Adventure in the City of Coin

[Philemonite]

In the City of Coin, secret conversations in dark hallways serve as a more reliable source of information than official notices, and one such conversation has brought you to the Five Flagons Inn in Bridge District. A promise of coin, fame and honor made the offer sweet, but the secrecy almost made you turn it down. Still, you are here waiting for the mysterious figure to appear.

Lost in your thoughts, you almost fail to notice a dark-robed figure entering the room. Once he reaches the middle of the room he stops and takes a good look at you.
"Well, I must say, I am impressed by the turnout. Last time we only had four candidates, and they were not really suitable. I hope you are more capable then them. But I am forgetting my manners, I am...Walden." He paused before saying his name, as if he was trying to remember it. "I am going to be your link with the Organization, if you prove you are capable enough. You have been promised a lot in exchange for your services, however the situation is a bit more complicated. What we actually offer is power. There is a place for everyone within the Organization, but you will have to earn it. Some of the thing you need to do will be less then legal, so if you have a problem with that you can leave right now. If not, we can start talking about your first mission."
He looks at you awaiting your response and any question you might have.

[Battlemage]

Khoren Bloodsnow

The massive Goliath looks down toward 'Walden', his arms crossed and resting on the crossguard of the gigantic sheated fullblade in front of him. His metallic skin glimmers in the dim light of the room and the expression in his gleaming blue eyes seems to be one of amusement. His size, demeanor, and general roughness present a strange contrast to the wild flowers in many vibrant colors that are fastened to the collar of his well-crafted hide armor.

He laughs and then speaks in a deep, echoing voice.

"Hah! I expected money, but power will do just fine. I'm useful enough," he pats his weapon, "and who cares about legal in this city anyway."

He grins, an expression that on him carries a somewhat dangerous undertone, and looks around at the rest of the assembled group to watch their reaction to the offer.

Good choice, coming to this city. My kind of place.

[LtPowers]

"Mortal laws can be corrupt," states a young Half-Elven female as she steps forward, "but Divine Law is inviolable. I do what is right, whatever the legality of that may be." Somehow, her visage finds a streak of light in the dark room. Her face is pleasing, moreso with the smile on it, but only in the way that most Half-Elves' are. Her holy symbol glints as it hits the tiny beam of light that dares show itself among the shadows; it is the three-starred triangle of Lliira.

"I am already a member of an 'organization'," she continues. "What is yours, and why would I want to join it?" Her smile is disarming and utterly genuine. Behind her, a cat meows, as if for punctuation.


Adrie Everbright

[Daveheart]

The bard who had been playing the lute in the corner of the room, singing a soothing ballad, smiles to the people who gathered around him.

"Well, my friends, it looks like that's it for tonight. If my simple words stirred your generous heart, any coin you can spare will be gratefully accepted.
Or at least you can ask our good master Thunderburp, may Lliira conserve his fat, echoing belly, to remember the name of this poor singer and call him again in his wonderful tavern!
Thanks again for your patronage!"

The human keeps bowing to the audience for a while, then exchanges a couple of words with the owner and sits at the counter.

When the robed figure enters the room, he listens to his speech, then walks toward the table nearest to the Goliath and the Half-elf, sits down and sporting a disarming smile says: "Sorry for the delay, but I received some word of this meeting, and I was interested, too. But the charming miss here has a point. You offer us power and ask for... less than legal support. But you don't give us any detail about you. How do we know this is not a roundup of the Radiant Heart? Or that you are not simply gathering grunts for the Shadow Thieves? Help us to build some trust!

Spoiler

Show

In case you need a diplomacy check, here it goes. (1d20+11)[29]. Still no Word of Friendship.

[mistformsquirrl]

Kaede takes a couple steps from the back of the group toward 'Walden'. Her eyes narrow as she approaches the man, clearly less than pleased at how this meeting is turning out.

"I will require a great deal more explanation before I agree to anything. Your methods sound less than honorable, but it is your purpose that matters more to me."

The ronin thinks to herself for a moment. -

Were my circumstances any less dire I would be walking away right now; but here I am, in a new city with little money and no lord... desperate times, desperate measures if I am ever to return home.

[Wdwune]

Xardis of Thay

In a corner nearby you see a brawny, brown skinned male humanoid with sparkling but serious eyes resembling yellow gems. Golden energy lines glow all over his muscled body, and shows a considerable amount of scars. Wears unusual but mundane clothes, a leather armor and carries with him a heavy shield and a longsword with glowing symbols.

