Adventures in Myndar IC

[Amaril]

"Hear ye, hear ye! Be it known to all those of the fighting profession that Gregor the apothecary has need of the services of mercenaries! Those who accept the job will be paid immediately in the sum of fifty silver talents, with further compensation upon completion of the request! All interested should inquire at Gregor's shop in the market square during evening hours within the next seven days!"

Sauda's market square, barely twenty paces down the High Street from the docks, is at its busiest just before dusk. As the fishermen return from their labors, the numbers making their way to and from the established shops are joined by hundreds more commoners eager to have their pick of the day's catch. On this particular evening, the saltwater-and-fish-scented air holds a damp chill that has passersby huddling deeper into their cloaks, but this weather is nothing unusual for the end of winter, and no-one is about to let it keep them from their business.
Despite the cold, the door to the apothecary's stands propped open, lantern-light spilling out and pooling on the evening-shadowed dirt beyond. As the only customer inside, an elderly woman in a goodwife's dress, finishes her business with the proprietor and leaves, you are allowed a better view through the doorway and large display window of the man sitting behind the counter. Looking somewhere past his fiftieth year himself, he is bald but for a few thin gray scraps that remain and carries more than his share of weight. As the customer leaves, he reaches for a handkerchief lying on the counter and mops his brow, looking as though he would rather be anywhere else. A red-haired, wiry youth passes in and out of view, busying himself with cleaning and rearranging merchandise on shelves and hangars. Above the doorway, a wooden sign bears bold, painted lettering "Gregor and son apothecary" for the added benefit of the literate.
The criers said to inquire during evening hours. You can only hope that the apothecary himself will be more forthcoming with information about his need than anyone else has been so far.

[ashifter]

Vincent:

(Ooc: Vincent casts endure elements at dawn each day.)

Walking through the hustle and bustle of the evening market, Vincent raises more than a few eyebrows at the sight of his thin wizard's robes, worn despite the frigid night air. Whenever he sees someone pull their cloak tighter around then and shiver, Vincent gives a small smile, thankful of the spell that makes him immune to such a trivial matter.

The journey to Sauda had proven a lot more costly than Vincent had anticipated. Vincent, upon hearing the town crier's announcement, decides to find out more information about the job. Hopefully, nothing illegal is involved, for the payment is very enticing and would do much to solve his money problems.

Vincent makes his way to the apothecary's shop.

[backwaterj]

"On the still streets of Sauda the Sorrelhem stood,
Seeking silver for song and a balm for his soul,
And months on the road they have taken their toll!
For the worth of his something something . . . eh, that's no good!"

The plaintive strains drift down the street, accompanied by the eerie drone of tagelharpa, before the skald breaks off at the door of Gregor and Son Apothecary. "Ah, this be the place," he says with a smile as he shoulders the well-travelled instrument and enters.

The man's hair and beard are the color of wheat ripe for the sickle and accent a well-weathered but still handsome face. He wears a magnificent cloak lined with a wolf's hide over ornate leathers, and he bears a short sword and shield with some difficulty; his frame, while impressively tall, is willowy and frail, hardly that of a warrior.

He strides to the counter. "Gregor, I take it?" he asks the man. "I fear I am not of the fighting profession, as your crier specifies, but if you seek mercenaries look no further. Angvert son of Ursal Sorrelhem, scion of Garftorn, at your service." He punctuates his verbose introduction with a poised bow.

[Celesyne]

The earthen street kicked up dust as the wind blew gently down the alleyway, swirling around the pair as they moved slowly through the town. Lumen watched the townsfolk warily... Not a single good mark in the bunch. All almost as poor as she, she wouldn't deign to take the food out of these poor folks mouths. The crier's announcement was intriguing though. Payment in advance... and is an apothecary... If the job fell through then she already had some payment and some medi-

She stumbled slightly, coughing severely and repeatedly. The thin kerchief in her sleeve rushed to her face, covering lips and nose for several seconds before coming away with small fresh flecks of crimson. Despite her outburst, she stood unconcerned in the center of the street. Her large cerulean companion at her shoulder stopped for the duration of her fit. She looked up at the giant inquisitively and waited for him to notice. A quick nod at the store and inquisitive look later, the somewhat well dressed girl if completely dirty homeless girl eased her way into the apothecary and stood silently in the back. She wasn't the first in here... nor did she figure she'd be the last, but she busied herself with the apothecaries goods and remaining unnoticed. She didn't see any premixed laudanum... which made it exceptionally hard to steal...

