GUILDMAKER: Chapter One

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Ivan folds his arms over his chest, listening to the two merchant's plight. It made the hair on his neck stand on end and his teeth chatter. His shoulders slump as he hears Malkus' reply. "I'm sure that Pharasma will echo that sentiment when you're sent to see her. I'm willing to help the merchants. A trickle of good to spread around would be just fine before a long trip, and the echo of a good deed will follow us into the wild."

He nods to Malkus, "I'm not suggesting you do it for free, but if push comes to shove, I'll lend some coin into the pot. I'm certainly not going to be able to do it on my own." With that, he hops up onto one of the tables to sit, grinning with all the mischief he can muster. "Desna willing, the roads'll be safe."
 
Malkus snorted at Ivan's responds. "Yes, because I'm sure Pharasma would congratulate the brave and heroics sorts who fall onto the blade of the enemy. It's not like I said I wouldn't do it. I'm sure this Stag Lord will become an issue at some point. But even back at the Old Prosperity, you don't just go to a gang's hideout and start swinging. You figure out what they're numbers are, what sort of power they got behind the names, where they live, how they live, basic stuff. You figure out what to do when things go south. You ask me to take on two or three guys, and I'll do it no problem. Maybe even four or five if I get the jump on them. But you want me to take on a whole gang myself? No way..." Then Malkus leaned against the table, glancing at those around him. "... At least not without a gang behind my back, and a plan. Fortune favors the prepared, because only fools rely on luck. You tell us everything there is to know about these guys and maybe something to help us deal with them, and I'll settle with you owing me a favor. Otherwise you're asking us to gamble our lives on your behalf, and that's not a game I'm going to play without a payout."
 
"Do I look like the sort of guy who'd go in and start swinging?" He tilts his head back, laughing happily and taking out his dagger to twirl it in one hand. "Yeah, I'd be real effective out there. Beware, bandits: he's got a knife!" He winks, teasing. "I don't mean 'let's all go be stupid and reckless' or 'let's not get proper information first'. I'm just saying that one good deed heralds another." He re-sheaths his dagger.

"If you're going, I'll back you up. I'm not much for frontline fighting, but I'll betcha I can scout pretty well. Skirmish, too."
 
Anna is nodding quickly now, a hopeful look about her face.
"If you're willing to help my husband and I, you're all welcome to stay here with us whenever its required. We're ideally located if your intentions are to explore the Greenbelt." Next to her, Oleg grunts and scratches his chin.
"And if you're serious about helping us with these bastards, you won't have too long to wait." He gestures with one hand to the nearby supply pen, a fenced off square with a wooden roof stocked with furs, supplies and other goods. "Trading caravan dropped them off earlier today. They have scouts watching for their approach, so no doubt they'll have men on the way to 'collect their taxes'."

He spits the last three words, eyes blazing. Anna moves over to him, resting an arm tenderly on his shoulder as she smiles at the newly-arrived group.
"I'll go and find something for you all to eat and drink. You must be famished, after all your travels. My husband can answer your questions about our trading post's... problem, I'm sure." She turns and moves back into the main building, holding her husband's hand until he's almost out of reach. With another grunt, Oleg steps forwards to stand in front of the table.

"Right, well. They first showed up about three months ago. A dozen of them, led by this axe-waving bitch named Kressle and her toy-boy Happs. Said they were agents of the Stag Lord, and they had come to collect the taxes he was rightfully owed. I told them to get fucked." He pauses, face grimacing. "They told me what they were going to do to Anna if I didn't comply." If his eyes were blazing before, they burn now.

"They've been back every month since. Less and less of them each time; haven't seen that whore since the first time they showed, and last time it was only Happs and four of his goons. Reckon they think they've got me cowed." A humourless smile splits his face. "Reckon they might be right. I'd happily kill as many of them as I could before I let them steal from me again..." his voice trails over and he glances over his shoulder to the house containing his wife, "...but I won't risk them hurting Anna because of my pride.

"So if you're willing to deal with these bastards when they come? You can have what gold I've got left to barter with, and I'll happily throw in a trio of potions I traded for a month or so back."
 
Sylvia quietly listened to the people around her discussing their ideas, and when Oleg started speaking again and explained the situation, she was absolutely dying to help. Maybe it was the fact that a bandit lord demanding taxes on Oleg and Anna crossed her moral boundaries by miles; she was here to prove her worth anyway, and here was the chance. There was no way she'd pass it up. It wasn't even the promise of gold and potions, either, it was the chance to punish those who would prey upon people who did nothing wrong.

"I'm willing to lend my aid to you, Oleg, and Mal, I'll gladly accompany you and whoever else joins." She tried to force finality and confidence in her voice as an attempt to make them forget or overlook her disability; she was certain, however, that if they saw her fight they'd realize that she was perfectly capable of holding her own. Even Elliot could provide extremely useful as a guard dog, if only for his enhanced senses of hearing and smell.
 
