Blackwood's Dogs — IC

[Namelessjake]

"When have I ever done that before?" Darcell says catching the attention of one of the more attractive waitresses across the room and motioning for her to join them. "Don't answer that," he adds quickly.

[Fialova]

Grommak & Darcell

[SHOW]

The waitress makes her way over to the table. "Hello, sirs. What would you like?" she asks, her Common spoken with a thick accent. She is younger and cuter than the first waitress, though her mannerisms come across as less professional.

[Namelessjake]

"Just another two of whatever these were," Darcell says, finishing his drink having noticed Grommak do the same a few moments earlier.

"You know, I've never been to Ghia, you'll have to tell me what it's like," he says to the waitress. "At this point it's just about the only place I haven't been, I've played in Imardanian courts and braved Serran sandstorms. In Tulrisse I even defeated an Archery Bear with just my wits and my bare hands," he says.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Bluff Check if needed on the waitress and Grommak too to make things interesting: 5(1d20) +16 = 21

[ratwizard]

Grommak nods at Darcell ordering two more of the drinks. Listening to his boasting to the waitress, he smirks through it, pretty sure he's telling the truth until hearing of Archery Bears. Fuck is that? he thinks, a cackle escaping him. "Bear hands? What, you tear off his limbs and beat himself with 'em?"

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Passive Insight of 21 passes DC of 21 on the Bluff check.

[Fialova]

Grommak & Darcell

[SHOW]

"Oh wow!" the girl says, her eyes lighting up at his tale. She sticks around to listen to him speak, not leaving to fetch any drinks. "I don't know what an archie bear is but it sounds very dangerous. You must be so brave!" she says, seeming stricken by the man and his stories of far off places.

[Namelessjake]

Ignoring Grommak, Darcell continues. Archery Bears are Tulrissian bears that can wield a bow. The woods over there are infested with them. They're a formidable foe indeed. I was travelling with a caravan when we were ambushed by one. It managed to pick off several good men before I could subdue it."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Bluff again: 18(1d20) +16 = 34

[Scratcherclaw]

"Henri LaBelle," the Imardanian says with a confident grin. "I'm part of Blackwood's crew," he adds, hoping the renown serves him well.

[Fialova]

Darcell & Grommak

[SHOW]

"And you kill this archie bear? Wow!" the young woman says. As she speaks she notices that their glasses are empty and remembers her duties. "Oh! I'm so sorry! Let me get your drinks," she continues, giving Darcell a wink and a smile as she runs off to fetch their order.

Henri

[SHOW]

The woman looks the boy up and down, then to the elf, then back at him. She raises an eyebrow before bursting into a fit of laughter. The elf joins, though with only a small chuckle that barely changes his facial expression. After a moment, she says, "Riiiiiight. You're one of Blackwood's Dogs. You expect me to believe they'd have some scrawny, posh boy like you? Who drinks wine? I've heard the stories, you don't sound nothin' like one of them."

[ratwizard]

"An archery bear?" Grommak repeats, now not exactly sure how much truth was coming from Darcell's mouth. Had to be something like that, at least. The way he tells it, maybe it's an allegory. Right? Archery bears?

"You've seen some crazy shit, Darce. And here I'd thought I'd been the more seasoned Dog."

[Scratcherclaw]

Henri rolls his eyes and grumbles to himself as the dwarf and elf try mocking him. Morons. Don't they realize they're talking to the best sharpshooter in the world? Not about to sit there and take their mockery, the Imardanian replies, "If you'd like, I could get my good orcish friend Grommak to enlighten you. Or maybe Mad Marian; she's got a bit of a temper, you know. Or maybe I should get Blackwood himself over here. I'm sure he'd love to meet the pair of bouffonnes who dared to insult his loyal Vanguard member."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Intimidate: 15(1d20) +12 = 27

[Namelessjake]

"I've been around a bit," Darcell replies with a smirk and dodging the question. "My adventures weren't always illegitimate. Until the Saint came up on the ship I was on, I was a law abiding citizen. For the most part at least."

