 |
| Ampersand, the Lurk |
They also realized that Grey Wacke [Jeff] had yet to do the blood oath too, so he was duly processed.
[Argile/Richard, Lammy/Kevin and Ronnie/Deacon were marmalading.]
News was going around town that the battle between REAL and the Wraith King in the graveyard had spilled into surrounding districts around Skull: Slavers, Downtown and TGP.
During the day, squads of the Knives tried to keep groups of REAL priests, paladins and armed followers out of the Graveyard. During the night, there was active fighting between REAL and undead creatures both in the streets and in the graveyard itself.
The TGP had joined in, and were helping the Knives on both temporal fronts.
Consequently, because of the lack of police on the streets, travel around Scabport had become more dangerous than normal.
The other interesting news was that, because of the fighting, the much-augured Scabport Town Council meeting had been postponed.
__________________________________________
Esme had a new job for them at the Hoarse Whisper (Slavers District). So the whole party (Tylin [Ian], Huilam [Jaimie], Burrito [Darryl], Moonlight [Chris], Ampersand, Grey Wacke, and Dee Dee [Steven]) traipsed off to that tavern. In the corner was a sphere of darkness; an IMAG priest. Oh dear.
 |
| Charles Denton, IMAG priest |
Tylin approached it. A raspy voice came from within; the priest identified himself as Charles Denton. He had a job from the IMAG Foundling. The Foundling was annoyed, and wanted the group to assassinate REAL priests or REAL paladins. He offered 4 COIN per paladin or priest. He would provide an Arrow of Darkness to help with the deed.
They hummed and hawed.
"Speak among yourselves, and come back at 2 bells," he rasped.
They headed out to be alone.
"Should we take it?"
"I'm not workin' for no IMAG."
"But we are 'consummate professionals'," came the mocking reply. "Morals shouldn't figure into this decision. We were quite happy to work for REAL."
"Yeah, but REAL doesn't betray us."
"But IMAG gives us gifts too. Where's your REAL gift, huh? I'll tell you. Zip!"
With that, they all voted, and decided to decline the job.
_____________________________________________
Later, in the day, all but Burrito (who had moral qualms about working for slavers too), visited Agnes Thames at the Drunken Imbecile to confirm they would take the runaway slave job.
She took them to Simon's Slaves headquarters. There, she gave the group a caricature sketch and data on each slave:
"Slaves get new names," said Agnes, parrying the first question. "So we don't record the original names."
But, strangely, attached to the records of 8X21 was a note "Charles Denton".
"We do this when there might be ramifications," said Agnes when she saw their interest. "Does this name mean something to you?"
"No ...uh.. no," they lied. "Not at all."
"Anyway," she said. "We will pay 2 COIN per runaway returned, alive. If the all the slaves are dead (and you didn't cause it), I'll give you half a COIN total"
__________________________________________________
Huilam went to the Funken Wagnall temple and did some research on Charles Denton, but, in the Scabport Who's Who Almanac, it just said "Notable IMAG priest. Living in Scabport."
Back at the Hoarse Whisper they met up with the IMAG Priest Denton again.
They asked him about his name on the slave's record.
Denton said there was a group of IMAG guards recently lost ("a few weeks ago") when a wagon went missing on the Spite road.
"Maybe this wretch was one of our guards, captured," he hissed. "And enslaved. If you find out any more viable information on this, or the whereabouts of the taken wagon, we will pay for it."
But he had no idea why his name would be there.
The party then told him that they did not want the job.
There was a long pause.
Then, an arrow was pushed out of the sphere of darkness and onto the table. It was very well made, and had a slight black aura around it, like El Cid's hands and Attlee's skull Lido.
"Here," he rasped. "My gift to you."
No-one in the group wanted it.
Denton left the inn, leaving the arrow on the table.
"We don't want it!" they cried.
He ignored them and went out into the street.
Not sure what to do, Tylin sent a runner to the IMAG temple with a message to "retrieve your magic arrow".
The arrow was retrieved soon after by a shadowy figure.
______________________________________________
Out in the middle of the Scab river on Prison Island, El Cid and Sorrow kept their noses clean, and behaved like good boys.
Up the top of a ballista tower, they watched the fireworks in the distant graveyard with mild amusement, and felt safe from undead here on the study island.
"Au contraire," said Sergeant Skipper in pidgin Elvish. "We get lacedons - marine ghouls - out here when there's undead trouble in the city. They come out the sewers. Expect an influx."
"Speak among yourselves, and come back at 2 bells," he rasped.
They headed out to be alone.
"Should we take it?"
"I'm not workin' for no IMAG."
"But we are 'consummate professionals'," came the mocking reply. "Morals shouldn't figure into this decision. We were quite happy to work for REAL."
"Yeah, but REAL doesn't betray us."
"But IMAG gives us gifts too. Where's your REAL gift, huh? I'll tell you. Zip!"
With that, they all voted, and decided to decline the job.
 |
| 8X21 |
_____________________________________________
Later, in the day, all but Burrito (who had moral qualms about working for slavers too), visited Agnes Thames at the Drunken Imbecile to confirm they would take the runaway slave job.
She took them to Simon's Slaves headquarters. There, she gave the group a caricature sketch and data on each slave:
- A724: Human male, ex-scribe, age 20-25.
- 8X21: Human male, ex-warrior, age 20-25.
- 08K4: Human female, ex-thief, age 22.
- P778: Human female, child, age 13.
 |
| 08K4 |
But, strangely, attached to the records of 8X21 was a note "Charles Denton".
"We do this when there might be ramifications," said Agnes when she saw their interest. "Does this name mean something to you?"
"No ...uh.. no," they lied. "Not at all."
"Anyway," she said. "We will pay 2 COIN per runaway returned, alive. If the all the slaves are dead (and you didn't cause it), I'll give you half a COIN total"
__________________________________________________
Huilam went to the Funken Wagnall temple and did some research on Charles Denton, but, in the Scabport Who's Who Almanac, it just said "Notable IMAG priest. Living in Scabport."
Back at the Hoarse Whisper they met up with the IMAG Priest Denton again.
They asked him about his name on the slave's record.
Denton said there was a group of IMAG guards recently lost ("a few weeks ago") when a wagon went missing on the Spite road.
"Maybe this wretch was one of our guards, captured," he hissed. "And enslaved. If you find out any more viable information on this, or the whereabouts of the taken wagon, we will pay for it."
But he had no idea why his name would be there.
The party then told him that they did not want the job.
There was a long pause.
Then, an arrow was pushed out of the sphere of darkness and onto the table. It was very well made, and had a slight black aura around it, like El Cid's hands and Attlee's skull Lido.
"Here," he rasped. "My gift to you."
No-one in the group wanted it.
Denton left the inn, leaving the arrow on the table.
"We don't want it!" they cried.
He ignored them and went out into the street.
Not sure what to do, Tylin sent a runner to the IMAG temple with a message to "retrieve your magic arrow".
The arrow was retrieved soon after by a shadowy figure.
______________________________________________
Out in the middle of the Scab river on Prison Island, El Cid and Sorrow kept their noses clean, and behaved like good boys.
Up the top of a ballista tower, they watched the fireworks in the distant graveyard with mild amusement, and felt safe from undead here on the study island.
"Au contraire," said Sergeant Skipper in pidgin Elvish. "We get lacedons - marine ghouls - out here when there's undead trouble in the city. They come out the sewers. Expect an influx."
It looks like the Knives were right to be worried about the graveyard war escalating.
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