Re: Cleaning House

[Lefty]

The tall robed figure reaches out and takes the bag from you. sniffing at its soiled outer appearance, a standard for anything in troglodyte possession, he opens the bag and rummages through it for a few seconds. All at once his eyes grow wide then narrow again.

"Where did you say you got this? answer me boy!"

[Unkykong]

"It was on the troglodyte's body, the one that summoned the imp."

[Lefty]

The mage unrolls a blank parchment on the table and carefully upends the bag onto it, being careful to touch no more than he already has. You see a collection of twigs, small bones and ash come spilling out into a heap. One lone tooth sits on the top of the pile.

"This is a druid's component bag. But the owner of this was neither troglodyte nor a lover of anything good or wholesome in this world. See here how the bag was smeared with filth? Its a normal bag, just covered up. Troglodytes make their bags out of the hides of their enemies, not normal leather. And they have filth on the inside too, not this dry orderly collection."

He picked up a stick from the tinderbox by the fireplace and pushed some of the components around wincing at what he saw. finally he looked back up to you. "This isn't something that should be broadcast to the average joe on the street." He cast a sidelong glance at the guard captain.

"Hey, I've already heard more than I want, and understand less than I should." Jasom held his hands up in front of him and backed away two steps.

"Very well. Speak of this to no one. I will accompany Pondscum to the settlement myself. It would be wise of you not to follow. Return to me in a week's time and we shall see what we shall see."

[Unkykong]

"Sounds like a plan. Jasom shall we head back to the barracks and start our work on cleaning up your town. Ill be back in a week." With this I follow Jasom back through the town.

[Lefty]

"Man that was creepy," Jasom whispers looking over his shoulder at the now closed up magic guild. "I know things are all calm and peaceful right now, but something isn't sitting right in my stomache about all this."

As you two make your way back to the garrison, Jasom fills you in on the situation. "Apparently something has changed down by the quay. Reports of pickpocketing have gone down, but we're missing a lot more people recently. They just kindof dissappear. Noone wants to talk about it much but it seems to be people with a lot of gambling debts. If my suspicions are corr--"

Jasom is cut short by three shadowy figures stepping out of an alley in front of you. Looking around you realize you're still in the docks area and must have missed a turn in the dark.

"Guards ain't got much say down here after dark, lawman. you get out of 'ere afore we make ya leave quick and quiet like."

[Unkykong]

I clear my throat, ensuring I have all of their attention, "I'm sorry, were you referring to my friend and I? If that's the case I would recommend you try to reword that so it doesn't sound like a threat, because if I'm not mistaken you three are up too no good. You might not know this but I've got a thing or two against trouble makers and am in fact here to help clean up these streets. So, wanna retry that again?" (31 intimidate)

[Lefty]

The shadowy figures stop for a long pause. One of them fades into the shadows to the side and you hear boot steps fading away. "So yer here to clean things up eh? one man? one short little man? you've got some nerve. there's 'undreds of us up in here, half of us drunk. you think you can do anything about that?"

[Unkykong]

"About what, you bing drunk..... Or stupid? Where did your friend go, to get help or was he just scared. Now you really don't think 'a lawman' and a 'short man' would be out here alone without anybody near by to back us up while we are in this area of town do you? (26 bluff)

[Lefty]

The other shadowy figure leans in close to the speaker and whispers something before disappearing as well.

"I still don't think you understand. Come by the Smiling Cat tomorrow durin' the day so as not to 'rouse too much 'spicion. you'll be there or ye ain't leavin here a second time alive."

A gust of wind blew a wad of trash up in front of the shop window that was shedding the only light in the area and the speaker was gone. Jasom beckons to you and starts off towards the main part of town.

[Unkykong]

"So, Jasom, do you have any idea what just happened there?"

[Lefty]

"not a clue. usually they just jump you. or piss on you depending on how much they've had... I'm not waiting to find out either, not til tomorrow anyways."

[Unkykong]

"Alright, let's go get rest and process what has transpired today. Then what do you say we find out what's happening at the smiling cat tomorrow?"

[Lefty]

"sounds like a plan." you both trudge back to the garrison as quickly and quietly as possible until you emerge out of the darkened streets and into the more civilized part of town. Looking over your shoulder you almost imagine a pair of eyes watching you from one of the last houses.

In the morning the weather has turned as foul as the previous day's events. Dark clouds hang ominously over the roofs and chimneys of Dariyul. Little wind makes its way through the streets and alleys and the people in the streets seem as lifeless as the flags and banners hanging waiting for the rain.