[Amaril]

Angvert's entry and accompanying announcement visibly startles the proprietor, who jumps from his chair slightly before composing himself and turning to answer. "Oh, y-yes, of course...er, yes, indeed, I am G-Gregor...here about the j-job, then? Good, good, yes, excellent...well, if you'll--" He cuts off as Lumen walks through the doorway shadowed by Vlad, at the sight of whom he jumps even more visibly and reaches again for his cloth to mop his brow before settling down. Vincent's timing brings him through the door just after Vlad, but the apothecary hardly seems to notice him in the jotun's shadow. "Ah, so s-sorry...goodness, I'm such a m-mess these days...well, you look like the f-fighting type, m-might you be here about work as well? I hadn't expected so many so quickly...but this will do n-nicely, yes...yes, of course."
From a nearby corner, the red-headed youth looks up from dusting a collection of bottles to chuckle and ruefully shake his head. "Sorry 'bout my da, folks--'e's always like this, least with strangers."
"Hans! M-mind your m-manners!" Gregor looks simultaneously apologetic and afraid as the boy returns to his dusting with a regretful sigh. "Yes, well...as I s-said, I am indeed Gregor--that's my s-son, Hans. So, are you all here to t-talk about m-my offer?"

[ashifter]

Vincent

"Yes, I believe so. What is the job? It doesn't involve anything illegal does it?"

[backwaterj]

Angvert tips his head slightly at the youth's question, gazing expectantly at the shopkeeper for an answer.

[BassWalker]

"What's it matter, so long as we get paid?" Vladislak spoke from the side, stooped over to prevent hitting his head upon a support beam. A man of impeccable size, he seemed more ready to go to war than anything. His only clothes consisted of battle worn armor, notably without one of its sleeves and with more arrow punctures than remaining steel studs, and a heavy axe hung almost pitifully from the strained loop of hide that had been resewn more times than he could remember. Despite his stooping, he couldn't keep the end of his greater weapon from scraping the ceiling.

"What would you have us do? Protection? Retrieval? A hit?" Whether or not the Jötun had noticed, he made it rather obvious what sort of work he was used to.

[Amaril]

At Vlad's mention of a hit, Gregor looks terrified enough to faint. "G-g-goodness, no! No, n-nothing like that, n-not at all..." Mopping his brow with his kerchief again, he seems to get a better handle on things. "No, the j-job I'm looking to see done is a s-simple delivery...c-completely legal, of course" he reassures Vincent. "Er, well...I s-say simple, but of course if it was entirely simple I wouldn't need the services of...well, of people of your p-profession."
He swallows and visibly steadies himself before rising from his stool, puffing slightly at the apparent effort. Stepping over to the door of the shop, he eases it closed, then returns to the counter without bothering to lock it. "Just s-so we won't be interrupted, you understand." Lowering himself back onto his seat, he appears to consider his words carefully before continuing. "It's like this, you s-see...last week, a m-messenger arrived here from my c-cousin in Eirikstead, just a f-few days northeast, through the m-mountains. She said the village had been taken with a p-plague, and an alarming number of t-townsfolk had fallen ill...given my business, she had hoped that I could provide them with a r-remedy at a better price than other v-vendors. I've managed to brew up a m-medicine that I b-believe should do the job, but that does leave the matter of d-delivering it. The p-problem lies with the route...the road to Eirikstead from here is d-dangerous and seldom used, and, well, to put it b-bluntly, I fear for the safety of any c-courier I might hire to make the t-trip. That's why I need to hire m-mercenaries, to protect the medicine and m-make sure it reaches the v-village." He pauses for another nervous swallow and looks around at each of you, shrinking slightly when his eyes pass Vlad's face. "As far as p-payment, I would compensate you for f-fifty talents, as promised, and my c-cousin has agreed to discuss further reward once the m-medicine is delivered--she holds a s-seat on the Jarl of Eirikstead's council, and has a f-fairly substantial amount of c-coin at her disposal for this matter. So...yes, well, there it is..." he trails off awkwardly. "M-might any of you be interested?"