He remained all the time silent, arms crossed. When the guy who introduced himself as 'Walden' finishes speaking, he frowned and looked down taking his time to listen to the other comments.

"I agree with the goliath," finally said in a guthural, low-pitched voice. "Power is enough for me."


"Power is enough," he thinks. "Power. And revenge."

[SiuiS]

Betrys leans forward in her chair, maile elbows burbling against the table's wood. She smiles beatifically beneath a rustling strand of greenish curls. The entire ordeal seems well in hand, with the other candidates speaking forward. Instead, she waits patiently, a mellow happiness effusing the gathered adventurers. The contentment of a summer tree in the sun.

[HopeHubris]

Sitting at the bar, Askus perks his ears when 'Walden' walks in, but doesn't move , appearing content to just sit and finish his ale, while listening in on the discussion between the man and the more vocal hirelings

[DragonKnightp3]

Of the various potential recruits, there was one that probably went overlooked by the majority of the crowd. In a small corner of the room hiding behind a discarded stool or two was a simple looking red fox. The ignorant or even the drunkards might be forgiven for merely assuming this creature somehow snuck in or was merely the pet of some other adventurer. Some might not even care that the vixxen was there at all. However, there were a lot of things about the creature that didn't quite add up.

The first was that the fox didn't seem too skittish around the presence of so many humanoids. She kept to herself and always sat with her back against a wall. Her blue eyes hid an intelligence that was far above any normal animal. She had a tuff of red hair on forehead that didn't quite match her reddish orange fur. She also seemed to be wearing a small belt pouch around her neck. For the time being, the vixxen had chosen to remain where she was and simply watch the proceedings as they occurred. She didn't particularly like the secrecy of this gathering and thus chose to combat it with a bit of secrecy of her own. If she didn't like what she heard, she would simply make her way out the same way she came in...or perhaps make a slight fuss and get tossed out. If she did like what she heard, there would be plenty of time to impress her new employer.

Pratina reluctantly admitted that the promise of power was interesting. If for no other reason so she could use it to further her own ends. Furthermore, Pratina was a hengeyokai. What did a fox care about laws of humans? Still, on some level she did care so long as the laws were just. This Walden would need to mention more than that if he desired her full co-operation. She would have been content to just sit in the shadows and watch his reaction to the others if not for the woman with the steel-like gaze that caught her attention. Hearing this human speak of purpose was intriguing to the vixxen, ...could she be...no...it is much too early to decide that. Besides...I am hardly ready for that yet...focus on the present....still, I think I will get a closer look now.

The fox sat up from her hiding spot and moved into plain view. She strolled forward on her four legs and wasn't the least bit concerned about the other patrons around her. She stopped about two feet away from Kaede and proceeded to sit down to the sword woman's right side almost like an obedient pet. Her eyes stared forward at Walden and even without any words, it was clear that Pratina felt the same as the woman. She seemed to be searching...almost expecting...some form of deception on Walden's part. She wished to know his purpose and that would be the final deciding factor.

Spoiler

Show

First a bluff check to hide the fact that she is more than mere fox. If you want to know the truth go ahead and roll an insight against her bluff.
(1d20+10)[21]

Second, an insight check on Walden's intentions. I know it's probably not necessary but I really do see Pratina doing it. (1d20+6)[8]

[LtPowers]

Somewhere behind the Half-Elven Joybringer, a cat sees the canine and retreats deeper into the shadows... keeping a close eye on both the fox and the Half-Elf.


Vikka (the cat)

[Philemonite]

Walden carefully observed everything that was going on in the inn, making sure not to miss anything while still listening to all the questions.
"No, I do not work for the order. We do share some goals with them, but they are too pompous and direct. Our methods are a lot more subtle. And I would be careful when comparing Organization with the Shadow Thieves, some of my colleges are very sensitive, and it would not end well for you."
He turned towards the Half-Elven woman.
"Divine Law? So, you are a woman of cloth? Well, it takes all kinds to make a world, and we could definitely use some Divine help in the Organization. Your first mission is to take down a corrupt noble. I don't know if that's joyous enough, but it is an example of how human laws can be corrupt."
He took a good look at his audience.
"Smart enough to ask the right questions, but brave enough to stay and actually listening? Definitely have some potential." He mumbled to himself.
"Let's make a deal. Taking down a corrupt noble is a right thing to do, and for those of you who are not into doing good gold will be provided. So, you do this first mission, and we take it from there. It won't even be to hard, just some infiltration and some confrontation. You don't even have to kill anyone, just disable them."

