon.

Soon enough the group hears a familiar barking, and shortly after sees Naga round the corner, ears flopping with every step as he pants happily. Artorias shortly follows the hound to reunite with the others.

[Athedia]

Badger knelt, letting the corpse fall off her shoulder as she opened her arms for Naga. "Did you lead Art here? What a good boy, yes you are!"

[super dark33]

Hello Artorias! How have you been? Did you meet these new guys Jadeite and Sora?

Surdrak respected Artorias. His loyalty to him is less ironic than his loyalty to Badger.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Badger knelt, letting the corpse fall off her shoulder as she opened her arms for Naga. "Did you lead Art here? What a good boy, yes you are!"

"Yes he did lead me here; but that begs the question, what where you guys doing in that well?" He greets the badger while giving Naga a small pat in the head.

Hello Artorias! How have you been? Did you meet these new guys Jadeite and Sora?

Surdrak respected Artorias. His loyalty to him is less ironic than his loyalty to Badger.

"Oh, Surdrak, hey! I'm fine though dad decided to use me as delivery boy. And yes I have met the Elf and Sora, how have you been?.

@super dark

Spoiler

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Do you want Surdrak to have some shared story with Artorias? If so please PM so we can work it out.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Oh, just salvaging for my future experimental materials," Jadeite says, indicating the soggy corpse slumped over Badger's back. "You are such good friends!"

[Athedia]

Badger rolled her eyes. "Actually we are looking for a runaway, grunt work but pays well. This one is going to earth, not a table." She gestured that she would meet them at the guild and then headed off to the nearest temple to ask about the cost of a funeral. She fingered the 40 in her pocket, wondering if she should give it to her companions. What would the beggar have wanted done with it?

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Yes, that does make more sense than you" Artorias points towards Jadeitr "convincing everyone to go down a well to retrieve a corpse."

Artorias scratches his chin thoughtfully
"If the runway comes from these neighborhoods, I doubt he would have gone into the well, those kids are usually quite shelltered. He probably went to the docks looking to become a sailor or something like that"

[Draconi Redfir]

"She" Elsee corrected. "bought some daggers from yer dads place, 'probly gone out lookin fer an adventure yeah"

[Dusk Eclipse]

"She" Elsee corrected. "bought some daggers from yer dads place, 'probly gone out lookin fer an adventure yeah"

"Is she the girl we wanted to question before the fiasco at the wyvern nut...df I mean at Feliks' house?... What was her name? Natalya?"

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Natasha," Jadeite corrects. "Natasha Polzin, apparently a minor noble tired of her pampered life."

Badger:

The nearest temple, a temple to Sylph with many windows and nearly invisible screens that let in all the light and air, indicates that the cost of a basic funeral is 10 gold.

[Athedia]

Badger carefully counted out 10 gold pieces from the beggars gold. After giving the money and the corpse to the clerics she looked at the remaining gold in her hand. It would feel wrong to spend it or give it to the others, especially Jadiete who had joked about the poor mans death. No, that would not do. She held out the remaining 30 gold pieces to the clerics. "Please use this to give other poor unfortunates who can not afford a funeral the chance to rest in peace." With that she left, Naga following beside her and walked back to the guild. Hopefully the clerics would use the money well.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"You don't mind if I tag along right? Just let me drop by my dad's place and I'll meet younat the guild" waving good bye, Artorias begins to walk towards the Wolf's Fang Forge, his imbd racing trying to figure out where could Natasha have gone.

[CoffeeIncluded]

The clerics of Sylph bow deeply and thank Badger profusely for her generosity, promising to repay her debt in the future.

As Badger looks at her, she sees a young halfling child peer nervously at her, then run off.

Artorias returns to the forge, the familiar hot metal feel. He sees his father working despite the splint on his arm, pounding away on a cooling set of braces.

"Artorias!" his father says upon seeing him. "What is it?"

Spoiler

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Does anyone else have anything they wanted to do before heading back to the guild?

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Weren't you supposed to be resting that wrist?" Artorias ask in an annoyed tone

"In any case I finished the deliveries for today, unless you need me for something else Which I doubt seeing you are working again*... I'm heading back to the guild." Artorias leaves a bag of gold pieces on nearby table.

*

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He is mumbling to himself the part in small font

[Athedia]

Badger watched the child run off, then decided to follow.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Artorias:

"Pah, it's healed enough, and these bracers won't temper themselves! And don't you use that tone with me!" Artoria's father shouts as his son leaves the shop. He moves to run after him, but bangs his wrist against a pommel hanging off another table, and stops to curse and shake it out.

Badger:

Badger follows the dark-skinned halfling child...who runs faster when he sees Badger tailing him. As she follows him, she notices that he's dressed simply, but cleanly.

And then she rounds the corner and sees him run into his mother's arms, and hears him say, "Mommy, that lady and her dog are following me!"

The older halfling woman, her frizzy black hair starting to be streaked with grey, immediately marches over to Badger, rears herself up to her full height, and says, "And just what do you think you're doing, following my boy?"

