Tales of the Old World 2

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
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<Tales_GM> The evening in The Crooked Hammer carries on with further drinking and gambling into the late hours of the night. The following morning, Thorek and his newly deputized band gather again, at a predetermined location.
<Tales_GM> The opening of Sivi's soup kitchen has the alleyway on the side of the gambling den busy with the lined-up poor of the city. Here, Thorek looks among the poor wretches, hoping to find the unlikely band that will assist him in this, the very first true bounty of his career.
<Tales_GM> Calls and shouts from the docks fill the air, as a small patrol of Altdorf infantrymen make their way down the street to relieve a night watch along the harbormaster's office.
<Seig> Deciding to be frugal Seig steps onto the street with his soup and sees the Dwarf once again standing out and heads over.
<Thorek> Thorek waits patiently, or as patiently as he can given all the work that needed doing. He leans against the wall, hands grasped behind his back waiting for everyone to join him. "Ahhh, Master Um- Seig. I take it you are just now breaking your fast."
<Seig> "Yea, waited for the kitchen didn't want to waste the precious funds I have left in case this falls through."
<Thorek> "Very fair, if you did any gambling last night you've already bought your food from the soup kitchen." Thorek nods sagely as he pushes himself off the wall and stands. "Any idea when the Elgi and the Drengi should be showing up?"
* Roderick steps out onto the street, squinting and shielding his eyes, scanning the poor for his new comrades in arms. Half turning towards the shorter, rattier figure standing behind him in the doorway he grumbles. "Let's go Shivva, I see our new friends across the way." Jerking his thumb towards the dwarf and sailor.
<Seig> "They are probably just inside."
<Shivva> "I hope this job ain't a bust, boss."
<Shivva> "This lot ain't who we usually 'work' with."
<Thorek> "Sooner they join us the better. Sooner we can get a lead, the better." Thorek grumbles to himself.
* Roderick shrugs. "Ifn it is we'll just take what they got and move on mate. Let's go." Roderick steps off the steps and begins striding towards the two talking near the alley.
* Far_Foririan is inside the tavern checking his notes, he then packs it up as he realize what time its, he looks for Afrock an looks under the bench he is on. Afrock sleeps there, so Far does the best thing he knows what to do, getting up from his seat he packs up his stuff and wakes Afrock with a tap on the shoulder.
<Far_Foririan> "Afrock get up its time to meet with the others."
* Shivva shrugs and follows Roderick.
* Afrock wakes up groggily and grumbles, "Hopefully Grimnir brings us a good fight."
* Afrock get's ready to move.
<Far_Foririan> "Yes that is the plan." he waits for Afrock to stand up before heading outside to meet with the group.
<Seig> "Looks like the crew is all here."
* Far_Foririan exits the tavern, "Excuse us for being late, I was distracted with some note I needed to finish up."
* Afrock somehow has a bowl of soup when he meets the group and quickly drinks.
<Thorek> "At least you came." He nods to everyone. "Greetans my compatriots. Shall we get started?"
<Afrock> "That's why I came."
<Far_Foririan> "Yes this will be most interesting."
<Seig> "Whats our lead then?"
<Roderick> "Yer old boss."
<Roderick> "He's tha one who talked to the bastard last."
<Thorek> "Exactly that. We'll start there, if the soldiers currently keeping it impounded will let us question the Captain."
<Roderick> "Well let's get movin then."
<Thorek> "I take it everyone is ready then?" He looks around. "Valaya guide us, follow me then." He starts off towards the River Swan.
* Far_Foririan follows along.
* Roderick falls in step with the dawi bounty hunter.
<Tales_GM> Stevedores, sailors, merchants, and customs officials pace through the docks. As cranes haul cargo in and out of the docked barges, through the buzzing activity, you spot the uniformed figures of Altdorf soldiers, both in front of, and on board, the River Swan.
* Thorek approaches the nearest of the Altdorf soldiers and introduces himself. "Greetings soldier, is by chance the commander of your unit nearby? I'd like to request his permission to speak with the Captain of this vessel."
<Tales_GM> "Just who might you be, then?"
<Thorek> "Thorek Damnazeki, Thief-Taker. these are my deputies. We're after a traitor your leadership wants clapped in irons, and it just so happens the Captain of this mighty vessel might have the clue on where to find the umgak."
<Tales_GM> "If and unless any of your deputies," he says looking at each of you, "happens to be a lawyer, there's no chance the Sergeant will let you speak to the crew."
<Thorek> "Would it be rude of me to request I hear that from your Sergeant? No offense intended."
<Tales_GM> The soldier nods over to one of the other soldiers, a younger man. He leaves his post, returning a brief moment later with a gruff man with an intense look in his eye, and a sturdy prosthetic leg thumping against the wooden docks underneath as he approaches.
* Seig chats idly with the guard while they all wait but isn't able to get anything useful out of the exchange.
