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Post by Coden Rokos (Jesse H.) on Nov 2, 2020 15:07:56 GMT -12
Coden nods to Laakh and says, "I can reach Aloysius by having someone send a message to the Cerebran at Balic. They'll deliver the message for a small fee, which I can pay once I'm back in the city. I... well, my name should be good for a little credit with them."
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Post by DM Bob on Nov 2, 2020 15:43:42 GMT -12
The elder shakes his head. "GREY ONES DIFFERENT. MAKE NOISES LIKE WATER OR GIANT BABE IN DISTRESS. THEN..." *Wham!* He hits a stone with his fist. "THEY GET YA."
Berg winces at the gesture. "Horrors are generally hard to kill. But they are animals. A sufficiently strong paragon of nature can often charm or subdue them. A toe-to-toe fight though? You must have been lucky - or stronger than I first thought."
He wipes some fat from his lips.
"My cheese is another thing. I would consider only selling to one that I could meet first hand. While you have learned of its potency, I have generally sold to only those that I've trusted or have use. Or are far enough away to not be of nuisance. Draaj seemed like a low risk before, but it's only a matter of time that someone wishes to reconnect the trade... which had its benefits as well. A few enemies of our little commune here have fallen to the Tsalaxan blades in the night due to our exclusive trade to that House."
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Post by Niachi on Nov 2, 2020 17:20:37 GMT -12
Coden nods to Laakh and says, "I can reach Aloysius by having someone send a message to the Cerebran at Balic. They'll deliver the message for a small fee, which I can pay once I'm back in the city. I... well, my name should be good for a little credit with them."
"We have a bit of coin to guarantee such transactions, take it out of my cut if it smooths things out."
Laakh nods sagely at the druid's words, rubbing his fork of squishy in a dish of salt and chewing politely. And chewing and chewing and chewing.
"As we would all expect of the fierce Draaji house. You have done well with them and they have defended you. But Aloysius is of Balic, all but at war with Tslaxa. Would the closer fleets of Androponis be a more reliable guard against your enemies? And who might they be, since we ply these routes. Consider a trade bonded by taking hours instead of days, good coin for your flint paid by Wavir, with my contact Falmon who I vouch for, as far as I can see. And I see much. I understand the dilemma of giving up a known for an unknown... But have we been untrue in our short but eventful dealings with each other? If not for the obligation we have to ..Shardivan, we would bend earth and moons to make this trade a reality. But we are pulled in a few directions, sir. More talk is in order, surely.
For now, I am curious of hearing of these silt beasts. The Grey ones sound like trouble. We did encounter these floating things, glowy, trailing tentacles. When Contacted, they veered away. Do you know of them?"
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Post by Attilius on Nov 2, 2020 17:33:34 GMT -12
The elder shakes his head. "GREY ONES DIFFERENT. MAKE NOISES LIKE WATER OR GIANT BABE IN DISTRESS. THEN..." *Wham!* He hits a stone with his fist. "THEY GET YA." Berg winces at the gesture. "Horrors are generally hard to kill. But they are animals. A sufficiently strong paragon of nature can often charm or subdue them. A toe-to-toe fight though? You must have been lucky - or stronger than I first thought." "Just call me: Hurk, the Humble Horror Hunter!" he chuckles as he raises his clenched right fist in the air... "As to 'Nature paragons', I do understand a tiny bit of your great spirits of the land and the impressive aid they can lend..." Hurk shrugs while he chews on his roasted goat |
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Post by Attilius on Nov 2, 2020 17:51:02 GMT -12
If not for the obligation we have to Shardivan, we would bend earth and moons to make this trade a reality... HurK interjects as only Seinfeld's Kramer can: "That's true!" |
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Post by AthasianLaborer on Nov 2, 2020 18:06:59 GMT -12
... He slowly stands, turning to everyone in the room: "Haadan was the driving force of our trade, but we continue in his name. May his focus find rest." -clink- ... Rizla's face twists with emotion, is he angry? Is he crying? He stands and exits the cave to be alone with his outburst. He sits just outside the cave entrance, sobbing quietly and muttering to himself in Dwarven. |
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Post by Niachi on Nov 3, 2020 6:25:47 GMT -12
Laakh sees Rizla's reaction and whispers to Hurk and Coden:
"His father, maybe? Let's not banter the name out in front of Rizla."
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Post by Niachi on Nov 3, 2020 6:47:14 GMT -12
When there's an appropriate lull in the talks, Laakh excuses himself to go find the Mad Monkey.
Sits nearby, just chilling. Activates Danger Sense almost subconsciously. He let's Rizla initiate any talking. Otherwise walks a bit around the cave entrance, no more than 10 feet and waits for trouble to strike from the dark.