[Fialova]

Grommak & Darcell

[SHOW]

The waitress returns quickly, placing the men's drinks in front of them with a polite smile and a small bow. She glances around for a moment to see if anyone else needs help with anything, but seeing no such requests she turns back to Darcell. "So you are a hunter then? Is that why you killed the archie bear?"

Henri

[SHOW]

The woman's smile fades as Henri asserts himself, his change in tone and the implications of his words sinking in for her. She looks up at him, looking more guarded than before. "Look, we don't have no wine, alright? Jeez." Her mannerisms suggest she wants to leave, but she remains facing the boy, waiting to see what he does. The elf, who appears less afraid but still guarded, is now watching him much more intently than before.

[Scratcherclaw]

With a smug grin, he replies, "Maybe you should have said that in the first place," before turning around and leaving pair behind him.

Not giving up on his journey for wine yet, he decides to try the third of the moored ships, with hopes that a pair of Ghian crew members will mean some fine Ghian wines.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Is the name of the rude dwarf lady's ship visible anywhere on the hull or something? If so, what is it? If not, no worries.

[Namelessjake]

"I am but a Bard. I have travelled the world with my stories and songs, I am no hunter. Yet people were in danger and I was compelled to act," Darcell replies, taking a swig of his drink.

[Fialova]

Henri

[SHOW]

Leaving the dock of the first ship - the Selma, as its stern reads - Henri makes his way past the middle ship to the last of the three. There he finds only a few crewmen, among them the younger Ghian's he'd spotted before. The pair is currently speaking on the dock next to the ship and not watching behind them, so they do not see you approach. In the distance, standing on the ship, you can see the robed man watching as you draw near.

Darcell & Grommak

[SHOW]

"Oh," the woman says, still enamored by Darcell's tales. She looks as if she is about to speak, but quickly turns her head back towards the bar. From there Tengatsu reemerges and approaches. Seeing him making his way back, the woman smiles and bows, before returning to helping other customers.

The man steps towards the table and takes his seat once more, across from the Dogs, and places a hand onto the table. A small thunk is heard as a small, heavy item is placed on the table. When he removes his hand there is an item resembling a coin, though much larger and more ornate than any coin you've seen before.

"This is a Kyung Min token of patronage," the man says, pushing the item across the table towards Grommak. Should he pick it up he can feel the weight of the item, something clearly not intended for regular use as currency. "For those unknown to the Kyung Min, this is what will signal them of your trustworthiness. Present it to the man at the entrance to their warehouse, on the docks just down the road from here. That will allow you entrance to barter with their fences."

He leans back in his seat and once more produces some parchment and a quill from his coat, and begins to write on it. "It will let you in just this once, they will take it from you when you enter. Perhaps if you aid them in the future they will come to know you and allow you more regular access, I cannot say," he continues, still writing.

[Scratcherclaw]

With the Ghian crew members unaware of his approach and hoping to get their attention, Henri decides to make his presence known. Clearing his throat, he says, "Hello! Excuse me, but might you guys have some wine for sale?"

[ratwizard]

Taking up the token offered to him, Grommak listens to the Captain explain its worth to him. Seems they'll trust me enough to enter their spot personally, he considered. Though only this time, and just 'cos Tengatsu. I've made friends -- and enemies -- tonight, looks like. The orc chews at the inside of his cheek, wondering what his luck would bring him. He flips the token in his hand for a moment before placing it deep in a pocket of his safely.

"Sounds good, Cap'," Grommak responds, giving him a wink. "Next time you need some muscle and the Saint's docked, you let me know." Turning to his human friend, the orc motions toward the door with a shrug of his head. "Let's skip, Darce." He gives a captain a parting nod. "Evenin'."

Leaving Tengatsu's table behind, Grommak heads to the front of the Lotus, where he drops a few coins in the hostess' area to pay for his and Darcell's drinks, before heading out into the night toward the docks. Let's hope this was worth the time and effort.

[Fialova]

Henri

[SHOW]

"...geuligo ulineun geudeul-i sanman haejigoissneun dong-an geu Kyung Min chang-go-e chungdol hal su-issda--" the taller, male Ghian is saying before Henri speaks. With your presence known the pair turns to you and looks you up and down. The shorter, female Ghian raises an eyebrow and speaks, her voice showing her suspicion at your presence. "This is a strange place to be looking for wine, you know," she says, in a distinctly Amkharan accent.

