Vapourware [Play-by-post] Lamentations in Averoigne

[nikolokolus]

The party spends a few moments peering into the black silence of the stairwell leading under the barrow and decides to leave well enough alone and head back for home before it gets dark.

The journey back is uneventful and the way is made even easier by the path left by the passing other party's mules. You all return to Les Hiboux about an hour before sundown and trudge wearily back to the Cock & Strumpet. As you get closer you can hear the obvious sounds of merry-making inside. Opening the battered oak door to the common room reveals about a dozen villagers huddled around the four locals who had been called out to dig for the other troupe. They are buying rounds for the house and and much wine is being drunk. The sallow-skinned lout, that popped out of the bushes to confront Finn is dancing in a raucous, lascivious manner with one of the barmaids; swinging her around and trying to steal a kiss, to the uproarious laughter of the house. The innkeeper, Jean-Baptiste seems slightly annoyed and his face flashes a bit of relief when he finally sees you lot come into the smoky hall. He bustles over and says, "Ah friends! What will you be having this night? Apparently, the tab has been taken care of." he holds out a bottle of fine Catalonian wine and inclines his head in the direction of the poorly lit corner of the room where six figures sit around a large circular table, mulling goblets of wine, but not engaged with the revelry in any way, shape or form. "Compliments of Monsieur."

 

[SoupNazi]

Finn goes up to speak to the man. Being in town, he's once again donning only his armor, whip and bastard sword, rest of his equipment with the mule.

Spoiler

I'll make a proper post tomorrow. Now really need to sleep

 

[AdamReith]

Grima snorts at the raucousness and retires to a room in the inn but not before snaffling the finest bottle of wine he can blag on the monsieur's tab.

 

[nikolokolus]

Finn walks up to the drunk youth to talk with him, he seems much more interested in the barmaid, Estelle than you. "Wait, yer turn bub. You can have this one when I'm done with her."

Estelle never did like you much, and is a notoriously fickle and fractious young woman. She just rolls her eyes at the two of you and slaps his errant hand away from her bottom. "You two can dance with each other for all I care. Bonne nuit!" she says in a mocking tone and tosses her golden curls over her shoulder and saunters off to grab more drinks from the bar.

"Ahhh! Now look what you've gone and done!" he whines, in a mock-serious tone. "So, I see you lot came back. Nice little patch of dirt this place." he wags a finger under your nose. "I'll bet you yokels thought you would keep this little honeypot all to yourselves d'inchya?"

 

[Grimgravy]

"The gentleman is generous! A good bottle and some food please. Rolf, care to join me?" Ganelon invites his hireling to eat and share stories of the crusdes.

 

[nikolokolus]

Rolf and Ganelon share several bottles of good wine, while Ganelon eats about half of a roast pheasant, dressed with leeks, carrots, and bulgur wheat -- all the compliments of the strange tattooed man and his six companions, five of whom sit with him around the corner table looking on at the festivities with a mixture of boredom and disdain. When Ganelon looks over at the man, he subtly bows his head as if to say you are welcome, but he makes no move to engage with the patrons of the inn, he merely sips a single goblet of wine and about 2 hours later he rises and glides towards the stairs without a word of goodnight, or any other acknowledgement to the master of the house, nor his wife. Soon after all of his followers, get up from the table and follow him up stairs, even the sallow youth, who has been so rowdy this evening. Ganelon can't help but notice that a very small man, amongst them, needs help getting up from the table and up the stairs. His features are covered up in a great cloak, but his limp is unmistakable. Perhaps they didn't far so well in the swamps as they seem to be letting on . . . or least they didn't get away unscathed.

Rolf proves to be a great storyteller, who seems to relish, the re-telling of his numerous exploits, as both a holy warrior and soldier-for-hire. It turns out he was a sapper and tunnel-man, who laid siege to many strongholds in his day. A broken support timber in a siege tunnel, collapsed on him and he lost the eye, and made his leg lame. But the pillaging of the city proved most profitable, and he was able to retire after looting a mosque a week later.

