Making Enemies and Influencing People

shilsen wrote:

"Had a little trouble more recently with Lukas Castlemourne and Agatha Tripe. Lukas wanted me to keep everything quiet around his damn ship, since he said he needs to always hear The Sonata sing. Bah! Nobody tells me how to run my docks.

"I should think not. You're the king on these docks. What's so important about some damn singing?"

shilsen wrote:

"Same for Agatha. She wanted to transport some 'expensive' goods and not pay me my 'docking charges'. I don't care what she's selling to the natives, but if she's moving the stuff off my dock, she's got to pay. Same as anyone else."

"Any idea what it was she was transporting? And to where? Which natives?"

shilsen wrote:

"Otherwise how am I going to pay for Mr Cuddles' fish?"

"Indeed," says Odanais, his voice turning raspy. "You take care of that Mr. Cuddles. Don't ever any of these damn cur pirates and snakes take him away from you. Just hold onto him forever and never lose him!"

gridley wrote:

"I should think not. You're the king on these docks. What's so important about some damn singing?"

"Damn right! Plus it bothered the cats."

Quote :

"Any idea what it was she was transporting? And to where? Which natives?"

Fix grins. "Agatha wouldn't tell me, but I'm pretty damn sure it was drugs. She's got some contacts with the Hair of the Dog gang. And maybe some recollection wine, which sells damn well outside town, and not just because the bloody Bureaucracy doesn't want that done. But as for where," he shrugs, "I got no clue. I know she says she can dock the Red Rabbit anywhere on the coast, and though that's a bit of an exaggeration, Agatha's a bloody good sailor, so she can land in a few places. She sells to the natives in the Clutch, I know, and says she's even been to the Snake States, though I think that's a lie."

Quote :

"Indeed," says Odanais, his voice turning raspy. "You take care of that Mr. Cuddles. Don't ever any of these damn cur pirates and snakes take him away from you. Just hold onto him forever and never lose him!"

The harbormaster's grin shifts slightly and he fixes Odanais with a gimlet eye. "Listen, kid - I'm glad you people saved me, and I don't make any bones about the fact that I love my cats, but don't try to use that and patronize me, okay? Humph!" He looks at Penelope, who hasn't been asking any questions, and nods appreciatively as he finds her focused on the cats, before turning back to Odanais. "So, you got any more questions, or should I give you your, um, commission?" He chuckles, evidently back in a good humor already.

OOC: The Hair of the Dog gang are some of the shifters into drug production in the Port.

shilsen wrote:

"So, you got any more questions, or should I give you your, um, commission?"

"Hair of the Dog, eh?" Odanais whistles. "Bad people to have angry at you. Thanks Let us know if anything else occurs to you. I think most of your employees know where to find us."


OOC: Would a nature check give Odanais any insight on where someone might find fire beetles and acid-spitting drakes?

Check = 22

The member 'gridley' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 12

gridley wrote:

"Hair of the Dog, eh?" Odanais whistles. "Bad people to have angry at you. Thanks Let us know if anything else occurs to you. I think most of your employees know where to find us."

"All right," says Fix. "I will."

The harbormaster leads Odanais and Penelope out of Bubastis and takes them to a nearby building, which evidently serves as his office. He has them wait for a few minutes, until he returns with a bag of coins. "Here you go. And thank you. I really do appreciate the help."

Quote :

OOC: Would a nature check give Odanais any insight on where someone might find fire beetles and acid-spitting drakes?

Check = 22

Yes. They are found in both the Interior and on some of the islands of the Aster. Neither type of creature is native to the Port, and probably the only time one would find some is if they had been brought in to fight in the Ethical Circus.

shilsen wrote:

"We were working on the docks when someone saw a ship coming in. Small one, and from up north in the city, I think, since we only saw it when it got close. I, um, we were going to get Fix like we're supposed to when an unscheduled ship comes by, but the guy in the front of the ship gave us the 'Urgent landing. Illegal cargo' signal." He shrugs as if to indicate that's fairly standard operating procedure.

"So we waited and it came in and the guy threw us some money and told us to help take down two crates. Said he'd handle it with Fix when we had them unloaded and we could keep the money. But once we handled the crates we heard things moving inside and he said it was a special delivery for the Ethical Circus."

The goblin is looking more nervous by this point. "Anyway, we got the crates down by hand, even though they were really heavy. And then Fix came out and yelled at us asking what was going on, and this little halfling bastard who was with the man jumped on the crates and flipped them open and ran off! These monsters came charging out and attacked us and we ran!" He is wringing his hands by this point. "Really - we didn't mean any harm! It wasn't our fault!"

Excellent information citizen! Can you tell us anything more about this ship or this halfling? Have you seen them before? Did you see where they went?

overeddie wrote:

Excellent information citizen! Can you tell us anything more about this ship or this halfling? Have you seen them before? Did you see where they went?