"Igeos-eun geucheoleom os-eul ibgie isanghan jangsoigidohabnida," the male says to the female with a smirk.

[Scratcherclaw]

With a wry smile, Henri responds, "Do you know any better place to get bottles? The wharf isn't exactly known for its booming wine market." Deciding to explain his decision, he adds, "I figured the best place to look would be with the merchants and smugglers. So which are you?"

[Namelessjake]

Darcell sighs and looks to the waitress across the room, for a moment. "Fine," he replies to Grommak, disappointment in his voice.

"These fences better be worth it," he says once outside. "Hopefully they have more than just your armour. I've got a fair amount of coin burning a hole in my pocket at the moment."

[Fialova]

Henri

[SHOW]

The two share a glance, before the female Ghian speaks again. "A bit of both, I guess," she shrugs, before turning to the other. "Deo ssan wain-eul saleo gayahabnida. Joh-eun mulgeon-eun Chathraleul-wihan geos-ibnida." He nods and leaves, heading towards the plank onto their ship. The robed man in the distance watches him intently, before turning back to watch Henri and the female.

"He will be back with our stock," the girl says, folding her arms and looking to Henri, eyebrow still raised. "So what's your deal, guy?" she asks, looking quizzically towards the young Imardanian. "What kind of sailor drinks wine? That's normally reserved for fancy folk. You know, lords and aristocrats and stuff."

Grommak, Darcell

[SHOW]

As the men leave, Tengatsu simply nods and continues writing on his parchment. The waitresses turn to wave them goodbye, saying, "Yoiichinichiwo! Thank you, have a nice day!" Darcell notices that the one he'd been speaking to says it half-heartedly, looking sad to see the man go. Outside the men once more pass the armed group loitering near the entrance to the Lotus. They watch as you leave towards the docks, but, as before, maintain their positions.

It is not a long walk to the warehouse, only a five minute stroll at this time of day. The scenery remains mostly the same throughout, buildings clearly inspired by the homes of the Ghians that live and work in them, though with notable differences in building materials. The warehouse, though architecturally plain, is covered in banners depicting the symbol and name of the Kyung Min, an obvious indicator to anyone just who they are dealing with.

The entrance to the warehouse is guarded by a group of armed men just like the Lotus, though here their presence is greater and they are on much higher alert. As the pair draws near, the men guarding the entrance place their hands near their weapons and watch intently. The one closest the large door speaks up. "Halt, stranger. This is Kyung Min property. If you've no business here, I suggest you leave."

[ratwizard]

"Same as mine," Grommak replies to Darcell about their wealth as they walk. "But don't go chatting about that 'round here. 'Less you want to find yourself gutted in a gutter, your coin gone."

As they arrive to the warehouse and are suggested to leave by the guard, the orc reaches for the token Tengatsu gave him, pulling it from his pocket. "Here. I've been told this will get us in, though once." Grommak holds the token in his outstretched hand, nodding toward it.

[Scratcherclaw]

Henri grins as the Ghian man leaves to check the stock, eager to get his hands on another bottle or two of wine. I wonder what all they've got.

"I'm an aristocrat of sorts," Henri says with a cocky smirk. "A dishonored aristocrat-turned-pirate, but an aristocrat nonetheless, at least in tastes."

[Fialova]

Grommak, Darcell

[SHOW]

The men only get more antsy as Grommak reaches into his pouch. However, when he produces the token they calm and lower their guard. The man by the door steps up to him and takes the token, bowing as he does so. "You are correct, friend," the man says, as he places the token inside a satchel at his side. "You may enter. When you are finished conducting your business, rap on the door and I will open it for you. You will not be able to re-enter once you've concluded."

With that the man walks back to the door and reaches into another section of the satchel. From it he produces a large, heavy key, which he inserts into the door's lock. It opens with a click, and he pulls the large, heavy door aside just enough for a person to pass through. He waits for the men to enter before shutting it behind them. Once inside they hear the click once more, suggesting they are now locked inside the warehouse.

