[IC] ACQUISITIONS INCORPORATED: Team Ruby Moon (Name Not Final) [5E]

[Dexam]

Lilisendra Ravenswood

Lily glances at the ring and raises an eyebrow. "A most generous offer of payment," she says, adding a note to her parchment.

"As for the prisoner, we will most definitely want to speak with them. Although, I was not aware that banditry carried a death sentence in Cormyr. It may make acquiring information difficult; a man with no chance of redemption has nothing to gain by helping us. Is there any chance that the sentence could be reconsidered if they help us?"

[SunsetWaraxe]

Lady Harrington nods, "Tomorrow morning is fine."

She then flashes Lily an incredulous look before sighing, "Offer him anything other than a full pardon. I will convince the Lord of Waymoot of the... Wisdom of your offer. Although know this, these bandits have caused the death of a guard. More or less. The guard slipped on a patch of grass that was wet with morning dew, and then tumbled down into a deep irrigation ditch. He hit his head on a rock at the bottom of the ditch, which killed him. That bandit was the one in the guard house. The man who died was Lord Waymoot's valet's son. So you can see why the Lord has taken a... Harsh stance against this particular bandit.

[PartyOfRogues]

”Very well, if you any other concerns you can send a message to our headquarters and we will get back to you as soon as we are able, until then we bid you farewell. Unless any of my partners have any more questions.”

[SunsetWaraxe]

Lady harrington bids the party farewell.

The group then marches over the the tower that the paladin had indicated had the prisoner held within. The tower is short and squat, barely cresting over the edge of the town's walls. The stone used in its construction is a different shade of brown-grey than the walls, indicating that the two were built at different times. The tower definitely looks older, its crenellation and design flairs harken back to a simpler, more rustic time. Two guards stand outside, one is male, short, plump and gray of hair. The other is female, tall and willowy, with long blonde hair. Although the woman is wearing a helmet, you suspect she might be a half-elf.

The shorter man pipes up first, "Oiy, are you them Acquisitions Incorporated folk I've been hearing so much about? What you lot want here with this old tower?"

The woman brings her hands up to her face as if she is suffering from a headache.

"Hey, don't face palm me, you whipper snapper! I know good and well they're here for that prisoner but its only polite to ask!"

The woman groans as he pulls a big key ring from her belt and unlocks the door. The tower has a musty, stale scent to it. "Sorry about the smell, the tower is nearly three hundred years old. Connects to the ancient underground catacombs."

The female guard lights a torch and leads you down a spiral staircase. While descending, she comments, "I am glad you have come to speak with the prisoner. Lady Harrington was... Very forceful. I have not known her for long but she always seemed like a good person at heart. The way she... Interrogated the bandit was... Unnerving... The loss of our brother-in-arms was a tragedy but... He was always clumsy and not-sure-of-foot. I told him not to be come a guard, I feared an accident like this would happen one day..." The guard catches herself being too personable. She straightens up and deepens her voice, "Not that it is any of my business. I just carry out the Lord's will."

A long, dark hallways lies at the bottom of the stairwell. Along each wall are thick wooden doors, each secured with a big lock. As she nears the last door at the end of the hall, the guard hands a big key to the party. "Stay and talk to the prisoner as long as you want. Just make sure to lock him back up before you head back upstairs. With that, she leaves the group.

The cell is ten feet by ten feet, with a chamber pot in the far corner and a ratty old bedroll in the opposite corner. A human man sits on the bedroll. He has short red hair and emerald green eyes. His face is covered in freckles. He does not appear to be that old, perhaps only eighteen. His face and arms are covered in black bruises. He looks up as the party opens the door, the man fearfully shrieks, "No, no! I have told you everything! Please no more! NO MORE!"

[Ramsus]

Witch Queen Bunhilda the White Rabbitfolk Witch AC: 12/15 HP: 16/16 PP: 9 PIv: 15 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- As they walked in Bunhilda had been preparing to start first with the hard approach, but it seemed that wasn't necessary. Not being the most diplomatic sort, she decided to just leave the matter to the others. Indicated by her notably stepping to the side and occupying a corner of the room with her shadow rabbits.

