D&D - Sword Coast - The Wyvern

[^^Truth]

Arman returns to the Wyvern about midday, briefly nodding towards which ever cutthroats, murderers and thieves remain here from the group, before sitting down at his usual table.

He slips his bag from his back, before resting back in his chair and motioning for a jug of wine and tankard. The usual.

Whilst the wine is delivered he reaches into his bag and removes a large coin purse, dropping it on the table and scanning for Dumitru, before waving him over to the table.

"Your cut, as promised, lucky there is honest men like me here, four hundred gold, I made sure you got another fifty, but that is between us" he says without a trace of friendship in a husky tone.

He then slides the bag of gold across the table, before attempting to get the attention of any remaining companions from the previous night.

After several minutes, which allows anyone interested to filter over, he fills his tankard with wine and sips, before looking across the table.

"Sorscha has gone to her possible death, so I now require someone else to help me locate things I have lost, there is magic people can use that will help me locate these things, I will help pay for any costs and shine great favour upon them, which is not to be underestimated, can anyone help?"

"That aside, we still have several items to distribute, but things will be tricky for a while, so I will only hand them over if they are to be used, I have two very fine fairy blades and a fairy shield, equally as fine, are they of use to anyone?"

"Lastly, I think we should considering laying much lower for a time being, the events of last night will have repercussions... perhaps Skullport for a week or so"

Arman then sips his wine again, resting back in his chair and scanning the bar carefully.

[#1!]

Chell lazes about in the tavern, dirty feet up on a second chair, regarding everything and everyone with a half-lidded stare. She is dangling a colourful yet heavily damage ball on a string above Sister's head, which appears to be deeply engrossing to the canine.

Her eyes fully open at Arman's first sentence. She immediately straightens up and jumps to her feet, shocking her hound.

"Priestess owes me Mort!" she exclaims, balling her fists. Sneering, she quiets down, continuing. "Have to find his man. Fuck Bane. Will need cash for answers. Want my share, now."

[^^Truth]

Arman sits up straight and his gaze drifting to Chell, his eyes widening briefly, before narrowing dangerously.

"Mort? You know Mort? I also am looking for this man, yet there is no immediate rush, sit down and discuss before you act rashly with no thought or consideration" he says sipping from his tankard in a seemingly relaxed manner.

[#1!]

Chell returns Arman's dangerous stare as she crouches down on her haunches beside her dog. She puts a hand down on Sister's head, calming the beast.

"Banites have Mort. Mort knows man I want to "speak" with. Heh...heh," she replies, smiling wickedly and chuckling to herself.

"Will probably execute Mort soon. Or my prey left already. Need to know details."

[illumination]

Saamech sits at the table, clad in a set of plain, dark but new and clean clothing. The lumps under his wrists remain however so it seems likely the prison manacles are still attached.

'Gone to her death hmmm? I suppose the church of Bane do not look favourably on failures. Call me a cynic but I just had a feeling that that task wasnt going to quite work out for her...'

Saamech smiles from behind his hood before clearing his throat.

'Skullport? It may be an idea, but its a shithole. I would be more in favour of leaving town for a few weeks, going on a tour...'

Saamech chortles. 'I do so love the countryside...'

'But Arman, if this thing you seek can be found with a scroll, buy it and ill see to your problem.'

[Stripey]

With a splitting headache, Dumitru rubs his eyes as he quietly takes the gold Arman gave him. "Four... Four hundred gold?" he pondered. "I thought we looted more than that, but.." He said, stopping himself as he realized that his head must be hurting due to a hangover. "I suppose I forgot the amount we got. I must've drank a lot, no? Must've been at least five tankards, I would think?" He said, not particularly asking as he wasn't sure whether or not he really wanted to know the answer.

Upon hearing Arman's request, the opportunist inside Dumitru shone brightly. "I'd be glad to help." he grinned, his hangover starting to subside. "If you'll have me, that is. I wasn't exactly considered to be "capabil" yesterday." he laughed, his homeland language of Romania making its way into his speech.

((Capabil is Romanian for useful.

[^^Truth]

Arman listens and considers whilst drinking, before nodding and putting his tankard down.

"Okay, well I only require Mort dead, if the Banites do it for me, then I am happy with that, but I wish to make sure, so Chell, I will aid you in finding Mort and getting to him, as long as his life is ended..."

