Blades in the Dark: Gangs of Duskovol IC thread

[Ramsus]

Pepper and Locke

Pepper had not been expecting a ghost at the end of this journey. She blinks and then make a quiet growl to herself, more anger at the unexpected and unpleasant situation than at the ghost in particular, as she slings her rifle off her back. She keeps one eye on the ghost as she works at chambering an electroplasmic round as quickly as she can.

[dojango]

Pepper and Locke

One of the harder things about dealing with ghosts is the lack of facial expressions. It is hard for the living to tell what a ghost is thinking. It merely says, <I believe the phrase was, 'you can never have enough Pepper? You asked for someone to teach you the ways of the world. I need corporeal assistants. My old student sent you. Sacrificing yourself in the name of humanity was once our watchword. I have far too much to do to allow myself to be consigned to oblivion.>

Elynn and Jack

"I take back what I said about lawyers. Well, most of it, I guess." Elynn reaches out to shake Jack's hand after they leave the restaurant. "We may have some jobs for you. Well, maybe for the other guy. Got to talk it over with the guild. I'll keep in touch, Mr. Scrimshaw."

[Elbeyon]

Pepper and Locke

That tell tale sign of a rifle snapping open catches Locke’s ear. She tries to put a hand on the arm Pepper is using to hold the fine looking piece. She says with a lower toned voice, “Don’t shoot him, Pepper. I know this piece of filth. I’ll shoot him myself if necessary. He’s my granddad.”

Pepper gives Locke a look like "Mother****er DO NOT lay your hands on me right now unless you're looking to get shot too" and says with aggressiveness oozing from every pore, "So what? I had to take out one of my grandmother's ghosts. Putting them to rest is a favor." It seems like there's a lot more she could say if this wasn't a tense situation and she felt like sharing.

Steadfast, Locke moves her hand back off Pepper now that she’s stopped loading. “You’re not shooting my ****ing granddad without me finishing my business with him. He is Gary’s teacher. He taught me how to open my eyes. Imagine what he knows. A whisper master is in front of me, and I’ve got a living chance to learn from him. Destroying ghosts may mean more to you than whatever occult you wanted to know from him, but that knowledge is my life. I’ve risked limb and sanity to learn a sliver of the knowledge he promises. He is going to teach me what he knows.”

Pepper just looks at Locke really hard in silence for a few moments before replying, gun still in hand, "Fine. But it's on you to deal with it if he does anything." In truth, Pepper is not really "fine" with the situation at all, but the number of people killing this ghost would piss off that are her allies has grown too high and Locke looks like she'd make it a real problem. One ghost isn't worth that much trouble, especially with a Whisper on side to make sure it's useful instead of dangerous. Despite her words and thoughts, she still hasn't lowered her gun from it's half raised state.

Locke let’s the seriousness of Pepper’s words weigh in before replying. “I’ll shred him in half myself if he so much as causes us a bit of trouble. I can control a single ghost no matter how much danger he poses.” She keeps eyes on Pepper, waiting for her final reply.

Pepper gives Locke a look a dubious look in regards to her supposed prowess, but then gives a nod and slings her gun back onto her back.

[dojango]

Pepper & Locke

There is a long pause. Finally the ghost 'speaks' again. <Drav. Little Drav. I thought you had... well. Well. I was wrong. I am glad to see you have survived. Yes. You know the price we must pay for knowledge. You will make an excellent student. We have much to do, and little time to do it. If your friend requires assurances, I shall give it.> The ghost floats down to one of the slabs and taps it with an ethereal foot. <Pry this up and take it with you. Take a handful of dirt from beneath it. That will be my surety, my bond. And... it would be best if you returned my mask to its bearer. It has a geas on it. It will protect her. Return to her, if it must.>

[Elbeyon]

Pepper & Locke

Locke takes her gloves off and breaths on her hands. "Well, yeah, I thought you died. Turns out you did. It's been too long." Ghosts aren't so lightly trusted. A hand near her pouches, she walks over to the slab, digs around it with her foot, and bends down to dig it up. She flips a flap on her waist and puts her mask on while facing away from the street. She awakens herself to compare the dirt and the ghost, and check the slab and fill a pouch full with the dirt.

