RP:Hiring for an Adventure
Summary Mais offers Three characters an opportunity at adventure and riches in exchange for gold
Built and rebuilt, torn apart and set like stubborn bone, this tavern is the pinnacle of Hollow's entirety, wrought around the premise of peace, equality, and consummate amity. And of course, the old place had seen all of the three, but so much more. Dire markings of claw and steel cut deep into wall panels and floorboards. Set against the land's usual motif of destruction are signs of comfort. Twisting shadows and smoothing out a careful blanket of light with soft, quaint fires, a candelabra dangles down by thick cords, gripping the circular holder. Each twists up, converging upon the center, where they snake about one another and form a thick, secure anchor to Kelay Tavern's high, accommodating ceiling. The candelabra rattle now and again from the inn patrons overhead, pouring down globs of wax to the center of the room, which is wide and unobstructed. Cheaply carpentered tables and chairs grow outward around the bare dancing area, keeping to the rounded theme, and also keeping to a dwarven barkeep's avariciously born taste for 'economical' furniture. Hardly any expense has been wasted on the actual upkeep of the public center, as can be garnered from the smell of deep pine, rich tobacco, and even richer spirits. Stairs twist away dimly near the high bar. And atop that side rests the inn logs, quill, and ink. This establishment's fine keeper, Mesthak, can be seen smiling out from his post at the bar, straight across to the room's always crackling stone-wrought hearth. Behind him, atop lofty shelves, sits an array of dark, amber, and clear liquids. Food smells waft from somewhere near at hand. A carefully printed and hung sign details the purchasable items here in the place of merriment, loss, laughter, and life. Also, tucked into a corner near one of two windows closest to the tavern doorway is a thickly papered bulletin board. A sign has been added next to the board that reads, 'The management requires patrons be fully inebriated at all times and that no curing spells be performed in this tavern-Thank you'.
Mais walks quietly into the tavern, he moves from the entrance to the bulletin board. Scams over the scams over the notes pointing to the second to the last. "Shame," he says with a rasp in his voice. The drow looking figure turns on his bare heels and walks to the bar top. "Hard to believe none in this town are willing to do a simple job for gold." he sighs. Holding up a single ebony digit he looks to Mesthak. "An ale before I hit the road again?" he asks dropping a few coins onto the counter.
Mais bought 1 ale for 0 gold, 0 silver, and 3 copper.
Kreekitaka said, "Did somebody say gold?!" as he smashed aside the doors with a tremendous claw, his four legs clattering against the floor. Today, he wore an outfit perfectly suitable for such an outburst--his torso was adorned with shimmering, splendid sashes of color-changing fabric that shifted like ocean waves through the spectrum of colors while his kilt sparkled silver like sunlight off the surface. The paddles rolling down his back clattered eagerly together as he approached the bar, slinging his water tanks off his back and leaning them against the bar. The eight-foot crustacean tapped one of his claws against the table to get the barkeep's attention. "Four pinTAH!s, pyease, of whaTAH!ever is your strongesTAH! drink." Then he turned and bowed lightly in the direction of the rasping figure, clenching his facial crushers politely. "MighTAH! I ask which TAH!ask you're referring TAH!oo on HHHTHe boarDAH!.? I DAH!oo hope iTAH! is HHHTHe one abouTAH! monsTAH!ers an' treasure."
Jinfeng follows in close behind the crustacean, having never visited a bar in this land before and deciding to emulate the one that entered before him. and that person was kree. Thus, he gets the complete wrong idea, but he does not know this. He too had heard of a job, and having heard from some other people that the tavern was a good place to get work dealing with monsters and the like, he assumed this was likely the type of job he was looking for. Or just odd jobs, but he could do that too. So after kree kramer's his way into the scene, another figure would burst through the doors, his short hair blowing in a sudden breeze behind him as he crosses the floor after the crustacean, hands folding behind himself. "Yes, I hear this is a good place to find paying work for adventuring-types!" (End)
Aoife was, far as anyone could tell, simply a brightly glowing ball of silver-white light hovering vaguely around Jinfeng like a cross between a persistent mosquito and a miniature star. Only at a closer glance the light was propelled by gossamer wings and not actually just a light at all. Rather there was a humanoid shape hidden at the center of the radiance, only it was nearly impossible to make out due to it's small size relative to the glow they produced. “He means he's looking for work.” a chirpy, child-like voice clarified. Probably emanating from the tiny glowing person.
Mais takes hold of the mug containing ale. Lifting it he eyes the crustation, and the human, only to eye the speck of light as it spoke. "Looks like a rather fitting squad," he says trying to mask the sarcasm in his tone. "Very well, the job is quite simple actually so you may have a shot at it. Have any of you traveled beyond the portal into the lizard city?" he asks before taking a second draw from the mug waiting for the answers.
