Switching Roles - Bjord

[yougi]

Character sheet (http://www.dndsheets.net/view.php?id=37914) for ease of reference

Late into this cold, damp day of autumn, Bjord gets near the entrance to the city of Hammersburg. The two city guards are standing on each side of the entrance, questioning those who are about to enter the city.

After about ten minutes, it finally is the necromancer's turn. One of the guards, a dark-skinned, middle-aged human sporting a thick mustache, while barely looking at him, asks him the usual, while the other waits the answers to write them in a large leather bound book:

How are you named, where are you from, and why do you come to our splendid city?

[Vizzi]

As he approaches he changes his demeanour to a slightly slouched walk, imitating some hunters he has seen, he mutters very quietly under his breath imitating slightly the accent.

"My name is Arthur Goodwind, from Springset, visiting some of my distant kin, trying to see if i can get some work in these parts."


Bluff: [roll0]

God, my must my fates start this way! My first roll a 1! Curse you Gods!

[yougi]

"And that kin you're visiting, his name would be...?"

[Vizzi]

He try's to act slightly surprised at the question, but with barely a pause he continues talking "Albert Baneraven, he told me to meet him at the Last Whisper tavern." he pauses and asks slightly embarrassed "Can you give me some directions?"


Bluff: [roll0]

[yougi]

"Just let him go Skyhaven," says the second guard. "Get in. After the market, you go right to the residential area, Last Whispers's the first building on that district.

[Vizzi]

"My thanks." he responds as he enters the city, moving normally across the crowds until he loses sight of the gates, and he quickly heads towards Boar's Tongue tavern.

[yougi]

The tavern is rather empty, containing only a dwarf as a barman, a human waitress and three shady-looking half-elves in studded leather armor with swords dangling happily on their sides, sitting together and eating a bowl of stew. A table in the middle of the tavern is much bigger than the others, yet only has 4 seats around it.

"You!" says the bartender as you enter, "You new in here? never seen ya around this part of town".

[Vizzi]

Bjord has fond memories of this part of town, after all, one did learn a lot by being with others.

"Haven't been in this part of town for a long time. Give me a drink while i wait for my friend." he says as he sits down.

[yougi]

The dwarf serves you a large mug filled with dark, smelly ale. "You'll have to be strong to drink that though."

After a few minutes, the one you've waited for comes and sits right next to you:

"Look who that is! So, where've you been, what've you been up to?", he goes.

[Vizzi]

As his friend arrives his eyes roam across his face, his bright blue eyes and sandy-blond hair stood much as it always did, messy and his charismatic grin soon made him remember whom exactly was the convincing one of the two.

"Here and there, learning a few tricks." he smiles at his old friend "And what have you been up?". he smiles and as the conversation develops he mentions his need to set up somewhere in the city, preferably isolated.

[yougi]

"You know, leading my business. Somewhere isolated? Isolated from what? I guess I can find you a nice cozy place. You ain't scared of the dead, are you?"

Totally my bad on not replying before, I am SO sorry! I read your post without replying at some point, then everytime I'd pass here I wouldn't see the "unread post" button. Totally my mistake.

[Vizzi]

"Not a all." he smirks slightly, he makes an effort to control his amusement at the question before continuing "I like my quiet. So have you gotten a wife yet? Or just enjoying life?" he says in a friendly manner waiting for an answer before broaching a more delicate subject "Now, what do you want in exchange for the 'cozy place'?" and with a lower tone of voice he continues "And as you can see i have only recently arrived in town, as such i would be amenable to working some tasks for you, until i can get fully accommodated."


No worries.

[yougi]

"A wife? My business is my one true love! You should know that!"

"In exchange for the cozy isolated place, I'll remember that you owe me a favor. Until then, if you want work, I have a small group who are going to get rid of some bandits who do their business too close to the city, collect the bounty on their heads, and then take their place. What do you think?"

[Vizzi]

"A favour owned and a i could use the work." he pauses slightly and with a hidden yawn continues "I am rather tired Tomas from my journeys, we will have to meet up again sometimes. I assume you can have someone direct me towards my 'home' and give me the information for the job?" he leans slightly back while drinking the last of his ale.

[yougi]

"Yes, I understand perfectly!" He gets up, goes to the half-elves' table and talks to them. One of them, who has a black-eye, gets up and comes to you.

"Galphas here can show you the way."

[Vizzi]

"My thanks Tomas." with that he shakes his hand and follows Galphas.

[yougi]

I was fairly certain I posted a response... Either way..

On the way, Galphas tries to go for a little small talk: "So, good friend of Mr. Fox I assume. How do you know each other?"

[Vizzi]

"Here and there. We were good friends, but our paths took us into our own separate way's!" he says slightly bored, but he knows, one could perhaps learn something interesting if they followed pleasantry's.

[yougi]

"Wow, that's a boring story if I ever heard one! And you planning on joining our little business? You a... a silver finger too?"

[Vizzi]

"No, i am not. As for joining, i am not planning such a thing. Merely helping out an old friend in exchange for some money." he says as his eyes roam around, watching and learning the way.

