A0Ch1_Sticky Fingers, Sticky Feathers

[Charon23]

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[Charon23]

Scouting in Olgenwart is a tricky affair. Each mode of transportation has its own array of obstacles, least of which is the multitudes of people in the sprawling city. It takes the first day to get Vyncent's land legs about him and to assemble cursory clues about this strange land. The next morning he is able to carve out some time for himself after checking on the priestess.

He is as free as one could hope for following the events of the past several weeks. The city's people are gruff and direct, or silver-tongued and shifty. None seem to cast any more suspicion on him than they do other strangers. Or their peers for that matter.


You pass over a medium-sized bridge to a canal. Lumbering beneath you is a small barge with its deck half full of crating. A half-orc and a few humans can be seen on the edges as they navigate the narrow passage with their oars. A sudden gust of wind flings a blue feather into your face!

It sticks mightily to your cheek at the tip and you find any attempt to clear it produces a thick gob of glue on your fingers. On the barge you can make out a canvas covered cage. A flap has blown open revealing a bird of considerable size within its shadow. It is an odd looking thing with plumage much like the feather set upon you. It vocalizes with a squeak and rattle as it cast an intense gaze upon you. The noises are equally strange but far closer to speech than you might have heard from other birds. It clutches the bars with..hands? That is, before one of the oarsmen reattach the canvas with a curse.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent slowly and nonchalantly walks across the bridge, and attempts to tail the barge, if for no other reason than to reacquaint himself with doing so after so long spent aboard a ship, and to help him find his way across the city later. Besides, until something changes with that mystery woman and/or the crew, he doesn't have anything better to do.

[Charon23]

The barge continues down the canal for about a mile before tying off to the opposite bank to the east. A human woman in a fine coat that has seen better days emerges from the closet-like cabin. Following a brief exchange, she and two of the men depart with a hand cart with two small crates loaded within. They continue on toward a perpendicular street to the east. A couple of minutes later one of the two remaining men peels away along the walk to the north. The remaining man stands watch, when he is not ogling passersby.

Adjacent are warehouses and shops, along with a row of food stands on your side to the west. Another bridge crosses the waterway a fraction of a mile ahead to the north.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent narrows his eyes. He's been at this long enough to recognize an illegal trade when he sees one. I wonder if the slave trade is still a thing in the Yorder underground, or if someone is just smuggling rare pets. Only one way to find out, I suppose. As he walks, he begins to pick at the feather stuck to his face.

[Charon23]

Canal Map 01 (http://kahetch.twistedalchemy.com/vyncent/a0ch1/map/vyncent_feather01.jpg)

I shortened the distance to the bridge in order to make that all fit within the map.
Vyncent is the purple circle, though you may direct him most anywhere including off map so long as it would make sense time-wise.
The man on watch is the green circle.
The caged creature is the yellow square, with yellow-green arrow pointing to it.
The green arrow indicates the path of the three with the small cart.
I did not include the final oarsman that wandered away. Vyncent would spot him at some point wandering counter-clockwise over the bridge to head toward food stands along [R/S]. Those are set up to service traffic by road and by canal.
Doors, building heights, and NPC/carriages are not displayed. There are a few spots with stairs or ladders around alleys. There is foot traffic near the buildings and mixed traffic along the wider roads. It is generally light enough to avoid traffic jams but there is plenty of hollering and noise nearby nonetheless.
The translucent portion of the bridge indicates the area beneath with access to foot traffic on the brown decking, and for small vessels with low clearance.



Vyncent is able to unstick the feather with little irritation. The adhesive largely dissipates in effect though his fingers (and presumably a patch of his face) is darkened by grime trapped in the substance.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent watches the group walk away, then focuses his attention towards the oarsman walking over the bridge. As the oarsman makes his way to the food stands, Vyncent walks towards him, slowly pulling a knife from the concealed sheath on his back. Gwyn always said that nothing helped intimidation like a little 'poke' in the right direction.

[Charon23]

Canal Map 02 (http://kahetch.twistedalchemy.com/vyncent/a0ch1/map/vyncent_feather02.jpg)

Highlighted orange with gray indicates the adjacent food vendors with open sides to their roofed stalls. Much of the view through them is obscured by boards and posts and foodstuffs but the barge may still be peeked at.
Half-orc oarsman in red.
As before you may reposition before continuing.

The half-orc walks straight to a vendor with sausages cooking over a small rotisserie fire. It is difficult to sense weather his aloof gait is a matter of confidence, poor manners, or both. Regardless he does not take any particular care to make way for cross traffic. His black hair is drawn back in a haphazard bundle behind his head and he wears a crude set of patchwork leather armor. He has at least one dagger strapped to his chest and a light mace at his hip. His dark gray-green skin is contrasted by light scars at a diagonal across his face.

He slams a few copper down on the counter and points to one of three pictographs of menu options. Neither he nor the vendor seems to pay you or your concealed blade any attention.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent gets right behind the half-orc, as though he were in line to order, but had little concern for personal space. He then places the tip of his dagger at the base of the half-orc's spine, and whispers in the thieves tongue ((Undercommon)),
<"Being a half-orc working in crime, I assume you understand me. So we're going to have a little chat, you and I. Nod once to let me know that you understand what your situation is.">
If I'm right, and the half-orc does understand me, then here is my intimidate roll:1d20+5. Otherwise: well, crap.