[tigerusthegreat]

Amos is unusually quiet on the way to interrogate the prisoner. However, upon seeing the condition the prisoner is in, the silence is swiftly broken.
"This will not do." Reaching into his pouch, Amos pulls out on of the cold kolaches left over from lunch. "No matter your crimes, you shouldn't be beaten like that before judgement is rendered. I imagine you are hungry too, prisoners are rarely fed well, if they are fed at all." He sets it on the man's bedroll without coming too close to him, and steps away from the man to give him space. "You have my word that none of us are here to harm you."

"Why don't you tell us exactly what you told the violent paladin lady, and we will go from there."

[Dexam]

Lilisendra Ravenswood

Lady Harrington nods, "Tomorrow morning is fine."

"We'll be sure to send you a copy of the contract for engaging the services of Acquisitions Incorporated for your signature before we leave tomorrow." Lily makes another note on her increasingly full sheet of parchment.

She then flashes Lily an incredulous look before sighing, "Offer him anything other than a full pardon. I will convince the Lord of Waymoot of the... Wisdom of your offer. Although know this, these bandits have caused the death of a guard. More or less. The guard slipped on a patch of grass that was wet with morning dew, and then tumbled down into a deep irrigation ditch. He hit his head on a rock at the bottom of the ditch, which killed him. That bandit was the one in the guard house. The man who died was Lord Waymoot's valet's son. So you can see why the Lord has taken a... Harsh stance against this particular bandit.

Lily returns the incredulous stare upon hearing the reasoning behind the prisoner's death sentence. "By no means were we planning to offer him a full reprieve. If the man is a bandit, then he should be sentenced and punished accordingly for his banditry. What you have described sounds like an unfortunate accident rather than a deliberate act. To punish him for mischance sounds like a judgement made in haste and grief rather than in deliberation; I'm sure that a sensible woman such as yourself, and your noble church, would rather avoid such an injustice being served. We appreciate you taking action with Lord Waymoot to spare this man an undeserved punishment."

Lily makes a mental note that the lord of Waymoot seems to be someone ruled by their emotions, and to treat such a person warily.

A long, dark hallways lies at the bottom of the stairwell. Along each wall are thick wooden doors, each secured with a big lock. As she nears the last door at the end of the hall, the guard hands a big key to the party. "Stay and talk to the prisoner as long as you want. Just make sure to lock him back up before you head back upstairs. With that, she leaves the group.

Lily thanks the guard for her kindness and assistance. "Come to Beruintars Hone Warmer, and I'll buy you and your compatriot a drink or two as thanks," she tells her.

The cell is ten feet by ten feet, with a chamber pot in the far corner and a ratty old bedroll in the opposite corner. A human man sits on the bedroll. He has short red hair and emerald green eyes. His face is covered in freckles. He does not appear to be that old, perhaps only eighteen. His face and arms are covered in black bruises. He looks up as the party opens the door, the man fearfully shrieks, "No, no! I have told you everything! Please no more! NO MORE!"

Lily covers her mouth in shock upon seeing the condition of the prisoner. "As my friend says, we are not here to harm you; we are here to help you, provided that you help us."

[Zero Prime]

Johnny Law, Dran Enterprises Whistleblower AC: 15 | MAX HP: 20 | CURRENT: 20 | HIT DIE: 2d10 | CURRENT: 2d10 INITIATIVE: +3 | PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 14 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 12 ACTIVE EFFECTS: None. CONDITIONS: None. Johnny didn't like any of those, and he turned his ack, walking out on Harrington without another word. She was too invested in this, too close, and it was affecting her rationality. Not good, and given the Lord's personal connection to the tragically comic death of his son, and his own misplaced anger was just exasperating the entire situation. He was, however, bolstered, by the guardswoman's account, that the rank and file could see the truth of the matter, but he was concerned when she mentioned Harrington's forceful interrogations. His face tightened as he saw the prisoner, shook his head, and leaned against the doorframe, his hand resting on his gunbelt, adding a quiet support to the statements of his associates while they assured the battered man that they would do him no further harm.