Inside the warehouse is initially just a long, dark corridor. There is light coming from the distance, though none directly at the entrance. The walls on either side are barren, except for various banners with text illegible to either Dog. Further down the hallway you can see that there is a larger area with lanterns and decorations. It has the look, from a distance, of a small town marketplace at night, though indoors.

Henri

[SHOW]

"Huh. Don't see a lot of those. Though I guess I'm not really one to judge," the girl says with a wink. "Though I can't say wine would be my drink of choice, even then. Have you ever tried baijiu?"

As the girl speaks, Henri can see a black figure moving along the railing of the ship and making its way towards the gangplank. As it moves off the ship and onto the plank he can tell that the creature is a large feline, similar in size and shape to the mountain lions of southeastern Imardin, but entirely black.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Oh yeah? What's your story?" Henri responds with an inquisitive look and a smirk. "And I haven't tried baijiu. What is it?" he adds at her question.

Noticing the large, black feline moving down the gangplank, he asks, "Is that your... cat?"

[Fialova]

Henri

[SHOW]

"Well, my family is pretty wealthy and influential back home. Life there is boring, everyone doing everything for you. So here I am, living a more interesting life," the girl says with a smirk. As she speaks the large cat approaches ever closer. Turning to look its way at Henri's mention of it, she adds, "oh, that's just Banlu. Yeah, he's mine. He's been my best friend for years now!" she says, more excitedly than she'd been speaking before.

As the beast approaches she bends down to pet it, and he purrs gently as she does so. Once she's done she turns back to Henri. "Baiju is made from grains. It's much stronger than wine. Maybe not as 'high class', but it takes less to get drunk, is cheaper, and some of the flavored ones have much more interesting flavor profiles than wine. Doesn't take years to get the good stuff, either," she says matter-of-factly.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

You can tell she is leaving out details about her past, or at least being intentionally vague with her description

[ratwizard]

"Got it. Thanks," Grommak responds as he and his friend are admitted into the warehouse. Once within, he travels down the corridor until he catches sight of the market area, and heads towards it. "This way, Darce. I think we've found where the magic happens around here."

[Namelessjake]

"It's almost quaint," Darcell jokes. "It's quite the elaborate set up, although I suppose it is the Kyung Min, not your ordinary back alley fence."

[ratwizard]

"Heh, you're right on that, my friend. I've jumped through hoops -- you, now, too -- to get to this shit. This better not be a wash."

[Scratcherclaw]

"On our ship, we just have a little lizard. I can't imagine having a cat that size," Henri says in amazement, flashing a grin at Banlu.

At the Ghian woman's explanation of baijiu, Henri replies, "I don't often drink to get drunk, but I can imagine some crew mates who would love that. Maybe I'll give it a try sometime though. I'll just have to keep it away from the ship's resident drunkard."

[Fialova]

Grommak, Darcell

[SHOW]

As the pair walks further down the hallway and into the opening at the end, they find that their initial suspicions were correct. At the end they find themselves in what appears to be a corridor design to look like a courtyard, octagonal in shape. The ceiling above is high, but the dimly lit area makes it barely noticeable.

What stands out much more are the three doorways, decorated to look like the entrances to buildings in the traditional Ghian style of architecture. They are situated one to either side and one straight ahead, each bearing a different symbol engraved into their doors. "剣" is written on the one to the left, "薬" on the one to the right, and "神秘" on the one directly ahead.

Shitty Diagram

[SHOW]

Henri

[SHOW]

"If you ever bring it on your ship, the number of drunkards will certainly increase. Trust me," she says, rolling her eyes. "We stopped carrying it for that reason. It is a port treat only, now."

As she is speaking Henri can see the male Ghian's head appear from below deck again. In another moment he can be seen walking on deck, down the plank, and back towards he and the girl. In his arms he carries a small crate of various bottles of wine.

When he finally reaches the pair, he sets the crate down with a loud thud in front of the Imardanian, some of the bottles jiggling as they land. At first sight he can tell that most of the stock is of average or worse quality, and a few of the bottles are not vintages he'd ever seen before. A few look like they could be promising, though they'd require a closer look. "Well? See anying you like?" the male Ghian asks, his accent just as strong as the girl's.