Kreekitaka rippled his paddles up and down his back, receiving his mugs with tentacles that extended from his claws and testing one of them with a facial crusher. His body stiffened for a moment with a bit of disgust--might as well be drinking kelp-brine--and proceeded to dump two mugs into each tank of water before setting the mugs back down and hoisting them back up onto his shoulders. Behind him, the fighter from before--excellent, a hunting companion who actually knew something about combat--and a pixie, which was even more delightful. Little magical powerhouses, they were. Excellent. He turned his attention forward again, rising up to his full eight feet, and said proudly, "I know of no yizarDAH! ciTAH!ee, nor of any porTAH!oh beyonDAH! HHHTHe one TAH!oo Vaiohkrin," he spat the city's mangled name like a curse, "buTAH! I can assure you HHHTHaTAH! you can finDAH! no one more quayifieDAH! TAH!oo hunTAH! a creature HHHTHan us." He extended a claw to shake. "Perhaps you may know of me aoreaDAH!ee? I am KreekiTAH!ka."
Jinfeng looks at the large crustacian, then at his partner pixie, then at the man who was apparently doubting their ability to handle a job that apparently had to do with some kind of adventure giving his explanation of it. Which was odd to him, as the shelled man appeared quite strong and the pixie was... a pixie. Obviously, then, we can assume that it is he that the man doubts. "Well, I can assure you I will not hold back the team. I have a certain degree of training, and can handle myself mostly. I have not been there, no, what is it like? are the locals friendly? Does this have to do with our mission?" Aoife left the conversation to Jinfeng and the giant crab. Rather, with a bell-like chime, the ball flew past the group to hover in front of the shelves behind Mesthak. Shifting from one lable to another, carefully watched by the barman who's quite savvy and more than aware of the potential risk of bottles being whisked away with size-shifting magic.
Mais pulls away for a brief moment looking to the claws of the creature. The drow gives a quick nod to him lowering the empty mug to the tabletop. "Charmed I'm sure," he says casually extending his dark rune-covered hand placing it first on the inside, then quickly moving it to the bottom, then the top not exactly sure where to shake his claw? Rather he draws his hand back forms a fist and fist bumps the claw with a small yet awkward grin. His attention then turns to Jinfeng. "The city is nothing like anything you have seen on this side of the portal. They have weapons unlike ours, and they are a bit hostile to people from this side of the portal." The drow stands up his five-foot frame pales in comparison to that of the large creature. "The city is home to the Preklek, that are out roaming our land. You might have seen them wandering around like they are some sort of guard or something." he pauses to watch the pixie fly around and shrugs "The job takes place in that city, it's a pretty straight forward job, find a particular Lizard kill them, bring me a piece of armor they have on them and their head. Do that and you'll have five thousand gold," The drow reaches into the pockets of his leather pants to draw out a purse, "..to split, however, you wish to divide it."
Jinfeng considers, tilting his head. "So you are hiring... the word is... assassin. Why does this lizard have to die? Has he committed a crime that requires recompence? has he dishonored your family?" This was important! after all, when one is to kill someone, one should know exactly why they are doing it, as doing such a thing cannot be taken back. Also, perhaps there is a better way.
Kreekitaka snapped his claw shut when the eventual decision was to perform a fistbump, and bumped it. The discussion about the various reptilian folks having "weapons unlike ours" caused the crabman to rumble with amusement and he hauled from the scabbard at his waist... his jawblade. Over five feet long and weighing roughly as much as a person, the colossal, slightly-curved boneclub was reinforced on one side with a metal plate, and had a staggered double row of shark's teeth along the inside of the curve, with a sharp hook at the very end for ripping away chunks of flesh. "I have a weapon unyike mosTAH!, myseff. I see no reason why I oughTAH! fear such peopo." A pause, however, as the actual feat was mentioned. Kill a person? Like an assassin? This was no creature hunt, this was a person-hunt. "Why HHHTHis... yizarDAH!.?" he asked, shifting his weight to his back legs and leaning slightly on the bar. "An' can we keep anyHHHTHing ess we mighTAH! fin' on HHHTHis excursion?"
Aoife swept back over the heads of the crowd the hover nearby Kreekitaka's head at what would've been ear-level if the Uyeer actually had any ears. “I'm presuming.” Came the child-like voice again. A soft affair that doesn't really suit the mature tone it was taking. “That it won't be as easy as just wandering into a city of hostile invaders and knocking on the door of this... lizard... you want dead.” There was a pause to let the question sink it. “Do you have anything more to go on except which dimension they live in?” the latter part hid a barely audible laugh somewhere deep inside the words.