Spoiler: OoC

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Attune
(2d6)[5][3](8)

Do these objects hold power over this ghost?

[dojango]

Pepper & Locke

As Locke stares intently at the slab, she sees that it reads, "Hector Kendall. 532-585. Husband. Father. Hero". She picks up the handful of dirt, looks at it with her arcane sight. Faint tendrils seep from the ghost's feet, like roots. They rest in the dirt. This does have a power over the ghost, although perhaps not as strong as legends would have you believe. The ghost looks at Locke as she does this. It holds up its hands, and ethereal manacles appear on them, for a moment.

[Elbeyon]

Locke unmasks herself, tucks the slab under her arm, and walks back to Pepper. "There, he wasn't lying. I already had a handle on him, and he has surrender further to us. Let's bag him and take him to the ship. I've got some personal questions he needs to answer, and you can get him out of your sight."

[Ramsus]

Pepper & Locke

"Right." Pepper replies, a bit uncomfortable still as she takes the mask from the ghost.
The exact same word and tone is repeated as an answer to Locke a few moments later.

If it's on the way, Pepper makes sure they take the mask back to the kid the lent it to her and thanks her. If not, she does so later as soon as she has some free time. Either way, the thanks is given masking her trepidation about this whole affair as much as possible.

If on the way back Locke get tired of carrying the slab on her own, Pepper will offer to take turns carrying it. Despite that offer she'll seem reluctant to touch it every time.

[dojango]

Ghost on the Anglerfish


Once you release the ghost back on the ship, it floats around, carefully inspecting the vessel. <A fine ship> it declares. <The old Chatham boilers are rated for 200 psi, but I wouldn't push them past 180, unless you're eager to join me.> It makes himself at home in the salon, manifesting illusionary bottles and glasses, pouring drinks and pretending to smoke a pipe. There it is more than happy to regale the crew with stories of commanding soldiers and some of the arcane secrets its learned over the years, although it occasionally adopts the condescending attitude of a bored professor. It also mentions, somewhat ruefully, that all the arcane and military power in the world can be useless if you can't make friends and influence people. It is willing to share some of the lessons it learned so painfully. The ghost doesn't seem too concerned about its imprisonment, although it does try to keep Salt as far away from it as possible.

[Ramsus]

Ghost on the Anglerfish

Pepper instructs Salt not to attack their friendly ghost and to keep menacing and chasing to a minimum.

[dojango]

The Meeting

There is an etiquette to underworld deals; much like there is an etiquette to the boardrooms or the halls of the nobility. When neutral or potentially hostile parties meet, the first party proposes a meeting and the number of attendants. The second party decides the time and place of the meeting. The proposing party is the one allowed to arrive first. And so it goes with your proposed meeting with Mylera Klev. A description of the artifacts for sale is enough to elicit a reply. There is no commitment in terms of price or sale, but she agrees to meet in an neutral spot and inspect the goods. The messenger, a slim man with a chipped tooth and a lopsided grin returns with her offer. "Silk is the best time to cherish art. If we agree, we may celebrate in wine. We can meet two days hence."

[Ramsus]

As soon as they get off their sailboat, Pepper scouts the area for any potential traps or ambushes. Then she looks around for a place, preferably higher up, with good sight-lines on the entire area. If possible the spot would be easy enough for her to hide in and use as a sniping perch if violence breaks out.

[dojango]

The Meet


The moon is just rising as the crew leaves the docks. It hangs low in the sky, a red glowing grin looking down on the city. Strange red lights flicker on the darkened disc of the moon. The devils are dancing tonight, as the saying goes. Hoisting the sail, you head upriver towards the meeting place. Suddenly, from out of one of the smaller docks, a steam launch bears down on you. "Prepare for inspection!" a voice shouts out. The crates of art are safely hidden away in the cabin, and your holds are empty, so the inspection isn't terribly dangerous. Just inconvenient. The Bluecoat leading the boarding party contentedly puffs on his pipe while two underlings open up the hatches of the cargo holds, shining their lights into the empty darkness. "All clear, boss!" they say. The leading Bluecoat nods. "Stay out of trouble, y'hear? Anyone ask you to carry anything weird, you let us know, alright?" The steam launch disappears into the darkness, heading to inspect another ship sailing down the river.