[Daveheart]

The bard scratches his head, passing his hand through his hair.
He gazes down for some more moments, then he raises his head.
His eyes are shining, and a slanting grin appears on his face.

"Nicely played, Sir. You gave us an answer we wanted to hear and did not answer to what we actually wanted to know. But, as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
A noble may very well be untouchable for the law, and his sins could go unpunished. The noble hero of the people against the vile tyrant! Isn't this the stuff of legends?
I will come and see with my eyes if this man deserves to be punished!"

Derek's eyes show excitement while he looks at the other patrons. He then pauses as if he forgot something and then turns back to Walden:

"Ah, of course I still expect some money for the effort, dear Sir. Doing the right thing may be good for one's soul, but, alas, a man has to think of his future..."

Sneer. He then turns towards the other people in the room.

"And you guys? Who else wants to be in this party?"

[Battlemage]

Khoren Bloodsnow

The Goliath snorts, a sound like gravel scraping across stone. His answer is directed both at the hooded man (whose name was certain to be anything but Walden) and the wordy bard.

"Nobles will happily grab power wherever they can get it. If they don't have the strength to hold on to it afterwards..." he shrugs nonchalantly. "Infiltration's not my style, but for the confrontation part I'm the best you can get! Promise me good coin and good fights and consider me highly motivated!"

We'll see how much of a fight a city noble and his men can put up. Maybe keeping them alive will add some challenge, at least.

He much preferred fights to the death. It wasn't that he enjoyed the killing itself, though he was not bothered by it either. A fight just wasn't real enough when death was not on the line. The dance of steel was most intense when there were only two outcomes.

You win or you die.

The dangerous grin is back on his face, at once savage as a tiger and happy as a child.

[Wdwune]

Xardis of Thay

The genasi warrior listened every word of Walden's speech. "Just disabling a corrupted influential guy," he though. "However, he's not giving us any information unless we can accomplish this mission..." He finally raised his head, his yellow glowing eyes staring seriously at every patron who was listening to Walden.

His eyes went from the brown-haired female human wielding a peculiar polearm ("she looks fragile, but her heavy armor and the way she holds her weapon tells me oherwise."), to the huge goliath of the gigantic blade ("that guy looks strong. If he and I are engaged in a swordplay I must be forced to more sophisticated tactics than usual..."), the female half-elf ("a religious girl, with fierce devotion. I wonder if she has that determination in battle too"), the human musician ("a bard. He's clearly the infiltration type, but even so, bards know arcane magic that is useful in battle."), and even a fox and... something behind a chair ("a cat, maybe?").

When the smiling bard asks for gold to walden, the genasi warrior just subtly nods in approval ("perfect. I didn't even need to ask"). And then the bard turned to everyone, just like a squad leader looking for volunteers.

It took a moment for him to finally make a choice.

"I'm in," the genasi finally said. His earthly face remained unexpressive though.

[SiuiS]

Betrys sits back, slowly. Calmly. The beatific smile still sits her face, but there is a clear air of subtle patronization about her. This man is, in his own way, trying to play them, and everyone knows it.

"And who is our mark~?"

[LtPowers]

The Half-Elf's smile falters somewhat; were she not a Joybringer she might actually frown. "Ruining someone's life is rarely an occasion for joy. I presume there is strong evidence of this noble's corruption?"

She looks at the others in the room... most of them appeared fairly thoughtful and honorable, but a few looked like some of their impulses might need a bit of tempering. Maybe she could be useful, and prevent excessive violence. If she were to just walk out on this, who knows how badly it might end?

Still, she feels quite out of place. This group, whatever they were, were looking for mercenaries, not priests. Unconsciously, she moves a step closer to the Shou woman, whose statements seemed most in line with her own thoughts. She also looks with interest at the Hamadryad, whose demeanor suggests contentment... not quite joy, but perhaps a cousin, and most welcome in a place such as this.


Adrie Everbright

[Daveheart]

While everyone speaks his mind, Derek observes the expressions on the patrons' faces and their bodily language.