Arman regards Saamech for a moment, "Yes, a scroll would be fine, maybe two, I will have to see how expensive they are, your aid is welcome, but my thoughts go to perhaps Limnoch.. whom may learn some magic for extra use? I do not know, regardless, the items are at the bottom of the harbour in skullport, thus finding them is only half the problem"

"Dumitru, your aid is welcome and yes, we did get more than four hundred gold, that is your share with a bonus I sought fit to grant you, do you have a problem with the way I divide treasure?" he says to Dumitu, his jaw tightening violently, before he relaxes.

"However, maybe you can help myself and Chell find this Banite that Sorscha is going to meet...?"

[Tromador]

Limnoch observes Arman for a moment. "It is of no moment. At the bottom of a harbour yes? I believe I have just the thing. Yes."

He pauses for a moment to ensure he has Arman's full attention. "The Children of my Master require no air to breathe nor warmth in their bodies. No indeed. They can go into the water and collect your goods, can they not? Yes I think they can. I will rebuild Slangsby and he will go fishing on your behalf, yes? Yes I think that would be the thing to do."

"Of course this skullport sounds like a nasty place. Yes... a bad place, full of bad business, bad business and danger for all of us yes? Yes I am sure of this. You, Arman, will of course be making sure I come to no harm if I agree to help you with your problem. That would be best, I would think. Yes. That seems to be the way."

"We will need to plan carefully, yes we will. A boat into the water and a rope to lower my servant into the water. He is too valuable to lose. Yes, the blessings of Velsharoon shall be with you, Arman and you will receive his aid. A pleasant little fishing trip, that is the thing to do. Maybe we shall recover some other... lost... items from the bottom of the harbour. Maybe Slangsby would like a new sword and shield for his help? Yes.. I think he might. Regardless, I will need to perform the Ritual of Awakening and there are materials I must purchase, oh yes. Expensive materials. We shall go shopping and then I shall awaken the bones and then we shall go fishing. Yes. That all seems wise to me. I will help you with your problem Arman and one day, I am sure, you shall repay the favour this servant of the Lich Lord can bestow."

[#1!]

Chell sits down on the floor beside her dog, ignoring the seat beside her.

"Want to "speak" with Mort, but if dead...are other ways to find prey. Need my share from Moon Bitch temple to get answers. Fucking Red Hands," she says aloud whilst biting on a fingernail, seemingly speaking to Sister.

She shifts a little and takes a long red glove off her belt, slipping it onto her left hand. She continues her diatribe: "Fucking Red Hands will pay. Gloveless Red Hand owes the most. Will kill his friends and family to get him. Prey never escapes the hunter." She bounces the coloured sphere infront of Sister some more, eventually letting the bitch have her way with it, chewing it to pieces.

She looks up, tuning back into the other conversations. "Only here for my quarry. Not all of you are weak...will go with you when prey is dead."

[Stripey]

Sensing Arman's spike in anger, Dumitru's eyes widen. "Erm, no! No, no, no, I'm fine with this amount." he replies, his voice lowering with every time he said no. Trying to listen to the ongoing conversations, Dumitru felt very lost. This was a completely new group to him, and he still knew very little about their pasts and ongoing problems. Hearing mention that he would still be welcome in the group, he smiled slightly and looked up. "I'd be more than glad to provide further assistance, provided I'm still compensated for my work." he grinned, not fully meaning what he was saying. He had been wandering for a good few months prior to joining this new group. Personally, he would much rather hang out with this lot of thugs and villains than be forced to wander for another long period of time, even if it didn't mean working as a mercenary for hire.

[^^Truth]

Arman takes his pipe from his bag, fills and lights it, smoking whilst he listens and considers the various offers. He then nods briefly, allowing silence to settle over the table for a moment, whilst sipping his drink, before taking a long lug on his pipe.

He exhales three rings of smoke into the air.

"Good, okay.." he begins in thought, before nodding again, more-so to himself.

"Then.. Saamech, Limnoch, we shall go shopping, purchase the scroll and whatever exotic components is required for this ritual, once you have summoned what you require, Limnoch, then we shall go to Skullport to retrieve my lost items.."

".. and do not worry, you will be perfectly safe and unharmed. In return, assuming the costs are not extortionate, I will cover half your fee for this ritual.. also, I will allow your creation temporary use of a fairy sword and shield... temporary"

Arman then places his pipe down for a moment, in considering, before looking across at Chell and Dumitru, he then sips his wine and shrugs slightly with an uncaring looking.

