Thread: Perth II (IC)

PERTH II

Perth IC I
Perth OOC I

Chapter III - Fight The Powers That Be

Evin's information came with a name, Baxter Tallwine. Easy answers come from easy questions, so there is no difficulty in learning that Mr. Tallwine is the current head of the shipping guild along the River Perth and the western shore of the Shai. Although he does hold this temporary elected position, he is also the owner of several docks and warehouses in the Pit. The guild voices the concerns of the shipping operations and needs for the stevedores before the council. Nearly all forms of business in Perth fair better with such a unified representation. If Evin's source is trusted, then he may be the best avenue for one to start looking into the corruption of Commissioner Gault.

The party agrees to investigate the Pit's docks in the morning, so they part ways for the night. The morning comes among a dense canopy of clouds. Especially near the shore of the Perth, a light fog obscures the horizon, giving all a temporary visage of Vanalya's world. Every once in a while the damp fog transitions almost imperceptibly into a soft drizzle before switching back again.

The morning may be gloomy, but Perth is still alive with activity. However, with no ship coming imminently, the docks are not particularly active. The shipping guild is not closed, but while waiting for the others to arrive, no one enters or exits the building. Across the barren street from the guild office sits the harbor and several docks owned by Mr Tallwine. There are a handful of private guards patrolling the area. With no cargo to guard and no records onsite, they make their rounds with a vapid energy. Even with the guard presence, there is nothing that would prevent the party from looking around the docks or entering the guild offices.

Another investigation begins, Augusta thinks to herself as she briskly walks towards the docks. I would have succeeded with the aid of my Lord, but it must be admitted, if only privately, that these other people have played their part most ably.

In a low voice, she murmurs to her companions through the concealing fog. "I wonder at our approach here. I have a thought that one of us might act the part of a merchant interested in the shipping guild's services, but wary of potential for being caught by the city guard. Eager for business, this Tallwine may spill some of his secrets."

Evin walks towards the docks together with the others, carefully looking around for anything interesting as he considers Augusta's words. Strange, how his mind was working along similar tracks. "Not a bad idea, really." he says in an approving tone. "I was thinking more along the line of one of us pretending to be looking for work, but your idea can work, too." And it should say something about their respective personality, really, that Evin has tought about starting from the common people while Augusta aimed at the top "I have a certain experience in pretending to be someone I'm not, as you saw with the Sons... should I?"

Vanalya stands with her eyes fixed on nowhere in particular, expression blank and perfectly still. The mention of her name seems to bring her back to reality though. "Whatever we do, we should do it swiftly. Dawdling here will do nothing but draw attention. I agree with Alexander's plan, myself. Though perhaps Sulet could come with us. There's a lot to look into, and three pairs seems like the best way to remain safe while covering the maximum amount of ground." One bodyguard was probably enough for a shady merchant, and Sulet's eccentricities could be explained away more easily on the docks than in the guild.

Evin nods. "I agree with Vanalya." he says Even if I have my doubts about the Asmodean impersonating a poor grunt looking for work.

"If you want me to do this, I have to get back to my place for half an hour, to get my...stage makeup on. I want to look the part, after all." He winks to the others "Even if, for what I've seen at the Three Rivers, our lady Augusta would probably fit the part better than me." Problem being, Augusta is still a part of the class Evin abandoned and may be recognized more easily. Whereas, he doubts Tallwine has ever had reason to see an anonymous street performer whose home is the slums.

Augusta sniffs, but concurs. "Very well," she replies, looking crisply around. "While Evin does that I shall need some time to..." she looks around almost plaintively, as if honestly unsure,"... to wallow in mud, I suppose." She shakes her head, muttering. "Asmodeus knows, this is an indignity."

"I'll take some time to look the part as well." He paces, practicing a scowl and an aimless stare.

