Hmm. If you've seen them then they've seen you. You wouldn't be able to outrun them if you carried Cheese, unless there's somewhere besides endless flat mud nearby, and you can't leave her behind.

Try wake her up. Shake her, give her a little slap if it doesn't work, and say "I think your guards are coming, Cheese". That should alert her a bit, and that probably is who they are. Maybe not, but probably.

If she can't wake up then uuuh she might actually be developing hypothermia. Pick her up and carry her towards those kobolds who are approaching.

Try and wake her up, speak to her. Even if it doesn't work it should waylay any suspicions about you being a mugger or something. I mean, you're standing and she's lying in the mug, kinda suspicious looking in this light.

Fen 2016/04/02(Sat)09:40 No. 713276 ID: dd338c
File 145961521121.png - (55.88KB , 800x800 , 338.png )

"Cheese. Cheese."

I give her a slight slap on her cheek. There's no place to hide her around here except in the mud, and they've already seen us.

>"ahh I'm sorry I won't tell anyone"

"Cheese."

>"Er- uh Fen where are we?"
"In the middle of nowhere."
>"Alone?"
"Not anymore. Two mountain kobolds are approaching. I think they're your guards."
>"Fen please do not be joking."
"I do not joke."
>"Oh no no oh no... that's them. I ditched them. They um..."
"Are you in danger?"
>"Oh, no, they won't kill me! ... but I mean I wouldn't say I'm safe either? They just need me to be able to do my job, and, you know, some scrapes on my back never stopped me before, ha ha, you know?"

>"You. What are you doing with Cheese?" one of the mountain kobold yells at me as they approach. I notice that the crow from before is nowhere to be seen.

"Helping her up" or something like that, then whisper ask what to do to Cheese. They may be her guards but do they belong to a noble or to her? If she ditched them I'm assuming it's the noble, so we may have to speak carefully here.

>her default response to someone trying to wake her is to start desperately apologizing in her sleep
>trying to joke about the fact her guards are probably going to beat her
Cheese sounds more and more like the victim of repeated trauma every time she opens her mouth.

...I'm really tempted to just kill them, but I don't know if that will only make things messier for her.

>I notice that the crow from before is nowhere to be seen.
They can't afford to be seen, and they did say Cheese is being watched at all times. Makes sense if that's her own guards.

>>713278
This plan seems good enough. Cheese, do you need them?

(If she wants to go with the story that we pursued her closely and slew her guards, and then she got away or weaseled her way out, she can probably sell that. And it'll give anyone paying attention to her the idea we're not working together).

Aw geeze Fen you should have stepped in front of her before leaning down to wake her up. This position must look bad.

Ok, so... if they're not close enough yet to see more than your silhouette, then quickly whisper to Cheese you are still going to give it to her again but she needs to give you the dragoncloth for a while, for now you need to pretend you're out here meeting secretly to make an exchange.

When she gives it to you, or if she doesn't, or if they're close enough to see, then whisper "sorry about this" to her, then say loudly: "We were supposed to be having a secret meeting, Cheese." Then you stand and pretend to kick her in the side as effectively as you can, maybe give her a little impact if need be. And you continue: "We were having a discussion about punctuality."

The idea is that if you make it seem like she came out here to do her job, and make them thing she's having a hard time of it already, they'll be a bit more sympathetic. The dragoncloth will hopefully be the "secret item" to exchange (if you have it you can refuse to show it), and if they get really inquisitive you can maybe flash the noble medallion.

Say the word and I will take them out for you.

Otherwise you can pretend you were out here to meet me and because you were running late you wore yourself out. You should give me the dragon cloth and I will carry it for you until you need to make the exchange later. It would be safer with me at the moment anyway.

Regardless I am not going to let them abuse you unless you insist on it to keep your cover.

If you don't give me some direction I am going to do this my way. Which might mess up your plans. Or help them.

Fen 2016/04/02(Sat)11:28 No. 713312 ID: dd338c
File 145962169623.png - (91.34KB , 800x800 , 339.png )

>Aw geeze Fen you should have stepped in front of her before leaning down to wake her up.
I had to get an overview of her body temperature to make sure she does not have hypothermia.