[Scratcherclaw]

"A few," Henri responds to the man, examining the wine bottles before him. His interest is piqued when his eye catches some of the vintage bottles, as well as a few other promising ones. "Let me just take a closer look," he adds, wishing to examine the selection more thoroughly.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Henri examines the vintage/promising bottles. What makes them promising or whatever? Gimme the deets

[ratwizard]

"Any chance you can read this shit?" Grommak asks Darcell as they pass through. Unsure of where to go, the orc tries the central door.

[Namelessjake]

"No idea," Darcell says, following after Grommak. "I've seen a lot of the world and know a few languages, but I've never been to Ghia," he adds.

[Fialova]

Henri

[SHOW]

Among the more common vintages you find a Gleiopolis Grenache, dated 6E Y62, an Erlfeld Chianti dated 6E Y70 and some red wine with no label, only a marking on the cork in the symbol of an eyeball with a tree in the background.

Grommak, Darcell

[SHOW]

The doorway ahead is a set of heavy double doors, which require more effort than one would expect to open, though it is not a problem for Grommak once he is aware of this. Once open they reveal a wide, dimly-lit room, illuminated only by a handful of small lanterns scattered around the edges of the room and an intricately-carved wooden chandelier in the center, made in the shape of a series of dragons wrapping around one another.

The room is three times as wide as it is deep, and in the center of the far wall is a man seated in ornate, cushioned seat. The man is reclined in the seat with his feet propped up on a large, equally-ornate wooden chest with gold plating. He smokes a long pipe and wears long, vibrant robes, and pays little attention to the pair of you as you enter.

All along the rest of the walls are various display cases featuring all sorts of odds and ends. There are sculptures and fine jewelry and many different sets of dining ware and silverware. Vases, large sculptures, and stand-alone lanterns are littered between the cases, all in their own places, all clearly valuable. Some are much more ornate than others, though all seem to have equal standing in this place.

In the center of the room are smaller display cases of items much less ornate than the others. Based on the intricate locking mechanisms, however, it seems clear they are just as valuable, if not more-so.

[Scratcherclaw]

Henri grins as he examines the two vintages closer, eager to add them to his collection. The third bottle, however, he finds intriguing as it lacks a label. Noticing the obscure symbol on the cork, he racks his mind to see if he recognizes it.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

History check to see if he recognizes the weird eye/tree symbol: 13(1d20) +13 = 26

[Namelessjake]

"I'm guessing this guy isn't going to have your armour," Darcell says to Grommak. "The other two doors must lead to other fences," he adds, while looking at the various items on display. "Although saying that, this stuff looks valuable, some of it even magical maybe."

OOC

[SHOW]

What are the less ornate items in the centre of the room?

[Fialova]

Henri

[SHOW]

You've seen the symbol before, likely in history texts or other books of lore, though never on a bottle of wine. You cannot recall what it is meant to symbolize, only that it is a bit obscure, but not so obscure that there isn't info to be found elsewhere on it.

Darcell, Grommak

[SHOW]

Inside the display cases in the center are various small items. In the first there are six items. One appears to be a deck of playing cards with an abnormally blank box, making their manufacturer unknown. Another is a small stone, appearing to be a simple piece of flint, though one that is unusually smooth and symmetrical. A third is a spyglass, like the sort an Ellisport detective may use, or a scribe in a library somewhere. A fourth is a flagon, which is decorated in various runes of dwarven origin (which neither Grommak nor Darcell can read). The last two are a pair of dice with nothing of note about them.

Inside the second case there are five items. The first a sheet of parchment rolled up and tied with a string. If looked at from the side it doesn't appear that anything is actually written on the parchment. The next is a simple ceramic bowl, colored green, white and blue, with a symbol in the bottom in the shape of a yellow sun. A third is a simple sphere, which appears to be made of gold, but which is otherwise unadorned. The next is a ring, made of iron by the looks of it, with eyeballs etched all around the band. The last is a small golden figurine in the shape of a Lion, likely Amkharan in origin.

[Namelessjake]

"Hello there," Darcell says to the man in the room, hoping he speaks Common. "Can you tell us about these items?" He asks, looking back to the display cases, his curiosity mostly centring around the deck of cards and the dice. "I'm assuming they're not just mundane items, being in these cases and all."