Leila
As soon as the attention was eased off of her and her necklace, Leila relaxed marginally. However, she chose to stay quiet through most of the conversation, just to draw attention away from that. By the time that Anna was walking away from them, her heart rate was completely back to normal and she had a smile on her face once again as she listened to Oleg's gruffness. She was glad that Mal had agreed to help. It saved her the trouble of convincing the taller green man. It saved her a lottttt of trouble. As the two strangers volunteered to go with him she just smiled.

"I'll go to of course," she chirped, once again all smile and sunny disposition. "I'm sure Desna will indeed bless our journey!" The woman tossed a grin at the shorter stranger who would now be accompanying them. How long had it been since she'd traveled with so many? Her eyes a swirl of violet now turned to face Oleg. "We'll do our best."
 
Taicho
After having the trauma of a crossbow swinging to the face, Taicho stoically pondered the speech that the husband and wife gave to the group. He was by far the quietest of the bunch, it had seemed, but that would not stop him from piping up his opinion. "If it will defend the honor of this place, I will surely defend it. I am sure my fellow compatriots will agree with me?" Taicho exclaimed towards the other folk gathered around.

No person, whether they be human or other variance of species, deserved to be bullied into starvation by villainous scum wielding weapons of steel and malice. Taicho would not stand for such an injustice, after his own life-changing ordeal with bandits. He would help these folk. No matter what limbs he lost, or weaponry he shattered in the process. No one deserved to suffer at the hands of a criminal. Least of all hard working folk.​
 
It seemed that everyone was quite willing to offer their services for Oleg and Anna. Fine with Malkus, he just wanted to make sure he was going to get paid. As Anna left, Malkus noticed something off with her hand. he didn't really register it at first, but he realized that she has a ring indention - without the ring. Malkus could guess what happened to it. Didn't matter to him... Though since it didn't, he didn't see why if, should he come across any rings, he would need to keep it. Putting that aside the half-orc listened to Oleg and what he had to say about these bandits. Kressle and Happs had at least 12 (a dozen) sword arms, with less coming to keep check. Made sense; sure you may take a big crew to cower individuals, but once you had them scared you don't need to bring out the big guns each time. The rest of their gang likely stays back at the base, or goes to shake down travelers. Of course, Malkus also wasn't certain if the gang as gotten bigger since than; they work for the Stag Lord, and assuming that isn't just a bluff to make themselves sound more threatening, taking down Kressle and Happs won't keep the trading post safe. Though it'll at least weaken their control over the area.

"What can you tell us about Happs? What's he look like? Human, elf, mage, what? He a dandy, or a tough guy? Also, do they watch the trading post too? If possible, I want to make sure they don't know we're here. It'll make it easier to get the drop on them. I'd also want to know if you remember Happs coming in with new guys each visit. If it was just Kressle and Happs, dealing with them would be small potatoes. But even if we wipe them out, whoever this Stag Lord is, if he isn't just a bluff, might just get pissed that we killed some of his officers. I'd also like a map of this area if you have one. If we have to track these guys down back to their camp, I want to make sure we won't get lost. Lastly, I'd like to know if you have any jars of oil around here. If we have to fight Happs and his lot here, we may as well try to gear up and prepare the best we can."

Malkus figured he or someone else could rig up a simple wire trap. A tout string or wire connected to a couple bottles of oil above the entrance; bad guys walk in, trip the wires, get hit but a couple bottles of oil. If they miss they'd still have to try not to slip, and those who did get hit are ripe for burning. That's when Malkus and the others would jump (Perhaps literally) onto them and give them a quick beat down. At least that's one plan, and frankly it's a plan he'd use back at Old Prosperity. Pretty good when you need to spread a bit of chaos among a group of guys; most would be too busy trying to put out the fire to fight you off, specially when they weren't looking for a fight in the first place.
 
Finariel runs through the forest. I have to go faster...I have to go faster....I have to go faster. If I don't, Lord Hendrick's men will catch me. Up ahead, he sees a light, and he runs for it.

Bursting from the underbrush, he sees a trading post. Little more than a wooden palisade and some building and tables, really. He hears voices inside, so he flattens himself against the wall and creeps toward the gate. He hears voices inside.

""What can you tell us about Happs? What's he look like? Human, elf, mage, what? He a dandy, or a tough guy? Also, do they watch the trading post too? If possible, I want to make sure they don't know we're here. It'll make it easier to get the drop on them. I'd also want to know if you remember Happs coming in with new guys each visit. If it was just Kressle and Happs, dealing with them would be small potatoes. But even if we wipe them out, whoever this Stag Lord is, if he isn't just a bluff, might just get pissed that we killed some of his officers. I'd also like a map of this area if you have one. If we have to track these guys down back to their camp, I want to make sure we won't get lost. Lastly, I'd like to know if you have any jars of oil around here. If we have to fight Happs and his lot here, we may as well try to gear up and prepare the best we can."


On hearing Kressle's name, he starts, and his sword hilt hits the palisade. He hopes nobody inside heard.
 
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