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Author Topic: Backroom Chatter  (Read 420 times)

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Backroom Chatter
« on: June 11, 2010, 02:48:20 pm »
Two hooded figures make their way from the docks of Fort Vehl. The hooded half-orc gestures to a house near the docks. “Yous hear what happened to him?”
The leaner one of the two, Hardragh, stops a moment at the question. “No? Why?”
“He died. Right in front of G'ork... Wasn't the one that ended him though.”

A lot of thoughts went through Hardragh’s mind at that moment. He professed to G’ork that he envied him, for having been there to see. They entered the local cesspool, the One-eyed Harpy. Hardragh showed an amused smirked as he read the withered sign. G’ork liked to claim the name of the inn was based on some person the half-orc had dealt with once. Hardragh hadn’t mentioned to him, he might just as well carry the title.

G’ork on entering the inn, immediately made his way to the backroom. Hardragh watched him and knew exactly where the half-orc was going. It’d been a long time, but he remembered G’ork’s favourite spot, where he had his back safely to the wall.

He walked up to the bartender and noted Wheezer was still running the bar. This served him well, money was tight and he managed to persuade Wheezer to get their drinks for a few coins less. Though, perhaps Wheezer had just seen him walk in with G’ork and that was the reason. It didn’t really matter though.

Hardragh carried a large tray of mugs with him. Saved them from getting up, since he reckoned him and G’ork had a whole lot of catching up to do. As expected, he found the half-orc sitting on his regular spot and moved to sit to the side of him.

“So, How did he go?”

The half-orc grunted. “He was helping G'ork along most of the hunt for the woman next to Rael. Promised him good pay, told him risks. He accepted.”

Hardragh nodded and took a swig from his ale.

“Wes had been tracking her down through lands of succession, and this woman had hired a hit on caravans that smuggling things into Prantz, from Liwich. Which is why G'ork was hired in first place to take her down.”

Hardragh patiently let the half-orc spin his tale. He was quite surprised by all that had happened in his absence. G’ork had grown somewhat since they last met, more devious in a way. Hardragh saw a little of himself in how the savage killer managed to get himself out of the troubles he had been in.

“Why did she choose you?”
“Liwich? Or Rael's woman?”
“Rael's witch, aye”
“Cause she knew G'ork had bad track with Rofies, and knew Kobal wanted his hands on head.”

The skald nodded with a smirk at the mention of Kobal. No good memories there for either of them. He remained quiet as G’ork delved into the way they tried to track down the one who sought to frame him for things he did not do.

“Then headed to this hideout, a cave, found a beholder they had been using, again it disappeared. But G'ork managed to get one of the mercs to sign confession and explanation of his death.”
“What did you do with the merc?”
The half-orc grunted. “Killed him after, he wanted it that way. He lost everything, and would have been killed anyway by her if not by G'ork.”

Hardragh nodded in agreement. “You don't need two attempts at least.”
The half-orc nodded. “G'ork agreed to end it quick. So he did G'ork a favour. Which put pressure onto Rofies.”
“Anyway. Wes found out where to go next. Beholder cave. This point wes had to use some people in Liwich to help us lose Kobal and Jennara.... So we used a portal, and typically, then G'ork finds out they have Connor.”

This surprised Hardragh. “What's he doing helping them?”
“Kobal?”
“No.. Connor.”
G'ork laughed at the skald’s surprise. “He believe he hunting murderer.” Then shrugged. “Technically true, just not how they see it.”

Hardragh chuckled slightly, as G’ork continued his tale. He learned quite a lot, for one thing, he never heard of a malpheus before. But it appeared G’ork had extensive dealings with them... And made him quite resourceful. He listened thoughtfully, as G’ork explained how he managed to pick the right side in a struggle between two of these malpheus, even though he had to break a prior agreement for it.

“Eventually managed to do it, Ami not happy about it, had long talk after about what wes doing. But she stuck by.”
“What was her issue? It was just a beholder.”
“Betraying trust of some one. Was messy kill. too....dagger deep in eye....arm buried inside it....”

“Anyway...next part, was first meeting with Tilkari. Ark was on traps and scouting. First few groups had priests.”
Hardragh smirked at that, “Away from everyone else.. good arrangement”
The half-orc continued his story without stopping. “He got spotted and hurt badly. But lived...told him to be more careful, was going to get Emie to do it instead. He said he'd go on...next corner, literally just heard blades filling him, went around corner. Could see his body falling. Four people stabbing him each with two daggers, over and over. Life left his eyes and he hit floor. Wes tore the rest of the place apart.”