"Dumitru, I will pay you ten gold to find Mort, Chell says the Banites have him, so you have somewhere to start, you can work out whatever deal you wish with Chell, she likely has little cash but... I am sure there are other ways she can pay you.." he says with an almost undetectable smirk, before roaming his eyes across Chell briefly, "... or convince you.. hahah" he finishes with a throaty laugh

"Chell go with him, yes? But let him do the talking, do not act until we have all met back up.. really, let him do the talking.... and really, do not act until we have all met back up"

"Before any possible slaughter of the Banites commences, we may as well see if Sorscha returns alive first, as she is an easy ticket for us to reach them..."

Arman then leans back in his chair, determined to at least finishing his smokeweed before leaving back to the markets.

[#1!]

Still seated on the dirty floor, Chell grinds her teeth together, glaring daggers at Arman. "Can't tell me what to do. Don't tell me what to do. Not the leader. Not the strongest." She thumps her chest with her red-gloved hand.

She smiles, though it seems more like an animalistic baring of teeth. "Will do what I want when I want. Want my prey."

Still "smiling," she continues, glancing at Dumitru: "Don't need you, weakling. Don't need cocks sucked. Will slow down the hunt."

[Tromador]

"This is the city, Chell, yes? Yes. You cannot track footprints on cobbled streets, no? No I think that is quite a hard task to complete. Take the boy, use his honey tongue. Yes. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, yes? Yes I believe you do. For the hunter it is time to use a trap yes? Yes and sweet words will be the bait."

[illumination]

Saamech giggles at the interchange.

'What if he sucked your cock, Chell?'

'I think the lad is useful, yes, I quite like him, an unassuming sort... and he seems to be accurate with that crossbow at the very least.

'I would have to say that im not quite convinced as yet of his credentials as a womaniser though...'

He grins, clearly enjoying himself.

[Stripey]

Dumitru stood up, his face now grinning. To him, working with Chell would be an acceptable, even amusing challenge. He attempted to explain to Chell why she needed his help, pacing back and forth as he did so. "Chell, my friend. In the forest, the plains, or even the mountains, one can easily stalk their prey. With methods of tracking, one is able to stalk their prey until it is found and destroyed. The city is quite different, however. What was once tracking footprints and listening for sounds, is now speaking to individuals and obtaining information. You see what I mean, no? If you go in and ask everyone in town, killing those that don't satisfy your wishes, the town will soon be nothing but a desert. However, let me speak to the individuals of this city. This place is where my abilities are at their peak. Together, we will find the people you are looking for. Am I making sense to you, Chell?" He finished as he stopped his pacing and turned to Chell, still smiling.

[#1!]

Chell listens to the various responses, staring at each speaker respectively. She focuses especially on Dumitru, maintaining eye contact with him whilst he paces and moves about.

She sighs, looking much softer than usual for just an instant. She begins to speak in her terse and clipped manner: "Am not some ignorant, stupid savage. Am not some stereotype. Have been in urban places before. Have worked as bounty hunter before. Have adapted. Am not dense. Don't smash everything I don't understand. Know how to plan, how to wait. Patience is vital in the hunt, knowing when to strike and when not to. Know that everything not solved with death. Wanted share from Moon Bitch's for bribes. Know that gold is a kind of power, and knowledge is too. Know that they can be exchanged. Know that information easier to get with money than with blade."

Chell takes a breath from what has to be the most she's said in one sitting, at least as far as any of you know of.

"Know that you're all talking down to me. Don't like it," she finishes, smiling in a predatory manner.

She then addresses Dumitru: "Will be talking to hard men about prey. You are not hard. Will make me look weak. Will make information more expensive. Will make more difficult. Will have to hurt more people with you around, to be taken seriously. Make yourself look hard or fuck off." She doesn't say the last sentence harshly, just as though it's really a simple choice.

[Stripey]

Dumitru's eyes widened as he stepped back slightly. "I'm... I'm not sure what to say to that, really." he responded, his grin now faded. "I can't change the way I look, Chell. If I don't look "hard" by your standards, there isn't a way I can change that. However, I implore you once more to reconsider. I may not be a strong individual physically, but I'm sure I could convince even the "hardest" men to give information, despite my appearance." he said, speaking with a newfound serious tone in his voice.

