Book 1 - The Edge of Anarchy

[SleepingSkeleton]

"A more secure location would be valuable, certainly.  I'm afraid my... residence is anything but secure.  I can see the benefits to both using Belors house or a more public location.  Perhaps the best way to go would be to find a popular inn, possibly the one Aerloth suggested and having a private room there.  I would recommend either myself or Eliora as the one who keeps the room, as we are the most likely to be recognized by Lamm and his men,"  Triss looked over at the purple haired girl and corrected herself.  "No, it should be me.  Eliora is much more adept at stealth.  So long as we do not make overtly obvious moves with the rest of you and we were not followed here, Lamm should still be uninformed of his new enemies.  While Aeraloth may stand out a bit, and Shenzu is slightly more noticeable than most, I wouldn't see either of them being in a bar as being any problem.  And certainly no one is going to take notice of a single dwarf there.  And it's not as if it's all that strange for such fine gentlemen as yourselves to be invited up to a room for private matters at an inn now is it?" 

[Mysticsage]

Aeraloth smirked "I'm a performer even if i do standout in normal public in places like that it would be stranger if I didn't. An audience likes and expects something interesting to look at. That alone is reason for me to be there and I'm fine with the private room. The more populated it is too the less any eccentricities of anyone else will be that much less noticeable in a place like the Bard's end. It's the best idea I think in making sure nothing goes weird on us. But I'd be a bad man not to point out from my well tested experience what it will look to the inn keeps of most places when they let women invite men back to their room. Some don't care but others don't want to be known as a brothel and well kick you out whether you got your clothes on or not. Just something to be aware of. Might be worth us all get a room at least for tonight as a group under your name. So that there aren't any wrong ideas. And you can keep for the room for yourself when we don't all need it".


Not that you look like a lady of the night or anything like that just inn's get suspicious is all" he quickly back pedaled

[Oath]

"Sounds like the Inn is the choice that people wanna go with, so I suppose I'll see you guys there tomorrow. I can take out the room if ya'd like, gonna be finding some inn to sleep in anyways." With that, Eliora rose, and waved to the group before exiting the house.

[info] if people want Eliora to rent the room, that can be said as she is leaving.[/info]

[InhumanRonin]

"Alright then the inn it seems to the place we are meeting if you want to pick up a room there go ahead. I will catch you people there then tomorrow. But in the mean time I have a project to try and finish up at home." Beldan waves back and heads to the door and proceeds back his workshop.


[info]Beldan finishes the rest of the day working on his warhammer.... Time remaining time to finish the weapon ~1 day[/info]

[Mysticsage]

Aeraloth took that as his que to exit as well they would need some reasonable information if they were even going to attempt attacking that ghouls hide away all the better to gather any rumors he could. Finding a sailors dive where her might be able to sing a few shanties about the fairer sex might get him enough coin to pay his way into one of the dock hands good graces. A few mugs of ale tended to loosen tongues and get people talking. If he asked about becoming a dock hand himself for the extra cash he thought that a few extras questions about specifics might not seem to far out of the ordinary and if he came up empty there would be no harm done. "I'll be on time for my curtain call at the Bard's end myself tomorrow night. He called over his shoulder.



Note: for ease of explanation and story sake i'm gonna shorthand what i'm doing if at any point you want a scene of this stuff just let me know we can play it out in as much or little detail as you want. I'm also rolling all at once because there are multiple things need but you can hand wave wave as you please. If you don't like it  then i can just reroll all but the first to find the bar as you prefer.

[spoiler=the plan]Goal: To find a bar near the docks or a place where dock workers hangout to get some general information about the ware houses and surrounding area ect. by being a performer buying a few drinks and getting people talking without thinking. At no point will i be mentioning lamm or his hideout.

The questions I want answered are
- Who i should talk to about getting a job as a dock worker or any nobel who runs the place
- are the shipping areas owned by private families or open to public renting
- Are most of warehouses built similarly and if so what's the general layout/s
- any places of note near the docks (specific pdf named places brothels ect)

Things i want to take note of while hanging out in this bar: ( Bonus to a disguise check ect)
How people dress
How people speak
And their general mannerisms


[/spoiler]

[info]

Rolls

knowledge local: to see if i know of and or can find a suitable place where those types of people would be
Dc 10 as per the osrd
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20-1 : 6 - 1, total 5[/blockquote]

Diplomacy to act as the performer for the night
DC
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+3 : 11 + 3, total 14[/blockquote]

perform for that performance
DC:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 6 + 7, total 13[/blockquote]

perception to locate a suitable mark during that performance
DC:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 17 + 2, total 19[/blockquote]
Diplomacy + 5 gold in silver or copper for ale to get them talking for as long as possible in suitably cheap
DC
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+3 : 17 + 3, total 20[/blockquote]

[/info]

[Mysticsage]

[info]I don't know how you feel about the forums karma rules but i'd like to spend karma to reroll it since its pretty big. if you don't like it then just ignore it no harm done.


