A Macabre Dance (IC)

[Jacior]

http://i957.photobucket.com/albums/ae56/Jacior/A%20Macabre%20Danse%20-%20Early%20Days_zpsnrw13oce.png

It's been little more than a week since Maverick left behind the Briarwall forest to follow the coast around to Barad Maelne, ostensibly the crown of the north, in his hunt for a rare and little known species to begin one of his more... theoretical experiments. All in all it was a pleasant travel. The weather had been mild, foraging plentiful and the breezes refreshing. Checking his map repeatedly told him he was approaching close to the area where he'd find his quarry, but except for a few ships on the distant sea and a harrowing near encounter with a raiding party of slimey fishmen returning to the ocean.

The time was early morning when the first signs of something interesting going on. Interesting as in a change from the monotony of walking along the shore. Coming around the edge of an oceanside cliff there was, in this out of the way place, a dock. More of a small port really. There were two small ships docked and a small, but bustling number of... people moving crates along the docks, into and out of a small warehouse.

[EdroGrimshell]

Maverick looks ahead at the cove, interest in his eyes, but not betrayed in his otherwise flat expression. He delves into what he knows of the area (Local: [roll0]) to see what he can find about the small town, well, village more like, and observes the locals some (Spot: [roll1]) to get some idea of what the place is for and about even as he pulls himself further into his traveler's cloak. Once close enough, he keeps an ear open for anything of interest (Listen: [roll2]).

[Jacior]

Despite all of Maverick's amazing knowledge of the area, this place wasn't really... anything worth noting. In that people didn't seem to have taken note of it at all. Sure there were slight rumors of hidden pirate coves all along the coast, but most were, unfortunately to a few of searches, completely unsubstantiated. They just looked like your average seagoing folk, a bit of an eclectic mix of races to be sure, but your average rugged sailor type. It was possible that this was some newly established port trying to grow itself, gods only knew there needed to be a stop between the port at the White River and the port at the corner before coming around to Barad Maelne.

As for listening, that went better up close. It was mostly talk about incoming shipments and what was being sold in the next outgoing one. Mostly gathered from the pair of yelling foremen directing the admittedly sluggish crew. From what Maverick could gather, it'd be another couple days before a ship came in and they needed to get the one ship out of port before it came in or the captain would be mad. You would have heard more conversation, but people took a sudden notice of you. "Hey! Who're you?! You shouldn't be here stranger!"

[EdroGrimshell]

Maverick looks at the man starting to yell at him, and raises an eyebrow as his eyes glow red, staring for a moment (Bluff as Intimidate: [roll0]), then makes to keep moving as his eyes return to their normal black coloring, "I do believe I am in the right place," he says loud enough to be heard, "I have business here. Unless, of course, you wish to turn away potential profits." (Bluff: 30 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?524387-Hunter-s-Waltz-%28OOC%29&p=22038980#post22038980))

[Jacior]

The foreman is thrown off by first the red glowing eyes and then your very clear assertion that you were in fact supposed to be there. The man stood staring dumbly, searching his memory for something that utterly wasn't there to begin with. "Uh... Yes... Sir? ... Lord?" He wasn't sure anymore if you were someone important or not. "I don't mean to presume your business, but Gilrasa and the others are currently holding a meeting in the tavern up the way. It's the stone walled building up the way, scorch marks on the cobbles outside. Can't miss it." It seems like he's scraping his brain for more noble platitudes but then a crash is heard and he flips around to start yelling at people who dropped a crate.

[EdroGrimshell]

Maverick nods and continues into the port, taking note of the Tavern the foreman had mentioned. He debates going in or moving on to search the port more, try and find what he's looking for. After a moment, he decides and enters. This... Gilrasa, would be able to point him in the right direction.

[Jacior]

The tavern was surprisingly large considering the size of the port, holding a sizable host of people who were more the adventuring type than the sailors that were out at the docks. Various groups were gathered around tables with a number of people sitting off alone as well. If there was a type of seedy personage you were looking for it'd most definitely be here. One group in particular stands out as being made up of exclusively women gathered around a large pile of papers scattered across a table and more intense conversation than just the idle chatter of those well off enough to not have to work all day. Three dwarves and a half-elf make up the group and one of the dwarven women, a particularly large and imposing woman with chestnut hair pulled back into a messy bun and deep, black dyed hides.