[^^Truth]

Arman stands quietly, whilst Dumitru is talking to Chell. He begins over to the bar, taking one step before launching a powerful roundhouse kick straight at the crouching barbarian.

"Let us see then!" he snaps violently

[^^Truth]

Chell slams into the floor, her elbow landing heavily into Sister's flank. "STAY!" she shouts at the growling beast, getting to her feet slowly, rushing directly at Arman once she's found her feet.

Arman spins around the charging Chell and grabs her by the head, carrying on forwards with her momentum and ramming her face into the edge of the bar several times, before punching her in the neck as hard as he can.

Chell, forehead bleeding from the impact with the bar, shrieks in outrage and attempts to overpower Arman with a full-on charge. She clashes into him, biting into his cheek like a wild animal. As he disentangles himself from her, she cracks her head into his mouth, sending blood spraying over the floor.

Arman staggers backwards under the rush of the wild woman, the vicious headbutt splitting his lip. As she comes at him again, he drifts to the side of her and latches on her an arm, swinging her one-eighty before flinging her towards at a table.

Chell goes flying onto a table, scattering or smashing various pieces of dinnerware. Her impact produces a loud THUNK, the poorly-constructed table visibly buckling under the impact for a moment before breaking with a CRACK and snapping messily in half. Chell picks herself up from the splitered wreck and launches another assault on Arman, scratching at his eyes, kicking at his groin, biting at him whenever possible, and generally employing every dirty tactic that she can attempt.

Arman deftly dodges and rolls, evading her attacks mostly, apart from a powerful blow to the stomach which is stopped solid by a hardened leather plate, as she bends him backwards over a table, he rises with a quick knee at her twat and attempts to crack his forehead into her nose.

Chell dodges Arman's headbutt, either with skill or luck. His knee strikes too high, hitting her in the gut, which elicits nothing but a grunt from the wild woman. She returns the favour and attempts to knee him in the groin whilst raking at his face.

Arman notices Chell's knee incoming and grabs her shoulders, lifting himself on to the table very quickly, her knee completely missing the spot due to his agility, before launching a quick one-two combo at her left, then right, breast.

Chell continues to shriek hoarsely, enraged by her foe's most recent attack. She follows up with a brutal uppercut, aiming to knock Arman off the table and onto the ground.

Arman attempts to roll off the table, only to be dragged back by an ear for Chell's horrid uppercut, he goes tumbling back over the table crashing Dumitru to the floor, before grabbing Dumitru's lunch and tossing it at her as distraction, before scooting around the table launching a wild right hook.

Chell slaps at the incoming lunch, batting the tin plate away. It flies completely off-course and goes straight through the window, glass tinkling onto the tavern floor. Being distracted by the missile, she is taken off-guard by Arman's follow-up surprise jab, reeling backwards a few steps, recovering and leaping onto a table, immediately diving off onto Arman. She slams both her hands, held over her head, down at him.

Arman powers to his knees under the massive blow, he seems to freeze, perhaps in defeat from the powerful haymaker, before gritting his teeth and suddenly raising up straight into Chell with a huge uppercut to her jaw.

Chell staggers back a step, before dropping to the ground, her mouth and nose oozing blood. She scrambles to her feet and grabs a nearby empty chair. She quickly whips it at Arman's feet, attempting to trip him up whilst powering straight at him with a bear-skin boot.

Arman is taken down by the chair, luckily bringing him cleanly underneath her boot, quickly he grabs upwards, gripping her outstretched leg, before lunging forwards with an almighty blow aimed straight between her legs.

Chell cries out in agony, collapsing to the ground in a bloody, wailing, wheezing heap, not moving for quite some time. "Strong..." she eventually gasps, slowly propping herself up on her elbows.

Arman sits on his ass, spitting blood from his busted mouth, whilst trying to stem the blood through from his gnawed cheek, "You're not the only strong one"

[Tromador]

An almighty crash attracts everyones attention for a moment. Limnoch is standing, and has clearly smashed his skull staff on the table, leaving a massive dent in the top of it. For once, the normally mild mannered wizard is looking distinctly annoyed, yet speaks in quiet tones. Actually, that makes it rather more unsettling, coming from a wizard with an undead obsession.