[SunsetWaraxe]

The prisoner looks at Amos, then looks at the cold kolaches, then back at Amos. The man hesitantly leans forward, looks up at Amos, half expecting to be attacked. When no attack comes, he snatches the kolaches and stuffs it into his mouth.

After a few moments of chewing the man pleads, "I am not a bandit, honest! My friends and I... We come from a small throp up in the Stormhorns, halfway between Minroe and the Mage Keep. Draught has hit us pretty hard. Most of the wells have run dry. Most of this year's crop has died. The Queen promised us aid but... It has not come. With the dragon attack and the royal disappearance... I am not sure if we will ever get any help. My friends and I came to Waymoot looking for work but... There's not much of it. Too many people and too few jobs, honestly. Doubly so with all those refugees that came in a few years back. My friends and I were desperate. We made a deal with a Sembian merchant. We'd steal horses from Waymoot and deliver them to a small cave entrance, half way to Espar. He paid good money for the horses. What he did with them, we had no idea. The gold we got was the only thing keeping our families from starving.

The last job went sideways. A guard spotted us. Everyone else managed to escape on a horse. I wasn't so lucky. The guard chased me. He slipped and hit his head. I had no idea it was the Valet's son! I didn't want to be caught. His death isn't my fault! I didn't want anyone to..." Some tears rolls down his cheeks, "Die."

He wipes away the tears, then continues, "The paladin lady, She kept asking about someone named Ares. I do not know who that is! Honest! She was insistent. She hit me a few times. Hard, with her gauntlets on. I... I told her we had kidnapped him. I would have said anything to make her stop. I told her where my friends and I slept... Out at a big gnarled tree in the woods. Please don't kill my friends, we didn't kidnap anyone!

Spoiler: Map

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[tigerusthegreat]

"I understand the Lady can be very persuasive." Amos sets down some of his preserved jerky on the end of the bed, as he had already given the man the last of the kolaches. "If what you say is true, then if we go and find your friends, all we will come across is poor horse thieves."

Stepping to the others, Amos drops his voice so the prisoner would have a hard time overhearing. "This poor man doesn't know anything. We can go after his friends, but that probably wont get us any closer to finding this Ares. I don't think we have any other leads though." Glancing back, he adds. "Regardless, I don't think this man deserves death. He is at most a horse thief. That's worth a whipping, maybe a branding. Not death. What if we convinced them to release him to our service as punishment for his crimes....hard labor in our new garden, and under the vigilant eye of Acquisitions Incorporated, instead of taking up space in a cell or a quick death."

[Dexam]

Lilisendra Ravenswood

"I'm not surprised that you confessed to the kidnapping, given the way you were treated," Lily says gently. "What's your name? It's very important that you are truthful now, and you co-operate with us fully. If you don't already know, Lord Waymoot has sentenced you to hang tomorrow; however, if you help us now, Lady Harrington has agreed to get Lord Waymoot to reduce your punishment to something more fitting. Now, tell us all you know about your friends. How many are there? Who is their leader? Are they armed? Are there alarms, traps, or snares around the tree where you slept?" Lily questions in a firm but gentle voice. "The more you tell us now, the less likely we are to hurt or kill any of your friends through misunderstanding or accident."

Spoiler: Skill checks

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Insight check, to see if the prisoner is trying to deceive us at all: (1d20+3)[15]

Persuasion check, to get information out of him: (1d20+4)[18]

She turns to her companions and speaks in an undertone. "This does spell trouble for our contract with Harrington; our deal is to 'rescue' this Ares person. Hopefully the horse thieves might know something or have crossed paths with him. As for the prisoner," Lily turns and looks at him with pity, "If servitude with us is not agreeable, maybe Lady Harrington and Lord Waymoot could be convinced that he could be put to work helping build this new temple?"