[EdroGrimshell]

Maverick enters and takes a seat and pulls his tome from his pack, setting it down on the table and opens it to one of the most recently filled page, the formulae for his still conceptual ritual for his currently planned fusion of taklobo and axiomatic battle dog. He'd have to wait for someone to ask, come to him. It would be more effective.

[Jacior]

A bit of time passed before the halfling woman that was tending to the guests managed to work her way over to you. A pair of ginger braids framed her face and your keen eyes didn't miss the knives she carried belted around her waist. "What can I get yah luv?" Her accent placed her more firmly from the east, but with the faded quality of someone who'd traveled for a long time.

[EdroGrimshell]

"Information," Maverick replies, glancing at the woman, "I have reason to believe I can obtain some... unique resources here that would be difficult to acquire elsewhere," he looks at her more fully as he shut his tome.

[Jacior]

She stands there for a moment and rolls her eyes. "Luv, I'm just a bartender and proprietess. If yah want information I cannae help yah. I can get yah a beer or maybe some wine if'n no one stole it again." She holds up her hands in mock defeat. "I ain't got nothin beyond that. That's the business of people who still get into trouble round here." She throws her thumb up over her shoulder to point at the group discussing business.

[EdroGrimshell]

"It's nothing illegal, I assure you. I'm looking for two simple things I figure most anyone would know, I just came here first," Maverick states, "I'm looking to hire someone of a specific race to aid with a project of sorts, a taklobo, though I've heard them referred to as clamfolk on occasion. I am also looking for a rare breed of dog, a very rare breed known as an Axehound. I doubt I will find the latter here, but the former? I find it hard to believe," he continues, then looks at the indicated individuals, "I'll take a mead, or an ale, for the moment," he says as he sets down a silver, "do you know when they'll be finished with their discussion? I'd prefer not to interrupt if I can help it."

[Jacior]

"Can't say I know anything about clams and dogs, cept'n my own little woofer... He's around here somewhere." She looks around like he might be in the room but there's no sign of the dog. "As for them, this is a monthly meeting, they'll probably be at it all day. Why they have it here, y'know, best food and drink for a hundred miles. Or... 30 or 40 at least." She gives you a grin and heads off, presumably to get you a mead or ale. If you look down, your silver is gone, though you're not sure her hands went near the table.

[EdroGrimshell]

Maverick frowns, this was getting him nowhere, nowhere fast anyway. And he didn't want to annoy the people that could help him with his situation. He'd be better off exploring the town on his own. Still, good to scout out and prepare while he could. He focuses on the group talking at the table and focuses his sight (Detect Magic, 3 Rounds of Concentration).

When the woman comes back, he speaks in the halfling language, "where is the nearest market?"

[Jacior]

The whole group seems to radiate magic along with several bar patrons and alarmingly, strong magical signals from the bartendress that was bringing you your drink back to the table as she managed to scurry around the room and not look like she was terribly rushed by the people who still called out for drinks. Several pieces glowed brightly on her and she might have had some of, if not the strongest magical auras in the room. "Well, that depends on the type of market yah lookin for their luv. If yah be buying, that is if'n yer buying sugar, pardon my language, then there's a general store down the road. If ye be looking for weapons or the like, there's a few places, but yah don't look the type. If'n yah be looking for..." She gives you a look up and down, trying to decide something about you. "other things, then you're gonna wanting to talk to them." She gestures towards the group at the table. "They won't bite you for the most part. Can't be sure about Gilrasa, but for the most part. Just don't disrespect them."

[EdroGrimshell]

Maverick's eye twitches, then he gives her a look, the amount of magic on her was impressive, and that was something that annoyed him, he'd had to save up all of his money for his work, he wasn't able to afford much magic beyond his cloak, "...thank you for your time, and the information," he says, then looks her over, wondering if his next comment would provoke her or not (Sense Motive: 24 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?524387-Hunter-s-Waltz-%28OOC%29&p=22076996#post22076996)) and decides against it as he leaves another silver behind.