"Strong. You know nothing of strong. No. I think not. You think strong is physical, can be determined with brawling in a bar. No. You are wrong I think. Am I strong? Can I lift more than most men? Yes, I think I can. This does not make me strong. Can I pick up a sword and fight? No. This is not a skill I have. Does this make me weak? No. It does not. I know this. I can kill with a word and a gesture. I command the dead to my bidding. My knowledge makes me strong, my abilities make me strong. We are all strong. Strong is not just fighting, strong is not just muscle and sinew. No, I think it is not."

Limnoch picks up his staff and points around, most especially at Arman and Chell.

"Always there is something stronger. Maybe not physically, no, not always. Those who think that they must fight to prove strength will die. That is how the world is. Yes. Yes I am convinced it is so. None of us are stupid, hmm? No, I think it is true that all of us have brains. Let us use them. What can make us strong is each other. Arman, Chell, you fight well, I think yes? Yes, I think you do. Saamech has the magic in his body, I in my studies. Sorscha brings the power of Bane, I bring the Children of Velsharoon. Dumitru can add his honey tongue, his deadly shot, his own magic. We are all strong, in our ways. To deny one kind of strength is stupid, yes? Yes. Very stupid indeed. Are you stupid Chell?"

Limnoch points his staff at her again.

"No, no I think you are not."

The necromancer pauses. "Even more, we are strong together. We were all on our own, yes? Yes all separate, with our own purposes. Now we work together and this gives us more strength, yes? Yes I think that together we are stronger than the sum of our parts. Together we achieve more and do more than any of us could alone. You wish to be alone?"

Limnoch points again.

"Well there is the door yes? Yes, the door which leads away. Otherwise, all learn to work together. Fighting each other solves little, hmm? Yes, hardly anything at all. Now, I go to help Arman, because he needs help, yes? Yes he does. Together we are stronger. I help not because he is a leader, or a master, but because having allies is a good thing in this world, yes? Yes, I know this to be true. You will all find strength here in abundance, yes? Yes, if you but open your eyes to see. Fighting each other achieves nothing. No, nothing of any use at all. You want to be a loner, you want to believe yourselves better or more important? Well.. there is the door. Yes. There is the door."

With that, the wizard surveys the wreckage of the brawl and shakes his head, before returning to his seat.

[illumination]

Ducks out of the way in the ensuing carnage giggling incessantly, and tittering louder when some of the big shots land.

At the end of the fight he applauds, grinning.

'Very impressive you two, I have to disagree Limnoch as it seems to be that that particular brawl has been useful. They know where they stand now.'

'But, some of your points have merit, it seems to me that now we can move on, in a sprit of co-operation.'

Saamech smiles pleasantly and begins to put the furniture the right way up again, careful to avoid the cooling down scappers.

[^^Truth]

Arman picks himself after wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve and clicks his neck, he then steps over Chell's bloodied form to the bar, placing down a few coins to pay for damages, before walking back to his seat and sitting down with a thump.

"Yes, we did indeed get something resolved, as Saamech says.." he says looking down at Chell, dabbing his gnawed cheek with a blood stained white cloth before spitting blood onto the table.

"Anyway, Dumitru that's roughly what you have to do, to convince Chell you're tough.."

"But yes, Limnoch is right, we are stronger together and being stronger allows us to take more gold and valueables from the weak.."

[Stripey]

Still shocked at the fight, Dumitru took a few blind steps backwards before his legs hit a chair behind him. Instantly, he sat right down, saying nothing. His eyes remained widened for a full thirty seconds before his shock subsided.

"Well, I... I wasn't hungry anyways." Were the first words that came out of his mouh, as he tried to justify doing nothing when his lunch was used as a projectile during the battle.

Once he had fully calmed down, he thought about what the others had said. "Limnoch, I can't say anything else but that I fully agree with you." He said, looking at Limnoch, and then Chell. "That woman would be able to take nearly any foe in a combat of raw battle, but given a situation where another form of strength would be needed, she would be at a loss..." he began. "Perhaps, if she would listen to you, Limnoch, she would understand why I was paired up with her to look for information in the city."

[The Dark Power]

As Dumitru speaks the door opens and Sorscha walks in looking somewhat bouyant.

Seeing you all across the bar she heads over, eyeing the broken furniture with a little unease.

'Well again everyone. I trust everything is.....OK?'

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