With an idea in place, the group disperses. About an hour later, they reconvene at the site of the Shipping Guild. Despite the rain, the traffic on the road has picked up - a merchant hauling his cart of barrels and a handful of pedestrians pass by. Though far from an elegant structure, the recently constructed guild stands out among the several molding shanties along the shore of the dock area.

The first group enters through the heavy oak door of the guild into a large room full of tables and benches, but empty of people - save for the lone guard standing just inside the door. She does not react with more than a glance to the new visitors.

The floor is a bit dirty - especially nearest the entrance where mud and water have warped the floorboards. A large chalkboard on the right wall contains a table of boat names, dates and times, all written over a thick coat of erasure dust. A lone door sits closed at the back of the room. A heated discussion between three individuals transpires in the other room.

Though the door distorts the sounds, a mild female voice can be softly heard, "no, thats not-"
A harsh male voice interrupts in a demanding tone, "then where is it?"
A stern, yet high-pitched voice says, "We don't know."
"Then find it! Your warehouse, your people, your problem!"
"But we don't have the resources-"
"Your problem! You don't see a copper until I get that shipment."
"We mean manpower! We don't have people to look-"
"Well, then hire-" something like a angry growl is heard before the harsh voice adds, "fine! I'll run it by him and get back to you."

A door in the rear of the guild slams and everything is quiet.

A few moments later, the door on the other side of the hall opens and a silver elven woman in a clean drab gray blouse and black slacks appears. Upon seeing the newcomers, she turns her head and shouts, "Baxter! Someone is here!" Without further pause she continues, sparing the briefest friendly nod and smile before exiting through the door you entered.

Shortly, a small halfling, richly dressed in ostentation merchant's garbs of silks and jewels comes through the door. He assesses you with his eyes as he approaches. Apparently not overly displeased, he extends a hand in greeting, "Baxter Tallwine at your service. What brings you to the Shipping Guild this morning?"

"Tallwine. It is my pleasure." During his brief visit home, Evin has made ample use of the stage makeup and clothes that he usually keeps there for his more... loaded performances. He has donned an outfit that screams "money", he has powdered his face in the latest style... but he has been careful to overdo it a bit. It would be the most natural thing to for him to look like a noble, born into priviledge and used to it, but he doesn't want to. It would be more useful for him to just look like a very wealthy individual... and the less clear is it where his supposed money come from, the better. And nothing says wealthy and possiby shady like a bit of tasteless jewlery and overabundant make-up.

"My name is Evin. Evin Hastyngs." Better keep as close as the truth as possible, and it has the double advantage of preventing possible slips of the tongue in the future. Still, he certainly can't use "Faolan" as a surname, so he chooses one that is purposefully neutral. He's supposed to be a merchant, after all. "I've been told you're the man to go to to talk about business here in the docks, yes?" The inflection is controlled, too. Not the slums lingo that has been second-nature for him for so long, and not even the cultured parlance that is his natural way of speaking, but something in-between. Like someone that's trying too hard to go for refined.

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Using one conviction to roll twice disguise - (1d20+13)[17] and disguise - (1d20+13)[21] (extra +2 due to the use of the disguise kit)

"You have been told correctly, Master Hastyngs," Tallwine says excitedly. "Whether you want to get products here from the mines, Deigt or Grimnideln to here or ship from here toward Kiirnodel or Liastascia, our long boats have you covered. There is no quicker way short of hiring a wizard! We do mostly freight, but occasionally take passengers. All shipments are guarded quite well by the best in the business." He smile eagerly.

A short distance from the Shipping Guild, Vanalya wanders the docks, searching for anything that could be a sign, any cargo or ships. The fact she finds nothing does not dissuade her in the least. Water trickles down her face and plasters her muddied clothes to her skin. With that and her somewhat ill-fitting leathers, she looks more like one of the dock kids than a healer and adventurer, which is exactly what her goal had been. She makes no move to protect herself from the rain. Her eyes are half-closed, and she doesn't notice the sound of the wagon. She is thinking. They need a place to start, after all.

