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Post by mister frau blucher on Feb 29, 2012 10:22:29 GMT -5
Loy Bellure laughs. "I take it Grutt is the name of your bound companion? The orcs gave him to you, as well as 25 silvers, eh? Most generous!" He sniffs at the flask; his nose wrinkles in distate. "I suppose we can sell this to the dwarggs for a few silvers-" here he looks over his shoulder at Gaum, who is lazily opening one red eye "-though I am not supposed to accept goods as part of our maintenance fees. We have a regular trading policy for such items. Still, I will count it as five silvers, since you seem on the verge of poverty. Twenty more and you may pass through, trade, and/or rest here." He beams with enthusiasm.
"Should that be unacceptable, of course, there is one other route. You may have noticed a southerly route a short ways back. That takes you along a narrow ledge skirting a great chasm. A dangerous trek. Particularly with those wall-squid thingies that hunt there."
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Post by Lord Inar on Feb 29, 2012 12:16:29 GMT -5
Actually Reynaldo was addressing the rest of the group, not Loy (I was not intending him to hear that). "Ah yes, forgive me my moment of frustration. I feel a sense of responsibility for all of you and sometimes it weighs heavier on my shoulders than others. You do make an excellent point that the orcs were gracious enough to pay half the toll for us." Reynaldo moves back up to Loy and speaks quietly to him. "Of course we can pay the toll. And in the spirit of camaraderie among fellow men, is there anything you need or desire further down the mountain, as I'm sure that the care and feeding, both literal and emotional, of the Lord Dragon consumes most of your time?"
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Post by Lord Inar on Feb 29, 2012 12:19:44 GMT -5
Gee, I'm always a post behind!
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Post by mister frau blucher on Feb 29, 2012 12:52:16 GMT -5
Gee, I'm always a post behind! That is how I feel in real life, amigo!
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Post by Lord Inar on Feb 29, 2012 13:03:46 GMT -5
In rereading your response, Brett, I don't actually think I need to change anything, though.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Feb 29, 2012 13:20:23 GMT -5
[OK I took the communal 25 sp and orc liquor, and then 3 silvers from everyone else except Shadout and Enyeto. Enyeto is broke, so I took 5 from Shadout (in an effort to win over the lad's loyalty!)]
"Wonderful!" Loy Bellure claps his hands together. "You may rest in yonder cave, if you desire." He points to one of several shallow, well-lit caves with several hangings arranged for privacy, as well as a fire pit, with a cunning chimney above, for warmth.
"As to your point about caring for Lord Gaum, thanks for your understanding! I will relieve you of that orc for 10 silvers, should you no longer need his services. I am being too generous, yes, but gall bladders from the Bloodlove tribe have a certain...well, romantic effect for my lord. Nothing major, and not that he needs help in that department, but I am authorized to pay that amount.
"Beyond that, we are always interested in acquiring unusual items. If you have anything of interest, please bring it to my attention and I will judge whether we want them or not.
"On a related note, I am adept at identifying frustrating magic items, so if you have any, I will cast Reveal Magic for a mere 20 silvers."
[Note: Reveal Magic identifies all items in its radius, not just a single item. So you would not have to pay twice for two or more items.]
"As for what we have to offer you as merchants, please have a look!"
He takes you to a side gallery and there are several racks of items, mundane and odd. Iron rations vary from serviceable (1s/day) to great (10s/day, recover hit after rest (max 1)). There are torches (1s) and caged glow-beetles (30s, +1c/day food); a cloak of shadows (+2 Stealth skill, 50s); a dusty tome titled Lore of the Ages (reading this and spending 7xp will give a character +1 Scholar skill, usable once per character, 100s); a bottle of wine from vineyards far below the earth (60s); a pair of long gauntlets made from tough, red-scaled hide (1/0 armor, 75s); and matching rapiers, with a dwargg rune on them (+1 to hit, 150s for both). There is also a bottle that will constantly exude smoke when unstoppered (Shadow-1, which builds to Shadow-3 after 3 turns, 50s) and finally a small green powerstone (1F, 40s).