[Charon23]

It seems like the forum dice roller is down right now? Regardless I'll roll most of those privately and will give an indication if the feedback is obvious. But do let me know what you're trying for so I remember, or remember to add bonuses.

I'm going with what you proposed. As an aside though, half-orcs favor orc as a native language apart from common. (You rolled high enough on Knowledge(local) to glean that from the context of T'vessen.) Undercommon would not be unheard of among their brighter individuals though. Intimidate typically requires a bit more interaction or context to roll without penalty. In this case I'm ruling in your favor on that roll, with a caveat..
The half-orc stifles a snort of shock as the tip of the blade surprises him. His arms hover rigid and akimbo as if to suggest he plans no retaliation, despite the weapons you know to be at his disposal. He whispers back in a shaky and bewildered voice {{in common, "Tygen? I..I don't have your m'money."}}

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent sighs in annoyance. "What are you shipping on that barge down there? Quickly, if I were you. As he says this, he presses the dagger a little harder in his back, while his off-hand reaches for the half-orc's mace.

[Charon23]

The half-orc makes no immediate move to counter yours. He stammers for several seconds while making groans of arduous thought. "Ehh..Some, some crates. An' th'theres them barrels and sacks. And a few animals. Real strange bird from Esbon." While he maintains his shaken disposition, his speech begins to take on a touch of hope like a flailing swimmer clutching onto driftwood.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent grabs at the Half-orc's mace, intending to keep him from trying to start a fight in the middle of the street, and getting them both arrested. "Grab your food. You and me, we're going to take a little walk while you... elaborate on the details of the cargo, especially this... bird you mentioned. And believe me when I say that if I even think that you might be attempting to get someone's attention that you will not have time to draw your next breath before... well, you get the point. As he finishes, he presses just a little bit harder on the dagger to accentuate his "point."

How about that great, totally original pun, eh?

[Charon23]

The half-orc pauses, allowing you to retrieve the weapon from a shallow hook. He responds in what seems to be genuine confusion. "Uhh..Do, Do'ya want some too? They'll put on the crispy bits if you ask?" He grabs a grease-laden sandwich of some kind from the vendor{{, and orders on your behalf too if you so choose}}.
--
He hisses in discomfort at the increased pressure of the blade. "Umm..ehh..The bird, the bird.. It's blue and its got wings and arms. Didn't know they came that way! Got good brains. Sure it'll fetch some silver to someone. Ehh..the barrels? They're wood? With rings on. Ehm, dunno what's in but they're heavy enough. And..." He continues to ramble about containers while eating with his mouth full. At some point he shifts his head to speak more directly to you.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent declines the offer of food, and places the mace in his bag. As the half-orc rambles, Vyncent thinks back to all the people in his life that had died fir him to be here, and how they would all be disappointed with him for what he was doing right now. At least acting in a way that would disappoint my honourable father is nothing new. Cullam damn it, I'm sticking a knife into the back of a clueless half-orc, who is clearly not a fighter, or even a hardened criminal. Vyncent sighs, and pulls the dagger back, so that it is barely touching the half-orc. He then interrupts him, saying, "Is there a place that we could sit down and talk face to face? I think we'll both be more comfortable then."

[Charon23]

The half-orc shrugs and begins to lower himself to the ground. He takes care to not make any sudden moves but lurches backward a bit as he takes your description in. Another open mouthed bite includes, "Hehh. Ya sound kind of menacing with that talkin' and blade of yours but you don't look so tough." He sighs and smears topping from his mouth across his stubbly cheek with a forearm as he continues to chew.

The patrons nearby stand with their food. Vyncent spots some benches along the front of a shop front ahead to the north, just past the bridge street.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent smirks lightly. "Looks can be deceiving." He then gestures to the benches with the mace in his hand, while putting his dagger back in its hidden sheath. Let's just hope that he doesn't figure out that I have just about no idea how to fight with this thing

[Charon23]

The half-orc loads the last couple of bites into his mouth at once and tries to speak as he walks ahead. "Mmurffembrumbuh uffnoh ahh..." Though he glances back a few times he nearly walks past the bench before realizing that you've stopped. He then sits down and awaits your move.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent sits down slowly, his eyes never leaving the half-orc. When he finally sits, he takes a relaxed posture, keeping the mace covered up by his coat. Alroy, who up till now has been padding along behind him, sits under the bench, facing the docked barge. "Alright, how about you tell me your name, and the name of whoever it is you work for. Then, you will tell me who it is that this bird is being transported to, and why. Understand?"

[Charon23]

{{OOC: I've saved a copy of this thread's progress through this post. 05/16/2017}}

The half-orc appears to clear his throat with a guttural syllable before he repeats the word slower. "H'ron, is my name. Ehh.. Farra. Dunno who's gonna buy the bird. Figure she'd know, she's real smart." He blinks slowly with his mouth parted as he studies your hair vacantly.

[DarkSteelWolf]

Vyncent nods as the H'ron speaks. "And do you know when she'll be back?" After all, I'd hate for her to get the drop on me... or worse, leave without me knowing.