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Since we're supposed to be doing this in pairs, I'll just stall a bit.

Disguise - (1d20+5)[21]
Knowledge Local - (1d20+30)[31] Anything related to Commissioner Gault and the Shipping Guild.
...REALLY?

(Subtract 3 if Lore Keeper + Focused Trance isn't allowed)

"A shipment, yes. A cargo that should be delievered here, all the way from Dolwood." Evin makes sure to make a somewhat exaggerated smirk. He could be a lot more subtle, of course, but 'Hastyngs', as he envisions him in his mind, isn't supposed to be. The heavy-handedness is a part of the jumped-up boor he's imagining the man being.

"It's a quite precious cargo, Master Tallwine", again, putting more emphasis than needed on the word 'precious'. Evin studies the man's reaction carefully. "And a quite confidential matter, as well. Is this place private enough?"

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Hmmm.... is it the time for Bluff yet?
bluff - (1d20+11)[31]
also sense motive - (1d20+6)[20] (just to get a feel for Tallwine)

The halfling listens eagerly at first, but his expression changes when you mention "precious" cargo. "Oh... um, well," the man falters nervously a bit, "you see, shipments from Dolwood.. um, well... it's quite difficult. We generally don't receive any longships from there. You... uh, have to sail against the current of the Perth for a bit, you see. We have in the past, but it is not..." he wipes some nascent sweat from his brow.

He collects himself before saying curtly, "I am most sorry, Master Hastyngs, but, no, I don't think we can help you with your cargo. I recommend trying the Kattatrall Shipping Company. They tend to treat cargo from Dolwood."

Evin

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He is clearly skirting his real issue with pursuing the contract.

Augusta stands idly against a post outside, grinding her teeth in what she hopes is a mercenary fashion and trying not to purse her lips in boredom. She has removed some of the more ornate embellishments from her armour and mussed, mussed up her black hair, and worked up a sweat to produce the necessary uncleanliness. She hopes that everything is going well inside with Evin. Every so often, she casts an eye towards the Guild office, making sure that nothing is amiss.

"That's a real shame" Evin replies "You come highly recommended, and the Kattatrall… doesn’t. Especially when it comes to deal with bureaucracy. " Again, he puts a bit too much emphasis on the last word.

He makes a small pause, and a smile "Why don't we discuss this over a drink? I'm sure we could come to an arrangement of some sort. We're both businessmen, after all, aren't we?". There. Subtle like a load of bricks. I hope I'm not overdoing it.

Baxter's lips purse for a long moment in hesitation before he finally breathes out and says, "very well. I'll hear you out, but I won't make any promises. Come into my office, Master Hastyngs," the halfling motions for the "merchant" and his guards to follow him into the back room.

His back room is a scattered mess of loose manifests, writing implements, ink bottles, ledgers - old and new, and a few personal trinkets. The room also contains six chairs, a heavy oak desk, a large ebony chest with a padlock and a much smaller metal lockbox. Baxter locks the door behind him with a key, and then snaps the padlock over the latch of the door in the rear of the room. As he takes a seat in the one of the chairs he motions for everyone to sit. He then says directly, "I am not sure I can help you, Master Hastyngs. For one or two shipments... perhaps... but I cannot afford to move..." he searches for the words for a moment, "a contract calling for discretion... through my docks repeatedly."

Evin smirks to himself as he looks around for a place to get seated "My friend, I know we can reach an agreement. One shipment, at the moment, would be a good start. A 'foot in the door', as they call it, yes?" Another slightly unctuous smile - the insincere kind a merchant would give to a potential partner "Anyway, I think you're underselling yourself, my friend. I was assured you were the right person for the job. "

"Very well," Baxter pauses for a long moment. He then speaks with a very forceful intonation, "before we discuss specifics, I need two things to be perfectly clear: I am not committing to more than one shipment for you; our dealings will end on my terms and at my whim - we can discuss things further, but any hostile action against me, my family, my dock, my employees or the guild will end very badly for you. Do you understand me?"