[ashifter]

Vincent:


"What's it matter, so long as we get paid?" Vladislak spoke from the side, stooped over to prevent hitting his head upon a support beam. A man of impeccable size, he seemed more ready to go to war than anything. His only clothes consisted of battle worn armor, notably without one of its sleeves and with more arrow punctures than remaining steel studs, and a heavy axe hung almost pitifully from the strained loop of hide that had been resewn more times than he could remember. Despite his stooping, he couldn't keep the end of his greater weapon from scraping the ceiling.

"What would you have us do? Protection? Retrieval? A hit?" Whether or not the Jötun had noticed, he made it rather obvious what sort of work he was used to.

Vincent scowls at Vlad. He then turns his attention back to Gregor and says,
"Yes, I am interested. Do you know of anything in particular that we might encounter? Bandits perhaps?"

[BassWalker]

Chuckling a little at the man, Vlad fell silent for a moment as he considered he job. Fifty silver pieces to escort a bottle over the mountains seemed like it would be simple enough. His red orbs turned to find Lumen going through varying bottles and plants, and finally returned to the apothecary shortly thereafter.

"We're in." He agreed to the given terms.

[backwaterj]

Angvert seems, if anything, amused by the interchange. Turning briefly to size up Vincent, Vlad, and Lumen in turn, he gives a brief nod and turns back to Gregor. "Likewise," he says to the apothecary, "when do we start?"

[Celesyne]

Apparently Vlad had liked the terms of the job. Lumen liked to let him do the judging... plus he was the better intimidator... Which usually worked into better pay than her own ability to negotiate. Her weak voice and stuttering breath put her in a weak bargaining position. Either way, now was her point to butt-in. "I-I....I'll take half of... of mine in.... Laudanum.... p-please..."

[Amaril]

"R-really? Well, splendid!" Gregor replies, looking mildly surprised and more than a little relieved that his pitch went over so apparently well. "Well, er, I d-don't really know m-much about what you'd actually encounter on this road in p-particular, but I have heard tell of b-bandits making use of it on occasion" he addresses Vincent.
"I 'eard somethin' from Alfred about it" Hans chimes in from the other side of the shelves. "Said some trapper was goin' on about nearly gettin' mauled by a cave bear down that path. Dunno how much there is to it, though."
"Er, yes, th-thank you, Hans" Gregor calls over his shoulder. He relaxes slightly as he turns back to regard Lumen, his face creasing with a sympathetic smile. "L-laudanum, eh? Well, I suppose I can m-mix up twenty-five's worth."
"Well, then" he continues, "as time is s-somewhat of the essence--wouldn't want those villagers to s-succumb to their illness, after all--I had h-hoped you might be willing to leave t-tomorrow. Hans will meet you at the g-gate, say, an hour after daybreak, with the medicine and the p-payment. It's a three-day walk to Eirikstead, assuming all g-goes well on the r-road. D-does that sound agreeable?"

[backwaterj]

"Quite. However I too have a request which you can deduct from my payment," says Angvert after a moment's thought. "I'd like a second package made, in all ways identical to the first except for its contents; while it should appear as close as possible to the actual medicine, it should be as common and useless as can feasibly be arranged." He strokes his beard for a moment. "Perhaps on second thought two or three such packages would be in order. I find brigands trivial if they think they got what they came for." His face cracks into a pleasant if conspiratorial grin.

[BassWalker]

"Mhm." Vlad nodded at the apothecary's instruction to meet an hour after daybreak. To be honest, he didn't much care for the bearded man's proposal at first, but the idea grew on him as the moments passed. Yes, having decoys would make things... more interesting.

[ashifter]

Vincent:

Vincent nods his assent to the time table then says,
"Having decoys sounds like a good idea. Perhaps each of us should have one?"