The skald, raised his mug for a short moment and took a sip. He really did feel sorry for not having been there.

“Ami and Emie went to check Ark while G'ork torturing some one. Then took his body to docks, paid for it to be sent to Vehl.” The half-orc uttered a grunt. “And that how Ark died.” G’ork too a large swig of his own mug, as if rewarding himself for finishing such a large tale. He never was big on talk.

The two talked some more about Arkolio’s demise. In the end, it was pretty much concluded that he got careless. Hardragh wondered what had come over the old rogue to risk his life in such a stupid manner.

Their discussion touched upon other things at that point, eventually they discussed G’ork’s years at Olist Orbinn and the dark elves living therein. The skald leaned back and watched his old partner. He ran a finger across his lips as they went over dark elves they knew. Then G’ork spoke about Naster.. Hardragh knew him.
“He got skill, just not brain. Needs to control tongue.”
“Reckon he's the type to do a job, just for the sake of proving how deadly he is.”
Then the half-orc said something incredible. “He trying to unite dark elves to do something though, being why G'ork keeping close reigns on him. Doing work for him when he needs it.”

Hardragh’s mind was buzzing at this point. He always thought he could sense an opportunity a mile away, but this was like striking mithril.

“Have you considered putting a middle man in?”
The half-orc stopped and looked up from his ale. “Yous have proposal?”

“Aye..” The skald leaned in closer and the conversation turned to touch on many subject. Old Lino appeared to be still in business, but had failed before in the service of the dark elf. Then it suddenly came back to Hardragh. Many years ago, he slipped someone a note with promises. Perhaps she would do well..

“I might have a woman in mind. She has a cold demeanor, black hair... and walks and acts with the grace of a trained killer. A silent one at that.”
“First off. Is she a dark elf?” As G’ork too a swig at his drink.
“No, human. And totally unconnected to you and me I reckon.”
“Good. What her name incase heard of her?”

The half-orc nodded after some discussion. “Could work, there one bad thing. They do know each other.”
“Ahh, distrustful?”
“They've worked together. Just not sure how close they are.”
“Only one way to find out.” Hardragh replied.
The half-orc considered. “There a chance she would be willing to just speak to him.”
Hardragh smiled slightly. “I'm sure we can entice her. The trick is.. to entice Naster” The half-orc let out a boisterous laugh at that. “Would say it's other way round.”

He and the half-orc joked around for a bit. Then Hardragh cut it short. “Let's focus on this Leisa for now. We should start rebuilding our network I reckon.”
The half-orc nodded. “Certain connections only get us so far.” Hardragh stopped to consider. G’ork had been hinting about his connections time and again. Obviously, there is going to be a change in their working relationship. The skald knew he had earned the half-orc’s trust though, as far as G’ork was capable to trust.

“Chatter always end up at the bottom. It's valuable to have ears there.”
The half-orc snarled. “Naster used to be one of them ears.” Then he laughed grimly. “Getting too big for own boots nows.”

Hardragh nodded. “That's why we're doing it this way. It's going to cost us some funds I reckon, but it will be worth it, I reckon.” G’ork let out a grunt in agreement.

They discussed little Lino a bit more. Touching upon his failed mission for G’ork in the past. Eventually they came back to Naster.

G'ork smirked. “If worse comes to worse, he not a tough enemy to defeat. Just how many he rallies with him that be issue.”

The skald smiled at that. G’ork could learn a thing or two from him still.

“Don't need to defeat a dark elf. If we can gather enough dirt on him. All we need to do is leak it if he becomes trouble. Why bother fighting a dark elf when there are scores of dwarves, leaping at the opportunity.”

G'ork smirked. “Cause yous want to kill them yourself?”
Hardragh leaned back in his seat. “No... would it not amuse you more to see Kobal hunt down your enemies for you?

G'ork took a large swig from his mug, and curled his lips as if he had just drank something bitter. “Kobal a blind fool led by a even smaller wench... Would be amusing, yes.”

Hardragh leaned forward on the table and grinned. “Knew you'd see it my way. But.. that's just idle fantasy. Anyway.. I reckon this is better than the artifact..”

G'ork looked skeptical. “This artifact might be worth fortune to Fisterion, or Shadrix'kayl. Aye.. but we don't know what it is. If we make the wrong decision, people will be looking for us.”