Evin laughs "There's no need of threats, my friend." he says. "I've come here for the profit, not to make enemies. One shipment is enough, at the moment, and then you may decide if you still want to do business with me." His tone implies that he can't see how the halfling could decline the opportunity. "At terms you find agreeable, of course." He holds his hand out for the halfling to shake

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Sense motive (applying sing bonus for versatile performance) perform - (1d20+11)[29]

Baxter smiles and says, "of course. Once burned and all that..." he makes a dismissive wave with his hand, clearly wanting to not linger on the topic. "I can ensure that your goods get from the boat to a warehouse unmolested. After that, it is up to your people to transport them out of the warehouse. I just need some details . . . what are you trying to move? Or, if you prefer secrecy, how large is it and what will it be transported in? Do you have your own boat or will you need to get the goods onto another shipment?"

Evin

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He has relaxed considerably. It seems that he just wants to get the deal underway.

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Outside the shipping guild, the rain has picked up a bit, despite that the sun is now shining. Two burly men - a scarred wood elf and a gruff human - stop in front of the docks, clearly waiting for something. They chat idly with one another. From the scattered words passing through the muffler of rain, it is clear that they are waiting for a longship to come down river.

"Oh, nothing TOO big, a couple of crates, that's all." Evin simulates with his hands the size of a medium container. "As for what it is... he laughs "Why, happiness, my friend, of course. Happiness from Dolwood. I trust that won't be a problem?"

"Ah, I see... well, we should be able to work out the details. I can ensure that your product will go from a dock in Dolshire to a warehouse in Perth. From the time your people hand the crates to my contact in Dolshire, it will take about three days until the crates are ready to vanish from the warehouse," he smiles slyly, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. "The fee for what you describe would be fifty gold per crate - assuming the size you cite is correct. For, well... complicated reasons, I couldn't move more than four crates with this shipment."

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Three more men and one woman arrive in front of the dock to join the other two men. They all stand about patiently in the rain.

One of the men, a wood elf, turns his head to assess Vanalya for a moment. After a few short seconds, he turns toward her, snorts a laugh, and says, "a day's pay, miss. That's what I'm looking for."

Another man interjects with a grin, "I'm looking for a year's pay... but I think I might have went to the wrong place." A few of the group chuckle.

The lone woman, a rather burly human female, decides to clarify, "some longships from the mines is coming in a bit. Our names is on the list to move this cargo. If we doesn't show, we doesn't get paid."

Augusta senses an opportunity. She strides boldly out to join the dock workers. If they care only for coin, this should prove a simple matter.

"Tell me," she says, not bothering with an introduction; "do you know what it is that the cargo holds? Or to whom it belongs?" While she talks, Augusta's hand slips to her satin coin purse, jangling it noticeably.

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Diplomacy if necessary: (1d20+7)[23]

The grinning man hears the jangle of coins and takes the bait immediately, "The dock is Tallwine's, the cargo is ore - iron I believe. It's owned by Goodbarrel mining in this case, the boats are too," he holds out his hand expectantly.

"Fifty golds per crate, four crates with the delievery" Evin raises his eyes for a moment, like he's doing some sort of quick calculation in his mind. "That could be acceptable. I will need a bit of time to arrange the matter, of course." He launches a quick look to Beriadan. We'll think of something..

"But tell me, do you guarantee that I won't be bothered by... trivial problems, once the cargo is delievered here? I won't even begin to list you the bothers I have to go through, every time I want to ship something to these docks."

Tallwine smiles, "of course, such bothers will certainly not arise for this shipment. Though, I implore you, do not boast about this avenue of delivery. If such words fall on the wrong ears... well, that would be quite a bother for us both, now wouldn't it."

Baxter extends his hand for an agreement, "one shipment, once you have the finances in my hand and a delivery date to Dolshire, I can provide the details of the drop-off and pick-up points."