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Post by Attilius on Nov 3, 2020 7:55:39 GMT -12
Laakh sees Rizla's reaction and whispers to Hurk and Coden: "His father, maybe? Let's not banter the name out in front of Rizla." HurK nods his understanding |
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Post by AthasianLaborer on Nov 4, 2020 4:22:24 GMT -12
When there's an appropriate lull in the talks, Laakh excuses himself to go find the Mad Monkey. Sits nearby, just chilling. Activates Danger Sense almost subconsciously. He let's Rizla initiate any talking. Otherwise walks a bit around the cave entrance, no more than 10 feet and waits for trouble to strike from the dark. "You recognized me, I assume you know that I am not a human, as much as I have tried to pass myself off as one. Haadan was more than my patron, he was the reason I was enslaved. He tried several times to purchase my freedom, though it never came to be. He was always good to me when he was allowed to see me. My mother always spoke fondly of him, to hear her speak, he was the only one who ever showed her kindness. My opinion of him was on the fence, yes, he was good to me and her, but he made me for profit. He'd have done anything for currency, even damning his children to slavery...." |
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Post by Niachi on Nov 4, 2020 4:55:36 GMT -12
Laakh shares a moment in the evening quiet with Rizla, his eyes calmly tracking the entire range of his vantage point facing out from the cave mouth.
"Ah. He was not a long acquaintance, but he did have riches on his mind more than most. Wonder if it's better to know your past or ... left to die on a stoop like I was. I came from nothing and here I sit, crew of an intelligent ship, making my way. You rose above your birth to hear the adoration of thousands. The past is dust. Let's not speak his name again, and I 'll let the others know. Now, As long as nothing's pouncing on us or spying from afar, I have trade to finish with this druid Berg'amench. Cagey one. But the giants are a good faction to nurture. We want these people to prosper. Did we mention that a race of disgusting shape-shifting psion worm-beasts beheaded the former captain of our ship and they plot from an underground lair in South Ledo, and that our rescuing you was a side benefit of securing a cache of magic weapons, since no other will touch those psuurlon bastards... You can use a gythka, yes? Oh and a certain militant house from Draaj hunts us, they have a defiler and a Braxat....
This (tapping his web hat) blocks some scrying. Buckle up, we have adventures before us. Shall we rejoin?"
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Post by DM Bob on Nov 4, 2020 5:03:17 GMT -12
Berg'mench opens up a tad.
"I have to say, as far as visitors go, you peak my interest."
He takes a swig from a skin.
"The nature spirits here are anxious and desperate for balance. Most are."
He shrugs and breathes deep of the smoke in the chamber.
"If the dwarves' bridge were to be abandoned or rerouted, then they might calm down and I could find a proper ward to take my place. I'm not getting any younger you know."
It's hard to place his age, but you think he may be in his 50's or early 60's... old for a human in the Tablelands.
"What of this concerns Shardivan?"
There's an edge to his voice as his brow furrows. This makes you think he's older than you first thought.
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Post by AthasianLaborer on Nov 4, 2020 5:14:24 GMT -12
"You'll find none superior to me with a hammer-" Rizla says as he drops the marble hammer (carved to appear as a feylaar fist) from his hand with 3' of slack "-though yes, I've trained with all weapons, even the kreen ones, why do you ask?"
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Post by Attilius on Nov 4, 2020 6:34:17 GMT -12
"If the dwarves' bridge were to be abandoned or rerouted, then they might calm down and I could find a proper ward to take my place. I'm not getting any younger you know." HurK looks at the giants in frustration "one of our members to a nasty dream spider bite. HE was our angle to get the dwarves to stop building those bridges. Now that he’s gone, it’ll be a lot harder without him.” HurK looks at Berg with the hope he understands he’s talking about their dwarven compatriot. "What of this concerns Shardivan?" There's an edge to his voice as his brow furrows. This makes you think he's older than you first thought. HurK says deadpan as all emotion leaves his face. [HurK allows the druid to respond “WORM PEOPLE?!?!”] “Yeah, also known as Ssurlons. We uncovered a nest? Clutch? Don’t know what a group of ‘em are called. But they’re tricky, REALLY TRICKY! Makes your Grey horrors look like a brain dead half giant. Let one of their OWN get killed by us just so they could plant a scrying magic device on us. Decapitated the Captain and ate the brain of one of our crew just to trap us: tried to sucker us into a surprise attack deep under South Ledopolus in some kind of giant dried up well. After we ‘ported out, we did some homework which led us to Shardivan. He went to a buddy and got young again and is on his way back home to help us kill these worm people… We were told that their leader might even be as big as an adult Earth Drake but we didn't see one of those down there... yet.” |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2020 6:39:48 GMT -12
Berg'mench opens up a tad. "I have to say, as far as visitors go, you peak my interest." He takes a swig from a skin. "The nature spirits here are anxious and desperate for balance. Most are." He shrugs and breathes deep of the smoke in the chamber. "If the dwarves' bridge were to be abandoned or rerouted, then they might calm down and I could find a proper ward to take my place. I'm not getting any younger you know." It's hard to place his age, but you think he may be in his 50's or early 60's... old for a human in the Tablelands. Between chews of salted squishy meat Mak comments, "What if the Dwarven Bridges connected beneath this island instead of onto the surface? Disrupt the balance as little as possible." Mak leans back to relax as he knows nothing of this Shardivan, but his pointed ears listen intently. |
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