[Zero Prime]

Johnny Law, Dran Enterprises Whistleblower AC: 15 | MAX HP: 20 | CURRENT: 20 | HIT DIE: 2d10 | CURRENT: 2d10 INITIATIVE: +3 | PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 14 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 12 ACTIVE EFFECTS: None. CONDITIONS: None. Johnny shook his head, "Can't much say I like the idea o' leavin' the abused in tha hands o' tha abuser, ya? Rather not have the boy unner Harrigton's care, we seen what she thinks o' him already." He took off his hat, and brought it to his face as he concentrated, "Now his posse, they'll all be subject to tha same punishment as this boy here, right? They're all horse thieves, so I say we round 'em up." He thought slowly, trying to put it together, "We take this lad into our custody, cuz he just told us that him 'n his pals have a special whistle they do so they don't scatter, yeah? So we need 'em to bring in his posse. Then we talk to this Sembian, 'n check out the cave where these boys been takin' the horses. If'n we can gather up the steeds, and bring the boys and the horses back, we can commute their sentence, ya?"

[SunsetWaraxe]

"My name is Dustin," says the lad has he grabs the jerkey and greedily consumes it.

"The Lord is a good man at heart. I hope you can convince him to not," He gulps, "End me..."

There are five of us, the others are Isabella, Samira, Julian and Bacon. We don't have a leader but... Isabella is usually the one everyone looks to. She's smart, strong, daring and pretty... Her dad always thought shed catch the eye of some merchant or noble but... So few people of note come to our small hamlet... Shame, really. I think she could make something of herself down in Suzail...

We have farming tools mostly. Our main weapons are sickles and slings. Ran out of bullets a few weeks back. Now we just use stones for the slings. No alarms or traps. We set up our hideout in the part of the woods no one goes to - folks say there's a troll that lives there... But no Purple Knight has ever been able to find one. Still, the rumor keeps people away. The tree has a big old gash in it, which was hollowed out. There's a little staircase that takes you under ground. Small cave, maybe fifty feet long by twenty feet wide. That's where we sleep."

[PartyOfRogues]

”Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you don’t get executed, since you’re clearly no murderer. So how injured are you? I can heal you if you need it.”

[SunsetWaraxe]

I am ok, I think. Just bruised and... Well I was hungry but your friend solved that problem," he says as he flashed a smile at Amos.

[Zero Prime]

Johnny Law, Dran Enterprises Whistleblower AC: 15 | MAX HP: 20 | CURRENT: 20 | HIT DIE: 2d10 | CURRENT: 2d10 INITIATIVE: +3 | PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 14 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 12 ACTIVE EFFECTS: None. CONDITIONS: None. Johnny put his hat back on his head and winced as Medic promised the young man he wouldn't be executed. He reminded himself to speak with the automaton and remind them not to promise a client something they couldn't guarantee. He then took a long look at the bruised, young prisoner, "One last thing Dusty," he spoke quietly, "what can ya tell us 'bout this Sembian who lured you 'n yer kin inta horse thievin'?" He wasn't sure how Ares tied into this scenario, but if the boy had only confessed under threat of further beatings, he and his posse hadn't nabbed Harrington's lover, but the man had gone missing. It may be best to speak to the Lord before they proceeded to investigate Dusty's posse at the old tree, and try to prevent Harrington from having access to the young man.

[SunsetWaraxe]

The Sembian merchant pays well for the horses. Waymoot's horses are renown in this part of the continent. I am sure he takes them to Sembia to sell for a big profit. I am not sure how he gets them to Sembia though, given that Sembia is on the other side of the Cormyr... Still, like I said, he pays well. I do not know the man's name but you can tell he is a Sembian by his accent. He always greets us warmly and has taken an interest in our lives. He is a kind soul. I like him. He always has a few masked and hooded bodyguards with him. They are thin and wiry. They carry short swords and curved daggers. I assume they could kill a man before he knew he was even in trouble. Those body guards scare me... But I can understand why the merchant keeps them with him - the world is a dangerous place after all.