"If I will be working with them", he thinks, "it's better to understand what they think".

Spoiler

Show

Follows list of Insight rolls on each character:

1. Inoue Kaede: (1d20+5)[18]
2. Khoren Bloodsnow: (1d20+5)[11]
3. Xardis: (1d20+5)[15]
4. Adrie Everbright: (1d20+5)[21]
5. Tieru Sunshadow: (1d20+5)[21] (supposing he joins the conversation, otherwise don't consider this roll)
6. Pratina Liao: no roll. Derek doesn't have a reason to think a vixxen can be anything else and has too low passive Insight to suspect.
7. Askus: no roll. He's at the counter, no way Derek thinks he's part of the group.
8. Betrys: (1d20+5)[9]

Not bad at all... Betrys is difficult to read, indeed!

[Philemonite]

Walden smiled when he heard bard's comment.
"Well, I like to keep my audience entertained." he said.
"And I do have some experience." He whispered to the bard.
He turned to the Half-Elven woman, he was determined to beat her in this exchange of wits, so he change his tactics.
"That's strange, I always thought that riding the city of corruption is a cause for joy. Maybe that's just me." He didn't give her a chance to respond as he continued.
"You will all be payed for your troubles, you do not need to worry. Your target, if you choose to except this mission, is Lord Seldor, a relatively powerful noble. Some of you might have heard of him. He is involved in most of the crimes in the city, particularly slavery and trade of stolen goods. He is backed by some powerful nobles, including the Roenal's, so our best course of action is to attack him on multiple fronts. One option is to sneak into Roenal estate. They hold detailed records of Seldor's activities. All you need to do is take it to Chief Inspector Braga, and he will know what to do with them. Your other option is to rescue a merchant named Daneir. He has been imprisoned by Seldor, because what Daneir knows threatens him. Your third option is to contact the Order of the Radiant Heart. This would be the most difficult option, but if you could convince them to ask a few questions and maybe even search his estate, there would be enough proof to guaranty a very long sentence. Is that enough information?"

[SiuiS]

The Half-Elf's smile falters somewhat; were she not a Joybringer she might actually frown. "Ruining someone's life is rarely an occasion for joy. I presume there is strong evidence of this noble's corruption?"

"We will find it if there is, and we may always leave if tricked."

"Is that enough information?"

"It is for now, thank you."

Time then comes to start, soon? Betrys lifts her cup gingerly between both hands to the familiar rattling of armored links, closes her eyes and takes a long drink. The whiskey swirls about her mouth, tongue, and she spends a moment indulging in it's flavored, especially the lascivious hints of oak for. The aging barrel. A sense of internal focus builds and stays, and her eyes remain closed until the bottom of the class makes solid impact with the table.

"Do we need you more? If not we would like more privacy to discuss our plans." the dryad smiles.

[LtPowers]

The Joybringer nods at the Hamadryad's point, then listens to Walden's explanation. "Very well. If you intend to get the Radiant Heart involved, having me along will help to demonstrate our good intentions. And even if we don't approach them, I fully intend to help rescue this poor merchant. If we can help damage the slave trade in the process, so much the better.

"Adrie Everbright, Joybringer of Lliira, will assist this cause."


Adrie

[Daveheart]

To Betrys:
"Yes, I think we need him a bit more, my lady of the Trees. We need to know at least three more things."

To Walden, counting with fingers:
"One: does your Organization have a preference about how we should handle the matter? Do you want discretion or fame?"
"Two: this Daneir guy, where is he kept? Roenall estate or Seldor estate? And how does he look like?
"Three: when we get things done, how do we contact you?"

To Khoren, Xardis and Inoue Kaede:
"And also you strike me as men... and women of arms." Derek brazenly winks at Inoue Kaede.
"Do you have questions for our generous employer about your area of expertise? Guards, fortifications... I'm not a fighter myself, and I wouldn't know what to ask, but I do want to survive our little escapade..."
A smile, bowing his head towards the group.

Edit

Spoiler

Show

Forgot the "how does he look like" part. Only Khoren replied by now and it's not affected, so I edited

[Battlemage]

Khoren Bloodsnow

The Goliath looks at 'Walden', then at the bard, then at 'Walden' again, an unreadable expression on his face.

Talky fellows.

"A predator watches it's prey before it strikes. We will do the same. How stealthy does the whole thing need to be? How much... damage to Seldor's estate and guards is acceptable?"