Jasom pauses as he forces a dark plain cloak over his armor, then takes off a few pieces. "I don't know. Maybe we should just let sleeping dogs lie. I mean they're killing and robbing their own. They aren't hurting us."

[Unkykong]

"Come on man! This is what we are you here for. Lets sweep these streets. If it makes you feel better let's get some of your men and set up an ambush. I volunteered for this and I intend to deliver."

[Lefty]

Jasom nods grimly and shoulders his shield. "Right. Lets go see what this guy has to say first. If things go foul we can get backup pretty quickly. I've spoken to a few of the watch and they're going to be waiting just outside the docks area for my signal." He reaches over to a shelf by the door and grabs one of the foot long tubes sitting on the top shelf. Each one has a little string dangling form the end. Jasom quickly stuffs it inside his cloak and the two of you walk out the door.

The looming clouds offer no improvement to your mood. Everything melts into a nondescript grey and your mind wanders as you make your way through the shops and houses towards the docks.

Before you realize it, you're there. With a start you realize that the houses around you are in disrepair but have a kind of energy or charm that the grey houses of the regular town did not have. Splashes of color and traces of broken decorations adorn many of the structures, hinting that this was once a much happier place to live.

Ahead you spy a sign swinging in the light breeze with a grinning tabby emblazoned on it. The building is no different from any around it, but people pass it by on the other side of the street. A drunk staggers out and dodges a thrown shoe, empties his stomach, grabs the shoe and runs right back in.

[Unkykong]

"alright Jasom, ready or not we are here." With that I walk into the bar and look around.

[Lefty]

The drunk you saw in the street is nowhere to be seen. But that's hardly a surprise. No less than three separate brawls revolved around the room with combatants revolving from one to the next and trying to grab a spare drink in the mean time.

The bars, three one on each wall except the back, sported protective bars behind which the bartenders sat watching and doling out the grog. A couple bouncers by the door sit idly by enjoying the fights, they ignore you as a lack of threat.

[Unkykong]

I walk up too the least populated bar, order the local brew then sit back and watch the proceedings. While I'm sitting there I look around the room for the shady character from the night before as well as any ill intentioned bystander trying to profit from the unaware. (15 perception)

[Lefty]

As you scan your surroundings you notice a quiet old man in the corner slide up to someone in a choke hold and deftly retrieve his purse. While the old man is working, however, a half-orc bumps into him with profuse apologies. As the two are arguing a small child runs up between them and snatches both purses: the one the half-orc stole from the old man and the one the old man stole.

With a yell all three run out into the street. Your excellent perceptive abilities lead you to realize that this place is going to take some work and a lot of help.

"Looking for someone?" The voice behind you at the bar belongs to a tall skinny bartender who may have had both elf and orc in his family tree. He wouldn't be winning any beauty pageants any time soon. "this is a bad place to be looking unless you want to be found also... Have another drink and then leave unless you're looking for trouble, cause that's all we got down here."

[Unkykong]

"I was told to meet someone, but I'm starting too think it was more intended to be a visual message, but I think I will take you up on that beverage." Then I turn to Jasom. "So what are your thoughts, I don't think we should stick around too much longer."

[Lefty]

"I think you may be right. Let's give it a minute or two and see if we cant find who we're looking for." Outside thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance.

The child who had made the pick-pocketing earlier wandered back in with a black eye and two purses hanging from his belt. Two other kids ran up to him and they all started chatting with enthusiasm about recent marks.

The ruckus in the middle of the room had grown with the storm into one big whirlwind knockout. One of the bartenders at the other bars had his arm through the protective bars and held someone in a chokehold, and somehow some drunk had gotten himself and a keg of rum up to a chandileer and was hurling insults almost as fast as he was drinking.

[Unkykong]

I lean over to the bartender and ask, "Is it always like this, and if so....why?"

[Lefty]

"This? This is a calm day. Have yourself about 15 more shots and you'll join in just like the rest of them. then get yourself in a cheatin dice game, get mad at the guy with the weighted dice, and there ya go. Recipe for a fight." He nodded to himself like he had just imparted the most impressive bit of wisdom this side of the Black Mountains.

"Course no one ever fights up towards the back."

[Unkykong]

"Towards the back you say...hey, Jasom. What do you say we go check out the back?"

[Lefty]

Jasom shruggs and throws down the rest of his drink. Half way across the room you- (reflex roll)

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