Unfortunately, this delay means that the crew doesn't arrive at the meeting spot as early as they'd like. They dock at one of the small piers that serves the farms. A good place to unload nightsoil, or pick up food destined for the city. While the other three wrestle the crates up out of the hold, Pepper lopes off into the darkness to spot potential dangers. Time is slipping by, so her survey is likely to have more limited results than it otherwise would...

[Ramsus]

-Flashback to the previous day-
Pepper walks around the area and checks out the sight-lines and any signs that anyone has been here before her to set up any traps. She uses her spyglass to check distances and really take the time to figure out the best perch for when they return the next day.
-Back to the present-
Pepper checks again for ambushes and traps, because they could be new. And in case anyone is watching today that wasn't yesterday they won't know that she's checked out any places she didn't take the time to today.

Spoiler

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0 Stress Flashback to Set Up self.
Set Up for Improved Effect.
Survey: (2d6)[4][6](10)

[dojango]

The Day before

Pepper takes some time to scout out the proposed meeting site. The pumphouse, while offering elevation and concealment, is too far away to be of much use. The fog and gloom limits her visibility. Closer up, the crest of the riverbank offers some good vantage points towards the meeting site, and is also closer to the boat if a quick escape is needed. Closer in, there are a few clusters of bushes that might serve as a vantage point, with the closer range making it easier to see the meeting place. But it also makes it easier for someone to potentially spot her. Along the road there are ditches filled with stagnant water. It would be unpleasant to lie down there, and she would be visible from anyone travelling along the road. Out in the fields, the ripening crops do offer some concealment, but black & white clad inmate work gangs are there tending the crops. She can see a gang out in the distance, sullenly working under the oversight of a shotgun-toting Ironhook warden.

The day of the meeting

The area is dimly lit under the electric haze of the city. The moon's strange glow casts a reddish hue on the night. Pepper prowls around in the gloom once more, hurriedly checking the best sniper spots she saw the other day. They are much as she remembers them. Although, there are fresh tracks in the ground by them. Someone has passed by here more recently than she did. Using her spyglass, she checks her surroundings. There is another work-gang in the fields, laboring under the pallid light of the radiant trees. She also sees a figure heading towards the pumphouse.

[n0ble]

Willix abandoned the crates. Quite frankly if anyone could move such a thing so heavy then they deserved whatever was inside. Besides, moving things was beneath him. That was what servants were for.

He sighed as it seemed as though no one else would approach the house. He briefly considered crawling on his stomach,then thought better of it when he pictured himself getting caught in such a position. “Mm. Ridiculous…” As he got up Wick cricked his neck back and forth. Why was it that everytime he needed to smoke he found himself in a situation where taking a drag was less than optimal. Perhaps there would be time for some during the meeting.

He turned to Pepper and her rifle, a content sneer on his face. He spoke a bit slower than usual, just to make sure she understood his Akorosi. “Just remember, they keep the sights on top for a reason.” He didn’t wait for a reply, instead turning to leave as silently as he could manage towards the shack.

Spoiler: OOC

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Pushing for two stress to get an extra dice on a Prowl Roll

Wick will try and Prowl across the field to get to the shack: (1d6)[3]

[Ramsus]

As Wick walks away thinking he's so superior, Pepper also doesn't say anything. Because she's busy picking a nearby rock. When she's found the right one she throws it at the back of Wick's head hard enough to hurt but not to really harm him. If he turns around to look at her, she'll have gotten her rifle back up and pointing at him and be giving him a mirror image of the sneer he gave her a few moments ago.

[3SecondCultist]

On the Water

"Officers!" Jack says with a wide grin as the boat is approached for a cursory inspection. "How are you doing this evening? Is there a problem? I can assure you that our cargo is secure, unlike just about any boat on these waters I found myself a quartermaster I can trust! In fact, I have the paperwork here, in triplicate..." as he deals with the Bluecoats, the blind lawyer makes a signal to the others to get underway. The forms he's written up - entirely legitimate in their own right, even if they do not necessarily apply to all of the cargo - should at least put off their attentions and allow them to pass through the inspection more than quickly enough.