He takes a small sip of his drink, then sighs and makes his way to the table Gilrasa and their group was sitting, "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important," he starts, "but I have heard that you'd be the ones to talk to about for a... project of mine."

[Jacior]

The dwarven woman with the chestnut hair turned only slightly to look at Maverick. "You can rightly piss off. Can't you see we're busy here?!" She turned back and slammed her finger down on a paper about to start more heated discussion when another of the dwarven women sets her hand down on the first's hand. "Gilrasa dear, don't be so terribly rude! He was waiting patiently but you know who told him that he'd need to talk with us. Least we can do is hear him out if she let him." Gilrasa sighs and sets a pen down before standing up and turning to fully face Maverick. "Ok, what do you want, drugs, weapons, poisons? Explosives? You seem the type."

[EdroGrimshell]

"People," Maverick states with a flat look, "and dogs. I possess a type of magic that allows me to create new beings from others. I am in need of... materials... to work with," he continues in the same general tone of voice, "I can pay well for the resources, if that will help. Or... we can come to a... more profitable arrangement," he continues, gauging the dwarves' reactions to his request and offer (Bluff in place of Diplomacy: [roll0])(Sense Motive: [roll1]).

I am so glad skills don't auto-fail or crit-fail on a roll of 1

[Jacior]

Your statement is greeted by 3 blank stare and a scowl. "Well... at least he's upfront? If not particularly smart?" The half-elf says, leaning back in her chair with a slow grin and a deep drink from her mug. "A little credit maybe?" Gilrasa snorts and reels her arm back seeming to swing at Maverick before the whole arm changes into a massive, scaly, three-fingered clawed hand that wraps around most of his torso and over one shoulder. With perhaps at this point unsurprising strength she pulls him close to her face. "You think you're clever and I don't like that. Too smart for your own good." Then after a moment of searching Maverick's face, she sighs and lets go, pushing him back up straight. "You're just lucky we like money."

Turning back to the table she sorts through some sheets and pulls out a smallish ledger, her hand changing back sometime in the midst of searching. "First off we don't deal in animals. And that's this whole place. I won't ask about what your doing or the final product but if I find out you've been abusing any animals I will make you regret being clever in ways you don't want to consider possible. That means you buy it outside my knowledge, you care for and when it comes time I don't want to know. Secondly and more importantly, you're too clever for your own damn good. You'll be having several talks with a pair of... associates who will be very, very curious how you even walked in here. They're not as nice as I am." She flips through the ledger several times running a finger down some pages checking other pages in reference. "There's a warehouse down the way. I'll be sending..." She looks over her shoulder at the other three at the table. "... Morrigan to escort you, she's not being any help anyway." The half-elf makes an obviously fake pout and pushes her chair from the table.

"Don't get out of line and don't ignore anything you're told and maybe you live through the day." Gilrasa turns back to the table for good at this point and throws the ledger at Morrigan, who catches it with a rude gesture and wraps her arm around your elbow leading you out of the tavern. Once outside she takes a breath and lets out a happy sigh. "Well I think that went well, what about you?"

[EdroGrimshell]

Maverick raises an eyebrow, "I think there is a misunderstanding with exactly what I'm asking for," he says, "do you think I meant slaves when I said people?" he asks simply.

[Jacior]

Gilrasa sets down her pen again as Morrigan pulls futilely on your arm trying to drag you out. "I just asked you if you wanted a load of illegal goods and the first thing you listed was people. Am I supposed to think otherwise? You sound like any other necromancer playing with sticking parts together."

[EdroGrimshell]

"I do not kill anything I use for my methods, I extract a small amount of essence from two creatures and fuse the two essences together to create an entirely new being with traits of both. I have used it in the past to give a child to those that could not have their own," that was one of his earliest jobs, as well as one of the easiest ones he could perform, "I request workers and volunteers, those willing to lend that essence to fuel my art, and those willing to help with preparations and caring for those created," Maverick says, "While slaves would work, I don't much care for the practice, and would likely end up simply releasing them after I obtained what I needed," he didn't mention that it would put this settlement at risk if he released the slaves as such, it was likely self evident.