[Amaril]

Gregor shifts uncomfortably and gives an apologetic shrug. "Er, well, that might be d-difficult...I only have the one wheelbarrow to s-spare, you see. I s-suppose I can look into b-borrowing another one before t-tomorrow...oh, but you n-needn't worry, I won't take it from your p-payment! It's a good idea, if we can m-manage it."

All of you would know that having decoys wouldn't actually help much against bandits, anyway. Bandits aren't known for letting travelers go with tolls; either they take everything you have (sometimes even including clothes if they're expensive enough), or they kill you and then take everything you have.

[backwaterj]

Ah, I was envisioning something a lot smaller than a wheelbarrow - something that could be, say, stashed away in the bottom of a bedroll to escape notice. Heavy use of Bluff being a given, of course.

"A wheelbarrow, you say?" Angvert frowns slightly as he digests this. "This is suddenly sounding like work . . . which is to say, something which will only serve to slow us down. Perhaps travelling lightly would more suitably befit the gravity of the task?"

[ashifter]

Vincent:

"Ah, well that certainly changes things. Angvert makes a good point, the longer we delay, the more deaths there will be."

[Amaril]

Gregor seems slightly surprised at Angvert's reaction. "Er, yes, the m-medicine will almost certainly require a barrow to c-carry...it's meant to s-suffice for the whole v-village, after all. I shall be including the f-formula, of course, in case they have n-need of more, but I was paid to m-mix a full supply m-myself." He frowns in thought for a moment, absently wiping his brow once more. "But yes, well, I s-suppose it would ultimately be b-better to travel with haste...f-fair enough, then, I shan't bother with any d-decoys after all."
He appears to hesitate briefly before nodding as if coming to a decision. "Well, gentlemen, m-milady, unless you have m-more questions, I really should see to p-packing up the shipment. Sh-shall we sh-shake on our agreement?" He gives a slightly forced-looking smile as he extends his hand over the counter.

[backwaterj]

Angvert smiles and pumps the hand with all the force his bony arm can muster.

[Celesyne]

Lumen coughed softly and shook her head gently at the proffered hand. Prefering as little contact as possible, even as she removed her hat and bowed slightly. "I'll... need at least... the medicinal half of my... pay now. Please."

[Amaril]

Gregor's expression once more softens with concern as he addresses Lumen. Nonetheless, he nods in agreement. "F-fair enough, let me just..." He rises from his seat once more and shuffles over to a set of shelves standing just behind him, upon which sit an assortment of bottles and jars. Stretching up to reach near the top, he retrieves a fist-sized vial of foggy glass with a small parchment label tied around its neck with a length of twine. He hands this over the counter to Lumen as he sits back down. "I p-presume you already know the proper d-dosage. Th-this should last you through the j-journey, and a little more b-besides." He extends his hand once more to Vlad and Vincent and waits expectantly for their assent.

[ashifter]

Vincent:

Vincent takes the offered hand and gives a gentle shake.

[BassWalker]

Careful of the gauntlet he was still wearing, Vlad shook the offered hand.

[Amaril]

Gregor winces slightly at Vlad's handshake, seemingly expecting to have his hand crushed, but seems somewhat emboldened upon letting go, smiling with more confidence than he's shown yet as he stands again. "Well, v-very good, then. Tomorrow after s-sunrise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall s-see about preparing your cargo." Bowing slightly, he shuffles out from behind the counter and heads for a door at the back of the shop, humming cheerfully to himself.
With your business concluded for the moment, you are left to your own devices for the rest of the evening. Should you need accommodations, a city the size of Sauda will have a good selection of inns and boarding houses, and it should be little trouble to find something suitable in your price range, whatever that may be. Though the crowd has thinned somewhat outside, most of the market's vendors still go on hawking their wares; any provisions you might want to purchase before setting out might be obtained from one of them.

[ashifter]

Vincent:

Vincent says his goodbyes and finds a decent inn to sleep in. After eating his evening meal, he goes to his room, locks the door and goes to sleep. He wakes up after about 8 hours of sleep and prepares most of his spells.

(Ooc: I'm assuming the price of a decent inn is 5cp? If not let me know. Also I'll update my spells in my character sheet.)