reroll 5 karma
to find hangout
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20-1 : 19 - 1, total 18[/blockquote]
[/info]

[Mysticsage]

[info]or if need be i'll just take the time in game to roll again on a failed check taking that reroll as my new find roll[/info]

[pringerbeam]

     You are able to find a good haunt for Midland Quarter dock workers happy to listen to some of the classic sea shanties.  The mostly halfling crowd joyously raising a mug to the ceiling in tune to the songs.  Once the night wears on and most of the tavern patrons have left for the evening to sleep off their drink you find yourself in the company of a lone human, glad for the company of a taller (albeit a bit of an overshoot) sort than the predominantly halfling sailors he was used to dealing with.  After several drinks of mead which reminded the sailor of home back in Kalsgard you find him speaking of his distaste for the local area. 
     "Yer, never really liked coming down this far south.  No offense to ya but this far south the folk don't have the same kinda troubles we see back home.  Back home you can trust the men by yar side.  Down here, too many of teh Szarni and other criminals running around without any fear.  Now back home that wouldn't stand.  We got ter fight for all our lives against the winter and the fey and we don't take no shits from no one.  But here I come inter town and a bunch of them varisian kids swarm me.  Next thing I know me coin purse has been lifted and the little shits are gone.  Didn't happen too far from here either.  I don't know if you been over to the Westpier area but stay away from pier 15.  Couple of them warehouses look like they are infested by those little cutpurses.  I heard the area is left to them right now because the noble that owned those docks up and got eaten by a devilfish."  At this the sailor let out a deep chuckle.  "Her her her, now I've seen a devilfish or two in my time and let me tell you, the ones they got down here are half teh size of the ones up in teh Ironbound Archipelago.  Now those are a sight to see.  If yer looking for a real bit of adventure  we might have a berth for ya on my captain's ship for big strapping lad like you.  Probably better fit for you than round here.  I don't see why all the noble houses seem to want them stunted halflings sailing their ships.  Nothing against the small folk, I just have had to get cargo off one of their ships before and while I don't might a tight fit on a ship, there just ain't room for a man to move about on those things."  At this the man quaffed what remained in his mug and stood up stretching his back.  "Thanks for the mead southerner.  If you are looking fer dockwork I hear its House Arkona that looks fer humans to do their work up in the northern parts of the city, the rest prefer the wee folk.  Of course, if you are looking for a real man's work and don't mind the sail up to the Land of the Linnorm Kings we set sail in a couple days from Westpier 6 on the Snowfox."  The sailor trundled out the door of the tavern waving at you as he leaves.
     The barkeep wipes down the bar where the sailor was sitting.  "Heh, northerners are always going on about how great it is back north.  I don't really see the appeal of living someplace where trolls and wyrms could eat you at any moment, assuming any of their tall tales hold true.  Ah well, their grumbling about the fair climes of the south earns me a fair bit of coin from their drink whenever some roll into town."  The barkeep wink at you with this statement.  "You put a fair bit of coin down on him.  That's awfully generous of you and I don't have any reason to complain so let me give you a couple of tips your northerner friend probably left out.  All the docks around here are owned by some noble house or another but its not like you need to go all the way to their manor for the work.  If you see a ship sail into town and follow it to the dock then you are sure to find some quick work either loading or unloading it for a few hours.  He was right though, the docks and warehouses at Westpier 16 to 18 are a mess right now.  The noble that owned that area up and died the way he said and without a direct heir all the noble's property goes to the city for a couple years to sort things out and either find a hidden away heir or sell it all off at auction.  Course, no one manages the property in the meantime so the places get overrun by vagrants to the point where no one wants to buy them and have the hassle of clearing out the mess.  Could be a couple more years before the place is worth heading through for any respectable business.  Of course, if you have no money and need a place to sleep and don't mind the fear of a cutthroaght in the night then you might want to head into the area.  You don't strike me as the type though, too well kept."

[info]The docks of the city are ran by noble houses usually in quantities proportional to the wealth and power of the house in question.  All noble houses have at least one dock to their name which they manage and maintain in exchange for the ability to collect a docking fee additional to the city's standard taxes.

Dockwork is readily available to anyone.  The houses don't tend to have qualms about who they hire as long as nothing goes missing.  Simple gruntwork can be acquired at any dock.  Managing a dock on the other hand would either be handled by a member of the owning noble house or someone directly employed by them.

Dock facilities are as varied in construction as the houses that own them and the purpose for which they were originally built.

Midland Quarter is mostly defined by a north-south divide with the southern area around citadel Volshyenek, the headquarters of the korvosan guard, being a prosperous mercantile area.  The northern area is better defined by a more rough and tumble atmosphere catering to the dockworkers and sailors getting more dangerous the higher the dock address get (and the further away from the citadel you are).