<Tales_GM> "Just what does this sorry lot want with my prisoners?" the sergeant bellows out, impatiently, at no one in particular.
<Thorek> "Greetans Sergeant." Thorek greets the man, not flinching at all at the bellow. He's heard bigger and louder yells from his own kind more often. "I only have an interest in one prisoner, Master Sergeant. The Captain may have vital information for a traitor of the realm. Your own General Jendrick von Dabernick wants him clapped in irons, and I'm trying to oblige him as quickly as possible." He smiles his best smile up to the
<Thorek> Sergeant. "I wouldn't take too long, just several minutes."
<Thorek> On that Thorek digs out the bounty with the signature and wax seal of the General himself, and hands it over for the Sergeant to examine.
<Tales_GM> "Right," he says taking the bounty and handing it back once finding the signature and seal of the General, "And these here are deputized? All of them?" he looks down at Thorek.
<Thorek> "Yes, now if you don't feel comfortable having us all aboard," he points to Seig and Roderick, "I at least need those two with me."
<Tales_GM> He nods his men to stand to one side. "Right. Make it quick. The rest of you can wait here."
<Thorek> "You have my thanks Sergeant, truly you are a friend to the locals of Ubersreik." He turns and motions for Seig and Roderick to follow. Once onboard Thorke will look to Seig, "whereabouts would your good Captain be holed up?"
<Seig> "Probably below deck if he isn't here, the ships not that complicated."
<Thorek> "I'm not a sailor, umgi, so I'll defer to you." He chuckles heartily.
<Roderick> "Lead the way Sieg."
* Seig not seeing the captain on deck heads below, nodding in greeting to any of the crew who see him.
<Tales_GM> "Not with this delay. Assume a loss on that cargo, and add another week's wages," the captain taps on the table as a spectacled, aged, book-keeper makes marks on a ledger.
* Seig points the captain out before getting into earshot."
<Tales_GM> "What's this, then?" he asks, looking up at your arrival.
<Seig> "Hey Cap'in, managed to find some work, and if what I'm thinking is right they might be able to indirectly help you get the barge going again too this Dwarf is Thorek, thats Captain Zuber"
<Tales_GM> "There's an industrious lad," he says putting down the sheets of parchment and taking a step forward.
<Thorek> "Greetans Captain Zuber, and this is my other deputy Master Roderick. I won't take up too much of your time, I just need to ask some questions regarding someone who inquired travel abord your vessel. Is there a more private area we can talk?"
<Tales_GM> He shakes his head, turning his head over his shoulder. "Clear out, lads. Give us the deck."
<Tales_GM> As the bargemen exit to the main deck above, Zuber takes a seat at the only table on the deck, and invites you to do the same.
* Seig takes a seat.
* Roderick takes a seat at the table, his knees knocking into the underside, and utters an oath under his breath.
<Tales_GM> "Truth is, if I knew about this illusive figure, I'd have told the Altdofers already. You're not the only ones interested in my would-be passenger. Best oddity I can offer was an elf and a dwarf, descending from the Grey Mountains... odd pair, they were."
* Thorek makes himself as comfortable as possible, given the seat wasn't exactly designed for dwarf-kind. "My thanks Captain." He says as he takes a seat. "So you don't recall anything at all? I've heard word you were approached by a nasty old woman, a crone of a woman looking to buy passage out of Ubersreik."
<Tales_GM> He pauses, for a moment, thinking on your description.
<Roderick> "So ugly as you'd think she was a man at first glance."
<Thorek> "I'm no sailor, but I know a bit about money. And last I checked you can't do much in the way of selling your cargo if you're barge is impounded, and Altdorf soldiers keep you uncder lock and key. Way I see it, the faster I catch this bastard, the sooner you can get on with making money and putting this terrible situation to memory."
<Tales_GM> "Yet surely this all isn't about the medicine woman?"
<Roderick> "So ya did talk to er then."
<Thorek> Thorek leans in. "Medicine woman?"
<Seig> "Hey, guys give the Cap a chance to speak."
<Tales_GM> "Desperate, she says to me, desperate to leave, to find herbs can't be found locally. Ugly as all sin, aye, but I had to turn her down. We'd just arrived, had cargo to deliver. And the River Swan's no inn. Told her to come back if she needed passage. She insisted on leaving immediately, something about helping the ill."
<Roderick> "En after ya turned her away where'd she go?"
<Thorek> "Seems he's got some cleverness to him then." He rubs his chin in thought as Roderick continues.
<Tales_GM> "All I know is she crossed the bridge. Haven't seen her since, never came back, and even if she wanted, sure as the nights are dark the sight of these soldiers does little to convince passengers to come aboard."
<Seig> "Suppose life would be too simple if they had spilled their secrets to you."
<Thorek> "Do you remember any details of her? Clothing? Features of the face or body? Hell the kind of boots she was wearing?"
