[Game Thread] The Atea Gem

[Duderlybob]

Roan watches the shade go. Then, in a moment of clarity, perhaps brought on by the shade's oppressive presence leaving, asks, "How'd he get in here unseen anyway?" Shaking the thought off, Roan turns towards the door himself and exits.

[Andramal]

Munshin can only give a smirk and shrug to Roan, then tucks the purse safely into his sleeve as he got up to leave too. Time to pay for room and see what bribing costs these days!

[TheJeanyus]

Eran blinks several times when he sees Ozan shroud himself in the bizarre cloak. It is very odd looking... but the shape of it... yes, the design allows for complete coverage... most ingenious, but what does it do? Surely it must have some other function. Hmm... He snaps himself out of his thoughts, and realizing that the rest of the group has all but left already, dashes after them.

Eran would let the others talk to the innkeeper. It was necessary since they needed to find a location to settle in, but Eran took little pleasure in conversing with most. His comrades were all fairly interesting in their own, they weren't bad. But so many people were so... boring. Shrugging, he turned his thoughts towards other matters. Oh, the things to do...

[AwesomeEllie]

The room exits to a poorly lit, two-feet-too-thin hallway, with the stairway about ten feet to the group's left and a further twenty feet of hall extending down to the right, ending in shabby brickwork. The stairs themselves are wood, which creeks and groans under each person as the group (presumably) goes down them. The steps exit out into a short hallway leading to the only exit door, as well as a "reception area" of the loosest standards, which is blatantly where a room once was, but has since had the walls ripped out to allow guests to get around the stairs to the hall behind them.

Sitting behind a crudely put together desk is a massive giantkin of some sorts, whose green skin, heavy brow, and rough overall texture suggests either ogre or troll heritage, possibly both. While all four of you are sure he was here when everyone trickled in to meet Ozan at the room, none of you remember the giant as being so, well, ugly. He has a small block of wood on the desk with the name "Bartholomew" carved into it. He smiles a snaggletooth grin at everyone, and shouts, "So, I hear yer the ones paying for the room?"

He doesn't make it sound like much of a question, though.

[Andramal]

Munshin stepped forward - he was the one with the purse, after all. "Yes, What does the total come to?"

Dice Sense motive check, in case of 'price gouging':

1d20+5

(14)+5

Total = 19

[Duderlybob]

Roan lets Munshin take the fore on this task, as he remembered it this was a task more up his alley. Though in similar fashion, the man watches the... big something and keeps an eye out for anything less than scrupulous.

Dice Sense Motive (Aid Another):

1d20+8

(12)+8

Total = 20

[AwesomeEllie]

The massive man shuffles a few papers around, and looks at a log of some sort. "Yer total for two and a half hours comes to... 50 gold!"
While it seems like a large amount, the giantkin seems quite sincere about the price.

[Andramal]

Munshin gave the impression of thinking the total over, lips slightly pursed, but then nodded, and drew from his own purse, and not the one Ozan gave, the fifty pieces. Convenient he keeps his coins bundled in stacks for occasions like this. "Done. But, if you'd like to up that bill a bit more..."

He explained their curiosity in finding various places of potential use for building businesses, or simply to improve overall for something as simple as a temple. Anything that would be a possible opportunity, squatters or otherwise. "Such residents may find themselves with jobs, if interested, assuming they're not sorting out anything questionable. Think you can find me that sort of information?"

[AwesomeEllie]

Bartholomew gladly accepts the money, delicately plucking the stack of coins out of Munshin's hand and depositing them into a drawer of the desk, as well as marking something on one of his many papers. While Munshin talks of what the group is looking for, the big man squints slightly, examining each person in turn but focusing on the well-outfitted man before him. Once Munshin finishes, Bartholomew begins to chuckle slightly.
"So yer looking to start a, uh, 'Family Business,' huh? I do not know if someone so small could run something like that. And you are all so small." The last bit is said in a much less jovial tone, and he leans forward over the desk, eyeing all four of you quite intensely. His grin has transformed into a scowl, and his jagged teeth look a lot more menacing.

[Andramal]

"Not a family business, an opportunity." Munshin corrected. "When one needs a new job, sometimes the best way to get one, is to make one."

It was looking like this was going to be one of those moments to try and 'win over the public' if the shadier side of public.