Hardragh and the orc-blooded killer mulled things over. They did end up on a plan of sorts, though Hardragh was skeptical if there was enough time. Also, G’ork was quite clear he did not trust Steel any longer, but was reluctant to divulge his reasons behind this. Hardragh managed to persuade him that with time short as it was, it would be better to involve Steel. He wondered though, whether this would not blow up in his face on a later date.
 
Hardragh locked his hands together. “And there will be a chain, a chain of people, between the artifact and Shady”

They touched on other subjects afterward. It was amazing how much catching up they had to do, but things were starting to move. Grandoch.. the runner, Shadrixkayl, Fisterion, Steel and the dark elf Naster.

Hardragh explained the goal. “We don't hold a direct stake... but we could control the flow of perhaps valuable information.” That puts us at an advantage without being involved directly.”

The half-orc nodded a few times. It seemed to Hardragh that he had managed to sway him for now.
 
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Filatus

Re: Backroom Chatter
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2010, 10:56:34 pm »
A hooded figure made his way through the streets of Leringard. Rain poured down from the sky as on most days in that city, blessed by the presence of Mist’s largest temple, it was no surprise. Passing his own house on the left, this day he decided to take his lovely new neighbour up on her offer. He made his way to a well kept house across the street from his own. A few knocks on the door and after a little while, the door opened and he entered.

He was greeted by a lovely smile and voice. “Hiya, raining outside again?”
Hardragh smiled slightly. “Seems to most of the time.”
“Well it is Leringard.”
He pulled down his hood and shook of the rain, looking around in the corridor. Various forms of artwork lined the hallway, and the lady of the house wore a small heart-shaped pendant around her neck.
“Well, Mist always has her eye on this place.. good to be in the eye of the storm I reckon.”
The lady shrugged. “Maybe.. so... Hardragh you said?”
“Aye.. Hardragh, an old friend of Steel.” He replied.. and considered, at least she remembered his name right.
“Well, come on in then, Friend of Steel.”

Hardragh smiled politely, thanking her for her hospitality and followed her into a room filled with more artwork. He looked around, almost wondering if he’d break something if he didn’t take thought of every step he took.

The two exchanged some pleasantries, but it was not the purpose of this visit. Subtly he brought the topic of the conversation on the Leringard Arms and eventually about event where it burned down.

“If you’re such good friends with Steel, why don’t you just ask him what happened to the Arms?”

Hardragh rubbed his hands considering... perhaps honesty serves best here, it has until now, he thought. He leaned forward from one of the comfy chair she had showed him, facing her. “I did ask him, he gave me an answer, but his are usually short and to the point. ”He smiled slightly at the woman” I like to hear it from the... lips of someone standing to the side.”

The Ilsarian lady giggled at that. Definitely familiar with Steel then, Hardragh thought. “That sounds about right, Can’t say I’ll have much more information for you though, what exactly did you want to know?”

Hardragh considered this for a moment. “I heard it all started when Steel struck down one of the Blackguard.”
“Well, that's one theory anyways”
He nodded at that. “It's just a single incident. What I'm curious about is how this came to be.”

“Well, yeah, but that's not what started in the first place. It's all the evil wench's fault really.”

“Wench?” Hardragh asked, doing his best to hide his initial feelings.

“Yeah, the wench...” She sighed. “Or... as some people call her, Jaelle.” Zarianna spat out Jaelle’s name with a degree of disgust that was surprising for such a lovely creature.
She leans forward a bit. “See... this what I think really happened...”

“By Mist..” he thought to himself. “Just let the woman finish her rant.. smile politely and do not let your jaw drop.” He felt like he was listening to the fishwives gossiping on the market. “What kind of novels does this woman read?” He wondered.

At one point he interjected. “And.. wait.. no wait. She was quite honest on who the father of the child was.. right? I mean..” Hardragh couldn’t help but resign to a look of utmost confusion.

“Well sure, but she and Steel were... well, I don't know what she did to him.  Probably some evil curse she laid on his head for a while. Honestly you'd think the guy was smarter than to be with someone like that, but then again, so was Raz so obviously she's got a knack for destroying people.”

“Oh... no, not Raz's kid. This is a different one. That one she probably killed because she never actually had it.” She took a slight pause and added quite dryly. “She probably sold it into slavery or gave it over to sate the bloodlust of an evil god or something.”