<Tales_GM> "Dark cloaked, wide buckled belt fixing it all together. And the herbal bags, of course. Carries plenty with her."
<Tales_GM> "Metal," he says remembering suddenly. "Rattling of metal at every step. Must be the tools of the trade, eh?"
<Thorek> "Aye, tools of the trade."
* Roderick covers a scoff by coughing several times.
<Thorek> "Right then, anything else you can think of Captain Zuber?" Thorek asks, hoping something might get loosened in the man's thoughts.
<Tales_GM> "Why, no. It was getting dark, the fog had come in. All else I can say is... well, she's a tall one."
<Thorek> "As tall as good Roderick here, by chance? Taller than you?"
<Thorek> "Was she standing straight when she approached and left? Hunched?"
<Tales_GM> "Taller than I, only realized when she took off. She'd been hunched as we spoke, tired-like."
<Seig> "Well we have a little bit more to go on, thanks alot cap, oh one other thing..."
<Seig> "Could I perchance collect my pay?"
<Tales_GM> "Aye?"
<Roderick> "This looks between tha two of ya." Roderick stands from the table and leaves, calling over his shoulder. "Thanks for the info capn."
* Thorek grunts and then nods. "Thank you for your time Captain Zuber. You've given me plenty to go off of for a head start. Sooner I get this traitor clapped in irons sooner your vessel will be freed. Valaya guide you." He nods to Seig, "we'll wait for you on the docks." He takes his exit and follows after Roderick.
<Tales_GM> "Right. You've done well by us. Didn't need to come back like this," he gets up and leans over to the ledger.
<Tales_GM> "So long as you're hard at it, you deserve a bit of help."
<Seig> "Thanks alot cap will try our best to track em down and get you moving."
* Seig heads out and rejoins the group, telling the crew they can head back down as he passes by.
<Thorek> Once Seig has been collected Thorek thanks the sergeant. "I think I've a solid lead now. Thank you for your time Sergeant...?"
<Tales_GM> "Sergeant Rolf. Sigmar guide you to that traitor."
<Thorek> "My thanks, Sergeant Rolf. And Valaya watch over you and your comrades." He joins his compatriots and leads them to a more empty but of docks to talk. "We have a lead gentlemen, at the very least a description. We're looking for abnormally tall medicine woman, ugly as shite, and jingles quite a bit as she moves. And she was last seen crossing the bridge to the north side of ubersreik." He breathes out his nose as he thinks.
<Roderick> "So what're we standing around fer then. Let's go."
<Thorek> "Now from I know, if his access to the river has been denied, he'll be heading north and maybe west. Hopefully he's still in the city." He looks to Roderick and Shivva. "Your friend Sivi mentioned Steiger might have gone to Black Rock if he was friends with the Jungfreuds, any thoughts on that?"
<Roderick> "Friends is probably the wrong word, but he was in charge of city guard when the Jungfreuds were getting their arses kicked up and down the countryside. En they were in charge at the time. He's also dressin as a woman, desperate is the man who goes that route. So he may go to Black Rock especially given his loyalty before the occupation, wether they'd help is somethin else entirely."
<Roderick> "Good as place as any to check."
<Thorek> "We'll start there then. Did you have much history with the man? I know him purely as a professional relationship. The man signed my inhuman bounties after all before all this happened."
<Roderick> "I know him. Professional and personal both you might say."
<Tales_GM> Thorek will remember that.
<Thorek> "Aye, my apologies if I'm being too nosy Umgi." He taps his nose. "Part of the profession. Right, let's get over there then. Master Foririan I'll ask you please not delay as we cross the mighty bridge. Built by my kinsman under the reign of Magnus the Pious." He'll say as he leads them over to the bridge.
<Roderick> "Everyone's nosy dwarf just be careful it doesn't get you a necktyin. That's the key to bein nosy. Knowin when ta stop asking." Roderick cracks a grin. It seems an odd expression on the tall mans face.
<Thorek> "Aye, that's one way to look at it. Thankfully I can lean on manling prejudice here and there to explain why I'm such a nosy dawi." He laughs.
<Tales_GM> The vast, ancient dwarven structure carries a flow of traffic from one end of the city to the other. Up here, from its height, the winds blow with greater strength, carrying the sounds and smells of Ubersreik as vessels sail through the Teufel.
* Far_Foririan observes the structure as they cross the large structure and takes some notes on it.
<Tales_GM> The smells shift first, to a more pleasant variety, as the bakeries of the Artisan's quarter work to feed the city's denizens. Reaching the northern bank, the walls of the Precinct stand tall, projecting power and control over the rest of the city. Once, the sight of these walls and what they represented was synonymous with the Jungfreud dynasty; holding unrivaled authority over the
<Tales_GM> city and the broader region for generations. Today, they represent Emperor Karl Franz's seemingly unstoppable ambitions; to some synonymous with liberation under Imperial protection, to others a dangerous young Emperor willing to burn the old order at any cost.