[Dexam]

Lilisendra Ravenswood

Johnny shook his head, "Can't much say I like the idea o' leavin' the abused in tha hands o' tha abuser, ya? Rather not have the boy unner Harrigton's care, we seen what she thinks o' him already." He took off his hat, and brought it to his face as he concentrated, "Now his posse, they'll all be subject to tha same punishment as this boy here, right? They're all horse thieves, so I say we round 'em up." He thought slowly, trying to put it together, "We take this lad into our custody, cuz he just told us that him 'n his pals have a special whistle they do so they don't scatter, yeah? So we need 'em to bring in his posse. Then we talk to this Sembian, 'n check out the cave where these boys been takin' the horses. If'n we can gather up the steeds, and bring the boys and the horses back, we can commute their sentence, ya?"

Lily gives Johnny an exasperated look. "I said IF Lord Waymoot and Harrington are not agreeable to servitude with us; it's an alternative they might be happy with. Please do pay attention. Remember that we're new in town, and these are two of the most influential people for dozens of miles; a lot of our future work is going to be coming either directly from them, or indirectly via their approval and recommendation. How do you think Acquisitions Incorporated head office will respond if we try to run roughshod over our clients on the very first job out here? We're not under any contract to round up horse thieves, so why take any risks bringing them in if we can already get the agreement of a reduced or commuted sentence for Dustin's cooperation?"

The Sembian merchant pays well for the horses. Waymoot's horses are renown in this part of the continent. I am sure he takes them to Sembia to sell for a big profit. I am not sure how he gets them to Sembia though, given that Sembia is on the other side of the Cormyr... Still, like I said, he pays well. I do not know the man's name but you can tell he is a Sembian by his accent. He always greets us warmly and has taken an interest in our lives. He is a kind soul. I like him. He always has a few masked and hooded bodyguards with him. They are thin and wiry. They carry short swords and curved daggers. I assume they could kill a man before he knew he was even in trouble. Those body guards scare me... But I can understand why the merchant keeps them with him - the world is a dangerous place after all.

Lily's eyebrows raise at the description of the bodyguards. "Now, these sound like the people who might kidnap or harm a large huntsman like Ares who came nosing around their business. Definitely worth investigating." She smiles and nods approvingly at Johnny. "You aren't just a pretty face after all," she says with a slight tease to her tone.

[Zero Prime]

Johnny Law, Dran Enterprises Whistleblower AC: 15 | MAX HP: 20 | CURRENT: 20 | HIT DIE: 2d10 | CURRENT: 2d10 INITIATIVE: +3 | PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 14 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 12 ACTIVE EFFECTS: None. CONDITIONS: None. To his credit, when Lilly blasted him, he simply removed his hat, and held it over his chest while meeting her gaze. Not defiantly, but, neither, with shame, or frustration. He simply nodded as she finished her thoughts, "Ma'am," he said softly, "you'll find ah'm a man who speaks his mind, 'n that's not ta say that ya'll's opinions are any more, or less, valid than my own. I was in a bad spot with Dran Enterprises, on account 'ta keepin' my mouth shut. If'n I see sumthin' wrong, I'll call all ya'll's attention to it, 'n we can figure out what tha' branch wants 'ta do 'bout it." As Dusty shared what he knew about the Sembian, Johnny nodded to himself, thinking this was a better avenue to pursue. When Lilly noted it, and voice her approval, he merely tipped his hat, "Ma'am," he spoke with a smile.

Spoiler: Out of Character Actions

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OOC: I'm fine with either speaking to the Lord to get Dusty released into our custody, or going to the Horse Thieves and/or Sembian Merchant, up to you folks which route we want to go.