[yougi]

Galphas stops in front of a small, 2 stories high stone house:

"Oh well. Either way, this will be your hanging spot. Try to stay subtle about it. The previous tenant ran into... complications. So keeping you here ensures that no one comes to take stuff from our spot. However, you might want to put up some kind of defense mechanism or something, for that same reason."

[Vizzi]

"Very well. Now about the job i am supposedly helping with?" he says as he looks around, for anything interesting and a general overview of the area.

[yougi]

The house is in a very remote area of the city. There's nothing interesting around, and that is by design.

"Oh, well, there are bandits on the road, you know, the usual, taxes and stuff. And Mr. Fox asked some men to take their place, netting the bounty on them first. Almost a standard job, I'd say. Nothing you can't handle if you're half-decent with a blade."

[Vizzi]

"And when are the men to take their place? And where can i meet them?" he asks slightly bored, trying to think of how exactly will he handle this situation, without using his magic.

[yougi]

"They will leave on the second night from today, probably from the Boar's Tongue, although the exact, more official details will get to you one way or another, don't worry. In our business, those who must have the information always end up getting it."

[Vizzi]

"Very well. My thanks for the escort." he smiles slightly "But i am rather tired from my travels." with that he enters his 'new home'.

[yougi]

The house is a rather small place. Most of the furniture is of poor quality. As you enter, you notice a large blood stain on the stone floor of the kitchen.

[Vizzi]

Firstly Bjord casts Detect Magic and then does a thorough search of the house, making sure to keep his spell up.


Casting Detect Magic

[Vizzi]

Search: [roll0]

[yougi]

You notice blood stains going from the house up to the second floor, and ending in front of an empty blanket chest. Other than that, the house is rather average, and you detect no magic.

There are two floors:

in the ground level is a large, 30'x30' kitchen/dinner room, with basic wooden furniture able to welcome 6 diners, and enough dried food and water for you to subsist for a week.

Upstairs is a bedroom, with a large bed for two, a dresser, a nightstand and the aforementioned empty blanket chest. There is also a relaxation room, with a low table, sofas and a couple filled bookcases. On the table is an unopened bottle of wine and a glass, with a small piece of paper reading "For Bjord, if you ever feel lonely in there"

[Vizzi]

"How considerate. A bottle of wine, a trail of blood. This almost feels like home" he says with some humour.

With the housed checked and considering it should still be fairly early in the day, he will close the door and proceeded to check the neighbourhood.

[yougi]

What are you looking for exactly? Describing the day-to-day life of a small city is quite tedious, and while it helps set a mood, I don't think that actually means anything on a PbP...

[Vizzi]

Basically what locations of interest are nearby. Alleys one can use to escape, or short cuts, weather it has a sewer or not, a bakery nearby. And what's the nearest graveyard.

Next time i will specify. :smalltongue:

[yougi]

Thank you! ;)

About a ten minute walk from the house, across a crowded street, is the only graveyard in the city walls, one reserved to the richer folk and militiamen who fall in the line of duty. It is therefore guarded, with two men at the entrance, and two patrols of two men each going around.

The city does have a sewer system, but it is only accessible through small holes, about 4 inches in diameter, and covered with a grid of steel.

And the window from the house's bedroom leads directly to a seldom used alley. You also find a hole, barely big enough for you to crawl through, in the city wall, which is accessible from an abandoned shack's roof. The shack is within 500 feet of the house's window, and the whole route is through alleys.

[Vizzi]

With basic knowledge of the surrounding area, he returns home for a short rest.


Whats the current time?

[yougi]

It's actually getting quite late now that I checked, as you got in town late in the afternoon. It's about 7-8ish PM.

[Vizzi]

Alrighty. He makes sure the house is reasonably secure. Making sure that he puts a string attached to the door and connected to something that would fall to the ground and make some noise. Then he goes sleep.

[yougi]

The night goes without problems. Bjord is awakened on the next morning by the sun entering his room through the window.

[Vizzi]

"Sun. How i hate you so!" he says with a slight laugh. With that he gets up from bed, gets dressed and goes grab something to eat for breakfast somewhere nearby.


Eh, did not get warning the thread updated.

[yougi]

There is the inn where you met Thomas on the day before, and two other inns: the Last Whispers, a place for the average folks, mainly travelers and militia, and Dragon's Horn, one for the richer folk.

And so sorry for lack of update.

[Vizzi]

As he thinks over, meeting the Common folk is probably a good idea, before proceeding with meeting the upper class. After all making some contacts and acquaintances with the workers before anything is a good decision.

[yougi]

Is that the one of average quality, or the lower quality one?

[Vizzi]

Average quality, from what i understood the lower quality one is for criminals and the more menial of jobs.

[yougi]

Exactly, although you can understand how Commonfolk can refer to either.

As you enter the inn, a female human, in between teenage and adulthood, smiles to you: "Welcome to the Last Whispers!"

The main room is filled with people of different ages, races and looks. Many are not seated, instead standing up and walking from a table to another to talk to as many people as possible. There must be almost 60 people in the tavern.

[Vizzi]

"How interesting." he mutters under his breath as he turns towards the female human saying "Hello!" with a wide smile while looking around. First order of business he thinks, get a drink and wander around for information.