Disguise bonus: if you are running through the feral region surrounding Westpier 17 (Where Gaedren is) try the Sczarni cutpurse or Shoanti thug looks. Just don't forget to get the tattoos right! [+1 to disguise checks for the area][/info]

[jammermoore]

Bard's end tomorrow night sounds like a plan see everyone. I'll take my leave for the the evening. Shenzu leaves the house, wondering if this group of people will be able to work to together, When Shenzu gets home he meditates then does a work out session before heading to bed. In the morning Shenzu meditates and gets ready to meet up with the group at the Inn.

[Mysticsage]

Finishing the last of his ale Aeraloth spent the rest of his night dreaming up a plan. It was time for the pencil pushers at the city hall to do what they did best by being overly slow to act and horrendously detailed oriented. This time however instead of stone walling the common people they would be their greatest help. There was a dead reach mans things that may hold the key to this entire performance. All he needed was a little help from the others, perhaps acting as a wealthy investor looking to anaylize plans of property or a long lost daughter or two. Even if it fooled them only for a few hours it would be quite a boon, But he would be little help actually knowing how best to apply what they could gather.

"Well, I can just leave that part to them." he thought as he went about returning home for the night. "Once their in someone should go and talk to the knights about this whole mess." Getting help with clean up and containment in case of problems would be key to this whole event. He fell asleep alongside his other band mates thinking of that two captains whose names from different orders stood for the few people with character who had power in this city.

[SleepingSkeleton]

"Of... of course not," Triss replied, It was simply him trying to be polite.  Besides, she could have vengeance on the man truly responsible for her state.  "I'll meet you all at the inn tomorrow then."

Outside, Triss breathed in the evening air.  Allies.  Not quite what she had planned, but it would be easier.  Even if some of them were fools enough to wish leniency on Lamm.  Less competition at least.  She pulled her hood down and set off towards the inn. 

When she arrived, she briefly considered the options.  A stay in the common room was not helpful.  If she was to sleep, better to retreat back to her previous haunt.  Either a room or a suite.  How much were they... She had stayed in inns before, but it was something of a rarity.  Too many people watching her.  Staring at her.  She hated that.  It wasn't until the innkeeper spoke that she realized she had become lost in her thoughts.  "Yes, sorry, I've heard you have a fine inn here. I was just admiring the care you seem to put into the place.  I do believe that this shall be the place.  You see I'm looking to entertain a few business associates of mine, hoping to perhaps impress them a bit, and have a slightly more private meeting place to work out the finer points of our negotiations.  Your establishment seems to be ideal.  Might I rent a larger room, perhaps even a smaller suite if you have any for a few days?  Probably only two days, though depending on how the meeting fares we could be here longer."
[spoiler]I'm assuming the rates will be the same as those listed in the PFSRD under goods and services, so 8 gold for 2 nights in a small suite.  If a diplomacy check is needed to get such a room, I'll have that rolled below, if not, disregard.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 20 + 5, total 25[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[pringerbeam]

The innkeeper appraises you.  His eyes linger on the scars.  "Well I suppose you could use the private room...  Just as long as your negotiations don't draw any Hellknights in here."  He takes your gold and hands you a key.  "The suite is upstairs, last door on the left.  You're a bit late for a fresh meal but help yourself to the sailor's stew we have going at the hearth."  He nods over to the common room's fireplace where a cauldron sits warming as he pulls a bowel and spoon out from behind the counter which he then hands to you.  "I've got some bread to go with it too if you want and I will whip you up something in the morning for breakfast.  Let me know when you need to use the private room and I can clear it out if anyone is already in there.  Now if you will excuse me."  With that he grabs a bottle of spirits and moves to the other end of the bar where a rather portly man was gesturing for his attention.

[pringerbeam]

[info]Unless there is any further action from Triss the day ends and a new one dawns.  Any daily use abilities are refreshed and prepared spells are lost.  For the sake of bookkeeping and clarity, if you don't post what spells you prepare you will not have spells available.  You can prepare your spells whenever you so choose keeping in mind the time required to do so.[/info]

[Mysticsage]

Aeraloth arrived first to the Bards end early that morning. He figured that the usual huge crowds would either be gone or drunk asleep on the tables. He had to say that he was excited to see the inside of this place for one of the first times. Though it was tempered by his hangover and lack of sleep from the night before. His loose shirt was barely hanging on him as he pulled up the finely colored fabric to be better cover as he walked in the door still trying to get the morning grogginess out of his eyes. He tried his best to hide his excitement as he took a moment to look around and then moved to the bar looking to see if anyone was one duty this ungodly early.

[info]
Perception check to scan the room for any extra details
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 6 + 2, total 8[/blockquote]
[/info]

[pringerbeam]

Nothing appears out of the ordinary.  You have arrived before business seems to have picked up for the day as the common room of the inn is empty save for the innkeep coaxing a flame from the embers in the hearth and a scullery maid scrubbing away at the floor.  The smell of some savory food cooking away in the kitchen wafts from a doorway behind the bar.