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Post by blacknigel on Feb 29, 2012 17:46:39 GMT -5
As Bellure leads the party to the side gallery of available wares, Khanmahtt and Rrowullh engage in a somewhat heated whispered conversation amongst themselves. But their conversation ceases when the more "Rare and Wonderous" items are displayed.
Rrowullh nods sagely to himself when the caged glow-beetles are pointed out. Unconsciously his left paw starts to reach towards the Cloak of Shadows, just to feel the material, but he is able to stop himself before it becomes obvious, and tucks the offending fingers into his belt. Khanmahtt remains silent but is obvious in his interest in the red gauntlets.
(Would the armor benefit of the gauntlets be in addition to any physical armor worn? Ex. leather plus gauntlets stops 3 hits? If so, is the benefit negated by wearing the gauntlets to use a shield? Ex. Leather + Gauntlets + sm. Shield stops 4 hits.)
(Also regarding the Reveal Magic spell, cool that it reveals all magic items in a certain radius. And understand that non-magic users would have to take the spell caster at his word for what they actually do, but is the Reveal Magic visibly obvious to non-magic users? Do the magic items "glow" or something?)
Rrowullh says, "Host Bellurrhe, these are Rrare and Wonderous indeed. My brother is very interested in your Reveal Magic spell." He shoots Khan a withering glare. "But before we ask that of you, you mentioned a 'regular trading policy' that suggests you purchase other items not so unique. We have acquired some other things in our travels that we may no longer need. A bit of this, some of that, my brother has a silver spoon; Grutt's tribe was even generous enough to gift us with three of their succulent lizards and two of their shortswords."
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Post by blackjack on Feb 29, 2012 21:37:11 GMT -5
Enyeto takes the spear he gave Shadout to use on the orc. He hands it to Khan. "We also have a spear we could trade." Speaking to Loy, "What about slaves? We happen to have an extra ocrc."
Shadout "Rrowullh I wouldn't mind helping pay for the Identify spell."
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Post by blacknigel on Mar 1, 2012 6:18:43 GMT -5
Rrowullh, concentrating on the conversation with Bellure, flinches in surprise when Shadout speaks to him, but relaxes visibly when he hears the offer. "Ah, uh, thank you Shadout. My brother is set on learning what he has found, but he has not enough. He asked me for the difference but even the two of us together, ...our funds are running low. Would you go so far as to pay half? That way my brother won't be completely empty, and then look to me to pay the rest of his way."
The conversation draws Khanmahtt's eyes away from the gauntlets, and his gaze bounces with hope from his brother to Shadout. "What we learn might profit us all."
(BTW, I think Bellure already offered Reynaldo 10 silvers for Grutt the orc - or at least his gall bladder. That's one reason Rrowullh offered the lizards, just in case they need to feed the gall bladder, to keep it on life support - at least temporarily.)
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Post by mister frau blucher on Mar 1, 2012 8:52:43 GMT -5
(Would the armor benefit of the gauntlets be in addition to any physical armor worn? Ex. leather plus gauntlets stops 3 hits? If so, is the benefit negated by wearing the gauntlets to use a shield? Ex. Leather + Gauntlets + sm. Shield stops 4 hits.) Yep, the 1/0 is in addition to other armor. So leather, a small shield and the guantlets stop 4 hits, and reduce DX by 2. (Also regarding the Reveal Magic spell, cool that it reveals all magic items in a certain radius. And understand that non-magic users would have to take the spell caster at his word for what they actually do, but is the Reveal Magic visibly obvious to non-magic users? Do the magic items "glow" or something?) Reaveal Magic is not visibly obvious to non-mages; but a mage can tell if it has been cast nearby. Some magic items glow, some do not. Some give off a slight energy, others do not. No hard, fast rules on that, just depends on the individual item.
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Post by Lord Inar on Mar 1, 2012 9:15:05 GMT -5
Reynaldo says to Loy, "10 is a fine price for a gall bladder. Unless anyone objects, I will accept this offer. It will pay for half of the reveal that my companions so desire."
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Post by mister frau blucher on Mar 1, 2012 9:54:30 GMT -5
[Marc - sorry wrote this up and then got called away. Posting it now, let me know if it changes anything.]