As the night wears on, he also seems to be a great fount of knowledge about Les Hiboux, and some of the less flattering habits of his neighbors. Ganelon can't help but notice, that whenever the serving girl Estelle comes by he stops talking, smiles without really showing teeth and only resumes when she is well out of earshot. "Mind yer tongue when that one's about. She's a real eavesdropper that one."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Finn goes up to speak to the man. Being in town, he's once again donning only his armor, whip and bastard sword, rest of his equipment with the mule.

Spoiler

I'll make a proper post tomorrow. Now really need to sleep

Requin joins Finn, just in case he needs a giant brute looming unpleasantly in the background.

 

[nikolokolus]

RETCON ALERT

Sorry, I somehow completely misread Soup's post and thought you all were retiring for the night. I'm happy to roleplay out any interactions. If you saw #579 before I edited it, just pretend it was all a dream.

I also updated the Index and summary in the first post, for people who like to keep track of that kind of stuff. If I made an egregious error in my recall of events, just PM me in the group chat thread and I'll fix it.

 

[Grimgravy]

"I appreciate the warning. I'll keep that in mind."

Spoiler

Ganelon retires after the meal, baring Finn starting something.

 

[SoupNazi]

Finn navigates the drunks and dancers of the inn as best he can without turning over any pitchers or bumping heads with any of the drunks as he approaches the corner table where the sour-faced, but apparently generous treasure hunters are seated. He doesn't sit with them - that might seem too daring, or outright rude - and greets them confidently, setting his eyes on the leader apparent.

"Bonsoir. Wanted to thank you on behalf of the village for the food and wine, generosity of that sort isn't commonplace here. I wonder what prompted it, if I may ask, since your wounded comrade doesn't look so joyous."

Taking a look around the group, he looks for the man he assumes is wounded based on the blood and the overloaded mule carrying him, as they discovered before.

"And before you say it's none of my business, you're right it may not be, but you might want to hear me out before the disease takes a hold of him - and if you're sharing quarters, meals or waterskins, you as well." he hints at the possibility of an infection or a curse, planning on using his second-hand knowledge of Vincent's passing to suss out how much camaraderie there is in the other group, if they'll even care - and perhaps put a bit of fear in them about the disease spreading, even though that part he made up. Finally, if he shares that bit of information, perhaps that will loosen their tongues in sharing what happened on their adventure, as well...

Spoiler

Also, somebody (looking at you, Ganelon) might want to have a chat with the tattletale Estelle - perhaps she's eavesdropped on the Albanian group too...

 

[nikolokolus]

Earlier in the evening . . .

Finn tries to get close to the Leader of the group, but with him sitting in the very back corner and flanked on all sides, by his henchmen, he settles for the only person that will talk with him. A suave looking man with an oiled goatee, and several gold earrings. The knotted muscles in his forearm and the obvious strength in his hands almost don't match his lean, wiry build. He smiles up at Finn as he approaches. "Hello friend, I'm Guarin and my master Diljan welcomes you. Enjoy the food and drink . . . or did you wish to thank my master in person? He's deep in meditation right now as you can see and has asked me to speak on his behalf." Finn looks over and feels Diljan's unsettling gaze as he stares at you without speaking a word.

Finn speaks of the wounded person huddled at the table, with their great-cloak pulled up covering their face and Guarin looks confused for a moment, "Wounded compan . . ." His voice trails off and he looks over his shoulder at six pairs of eyes boring holes through him from the corner. "Keen eye there lad! Yeah, Ang had a bit of a tumble and skinned up his knees in the dark. He'll be alright. Isn't that right Ang?" The huddled figure turns a bit to the side obscuring their face even more, without acknowledging Guarin's comment. "As to the festivities, Diljan is generous with those who serve him well. Besides, it's good for luck and good for business. We won't have to worry about anyone poaching our diggers now, will we?" He taps the side of his nose conspiratorially.

As Finn continues on with his dire warning of disease or a curse, the company at the table is looking at him with open disdain bordering on contempt, but they say nothing. You can see a half-smirk spread across Guarin's long, exotic-looking face. "Disease and worse eh? Well if old Ang there bites it, that's just one less share to distribute as far as I'm concerned. But thanks for the concern for our well-being; that's awfully generous of you. Say, how did your little dig go? Find anything shiny? I'm guessing not by the way you all dragged your heels in here looking all dour and downtrodden. Well, better luck next time right?" He winks and turns back to his goblet, giving you the clear indication that the conversation is now over. A pretty blonde woman at the table winks at Finn and gives a seductive little wave of her hand as she flashes a coy look.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

On a scale of 10-12, how bad an idea is it to insult Albania right now?