Approaching the Site

"Now, now." Jack says with a small smile as he catches the rock out of mid-air with almost preternatural reflexes. He turns around to look at Pepper with something akin to wry amusement or perhaps disappointment, although the ever-blank eyes reveal nothing. "That's just poor manners, my dear. If I need to be the intermediary between the two of you, I shall. Nevertheless, I must commend you on your aim."

Seeing Wick head out, Jack continues to follow his tracks. The scouting of the area proceeds apace.

Spoiler: OOC

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Taking a Flashback action to try and Sway past the obstacle of the Bluecoat inspection. I'll roll Sway here, just plain standard. Let me know if I need to take a point of Stress (I personally don't think so, given he would have had to do literally zero prep outside of the documentation which I had already planned to have).

Sway: (2d6)[2][3](5)

[dojango]

At the inspection

The Bluecoat leading the search party looks briefly at the papers and brusquely brushes them aside. "Papers don't always seem to say much, you know?" he says, fixing the crew with a cold stare. The searchers don't find anything, of course, because the holds are empty, but the Bluecoat eyes the party suspiciously for a moment before giving the all clear.

Scouting out the meeting

Wick and Ifriti head towards the pumphouse, where the figure was retreating to. Although the gloom does offer some concealment, the cleared ground around the area does not. A figure wearing the dirty work-tunic of an engineer stares suspiciously at them as they approach. "Clear off," he says. "This is.... wait. You're those guys. You're supposed to be meeting with the bosslady. What're you doing here?" Wick and Ifriti notice the rifle leaning against the door. The man doesn't reach for it, but he does edge slightly closer to it...

[n0ble]

Wick sighed as the man keyed in on them. He slowly took his hands out of his pocket and into the air. He kept them at about shoulder level and tried to relax a bit. There were always things in his jacket for when things inevitably went wrong. His tone was even as he spoke. Instead it was slow, measured and monotone. "No harm meant. Here for business." He idly pictured sticking a grenade to the mans belt with some binding oil. The resulting riot of colors would be pretty but the noise...He made a note to design some sort of silent bio-grenade when the opportunity presented itself before tearing his mind affair from dreaming and back to the present scene before him.

The man at the door was still ugly and reeked of piss while Scrimshaw had yet to have spoken. Wick sighed again, more to himself than out loud. He looked to Scrimshaw expectantly.

Spoiler: OOC

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Taking 1 stress to assist Jack's roll via appearing non threatening.

[Ramsus]

Sitre was just going back to her apartment after teaching her last class for the day when a Cypher brought her a message from Elynn that a group of people who had just come in to some items could use an appraiser and perhaps a negotiator for selling said goods. His message also noted that amongst those goods was a book on the list she'd asked him to keep an eye out for.
It was this last part that actually garnered her interest. She sent the Cypher back with a message that she would accept his offer.

The next day, Ifriti was brought aboard the Anglerfish by Elynn and introduced briefly before she went to examine the goods. It turned out to be a more interesting collection than she'd thought and certain items were going to take longer to appraise than the group wished to wait before making a sale of at least some of them. Which was fine, offloading all this at once to the same buyer would have been fairly difficult.
She told them that she'd had prior experience with the Red Sashes who would be interested in a variety of the goods since they had a love of artwork as well. One item among the artwork she wasn't quite sure if they would be interested in or offended by. So she suggested to the group that she be the one to do the negotiating. For of course, a doubling of her fee for her services and a cut of the profits if she arranged a good deal.
There was some negotiating and an agreement was reached, so she then reached out to the Red Sashes.

---

"As my companion says, we were given this general area as our meeting place and we saw some movement over here and came to see what was what." Ifriti says, trying to be disarming.

Spoiler

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Not sure if this is Consort or Sway. They're both 2 so... *shrug*

(3d6)[4][3][1](8)

[dojango]

At the pumphouse

The man stares suspiciously at Wick and Ifriti for a moment more, and then says, "Suppose there's no harm in you scoutin' around. Just here for backup, make sure there's no funny business. You'd best hurry back, though, Miss Klev's comin', and she don't like waiting..." sure enough, coming down the road you can dimly see a coach being pulled by four goats. It's moving at a leisurely pace, but still faster than a walk. If the two scoundrels don't hustle back to the meeting place, they'll be late, which could certainly start the meeting off on the wrong foot.