[Scratcherclaw]

"Hmm..." Henri mumbles as he examines the wine with the strange symbol on it, unable to identify it. "Can I ask where you got this one? It doesn't have a label," Henri asks the Ghian duo, hoping they can shed some insight on it. "And how much for these two bottles?" he adds, pointing at the vintage bottles he had examined prior.

[Fialova]

Darcell, Grommak

[SHOW]

The man takes another long draw of his pipe, seeming to ignore the bard, and lets out a large puff of smoke in the air above him, tilting his head back to do so. Once it begins to disperse he places places his feet on the ground, quickly rising from the chair. He steps towards the men, focusing on Darcell, and points to him with his pipe.

"That they are not," the man says, his accent in Common thickly Jarangi, as would be expected. "These items here," he continues, motioning over the closest display case with his pipe, "these are ve-ry special. Far from mundane." Moving his pipe once more, he places it above where the deck of cards sits and taps on the glass with the mouthpiece.

"These cards look like ordinary cards, yes? But perform a small ritual and you can bend them to your will. You draw a card, it is the card you want, every time. Only for you, not for anyone else. No one can detect that it is rigged. Very nice," the man says with a grin. He takes another puff from his pipe and exhales the smoke towards the Dogs. Once he does so, he now places the mouthpiece over where the dice are located.

"And these are same, but with dice. You roll, they do whatever you want. Want a seven? You get a seven. Want snake eyes? You get snake eyes. Also very finely made, volcanic glass from a volcano on Visha. Hard to obtain, hard to work, very sharp if broken. Very nice to look at," the man continues, taking another puff of his pipe and looking to the Dogs for a response. "3000 for the set, special price just for you," the merchant finishes with a grin.

Henri

[SHOW]

The girl looks the bottle over for a moment with a furrowed brow. "Well, I got it from a merchant back in Talguta. I couldn't tell you where he got it, though. It looked special and was kept separate from the others, so I snagged," she says with a wink.

"These two," she says, pointing to the two know vintages, "I could give you for 200 for the both of them," she continues, crossing her arms and waiting for the boy's response.

[Namelessjake]

"Interesting," Darcell says nodding along as the man explains the two item's properties. They should quickly pay for themselves, he can't help but think.

"Three thousand gold is a lot," he says at the mention of the price. Everything I got for those muskets.

"I'll give you 2400, in cash right now for them. You have quite a fine collection of items here, but I can't imagine you make a sale too often here in the wharf, let alone one of two items. 2400 is a good price," Darcell says trying to negotiate a lower price.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Diplomacy check to haggle: 24

6(1d20) +18 = 24

[ratwizard]

Grommak lets out a chuckle at his friend being drawn toward cheats' die. "Figured you'd blow your coin on something like this. Not sayin' it's a bad thing, just so -- you," he explains as the two haggle.

"I'm going to check the other stores," the orc tells his friend before stepping toward the way he came, but not without a nod of deference to the old Jarangi. Once out to the main crossroads of the strange market area, Grommak decides to investigate the storefront on his left.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Interesting," Henri responds to the woman's partial explanation. "And how much would that one cost then?" he asks, hoping he can learn more insight on the symbol with it in his possession.

[Fialova]

Darcell

[SHOW]

"Hm," the man thinks for a moment, looking to his items, then back to Darcell. "I cannot do 2400, no. Too low. But I like you, and I can see you want them. I could do 2800 for the pair," he says, raising an eyebrow and waiting for the Dog's response.

Grommak

[SHOW]

Stepping out into the octagonal chamber, Grommak continues to his lift through the doorway marked "薬". Inside he finds a longer, narrower room. It is even more dimly lit than the previous room, with only a few lanterns hanging along the sides of the room and a single other on the back wall.

The narrow room is lined on both sides with rows of shelves, some enclosed and locked with large metal locks, some open, and a few enclosed by glass. All are filled with various bottles and vials of things such as liquids, plants, powders, and pieces of animals. Some are colorful, some very bland, and some downright disgusting to look at. Luckily, there is only a faint scent of lavender in the room, not whatever awful odor one would expect given the contents of the various containers.

