Game: In the Spire's Shadow

Cortek stares at the small figure: "Do I or do not I what?"

(OOC: ugh, so what's the DM's stance on inter-party conflict? In RP, Cortek should kill M'rek now, or at least try. Example: "ANOTHER midget asks me about "the Mythal", just as I sit down to patch up. The Kobolds are probably hiding in the bar waiting to see if I retract my previous words. And that wand was healing? Yeah, at the very least that means you were watching me, like the overly curious rat you are." Cortek wouldn't actually say this, as a tactical master he'd take the first shot any time. I'm at an impasse..)

(No, what I'm saying is Cortek just got ATTACKED for reasons he can't even comprehend. This wasn't some gang of brigands looking for a quick buck, he's been rapidly thrust into a situation he wasn't aware existed, that explicitly involves him, and in a violent manner.

If someone just came up and was rude to him, that's entirely different, he'd ignore them probably. Or if M'rek had simply said "Hey berk, that was quite a scuffle back there. I don't know what that was about, but mind if I stab ye with this here healing stick?", then that would've been entirely acceptable: no detailed conflict information, nothing to right away set off his spy sense. But M'rek decides to come up to him while he's still fresh from an unexpected and unwanted fight and repeat the question posed to him by his assailants.

Point being, Cortek is now aware that he's in a situation that has uncertain boundaries, and against a foe who's size, scope, and methods aren't really known at all. Given what little he knows, this "second questioning" could be a different enemy. This is apparently an item of value to some higher organization, and there may be other organizations after this item. Judging from the open attack in the middle of the streets, this city, or at least this section of it isn't an area with a strong enforced peace. If he allows the enemy to abuse this, but bars himself from doing the same, he could be allowing too much ground. Even if he assume's there is only one force, and it is entirely comprised of the Kobolds and M'rek, he's still outnumbered handily, so he has precious little ground to give. Simply outright attacking M'rek is obviously not a good option, but neither is anything else.

Perhaps I shouldn't have said "Tactical Master", but rather "Aspiring tactician." A prime example is he never considered that the Kobold Captain could be bluffing him about the wand, he's unused to lies, probably because he's unused to using words in battle(or being alone in battle.) He's seen what it's like to fail in many things, many times over(the Kobolds even took the time to briefly remind him of it, with mention of his Harmonium past), and his bag of tricks is near empty. The real thing here is, Cortek is still on edge, he hasn't had a good rest since the fight, and has only had time to walk to a pub, bandage up a bit, and do any thinking that can be done while doing these things. As a Zenythri, he doesn't like not knowing things, it prevents him from making well-educated decisions, and it's hard to methodically puruse more information when the threats are as preemptive as they seem to be in this situation.

But yeah, it is a campaign killer, that's why I bothered to ask. Anywho.)

"WHY in the ABYSS do you care?!"Cortek yells as he blasts out his arm to grab M'rek and hoist him from the ground.

[Grapple check first, the conversation continues if he succeeds, else M'rek decides what's next]

"We should never do any other than what is necessary Linji and right now it's necessary to get somewhere a bit safer and less oozy, besides, that flame shark really raised a stink"

"The bone-box doesn't match the brain-box" Kadar mutters back "He's a good basher to have by your side".

Aloud- "Sounds like a good plan and it gets me closer to kip, lead on."

as they begin walking, "So what kind of business do you run anyway?"

[OOC- don't ooze portal's make your body go sort of doughy and squishy when you touch them? It takes a few rounds to recover after being pulled out from one. I realise we've gone past this point now but we should probably remember this in the future]

"Where's your shop?, I do a bit of tout work so I could send some clueless your way if you're interested"

[OOC- I did read your sheet but I figure we should do some of this IC unless Baba is grumpy enough to carry around fliers about himself so that he doesn't have to speak to people ]

[He's nearly that grumpy. If somebody asks him what he sells inside the shop, he'll ask them to follow him, walk outside, and point to the sign.]

"Tradegate - it's my kip as well. About three blocks from the Happy Travels Festhall - not the one with the Bauriar barkeep, the one with the blue roof. It's got a sign - tell the Dizz... Clueless to ask around, they won't miss it."

"Tradegate, nice place. I hail from out that way myself, well by out that way I mean on the other side of the spire, but what's distance in the Outlands anyway. I take it you're a spellthrower from that flaming shark back there. Did you pick that up working your shop or ...."

waits for baba to pick up the rest of that statement.

Kadar keeps his eyes open while prattling away, glancing around for anything interesting/dangerous/familiar.

Spot check

"Here and there, here and there. It pays to keep the mind sharp. Too many Bashers today wasting their time when they could be learning or paying the bills."

Linji merely smiles as Kadar and Baba talk amongst each other -he is listening, but also fills his time as they walk by taking out his sling stones and juggling them as they walk.

Juggle (as part of Tumble) = 19

"Sometimes the ollin in Teyolia is inbetween the words", he thinks to himself, pondering the movements of the different hued spheres, as they dance and weave between the ioun stones, and as their movements present themselves relative to the movement of passing travelers and the flow of conversation between the shopkeeper and tout.

"UlaMItzitLi" , he whispers softly to himself in Slaad.

(Making Spot and Listen checks as they walk)
Spot=10
Listen=12

M'rek nods apologetically to the barkeep:

"Sorry about that nasty bit of business cutter, I am just also a little tired of folks who see a Nathri or other small folk like myself and think that they are just asking to be manhandled...sodding clueless ...
But please tell me, did you just imply that you know what this Mythal is? And on that tought, what`s for dinner on this fine stablishment of yours?"

Any chance Linji smells Pork and Beans?

(he loves them since they are a highly sacred Mandala of the Cosmos -not to mention a fun game to try and guess what the Pork is really made from).

{Nope}

Cortek is no Sigillian expert or Tout, but he's passed through enough times to recognize someone who is. Seeing the trappings of a Tout on Kadar, he calls forth "Hello, stranger. Someone somewhere is forging an existence for themselves writing incorrect maps. I need to find the Minder's Guild sometime before the Blood War ends." He reaches for what little spare gold he has as he says this.

Given that Kadar judges that Cortek isn't likely to immediately kill him he says the comments in my last post.

Did anything happen to the game?

(Let me call him. Last time we talked, he was a little under the weather.)

[sorry guys I was waiting for Korchuk too, I kind of finished with an offer last post]
Given the state of their new companion Kadar walks along, leading the way to the tower of the Wyrm, keeping his eyes open for danger and occasionally pointing out interesting landmarks in an attempt to engage with Cortek.

Diplomacy check

Linji randomly begins to catch the tumbling stones in his mouth, till his elastic cheeks are filled with the myriad metallic spheres. Upon hearing Baba's remark, he spits out the jumble of spheres into his ghoul-hide satchel (with the two dull gray iouns rising to resume their lazy orbit), and turns to the heavily layered shopkeeper:

"What kind of kines -the Kind of Kine that is the Kin of Kine or the Kind of Kine that is Bovine, or the other Kind of Kine whose nature is not in the possession of mine?"

(Linji is actually interested -far more so than in the hulking figure who has most recently hired Kadar's services, and so tries to be very good and smiles -mouth now sling-stone free)

Kadar smiles quietly to himself before continuing to describe the methods used to bring the particular materials seen in this district into Sigil.