[backwaterj]

As the night is still young, Angvert finds an establishment which caters to the well-off and begins what he hopes is a rousing rendition of The Battle of Yargen Hill in hopes of raising some funds to offset his night's stay there.

Perform check (if needed)
[roll0]

[BassWalker]

Vlad... does something. I don't know, and I don't care.

[Celesyne]

Lumen smiled happily for a moment... and then soured at the idea of not having the rest of the advance payment until the next day. The jar disappeared quickly into the pouch at her waist. The streets outside were nearly empty but not quite as empty as her coin purse despite the lingering dusk. She watched Vlad blunder off somewhere, likely whatever tavern he could find to strongarm some weakling out of a mug of ale or wine or two. He was every bit as broke as she. Even so, she walked slowly towards the town's outskirts. Her eyes watching for... for something. She was finally rewarded near the edge of the town. An unwatched and unlocked shed, an empty one at that. With a rock she marked the door with a small signet, Vlad would recognize it when he returned and return he would. Her bedroll was laid out across the shed's floor in moments and her in it shortly after, hands clutching the glass jar as a small child would a stuffed toy. Perhaps the brute would bring back a little of a drink for her to medicate with...

[Amaril]

After a few minutes of searching, Vincent finds himself in an inn overlooking the harbor. The sign proclaims it the Wounded Whale, complete with an accompanying image of a whale with a harpoon protruding from its back for the benefit of the illiterate. Despite the somewhat gruesome name, it seems a comfortable enough place. The innkeeper charges five copper pennies for a night's stay, with supper included.

--

Angvert makes his way to the upper city and presents himself to the owner of an establishment marked as the Grinning Gambler. The clientele are clean and well-dressed, the food and drink apparently worth the extra coin. In typical fashion, the proprietor offers Angvert free room and board for the night in exchange for his performance; skalds are always a welcome asset in inns and taverns, provided they drum up enough business to pay their way. Angvert does so with little problem, and by the time he retires for the night, the crowd in the common room has grown substantially.

--

Lumen is roused from her rest by Vlad's return; he has to stoop somewhat to fit through the entrance to the shed. The two pass their night in the uncomfortable and cramped accommodations, and meet no disturbance. Vlad hardly notices the cold, and Lumen sleeps deeply under the effects of her medicine.

--

The next morning dawns cold and clear, the pale sun making little progress on dispelling the night's frost. As the streets slowly begin to buzz with the morning activities of Sauda's awakening residents, you each find your way to the eastern gate, from which a few minutes' walk down the main road will bring you to the path that will lead you through the mountains to Eirikstead. Hans is already waiting to meet you, accompanying a heavily-laden barrow of wooden crates of varying sizes, secured and covered by a tarp.
"Stuck around after all, then?" he says with a chuckle. "S'pose you'll be wanting your silver. Fair enough, 'ere's for each of you." He passes out four jangling purses, Lumen's significantly lighter. A count reveals the full promised amount of fifty talents (with the obvious exception). "I wish you folks luck out there" he says earnestly, "this trip's a real demon, and no mistake. S'pose this is what you mercenary types do, though."

[ashifter]

Vincent:

Vincent takes the offered purse and counts it, wincing slightly at the word "mercenary". Satisfied that all fifty talents are within, he shakes Gregor's hand and thanks him. He then turns to the rest of the group and says,

"I am ready to depart."

[backwaterj]

"It is what we do," acknowledges Angvert with a nod of his head toward Hans, "but oh, the tales to be told and the songs to be sung once Eirikstead is saved thanks to the noble actions of our beneficent patron!"

He surreptitiously hefts the bag of silver and, finding the weight about right, addresses his newfound travelling companions. "Gentlemen, lady," he nods respectfully at Lumen, "shall we depart?"

[Celesyne]

Lumen nodded gently, eyes lightly hazed from her medication and the few swallows of wine she'd managed to find in a mug she'd found on an abandoned table at the tavern that morning. It left her in an almost sunny disposition, if a little loopy, without having the pain and discomfort at the forefront of her mind. Her free hand patted at the tiny crossbow hooked to her belt beneath her jacket, still there, as the other dropped the pouch of silver into her own coin pouch. "Let us... be on our way.. then... long walk... ahead."