Everyone else:

Jadeite wrings the last few drops of moisture out of his hair and asks, "Should we return to the guild and try to continue the search from there?"

[super dark33]

Nah. Badger and Artorias know that we are here. Returning to the guild will delay regrouping.

Surdrak sits somewhere in a shade.

[Athedia]

Badger raised her hands showing she meant no harm. "I simply wished to ask if he had seen a girl around here. Children tend to go unnoticed and notice much." She gave a description of Natasha, leaving out the details of her wealth. "If he or any of his friends know her location there is a reward in it. Just go to my guild and ask for Badger."

[CoffeeIncluded]

The mother relaxes when Badger says she's from the guild. I'll keep an eye out for her. Come along, Emil." Emil, the handling boy, looks back at Basger curiously, then follows his mother.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Nah. Badger and Artorias know that we are here. Returning to the guild will delay regrouping.

Surdrak sits somewhere in a shade.

"And if they expect us to follow them? I would think it wiser to reconvene at the guild and decide where to go from there. Does anyone know where somebody seeking adventure away from Runite would go?" Jadeite asks.

Knowledge (local) dc15 (10 for long term guild members):

Spoiler

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much like the mercenary groups in Leis guild, including your group,
shipping corporations and transportation often hire freelance mercenary guards. It's likely that Natasha would have joined up on one of these escort missions. There are two general groups: land and sea. The sea routes need guards to protect against weather and pirates, while land routes need protection against wild animals and bandits.

[super dark33]

Either our guild or as private mercenary for somone.

Surdrak gazed upon empty air as he thought of his next words.

Spoiler

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(1d20+2)[16]

Probably protecting cargo of various kinds on ships or land. And that is not a good way to go on an adventure. If you wanted to fight robbers that badly you could go in some tavern and make some hand gestures.

[Athedia]

Badger walked back to the guild slowly, where would Natasha have gone? She was glad beyond all reason that it wasn't her body down the well, but she could be dead somewhere. But those daggers. One didn't spend money like that without a plan.

Spoiler

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Knowledge Local: (1d20+5)[25]

As Badger thought her fingers absentmindedly brushed her quiver and she stopped short in the street. She had saved up for what had felt like forever to buy her first bow, and not for general use on the streets. No, she had used it to convince a coach to hire her for protection, on one of those trips was how she had met Leif and joined his guild. Everyone in the town knew guards were in demand, and that would be just the way a rich runaway would seek adventure.

She started running down the street toward the guild. She had to find the others and inform them of Natasha's probable plan.

[CoffeeIncluded]

As the group makes their way to the guild, keeping their eyes closer to the ground to avoid the strong sun, they fail to notice Badger until she barrels straight into them, taking them both to the ground.

Jadeite gets up and brushes himself off. He says, "That was quick. Did you ensure that the man will be paid proper respects?" There's a serious tone to his voice.

[Athedia]

Badger picked herself up, panting from the sprint. "Yes,yes. But I thought of where Natasha probably is. Those people that hire freelancers, they don't check to see if you are who you say, just have some weapons and be willing to fight. She is probably on the coaches or wagons now!"

[super dark33]

What happend to her voice?
Surdrak thoughtfully whispered to himself.

So I thought of a few ideas to find her:

Surdrak's raised an eldritch tentacle.

One, we put an incredibly large bounty on bringing her living,

The tentacle is now a crab claw.

Two, we hire ourselves to any fool with a wagon or a rowboat that needs protection and leaves in the shortest time from now,

Surdrak raised..... A claw with a tentacle in the middle.

Three, we kidnap her sisters and force her to rescue them.

Surdrak cleared his hand from the ridiculous eldritch formation he made there.

And no, I also think the last one is a terrible plan Badger thank you very much for your kind words.

When people can receive any joke from you as either a threat or an insult its important to tell the fact you are laughing at their expense instead of threatening to burn their shrubs.

[Dusk Eclipse]

On his way towards the Guild, Artoriaz couldn't help to feel guilty. I'll make up to him after this job. He will understand... I hope.

Artorias who arrives just in time to hear Surdrak's "plans" (if they could be called that) quickly responds.
"Or we could do what The Badger says and hurry, we might be able to catch up with her before she leaves the city"

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Aren't there several different caravans and routes out of the city though?" Jadeite asks. "She's been gone for several days now."

Spoiler

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A gather information check will help narrow down where she's gone.

[super dark33]

Which means she could be on any of them by now.

Surdrak scratches his chin.

Well it's better we'd start off then.

Spoiler

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Untrained gather information! (1d20+2)[14]

[Dusk Eclipse]

"When was the job posted? The first 24 hours are critical in these cases

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Do I look like someone with an intimate knowledge of how mercenary guards find work in this city?

Knowledge (local) dc 15:

Spoiler

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for sea jobs, check the docks or the lobbies of shipping companies. For land jobs, check the northern part of the business district or the lobbies of the trading companies.

Using urban tracking for the right kind of job (land or sea) in the right place advertising these jobs will give you a +2 location bonus to the check, but it'll take a bit longer since you have to travel and there's no mass transit in Runite yet.