[Ramsus]

Witch Queen Bunhilda the White Rabbitfolk Witch AC: 12/15 HP: 16/16 PP: 9 PIv: 15 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Without any kind of warning Bunhilda breaks her silence to say, "We should speak with Lady Harrington about this I suppose. I doubt she'll like being told she was the wrongdoer, but she might have an idea where her man got off to that she discounted because she found the answer she'd already decided on. Otherwise we might wind up chasing our tails for days only to discover the man drunk in a bar the next town over or the like."

[tigerusthegreat]

Now that the man has been fed, and freely given up the information he had been previously tortured for, and then some, Amos stands towards the back and lets the others take command of the questioning. Mentally, he was preparing a list of items he would need to ensure they were well fed on the brief outing.

[Dexam]

Lilisendra Ravenswood

Lilisendra shoots Johnny another look. "Please don't call me that," she mutters. "It makes me sound like I'm some elderly governess, and I'm pretty sure that you're older than me."

Lily nods at Witch Queen Bunhilda. "Good idea. While you chase up other possible leads with Lady Harrington, I'm going to head back to headquarters to find Jasmal Rein. Together we can draw up a contract, which includes provisions for the safe treatment for Dustin here," she nods at the prisoner, "and deliver it to Lady Harrington, for signing and witnessing. If anyone would like to come with me, feel free; otherwise if I don't see you with Harrington, I'll catch you back at Beruintaris'."

Lilisendra heads back to the inn, seeking out their Majordomo. Using her notes, she recounts the events of the meetings with Lady Harrington and the prisoner. She asks Jasmal for her assistance in drawing up the contract, detailing that it's specifically for the recovery of Ares, or failing that providing proof of his demise; and there needs to be the clauses added for the safe and appropriate treatment of the prisoner Dustin and his fellows, with a request for indentured servitude to Acquisitions Incorporated, or failing that with Church of Red Knight, as a more suitable punishment - otherwise the contract is voided.

Once the contract has been drawn up to their satisfaction, Lily returns to the partially built temple of Red Knight to deliver it to Lady Harrington. She watches Lady Harrington's expression while waiting for the contract to be read, signed, and witnessed. Assuming that all goes well Lily returns to the inn to transcribe her short-hand notes into long form in a journal, check over her equipment, and make preparations for their departure at first light tomorrow.

[Zero Prime]

Johnny Law, Dran Enterprises Whistleblower AC: 15 | MAX HP: 20 | CURRENT: 20 | HIT DIE: 2d10 | CURRENT: 2d10 INITIATIVE: +3 | PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 14 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 12 ACTIVE EFFECTS: None. CONDITIONS: None. Johnny looked a little confused at Lilly's rebuff, "Ah'm sorry Miss Ravenswood, I was raised to be respectful ta other folk, meant no disrespect, 'n it got nothing to do with yer age." He escourted the young woman back to their franchise, and was knocking the dust from his hat as he listened to her give direction to their Majordomo, he cocked an eyebrow, and interrupted. "Hold on there Miss Ravenswood, we ain't agreed on none 'o that. Replace 'indentured servitude' with 'custody of, until reparations are made for crimes committed', because a man's gotta make a living wage, even if he's working off a debt. 'n secondly, we ain't placin' tha' man under Harrington's care, not on my watch. He ain't done no crime 'gainst the Church, he done a crime to this here town by stealin' horses. You want him diggin' ditches that's fine, but he ain't doin' it fer," he bit his lip, hard, "Lady Harrington."

[PartyOfRogues]

”I’m going to buy some tools I wasn’t able to bring with me. Unless anyone wants to come with me or you’d like me to get something else I’ll see you all back at the inn.”

Medic heads around town making note of the locations of all the useful shops, purchasing a set of smiths tools, calligraphers supplies, and a case for any maps or scrolls they might come across, as well as anything the rest of the party needs.