Hardragh caught himself staring at the fire after a while... then looked up at her with an amused smirk on his lips. “I take it you and her are not on good terms?”

The lady smiled at him. “No, I'd like to see her ground into dust and then thrown into a volcano actually.” She paused.. “But.... you really didn't come here to talk about the wench... did you?”

“No no.. You brought her up.. I'm sure.”
“Oh... right... you asked about what really happened at the Arms... that's how she got mentioned. Got it now.”

The woman shrugged for a moment and seemingly unable to let go of talking about Jaelle. “I don't know who she follows, but she's evil. Not a single powerletter in her name either. Honestly, I think most of her power is in her head.

Hardragh tried his best to smile and bring the woman’s thoughts on a different subject. Listening to this was just to crazy. “Perhaps.. she's unimportant though, don't break you head on it.”

They kept on talking for a while, light subject for the most part. The things good neighbours talk about, Hardragh thought. At one point her brother returned home and Hardragh knew him. The woman’s disgust with Jaelle made some sense now. Though it was a shame she could not see that her brother’s weakness caused most of it.

As the conversation drew to a close they politely said their goodbyes as he was shown out. Making his way across the street, he did his best to shake of his confusion by focusing on other things. Like the little gem he had run into the day before he got back to Leringard...
 

Filatus

Re: Backroom Chatter
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2010, 09:49:15 am »
It did not take a sharp eye to notice the extra men of the Blackwatch stationed in the neighbourhood of the Arms. But their presence just outside of his house was barely tolerable. There was not much he could do about it though, it was Steel's doing and despite attempts, he madn't made much sense out of this whole ordeal yet.

He passed another Blackwatch and did little to hide his contempt. Still, he thought it was a shame, years ago they had made significant inroads into Leringard after all. Has this all been washed away now, because of Steel's doing.. or was it Jaelle after all?

"Well, hello there?" He was pulled away from his thoughts, by a voice he did not really expect to hear again. Yet there the woman stood, right next to his door.

He smiled slightly. "And here I thought I would never see those 50 coins again."
The woman smiled in return. "You won't."

He laughed slightly at her honesty. She was not the type to stand out in a crowd, but he found in her a personality that was quite enticing to him.

"In fact you'll need to pay a bit more for the information you've requested regarding Reid and his special friend."
Hardragh showed an amused smirk on his lips. "A bit more than 50?"

"I suggest we talk someplace more private. Quite a bit more..." Obviously the woman was not here to play games and she had actually found something of interest."

He opened the door to his house for her and showed her in. He was quite amused when she stopped not far from the thresshold. "Do others come and go here frequently?"

"No. I don't really decorate, so excuse the lack of chairs. There's one room that is a bit more hospitable." She made no sign to move. "I don't mind standing. I just didn't think we'd like to be interupted."

Hardragh looked at her and lifted his hood, showing a smile. "Aye, but it's warmer at the fire"

He showed her to the one room that was at least a bit hospitable. He gestured towards the room, the floor covered with bear pelts. "Pull up a chair." Not that there was one, he just wanted her reaction.

She remained standing, half way in the room as he took a spot nearer to the fire. "So, to business..."

Hardragh nodded. "I think I recall we agreed that you would provide and we'd work out a suitable payment, aye?"
"Something like that, yes."

"I'm afraid I wasn't able to find out anything terribly specific from Mister Reid."
Hardragh gave a nod. "He's not too important."
"I had to tell him a little fabrication though..."
"You mean you lied to him, fair enough, why was this needed?"

"It seemed from our meeting you didn't want him to know you were inquiring, yes?  So subterfuge was the only method really to disguise how I found out about the Dark Elf in the first place. It also had other possible advantages. I told him that the Dark Elf that attacked him came after me, to use me as a pawn as it were."
"Not to big a stretch in this situation I warrant."

"He was surprised, but yes, it seemed a plausible story. It gave me the means to ask more about who the Dark Elf is and what its motivations were."

The woman touched on everything she managed to gleen from Andrew Reid. He managed to hide it well, but he was quite impressed by the woman, a rare gem.

After a while he gave a slight nod. "At least we know he still knows more than he told you."
"Andrew now waits for a message from the Dark Elf that won't come... because I made up that part of the story."

Hardragh let out a slight chuckle, then pressed his lips into an amused smirk.
"We could always give him one..."

"Exactly my thoughts."
 

 

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