[mistformsquirrl]

Kaede frowns. How the mighty have fallen. then shrugs and sighs.

"I must concur. Any information we receive now could be dangerously dated before we make our move. That is assuming I join this operation to begin with...

She turns back to Walden "You have given us some good reasons to dislike this man, Seldor, but you have yet to assuage my doubts about your organization itself.

This is a game of strategy, I've seen it's like before - you topple Seldor, and then what? Who takes Seldor's place? Are they more honorable, wiser... or merely more willing to line your pockets instead of a rivals, perhaps?"

Kaede draws closer to Walden, leaving her Naginata propped against a chair.

"What I wish to understand, Walden-san, is the lay of the board. To put it in terms perhaps familiar to you - I will happily be a pawn if it serves a genuinely righteous cause, but I will not serve wickedness in any capacity, even if made a queen. You understand, yes?"

[Wdwune]

Xardis of Thay

"Slavery," the words came to Xardis' mind like a rimestorm over a magma soup. He scowled as he thought. "Our target, Lord Seldor, is a slaver. Could it be possible that this Walden guy actually wanted me in this mission for a reason? There's few person who know about my experience with slavers." He took his time to look at Walden's eyes. "This could be dangerous. I'd better be careful from now on..."

He stared down, frowning again, submerged in his usual tactical trance. "Let's see. We could either steal some documents from another noble's state, or rescue a merchant directly from Seldor's dungeons, or go in a diplomatic mission to talk our way to this... 'Order'..."

The bard's words interrupted the flow of his thoughts.

"Do you have questions for our generous employer about your area of expertise? Guards, fortifications... I'm not a fighter myself, and I wouldn't know what to ask, but I do want to survive our little escapade..."

After the female human warrior spoke, Xardis broke his stoic silence. "During most battles you fight without knowing your opponent beforehand," he spoke to Walden, lowly. "However the bard has a point here, and no matter the circumstances, the reports of the scouts are always useful. Do you have any information regarding the defenses of the three locations?"

[Philemonite]

Walden was surprised by the samurai girl's comment.
"Can you not for a second entertain the idea that we want to abolish the game, not just change the players?" He asked with a smile.
"We have no preference, but i believe it would be best to split up and attempt all three. If even one succeeds, the mission will be accomplished. As far as we know Daneir is held in a special cell in the prison. There is a room upstairs, it is reserved for me. You can usually find me there, if you are patient enough. The bartender can show you the room."
He paused for a second.
"We would like for the damage to be minimal, the less attention you attract, the better. The prison is hard to infiltrate, a direct approach would be the best solution. There are two guards outside that can be easily disabled. Once you are inside you will have to deal with at least three guards. There is not much else I can tell you about that. The Roenal estate should not be heavily guarded, you should be able to pass with some stealth. As for the Order, if here anyone is blessed with a silver tongue, that would be very helpful."

[Daveheart]

Derek listens carefully to Walden's words, then he appears lost in thought for a few seconds, his eyes looking at the table he sits at.

Slowly, he stands up and turns to him.

"I heard enough and I'm in. I'll sit here at this table and the first round is on me.
When you guys are finished, take a seat, so that we can properly decide how to split these jobs between us. I really need a fresh, dark beer now."

He rummages in his backsack and picks up the handkerchief where the patrons put some coin in, while he was playing his lute. Derek stands up and calls for the waitress:

"Hey, Amy! A drink for me and my five friends here! Unless you want one too, Walden."

Finally, he picks up his lute and starts playing an adagio melody, humming softly.

[DragonKnightp3]

The vixxen listened quietly to the discussions being held around her. While she could have easily joined in herself, it would require her to change forms and as far as she was concerned, Walden hadn't quite earned the right to see that sight just yet. He was a mask that she couldn't read and that bristled her fur just a little bit. There were always other ways for her to express herself without changing into a human or her half-animal form. Still, any attempt at all would at least suggest she was more than a 'stupid beast' regardless which way she chose.

One would find it almost comical to see such a thoughtful expression on fox's face. Her mind took in all three scenarios of how to take down this slaver noble, assuming she participated. The first was collecting the documents. Regardless of what form she chose for that mission, she was always clever enough to stay out of sight and stood a good chance of watching for trouble. The true problem would be any locks she encountered. The fox woman had a delicate touch but she wasn't skilled at making the most of it. Animal form would be best for a task like that since she would likely be kicked out if discovered...Or turned into a fox skin scarf... she mentally grimaced at that last thought.