At the end of the room is a small counter and behind it, on a stool, sits an aged man in more simple robes than the man in the previous room. Behind him is another array of shelves, some containing more vials, others containing books and various instruments, likely used for creating such concoctions. In the corner near the counter, to Grommak's right and the man's left, is a small stove and a large kettle dangling above a fireplace.

The man looks up for a moment as he notices the Dog's entrance, but quickly returns to what he'd been doing. He has a long, narrow grey beard that hangs to his mid torso and is hunched over his counter, reading at some book that is sprawled across the counter. After a moment he picks up a quill, scribbles something in the book's margin, then continues with his reading.

Henri

[SHOW]

"Hm," the girl says. She takes the bottle and looks it over for a moment, before placing it back and returning her gaze towards Henri. "I like that one, so I'd say I could part with it for 650."

[Namelessjake]

Darcell pauses for a moment, deciding. "Okay, that's a deal," he says moments later, extending a hand and reaching for his coin purse.

[Scratcherclaw]

"I suppose that's fair," Henri says as the Ghian woman names her price for the wine shrouded in mystery. Pulling out his coin purse and producing 850 coins worth of gold, he says, "I'll be taking those three bottles then. And it's been a pleasure doing business with you." With this, he flashes a smile and winks at the woman.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Spend 850 gold, bringing my total gold down to 3,890
Purchase:
Gleiopolis Grenache, 6E Y62
Erlfeld Chianti, 6E Y70
Unlabeled Red Wine

[ratwizard]

"Konnichiwa, mister," Grommak manages in the tongue with a short bow as he'd seen other Jarangi do. "Alchemy, I see. You got any poisons?"

[Fialova]

Darcell

[SHOW]

The man shakes Darcell's hand and reaches for the coin as the Dog produces it from his coinpurse. Once he has the coin in hand he walks over to the chest he'd had his feet propped on, opens it with a key, and places the coin inside. Darcell get's a brief glimpse of very large number of other coins of all shapes, sizes, and colors resting in the chest before the man shuts and locks it once more.

The coin safely locked away, he steps to the display case and, with another key, opens the glass lid and removes the three items. He passes them to Darcell before locking the case shut once more. "Very nice doing business with you," the man says with a large toothy grin. "Please, let me know if you are interested in purchasing anymore of my wares. They are all very nice," he says, splaying his arms out towards the items around him.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Darcell loses 2800gp and gains two wondrous items: Mountebank's Deck (lv1) and Midnight Sixes (lv6). This should bring him down to 4310gp.

Henri

[SHOW]

"Awesome!" the girl replies enthusiastically, before reaching out to take the boy's coin. She pockets the coins, and the Ghian boy looks as if he is going to protest, but she waves him away.

"Here you go," she says, grabbing the bottles one by one and passing them to Henri. "Make sure you don't drop them. Wouldn't want them to go to waste," she says, returning his wink with one of her own.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Henri loses 850gp and gains the three items, as your mechanics said.

Grommak

[SHOW]

The man looks back up as Grommak speaks, grunts, and then stands up from his hunched position on the stool. Once upright it is clear the man is both quite tall and quite thin, though his robes help to hide his narrow frame. He places his quill on the desk next to his book and steps out from behind the counter, bows, and approaches the orc.

"Yes, yes... alchemy. I have... many poisons. And many... other things," the man says, looking around the room as he speaks. His accent is not nearly as thick as the man in the previous room, though there is still a hint of Jarangi that comes through. He speaks slowly and his mind seems to wander with his eyes.

"Are you... looking for anything... in particular?" he asks, stepping to one of the shelves and adjusting the positions of some of the vials, rotating a few slightly. He grabs one, gives it a sniff, scowls, then places it back before turning to face Grommak once more.

[ratwizard]

"Just browsing, is all. I was looking for certain vendor, to be honest, but I came across your digs," Grommak explains earnestly. "I got a dwarf aboard that'd love some of the stuff you've got here. Real experimental-type, likes explosives. Might have to bring back something for him."

He stares at a few of the vials for a moment before turning back to the older shopkeep. "Any chance you know of a shop here that sells armor and the like?"