[Ramsus]

"Yes of course. Glad to know you're watching our backs." Ifriti says, giving the impression that she thinks "oh of course you're here to protect both sides from outside threats, not your side from us". If that disarms him of considering their group is a threat, great. If it makes him more alert to outside threats, also great. Then she walks back at a quick pace to make sure they're at the meeting spot on time.

[dojango]

The Meet

The meeting place is a turnout beside the road. Unmemorable, except for a statue of a long-forgotten imperial of some sort. There is a small watering-trough filled with a few inches of unpleasant-looking water. On one side of the road are the fields in the radiant farms, while on the other are the scrubby dunes of the riverbank. Pepper is safely concealed in a spot overlooking the meeting place. All is quiet in the gloom, although in the middle distance a black & white clad chain gang is moving through the fields doing... something agricultural, no doubt.

The crew hustles back to the meeting area so as not to be late. Perhaps seeing this, the coach slows slightly, allowing them to arrive first, by moments. The coach door opens, and out steps a stern, bulky-looking man. He is wearing a cuirass over his rough clothes. Over it is a red sash. He is armed with a pistol and an Iruvian dueling sabre. He glares at each of you for a few moments, and then looks over the meeting place. Seeing it to his satisfaction, he nods an assent, and Mylera Klev steps out. She is an athletic woman, with traces of grey in her dark hair. She wears a red sash with traces of gold filigree in it, and is armed with a sabre as well. After her, comes out an older woman, in a simple dress. She has a spirit mask tucked in her belt, and a small dagger. The bodyguard pulls a folding table and chair from the back of the coach and sets it up. Once done, he steps back, and leans against the statue, watching each of you and the surroundings intently. The coachman, a figure wearing a black hooded cape, detaches the goats from the coach and leads them off to graze from the nearby bushes. Mylera sits at the table (there is only one chair), while her whisper stands behind her, looking off into the middle distance. She looks at the party and says, "So. There are some new art dealers in town? And you have something to show me? I am always on the lookout for new bargains. What do you have?"

[Ramsus]

Ifriti stands across the table from Mylera and opens with a bit of Iruvian. <"Warm greetings countryman!">* Then switches back to Akorosi, "A pleasure to see you again." She has no doubt Mylera would remember her. Not due to any significance of their previous interaction, just because she doubts anyone is ever going to forget her outfit and she wore this same one last time they met.
She turns to look at Wick and asks, "Would you characterize yourselves as art dealers?" Before Wick can say anything she shrugs and goes back to speaking to Mylera.
"I have drawn up a list of what they have for sale. Of particular note is an item I'm not sure if you'll be interested in. A relic celebrating Iruvia's entry into the empire." She then hands over the list and points to the last item on it, which is the statue she mentioned.

((*This is something a common Iruvian light jesting greeting being used for additional humor given the location. The joke being that all greetings in Iruvia are warm in the physical sense. The additional joke being that this is Duskwall which is decided not a warm place.))

[n0ble]

Wick waited till the new hire was done talking, then calmly replied to her question. He looked past the whisperess at Klev and found her more attractive than the new recruit. Well either of the new recruits. Which made for the Dagger Islander in the middle. Mm.<We export. Art is within our...portfolio.> He inclined his head down in a slight bow of respect. His face settled into a conservative smile as his mind balanced thoughts of negotiations with those of the Dagger Islander in the middle. Then the Skovlander started speaking...

---

Skannon had his hands stuffed in his trench-coat pockets and was looking down at everyone, though not to condescend. His proportions allowed for little else but that and idly kicking a little at the ground. He looked at the art-woman's bodyguard and had himself a good long think about how he'd look after Skannon took the hammer to his skull. He thought was snuffed out in it's infancy when the wiry man and woman started chattering. Even after all these years Akorosi still had new words for Skannon to learn. Trying to learn desert-talk was both beyond and beneath a man of his age.