Once Medic is finished he heads back to the inn and drops off everything he bought. He then heads to the bath, scrubbing away all the dust from traveling and quickly drying off before heading back to his room to finish preparations for tomorrow and rest.

[Ramsus]

Witch Queen Bunhilda the White Rabbitfolk Witch AC: 12/15 HP: 16/16 PP: 9 PIv: 15 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- "Since you both have strong legal opinions, perhaps you'd best both go? Which I suppose leaves Amos and myself to talk to Lady Harrington. Unless you also have somewhere to be Amos?" Bunhilda responds, taking mental note of the exchange for the records later.

[tigerusthegreat]

"Only thing I need to do is a little shopping and prep work in the kitchen. Shouldn't take too long, so I have plenty of time to accompany you, Bunny."

[SunsetWaraxe]

Spoiler: Majordomo

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The party heads back to their homebase and finds their Majordomo sitting in a chair reading a book titled, "Cloaked Lust: White Sand". When the genasi notices your return she quietly sets the book down and places some paperwork on top of it.

"Greetings, Acquisitions Incorporated. How did your meeting go?"

Lilisendra asks for a contract to be drawn up, after some discussion with the rest of the team on the contract's finer points, Jasmal states that she will draw it up with haste.

Spoiler: Harrington

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Lady Harrington refuses to meet with you, preferring instead to have her second in command handle the meeting. He is a tall, lanky human male with an excessively long widows peak. He strokes his short, salt and pepper goatee as you explain the situation. "May you walk with the Red Knight." The man's voice is soft but stern, "Lady Harrington is deep in prayer and is thus unable to meet with you at this time. I am Vasil, Prior of the new Temple. Lady Harrington has kept me apprised as to her contract with your organization. Speaking of, I my records do not show a written contract for this matter. I hate to be a bother but I am loathe to agree to a verbal contract, as they can get quite messy if something goes awry. "

Spoiler: The Lord of Waymoot

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The party heads over to the Manor house where the Lord of Waymoot resides. The staff states that the Lord is ill and is not taking any visitors. In his stead, the Lord's eldest son - Kristofor - will take the meeting. The staff escorts you to the main hall, which is under construction. Scaffolding and ladders liter the area. A painter lays atop a bench staring at the ceiling. When you look up, you are greeted to a wonderous (but half-finished) sight - the ceiling has been painted with an astounding mosaic, depicting horse-riding knights galloping across a verdant field. The painter has a brush in his hand moving it around in front of his face, clearly imagining the strokes he will make when he continues his work.

Before you can speak with the painter, the eldest son of the Lord of Waymoot saunters into the room. The painter bolts upright, bows and quietly exits the room. The little lord has short blond hair and a sour disposition upon his face. He is human, perhaps fourteen years old. He steps up onto the dais, and sits upon an oaken throne. "I am Lord Waymoot, I speak for my father in all matters that concern his lands. You are Acquisitions Incorporated, no? I have heard some of your superiors' exploits. Your organization is accomplished. It is an honor to have a franchise take up residence in this fair town.

I am told there will be a celebration for you and your fellows in a tenday. Very exciting. The town could use with some levity, given the recent string of bandit attacks... And all the happenings in the rest of the realm. They have... Soured the mood of the town; put people on edge. I am eager to return a sense of normalcy to my people."

"My staff has mentioned that you visited one of my guard towers and interrogated the bandit whose capture resulted in the death of a guard? I hope you were not rough with the prisoner. Even prisoners deserve some modicum of humanity, even those who will be sent to the gallows.

Of course, I do not believe his crime is worthy of death. He and his band stole horses - yes - but they were not horses destined for knights. They were meat horses. Slow, fat, plodding. He should be sentenced severely, of course, but death is so... Final. I would prefer it if he were flogged and branded on the thumb.

But..." He rolls his eyes, "Someone pushed for execution..."