 

[SoupNazi]

Finn doesn't seem too concerned about the turn of the conversation, happy to just have gotten the man to talk. He doesn't feel like volunteering any further information as he's unlikely to get something back. As for the blonde winking, he returns a warm smile and a courteous nod, but leaves it there.

"Thanks a lot again," he finishes with the slightest hint of irony, "Bonne nuit."

Finn then returns to his table but catches Jean-Baptiste on the way and whispers to him: "I'll be paying for my own wine tonight, Monsieur."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Not in the mood for victuals, Requin simply sits quietly at chair at an angle from the other diggers, hoping to observe them, at least learn to identify them by name, and determine, if not from voice, by body language and tone, some hint of their moods.
He buys a drink but it stays at his table untouched.

 

[nikolokolus]

Requin's observations throughout the evening don't yield much. At least not much more than is already known. The only new piece of information is that the lone reveler among them is called Achille (the one who kept groping Estelle the barmaid). Beyond that, there is the man called Guarin who spoke for the company, the injured lad called "Ang" (which Finn noted, sounded more like a contraction or pet name) and of course the weird, taciturn leader with all of the tattoos on his face and arms, Diljan. The other three are unknown. Even the four townies who were hired to dig for them don't know what they are called.

 

[SoupNazi]

Spoiler

A guy at work who works in the accounting/controlling department is called Dijan. I don't like him. So, good name choice.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Am I right in assuming that everyone retires for the evening?

 

[SoupNazi]

Spoiler

Unless Estelle feels compelled to chat and share some eavesdropping, yeah, I think so.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Unless Estelle feels compelled to chat and share some eavesdropping, yeah, I think so.

Spoiler

Not for free . . .

 

[SoupNazi]

Spoiler

5 SP cut it?

 

[nikolokolus]

Finn places 5 deniers under his goblet. When Estelle comes around and picks it up to refill it she looks at him with a curious expression on her face and quickly palms the coins into the pocket of her smock. She smiles warmly at him as if they've always been fast friends, "What's that for?"

 

[SoupNazi]

"Noticed you hanging out with the foreign folk," he says with the same warm smile and a low voice. "Was wondering if you heard anything curious. Maybe about a mask, or what they've found down there... what their intentions are. How'd they find out about what's been happening in Les Hiboux..."

 

[nikolokolus]

For once in her life, Estelle actually seems to drop her guard a bit and winks and nods at Finn as she walks away. Once the other patrons have cleared out, particularly the Albanian bunch, she sits down with Finn and places a goblet in front of each of them. "So, what's all this business about masks? All I know is that this new bunch seemed quite pleased with themselves. What little I could gather from the men they hired, is that they paid out quite a bonus. A full livre! Can you imagine such wealth in the hands of those slobs?! Anyway, I did overhear them saying that they must rest until Ang is recovered; that they need him at full strength for what is to come. Other than that they're a tight-lipped bunch, except for that lout Achille, but, I think I've got him wrapped around my little finger; do you want me to ply him for information? Another 5 deniers up front and I'll see what I can do over the next few days."

 

[SoupNazi]

Finn waits patiently for the inn to clear out. Before Estelle sits down, he makes sure to pull the chair for her.

"A mask. Not plural. Or an artifact, something of importance, something that might be affecting that fellow Dijan's behavior or goals Heard anything like that?"

He takes a sip from the goblet, then gently lowers his hand on top of Estelle's in a friendly manner. He gently strokes the top of her palm with his fingers.

"I'm sure you can wrap any man around your finger, dear; look at me - we've been talking for five minutes and I'm already infatuated with your alabaster skin. If I didn't have a fiancee, there'd be a few more wines and an invitation to my room in your future... So - you already got 5 deniers up front, and there's 10 more in it for you if you bring back information that's actually useful. What their plans are, what information they have about the situation here, whether they have any maps, documents or items relevant to the ongoing treasure hunt... things like that.

Does that sound doable?"

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

SoupNazi you mentioned masks above my response, otherwise I wouldn't have responded that way