The goblins both shake their heads. The one who's been speaking says, "I don't know the ship. It didn't have any pennants or marks of ownership. That seems strange now, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. Some of the less, er, legal vessels do that."

The other goblin breaks in, "Yeah. And I've never seen the halfling either, but I'd know him anywhere now. I saw him this close!" He waves a hand only a foot in front of his face. "If the little shit hadn't opened the crate..." He clenches his fist angrily. "If I ever see his little face again I'm gonna smash it!"

The first goblin looks at his friend and nods. "I didn't know him either. But I did get a good look at him. Spiky brown hair. Shorter than most halflings and looked a little younger. Wearing a waistcoat - brown or maybe red - of some kind, and with a brown cap." He pauses and then shakes his head. "That's all I can remember. And he ran into the town." He waves a hand to indicate the Port in general, in the direction that the League-members came to the docks from. "Don't know where he went. Or the ship." The goblin pauses, looking a little shamefaced. "I was too busy running."

The other one nods too, looking worried.


OOC: The description of the halfling fits the one who ran into the Hall and warned the PCs of the attack.

And I'm really liking the communist dwarf approach

"So this was some kind of trap for us? Wonderful, just wonderful. Must be a critic, Yatigan."

Vox rubs his forehead, grimacing. "They obviously know us fairly well, what with using endangered cats as bait. I'm willing to bet that this is connected with L's murder...which was also meant to get us killed without engaging us directly."

He produces a knife, and begins idly juggling it. "That said, we least have one line of inquiry to follow. We'll have to track down Amadeus Perigee. And, not being entirely stupid, that's not something that I want to do on my own."

shilsen wrote:

"If I ever see his little face again I'm gonna smash it!"

"I'll bring you his severed head so you can do just that" says Yatagan pleasantly. "Thank you for your assistance."

Rolzup wrote:

"Must be a critic, Yatigan."

"Remind me to pen a letter to the editor written in the halfling's blood."

Quote :

"We'll have to track down Amadeus Perigee. And, not being entirely stupid, that's not something that I want to do on my own."

"You won't be alone. The Oracular Pig Detective Agency is on the case!" says Yatagan as inappropriate enthusiasm creeps into his voice.

"The enemies of the people are legion. We must be on our guard!"

Rolzup wrote:

"So this was some kind of trap for us? Wonderful, just wonderful. Must be a critic, Yatigan."

Vox rubs his forehead, grimacing. "They obviously know us fairly well, what with using endangered cats as bait. I'm willing to bet that this is connected with L's murder...which was also meant to get us killed without engaging us directly."

He produces a knife, and begins idly juggling it. "That said, we least have one line of inquiry to follow. We'll have to track down Amadeus Perigee. And, not being entirely stupid, that's not something that I want to do on my own."

Mallus wrote:

"You won't be alone. The Oracular Pig Detective Agency is on the case!" says Yatagan as inappropriate enthusiasm creeps into his voice.

The goblins look back and forth between Vox and Yatagan, their expressions somewhere between confused and curious. And indicating that they're smart enough to have figured out that asking questions will probably lead to information they'd be happier without.

OOC: Now that should be a fun 'line of inquiry'

Quote :

"I'll bring you his severed head so you can do just that" says Yatagan pleasantly. "Thank you for your assistance."

The goblin's eyes go wide and he stammers, "Um ... er ... thanks?"

overeddie wrote:

"The enemies of the people are legion. We must be on our guard!"

At Lizzie's words, the look of curiosity on the face of the apple-headed goblin increases and after a clear internal struggle, he asks, "You're the, um, people who got involved with the riot on the docks, right? Are you still helping the Driftglass Society? Because Sidney Distaff sai..."

He stops, his expression saying he just remembered something, and he takes a step back, "Or are you fighting with Sidney? I'm ... I'm not sure what your, er, position is."

The other goblin, which has taken an even longer step back on its disproportionate legs, adds hesitantly, "I think they're theater folk now. Um, right?"

OOC: Ed, you weren't there at the time, but Lizzy would know that the Driftglass Society is the goblinoid society focused on getting them better treatment in the Port and esp. better treatment as workers. Sidney Distaff is one of the most prominent members and he organized a strike on the docks, which the other PCs were helping with, but when Distaff panicked during a 'negotiation' (with the guy who was transporting the pig Treasure) and attacked them the PCs ended up fighting him. He fled, the PCs went home with Treasure, and Sidney later paid them and apologized.

"Don't worry comrade. We have no problem with Distaff."

shilsen wrote:

The harbormaster leads Odanais and Penelope out of Bubastis and takes them to a nearby building, which evidently serves as his office. He has them wait for a few minutes, until he returns with a bag of coins. "Here you go. And thank you. I really do appreciate the help."