Loy collects 10 silvers from Shadout and 10 from Khanmahtt. He then takes the ring and the torque. For a moment it seems as if he recognizes them; then he chants a few words of Sorcerer's Tongue. Shadout feels the power, and knows Loy Bellure speaks truth when he says, "The torque is a symbol of leadership. It helps those who lack such skill, but those who already posses it are made more powerful." [The Torque of Leadership grants a +1 Leadership skill while worn.] "If you want to sell it, I will pay you 50 silvers."
He then holds up the ring. "This is also a significant item. It allows the wearer to cast a spell on himself, whether he is a mage or not, to blur the outline of his person, making him more difficult to strike." [The Ring of Visual Diffusion allows the wearer to cast the spell Blur on himself - including the cost of 2 Fatigue.] "I offer you 75 silvers for this ring." Regarding the orc, Loy Bellure nods his head. "10 silvers for the orc, not just the bladder - though I admit being interested to see if you are able to remove it. He has some use as food for Gaum, as well." As Rrowullh offers the lizards, his nose wrinkles in distaste. "Er...no." He looks over the spoon and the two swords and the spear. His brow furrows. "None of these are remarkable, and they are unlikely to fetch a decent price. But I will pay you 5 silvers for the 4 item lot, should you agree." His eyes catch the copper arm bands the tigran wears, and he leans a bit closer. "Interesting," he says. "May I inspect those?" [Assuming Rrowullh agrees...] He turns them over with mild interest. "These I will give you 25 silvers for."
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Post by Lord Inar on Mar 1, 2012 11:05:03 GMT -5
Reynaldo gives 5 each to Shadout and Khanmatt. He laughs to Loy, "No, I assumed the dragon would want to remove it personally. But I must say, I am intrigued. How did this arrangement come to be? Has the dragon been here a long time?"
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Post by mister frau blucher on Mar 1, 2012 11:39:16 GMT -5
"I believe Gaum has been here for about 700 years, give or take a few decades,"Loy Bellure says. "When he grew a bit of adventuring and decided to centralize his hoard, he cleared out this nice complex as his lair. He decided it was profitable to trade with those above and those below, so he maintains this part of the route. Indeed, the trade route itself was his idea."
Two very pale humans with white irises and hair and black chainmail move from an adjacent hall at Loy's gesture. They walk up to Grutt, who suddenly understands what some of the bargaining has been about. He strains weakly, but the guards easily subdue him. As they lead him away, he says to Enyeto in harried Orcish, "May Great Gukk damn you! I curse you, human-child, to die in this mountain, never seeing the sun again!! I curse-" A solid cuff from one of the guards renders him unconcious, and they drag him away from your sight down another hallway leading off from this courtyard.
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Post by blacknigel on Mar 1, 2012 12:32:53 GMT -5
[His eyes catch the copper arm bands the tigran wears, and he leans a bit closer. "Interesting," he says. "May I inspect those?" [Assuming Rrowullh agrees...] He turns them over with mild interest. "These I will give you 25 silvers for." "Each, or for the pair together?" He shoots Khanmahtt an "I told you so" look. "Thank you Host Bellurr for the information you have given us. We desire to conduct more business with you but it is much to think about. Please give us a few moments to discuss our options amongst ourselves." (Okay guys, so Khanmahtt found some cool and useful stuff! One more question about the gauntlets, would Khanmahtt be able to use his claws while wearing them? The Ring of Visual Diffusion is cool too, and while Khan might trade the ring for the gauntlets. I'm flirting with having him keep the ring and try to use it himself. So naturally it's question time. Does he have to take a combat turn not moving and to roll 3/IQ to cast the spell on himself? If he fails his IQ roll does he lose the 2F? Maybe a blurred Tigran spearman that's 4/DX to hit is better than a Tigran spearman that can absorb 4 hits when it happens?) Khanmahtt says to Reynaldo, "So, it is a Torque of Leadership. Your leadership has brought us this fahr. Your guidance has made a difference many times. Your aid helped Temboh save Muhndy's life. If we are to keep this magic thing it should be yours to wear and use for the benefit of us all. But our Host values it in equal balance with the Cloak of Shadows, which Rrowullh, or any of us, could put to excellent use. What do you think best?"
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