Mais looks to both of them as they express their concerns of killing. "The Preklek are creatures they are not of this world and I assure you had they have gotten their way when they forcibly invaded our land years ago we would be forced into slavery or killed with hardly an ounce of the concern the two of you are showing them now." He pauses a bit to let his words sink in. "However, I know for a fact that this particular one ordered the execution of quite a number of fairy-like creatures for his experiments. None of which were quick, not painless." His eyes fix on the human for a moment then back to Kreekitaka. Aside from the two pieces, I require you may keep anything else you'd like. And I'm sure his keep will have more than a few things to peak your interests." Mais looks to the speck of light. " I have directions to this lizards domicile. From there it's all on you should you take the job"
Kreekitaka seemed to be entirely unmoved by the execution of fairies. All he knew about fairies was that Rainbow hated them, and that was reason enough for him to not care much at all about their existence. However... sieging a keep, with a warrior race, and an adventure to an -alternate dimension-?! An interdimensional war sounded exactly like the thing Kree happened to have done before, and which he felt that he was actually quite good at. "Is HHHTHere... TAH!erriTAH!ory he commanDAH!s?" he asked, a glint appearing in his eye that definitely hadn't been there before.
Jinfeng considers, frowning. "So to clarify, he is a... military-scholar of a race of demon lizards who you wish us to clandestinely execute for past acts of war. I apologise, but this seems quite like something that would be used to incite a war, which would likely cause much more suffering that could possibly be avenged by it. Is there a specific event that spurs this request? Because if not I feel we may be at the end of our conversation.
Aoife didn't seem to lean one way or the other, but merely shifted, flitting behind Kreekitakas head to the other side where they hovered between the two men. The figure at the heart of the light, for the sharp eyed, folding it's arms over it's chest and reclining in the air as if leaning back into an invisible seat. They didn't make any sound to accept or disparage, though.
Mais looks to Jinfeng first as he inhales deeply. "If it would sooth you better I could... " he pauses a moment "I can alter your appearance at the portal so that you would look like one of the lizards, it would grant you access to walk freely around the city and once the mission is carried out the job is carried out, preklek image of you would get the blame and it would be seen as a kill from one of their own. Little to no lash back upon us." he then turns to back to look at Kreekitaka "It is their keep and he has some rank I believe but yes. His domicile would be littered with various objects and new shiney weapons that you would be able to add to your already impressive collection."
Kreekitaka was immediately taken in by the idea of having a castle outside of standard reality, and straightened up immediately and nodded. "Masking my appearance is noTAH! necessary. Io gaHHHTHer my forces an' TAH!ogeHHHTHer we march on HHHTHis... yizarDAH!'s... fortress. Weapons are of course a weocome aDAH!ition, however, I am now more inTAH!eresTAH!eDAH! in TAH!aking HHHTHis keep an' iTAH!s surrounDAH!ing viyages for my own DAH!omain... especiayee if HHHTHeir yeaDAH!er is so weak as TAH!oo have -fairies- mass-executed as some form of greaTAH! misDAH!eeDAH!."
Jinfeng looks at Kree, thinks for a moment, and then nods. "I think with that I can solidly say that I will not be taking this particular job. I apologize for taking your time, sir, but it is simply not something that I wish to do, and while I agree that this person has indeed perhaps done some foul deeds, this does not, I believe, warrant a clandestine execution. That said, I hope you the best." He tries not to think about what the crab-man meant about mustering his forces. Not really his concern at this time.
Mais nods to Jinfeng and shrugs “Sorry this job isn’t to your taste” he says softly before turning to to Kreekitaka. “It would seem the reward just grew in your favor. More gold and more to keep of what you find.” he holds out his hand to give the crustation another fist bump, still unsure of how to shake his claw. “Welcome to the job. Shall I give you the directions to his keep?”
Kreekitaka nodded at this, meeting the fistbump again and putting his jawblade away. "DAH!irections, yes. I assume HHHTHis TAH!ask neeDAH! noTAH! be performeDAH! immeDAH!iaTAH!yee? An unDAH!erTAH!aking such as HHHTHis is going TAH!oo require my finesTAH! warriors an' mounTAH!s, an' Io require a biTAH! of TAH!ime TAH!oo assembo my DAH!inosaur KnighTAH!s again." Wait. Hol' up. Your -what-, Kree?
Mais nods “Correct, this job isn’t under any time limit, you can take as much time as needed to obtain the items and your team. I will go do some scouting after our meeting and see if there is anything else you and your team need to be aware of.. So…” he reaches into the coin purse and grabs two handfulls of coin counting them in his head before dropping off. “Consider this a down payment, I’ll have the rest for you after you deliver the piece to me and his head”
Kreekitaka collected the coins carefully, eyeing them. It wasn't an unsubstantial payment, this. About what he'd charge somebody to make an item for them, give or take. And out of this deal he anticipated getting a new entire castle with a shot at conquering a whole realm! What a delightful encounter this was, getting paid to pursue hobbies like outright war. "ExceyenTAH!. Io be sure TAH!oo keep in TAH!ouch."