[Ramsus]

Witch Queen Bunhilda the White Rabbitfolk Witch AC: 12/15 HP: 16/16 PP: 9 PIv: 15 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Bunhilda gives an exasperated sigh, pauses long enough for it to clearly be intentional, and says, "You might wish to inform Lady Harrington that if her business requires a written contract rather than a verbal one, that she say so when she employs someone to do something for her rather than leave that information to come from another at a later time. As for her being unavailable, that rather impedes on our ability to do the job that she wishes to employ us to do. For the dreadful murderous kidnapping bandit we were sent to pry information from claims that his earlier confession of guilt of kidnapping was a result of a lengthy torture and his desire to say whatever would make it stop. To that end we seek to ask Lady Harrington that presuming the confession she earlier acquired was a false one, where else she would think Sir Ares could possibly be. For while barring better leads it's still best we check if these horse thieves have him, we'd all feel very foolish if he had merely been taking his time arriving and it would be downright tragic if he had gotten into trouble in a completely different direction and we failed to reach him in time because we were focused on a false lead." After a pause she adds, "It would be preferable if you could fetch her right away. But if you can't, then we can pass the time writing up the contract. I have quill, ink, and parchment one hand for just such."

[Zero Prime]

Johnny Law, Dran Enterprises Whistleblower AC: 15 | MAX HP: 20 | CURRENT: 20 | HIT DIE: 2d10 | CURRENT: 2d10 INITIATIVE: +3 | PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 14 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 12 ACTIVE EFFECTS: None. CONDITIONS: None. Johnny took in the mural in the main hall, his hat in hand, he let out a low, long, whistle. Walking by the painter, "That's a mighty fine paintin' yer doin' there ser. Makes a man feel small standin' 'neath it." He shook his head in awe, not expecting a response from so skilled a craftsman, deep in thought. "Mighty fine," he continued along til he met the Lord's son, Kristofor Waymoot. He listened respectfully, as Waymoot's eldest introduced himself, nodding as required. When the young man was finished, he nodded, stepping forward, "First off, ah want ta offer my sincerest condolences on tha' loss o' yer Valet's son, it was a damn tragic accident, if'n ya pardon me sayin'." He paused respectfully, bowing his head in a sign of respect for the fallen guardsman. "Me 'n mine, we're here ta see if'n we can do ya'll a favor, see. Harrington's rather," he coughed, trying to be polite, "forceful questionin' o' tha prisoner, caused tha' man to blabber whatever would make tha' questionin' stop, y'unnerstand? So he confessed, through bloody lips 'n loose teeth, not out o' guilt, but outta self preservation. So we been hired by Harrington ta rescue this Ares fella from kidnappers, but the kidnapping may 'a never happened, which puts us in a precarious situation." He paused, took a deep breath, "Now, as m'Lord said, when tha' man was offered some dignity, some food 'n water that had been denied, he shared some o' his story with us. But to get to the truth of it, 'n find Harrington's man, Ares, we need ta continue to develop that relationship with the prisoner, 'n we can't do that if'n the man's swingin' from tha' hangman's noose. So, we humbly ask ye' ta speak with yer father, and have tha' prisoner released inta our custody while we track down this Ares fella, and if'n Dusty proves useful in savin' Harrington's man, then we can show him tha' dignity you were talkin' aout earlier. After all, he's just a victim o' hard times, 'n if anyone's responsible it's tha' one who talked 'em inta thieven', 'n if the Semian is recruitin' bandits, then he's a bigger problem than one starvin' man." He looked back to his associates, "'n if daddy Waymoot wants, we could solve that problem too, if'n ya want me to have my people draw up a contract."

Spoiler: Out of Character Actions

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OOC: Oh hell yeah we're double dipping contracts, get Harrington to pay to rescue Ares, and Waymoot to hire us to deal with the Sembian. Mamma didn't raise no fool!

[tigerusthegreat]

Amos says nothing, letting Bunhilda manage the discussion, as this was far beyond where his skills were, but for added effect, he opened his cartographer's satchel and began pulling out paper and quills.