"Surely people would like places to stay that are built with that in mind, instead of making do with old buildings. Surely they would like safe places to travel, a little more comfort. If government types don't have time to help improve the community, that leaves us to improve ourselves."

Munshin looked 'up' to the giantkin, and arched an eyebrow. "Small or not, we both know the value of practical work. I know business, you know the area, and I'm certain you have other skills too. Surely you know people who would like something to do that isn't illegal now and then, yes?"

Dice Diplomacy! Just in case!:

1d20+7

(7)+7

Total = 14

[Duderlybob]

Roan watches the proceedings with a quiet stare. The heavy falx in held in his left hand twirls a little as the giant suggest that he's frail due to his size.

 

So some people might be asking "What's a falx?" A good question since it's a thoroughly dead weapon since ancient times! The falx was a weapon traditionally wielded by the Dacians, an enemy of the Roman Empire around 100 A.D. The weapon was a ferocious chopping blade, curving inwards with the sharp edge on the inside. Little of the Roman's writings on the Dacians have survived, but a few choice bits of testing, historical accounts, and a little bit of inference paint a pretty clear picture.

#1. A quote: "Trajan engaged the war with hardened soldiers, who despised the Parthians, our enemy, and who didn't care of their arrow blows, after the terrible wounds inflicted by the curved swords of the Dacians"

#2. The afore mention Trajan,the emperor of Rome during that time had his coins minted with a fallen Dacian warrior carrying a falx on the back, an indicator of the impression they made on the emperor.

#3. Using high speed cameras, it has been determined that a Falx's edge will turn to freakin' plasma at the point of impact on a traditional roman style helmet, an indicator of how much energy there was in the blade.

#4. Never before used, and never seen again adjustments were made to Roman armor during the time period of the Dacian wars, including reinforced helmets, arm guards, grieves, and heavier chest pieces.

Suffice it to say, it was a scary, scary weapon. Statisically, I'm using a Lead-Lined Fauchard to try and emulate this weapon as best I can, and have a picture!



...Okay, the history nerd is done now *slinks away.*

[AwesomeEllie]

Bartholomew takes a deep breath, and shakes his head, straightening up in his chair. Munshin's response seems to have reassured him that the group isn't trying to take over what is apparently Big Green Guys' gang territory. "I kin think of a few places that are... Unoccupied. But it'll cost yew. You lookin' for a place on the ground, in th' rafters, or somewhere in 'tween?"
Munshin, Eran, and Roan recognize the term "the rafters", as it means the uppermost level of a building. Usually this level is still cut off from coveted rooftop-access, but that rarely stops anyone.

[Andramal]

OOC Coveted Rooftop access? mini clarifications as to the value?

"Any and all - we're working out our options, but the hope is to do several things as we progress." Munshin does not otherwise poke the part about price - probably because it probably won't matter still.

[AwesomeEllie]

OOC In a heavily urbanized location, such as the planet of Ward, there isn't really room to grow trees or farm on the surface. Due to this, most all of the roofs are converted into man-made forests or simulated farmland, almost always owned by wealthier citizens. Standard food and wood for the masses is actually the product of magic, run and regulated by The Makers, one of the organizations represented on the council that runs Ward.

"Ha. A mixture of all three, then. I ain't givin' you my whole book, though." Bartholomew produces a small charcoal stick, a small notebook, and a blank sheet of paper, and begins scribbling out six sets of numbers, each six digits long, from the book. He folds the sheet, and then half-offers the page. "Three thousand, for six locations. Two ground, one rafters, three in between."
Munshin is certain that the large coin purse Ozan gave them has more than enough coinage for the cost, but it won't leave a great amount remaining (It'd leave 1000 GP for the group to split)

[Andramal]

OOC Planet-city? So it is! huh, I missed that tidbit. XD that makes a difference.

Well then. The last detail to deal with then is....to haggle! Because the Player is not quite so handled at 'actual haggling' a roll to try and drop it down a bit shall be implemented again.

That, or watch as Giantkin pulls the Pirate line of 'I don't haggle over stuff this rich'.

OOC Not sure if this is more diplomacy or sense motive. the 'bargaining' rules hiding on the OGC is a little oddball to read, so rolling both for whatever may work. Aiming for 2500 if I can help it, but if he's determined, 3k it is. Dice diplomacy: 1d20+7 (3)+7 Total = 10 Dice Sense Motive: 1d20+5 (13)+5 Total = 18