While everyone else had to the hut, Skannon had stayed behind and, seeing that no one had brought a stool to sit on, lugged along after unloading the last of the cargo. As such, he planted it on the ground once the whisperer was done talking. Much as he'd like to have smashed the Redclad's teeth in, Skannon was smart enough to know that the situation required a light touch. Much like working at the slaughterhouse. Perhaps some humour to defuse things. His voice ground out a few words, "Is Duskvol, ja? We speak Akorosi." Skannon smiled good natured-ly. His teeth were a healthy shade of pink.

Spoiler: OOC

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Set up action with Skannon.
Gonna consort as a set up action on negotiations: (1d6)[5]

[dojango]

"It's been far too many decades since I graced the shores of warm Iruvia," says Mylera. "I appreciate the effort, but even now, I dream in Akorosi. Let us see what you have." Mylera checks the list. "I would need to inspect the items first, naturally. To see them with my own eyes. And her eyes. I assume you checked them for danger already, but it never hurts to have a second opinion. I recall you saying that once. If you are correct, this might be one of Mehra Guar's works? Or a copy of it. If I had such a piece in my collection, some of the more... outspoken types would be offended. But I know some people who might be willing to display it. If you are ready for a sale, bring the items up so I can see them. If everything is as you say... perhaps [six coin] for the lot?"

[Ramsus]

We flash back to an earlier moment on the steamboat. Pepper leads Ifriti to where they have the jewelry and the artwork laid out ready for Ifriti's inspection. There are also the two books Elynn mentioned Ifriti wanted as part of her fee.
Ifriti quickly snatches the books up, practically clutching them to her chest.

"What's so special about those two anyhow?" Pepper asks curiously.
Ifriti, with a coy smile on her face behind the mask replies, "I'm hoping they'll whisper a few little secrets in my ear."
Pepper looks blankly at Ifriti not getting the pun as she's still not used to the Akorosi term.
There is a moment of awkward looking at each other expecting the other to react in some way.
Ifriti sighs and says, "Right then. Time to work." and moves over to inspect first the jewelry and she asks Pepper to fetch a lamp so she can examine them in detail better. While she waits she examines things in the ghost field to make sure nothing is dangerous or too useful to be selling.

Spoiler

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Study: (2d6)[6][6](12)

[dojango]

Appraising the items

The items already identified as resonating in the ghost field have been safely stowed away in a secured and warded cabin for further study. Ifriti examines the art with her arcane senses once again, to confirm that these are mundane objects. Nothing. Next step is to find their true value. The paintings are the most valuable of the items, given their age, but Ifriti knows that mere monetary value is almost impossible to calculate for works of art. After all, what might be a trite collectable to one person might be an object of obsession to another. For example, the statue "Iruvia and Akoros married by victory" would earn you a sound thrashing if you showed it to Iruvian rebels, while an Imperial loyalist would pay well to display it. Someone with the right connections and contacts would probably be know how to get the most out of the objects, but that would take months, if not years. And most reputable art dealers tend to ask annoying questions like, "where was this acquired from? And has the Imperial excise tax on imported artwork been paid?" Mylera, on the other hand, doesn't worry about such trivial matters, and is apparently willing to buy the whole stock at once. In normal circumstances you would expect the art dealer to pay about [10 coin] for the works, but you may need to accept a discount given the ah, unlawful and secret nature of the works.

[Ramsus]

Ifriti looks over at the member of the Anglers she hasn't yet been introduced to who brought over the stool and says with appreciation, "Of course. Thank you." in reply and sits upon the stool as she begins haggling with Mylera.
"Well that's a good opener.... for those who don't know the real value of some of these. We both know these, through regular channels, could go for upwards of ten coin. But things being as they are and you being a valued friend, and of course the lack of taxes and questions, I wouldn't dare ask for such a price. But, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't at least ask for a more respectable sum." And so on it goes for a bit.
At some point Mylera's counter-offer includes the Anglers (phrased as "you" making the group include Ifriti) doing a job for her, in a way that doesn't sound like refusing that part of the deal being a very healthy idea and so Ifriti doesn't even try getting out of that. Though she would give Wick and the other man a look and a shrug, hoping they just go along with it without objecting.

Spoiler

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Improved Effect from Sledge's Set Up
Devil's Bargain that we have to do a job for Mylera
Consort/Sway: (3d6)[4][5][3](12)
I'm thinking if this goes real well we get 9 Coin?