Her mind wandered to the rescue attempt. Once again, locks would be a tricky problem but when it came to combat, she wasn't a slouch. It was still not her favored idea since it would require her to shift to her human form or her true half-form. She would have no choice but to out herself as a hengeyokai to the current group. She briefly closed her eyes in remembrance, ...I....I...do not owe these people anything...if they do not accept me...I can just move on and let them deal with this problem themselves... Pratina was a tad prideful. She didn't want to agree to anything if she wasn't willing to see it through. Nor did she want to admit that part of the reason she stayed in fox form was to avoid being judged. She was hopeful that this group would be different but she prepared herself for the opposite reaction as well.

That left the last option, the diplomatic mission to the Order. She had spent quite a bit of time studying human nature. Yes, Walden was a mask to her but the average man would have a harder time lying in her presence. She could even mimic the liars to an extent but she was not practiced in it. More often than not, she merely used their assumptions against them. Once they knew what they were dealing with, it became much harder to trick them. Finally, without physical proof, the vixxen very much doubted their word would go far.

After thinking long and hard, she finally made her decision. Pratina moved a little closer to Walden before once again. The fox suddenly began scratching at her neck as she worked the pouch over her head and onto the floor in front of her. She pulled a string on the pouch to open it up and revealed a set of playing cards. However, these cards had simple one or two word phrases written on the back side of them. She grasped one of the cards with her teeth, taking care not to get any drool over it. She placed the card on the table in front of Walden so that he could see the words written on it, "I Agree." She let him see it just long enough for him to read it before reclaiming it and placing it back into the pouch. If she got the satisfaction of seeing a dumbfounded expression or two from the gather adventurers, she would smirk a little.

After making her first decision known, she nimbly hopped into one of the seats at the table and placed her little pouch on top. She once again rummaged through the pouch until she managed to pull out three cards. She flipped them over so that they were facing up. The Ace of spades, the two of clubs, and the three of hearts. Once all three cards were facing upright. She placed a paw on the ace of spades while letting out a short yip. Her paw then moved to the two of clubs and the vixxen yipped once more though not as loud as the first. She finally moved to the three of hearts and whimpered a little. Clearly she was trying to show which of the three she would rather do.

[Battlemage]

Khoren Bloodsnow

The massive Goliath is just about to say something when the fox's unexpected actions interrupt him. He watches it perform its task with a blank face until the animal is done.

"Thank you for your opinion on the matter." he deadpans. "I'll take the rescue mission myself. I prefer overwhelming force to sneaking around and my blade is better at convincing people than my tongue."

Spoiler

Show

Nature roll to see what Khoren knows about sentient foxes or fox-like races (which is unlikely to be much): (1d20+3)[10]

[Philemonite]

"Your offer is appreciated, but I don't drink when I'm working. Maybe we can share a drink when this mission is over."

There was no trace of confusion on Walden's face as the vixen showed him the card.
"I am glad." he said to her.
"One, two, three, I got it." he added as she showed him the cards.

[Wdwune]

Xardis of Thay

After listening a more detailed approach of the three different missions, Xardis took a brief time to review he options as he walked towards one of the empty chairs at the bard's table.

"Clearly, I'm a soldier," he thought. "So I think the rescue mission should be the easiest for me. he infiltration mission, well... I'm not the stealthy type, so it would be hard for me to sneak into the Roenal state. And the diplomatic one seems I could not be a masterpiece, but I could lend support if needed..."

Once he took a seat, the genasi paid attention to the fox showing cards and clearly communicating. "This is not an ordinary fox... I wonder if it's..."

When the fox was finished, Xardis finally made his choice:

"I'll take any mission that's necessary, but the priority of my preferences is, the rescue, the diplomatic, then the infiltration, in that order."

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Reasons of my preferences:
1) Rescue mission: Xardis is a defender/leader, so that mission would suit him perfectly.
2) Diplomatic mission: Even if he's not trained on diplomacy or bluff, he can still make intelligence-based checks (+4 untrained bonus), and is trained in Intimidate (just in case)
3) Infiltration mission: He has low dexterity (hey, it's a noisy elemental creature), so stealth is not his strong point. However, he's trained in Arcana, so he can act as both magic detector and team guard.