"Oh," says Odanais matter-of-factly, as he pauses in the doorway to grant safe passage to a small tabby passing by underfoot. "One more thing. How are your current relations with Captain Thomas Clagoff and his various purveyors of arena beasties, like Dagobert Hax?"

OOC: Insight 16.

The member 'gridley' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 6

shilsen wrote:

Are you still helping the Driftglass Society?

Your cause is just, so we fight for it" says Yatagan commandingly.

However, the juries still out on your boss says Yatagan to himself.

Quote :

"I think they're theater folk now. Um, right?"

"Now we're the people who made the docks safe for you and your people."

gridley wrote:

"Oh," says Odanais matter-of-factly, as he pauses in the doorway to grant safe passage to a small tabby passing by underfoot. "One more thing. How are your current relations with Captain Thomas Clagoff and his various purveyors of arena beasties, like Dagobert Hax?"

OOC: Insight 16.

"Fine," says Fix with a shrug. "They don't care much for my ... tariffs, but they know they can bring valuable animals here and they'll be unloaded with complete care and no chance of being hurt. That's why they often land here rather than directly in the Ethical Circus. Plus the docks there are a disgrace," he sniffs with professional disdain.

The harbormaster then chuckles and looks at Odanais and Penelope. "But I hear you folks are the ones that Clagoff has a big grudge against. You watch yourselves, okay? He's mean, and gotten way too big for his boots - not that he can wear any now - ever since he became a landlubber. And if he's behind this crap, you tell me. If so, there'll be some ... extra costs next time one of his ships lands."

As before, he seems to be telling the truth, and there's no trace of worry or fear when it comes to the subject of Clagoff.

overeddie wrote:

"Don't worry comrade. We have no problem with Distaff."

Mallus wrote:

Your cause is just, so we fight for it" says Yatagan commandingly.

The goblins look marginally surprised but pleased, and both nod. "Thank you," says the long-legged one. "Things got a little better for us after the strike, actually, but only a little."

Quote :

"Now we're the people who made the docks safe for you and your people."

"Yes," the apple-headed goblin quickly agrees. "Thanks." Then he adds, hopefully, "Umm, can we go now?"

Vox waves the goblins off, and pulls his hat down low over his eyes. "I'm going to go make some...inquiries," he says quietly. "If any of you have your own sources of information, make use of them. We can rendezvous at the Sty later today, share our discoveries, and make plans. If any of you actually stumble across Perigee, don't accost him. It won't go well, I promise you."

Rather ostentatiously, he steps back into the shadows and vanishes, leaving behind a hat which falls gently to the ground.

A curse comes from around the corner as Vox stalks back into view, grabs his hat, and glares at all and sundry while he slams it back down on his head. "Well?" he snarls, "GO!"

He exits the scene, in high dudgeon.

(OOC: Streetwise check: 21. He'll be searching for word of Perigee's current whereabouts, or -- failing that -- his favorite haunts.)

The member 'Rolzup' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 11

After rejoining the boys on the dock, watching Vox play hide-and-seek with his haberdashery, and exchanging information, Odanais begins to ruminate aloud.

"So someone sends a boat full of arena-style beasties and goes out of their way to invite us to the show. And the goblins said the boat appeared to come from the north, eh? Say perhaps the docks around the Ethical Circus? Furthermore, our unseen foe took particular advantage of our well-known love for animals and the working class."

Odanais squeezes his girlish chin between thumb and forefinger. "It all adds up to a Clagoff revenge scheme if you ask me."

Questions: While Vox is going off to dig up info on Amadeus Perigee, what is everyone else doing? Heading back to 'headquarters'? Visiting the giant talking spiders or the temple of That Which Is Not? Something else?

gridley wrote:

"It all adds up to a Clagoff revenge scheme if you ask me."

"Once again, Mr. Dare your reason serves as a beacon lighting the way towards justice, and most fortunately, further payment. Treasure shall soon be enshrined in a shrine worthy of her majesty. Hmmm, 'enshrined in a shrine', I do the cadence..."

Yatagan pauses to jot that down in a journal for future use in Scripture, art, or pornography.

"We should hie to the Ethical Circus and continue our investigation. See if we can determine exactly where those beasts came from, and the identity of the ship. Perhaps arrange a meeting with that fine Lord Dandy. He is still at the Circus, no? If we secure his official sanction, that might open a few doors and manifests otherwise locked."

"An agreeable plan," says Odanais. "We'll check on Treasure and then it's off to the Circus. Perhaps we should bring one of these beetles with us so that we can return it to its proper owner?"

I like the way you two are thinking! While you're off to the circus, I'm going to follow up with some old bouncer friends of mine. See if I can't find anything more about this situation.


Streetwise skill check: 18

The member 'overeddie' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 11