"Talking to Cheese." I tell him, trying to keep my voice cold but neutral. I need to whisper for guidance from Cheese before I commit making it look like I'm helping or hurting her.

>"Is that them?" says the smaller kobold.
"Yeah. We can find our way back. Here's your coin." the guard says.

Once the small one, who must have been a tracker, receives the pay, he walks back the way he came while I speak.

"Cheese, are those guards with you or with the noble?"
>"They're under the noble, they're supposed to both guard me but also keep an eye on what I do at all times. So uh... they messed up bad so if I go back then I mean I won't die but they'll probably like chain me to them or something so I can't leave again. Um... take the dragoncloth though and don't let them see it obviously."
"Would killing them make things worse?"
>"Haha Fen I don't think things can get worse. Um... no... no I think if you killed them that... that might cause big problems later but it would sure solve other big problems right now. That and they're really tough, they're among Bardo's best but I mean you're tough too I guess but there's two of them."

If I don't kill them, I may be able to pretend to give Cheese a rough time so that the guards don't, but I am still reluctant to let the guards get to her at all.

I am leaning towards killing them. Just because I think they will insist on seeing whats in the package Cheese hands us shortly. Which would ruin the idea of just leaving and meeting her later.

"Ok if I kill them then you can claim you were out meeting a contact and there was a ambush and they died. Or you got kidnapped and they got killed trying to rescue you. But you escaped during the fight."

"So I will take them out if you think that plan is the best. But if you want to go the other route I will stand back."

"Honestly if you pass me the cloth they are probably going to ask questions. Ones we can not answer. And if I let them haul you back it will restrict your actions so much that the dragon cloth plan will be harder to pull off."

If you do decide to kill them then act like a stranger who found her and was seeing if she was still alive. Then let them help her up and surprise attack one of them to even the numbers. Make use of the rain and the mud to even the odds.

Oh and a witness to this meeting is walking away. So might have to deal with him now or later as well depending on what you do.

>>713312
The tracker saw you. Either you'd have to murder him, or take the blame for killing the guards. This is a no-go, and you felt bad about killing that bodyguard earlier anyway. Do you want more needless blood on your hands?

You'll have to help Cheese some other way.

If Cheese gets chained to her guards then I don't see how she's going to get the freedom to sell the cloth and free herself of the debt.

I think either we kill them now, and skip town before the Noble finds out, or let her take some punishment, and stick around until we can give her the dragoncloth back. I'm leaning towards killing them.

>that might cause big problems later but it would sure solve other big problems right now.
Problems later can be mitigated with planning and Cheese's skill at manipulating people and information. Problems now can only be endured or cut off with a sword.

If Cheese is going to be any help with Fen's long term goals, we need to snap her out of her depressed, defeatist funk. We need to show her a way out, that victory is a possibility, that she can believe we're someone she can rely on.

Forcing her to endure another beating and being clapped in irons won't accomplish that. I think you need to cut them down. Personally, I'm not too sympathetic to anyone who beats and chains people up as part of their living anyways.

I'm sure there's some angle Cheese can use if her guards end up dead. It also means there's less suspicion we're working together, if it looks like you tried to attack her and in the process her guards ended up dead.

>how kill two of them
You'll have to surprise ambush one without warning when they get close, then you can deal with the other one without such bad odds.

>The tracker saw you.
The tracker saw some lizard with a hood in the rain. Not enough for a solid identification. And I'm pretty sure he stopped giving a damn about those guys after they paid him.

I'm pretty sure he didn't care if his clients where here to help Cheese, guard her, or hunt her down. His job is to track people, and I'm sure people do that for lots of unsavory reasons in this town.

>>713312
What about Cheese's dragon cloth investment plan? I honestly think she has a good idea and I want to help her execute her plan. But I'm just questioning if her plan will be messed up if we kill these guys or not. Because she did say if we killed them there would be big problems later.

If you think they still can't see you clearly through the rain, or if you can cover the exchange with your body/cloak, then take the dragoncloth for sure.

You just ran a long way to get here, and that tracker guy is probably about as fit as you are if he makes his living outdoors. If you can't catch up to him, I'd say don't try kill the guards. And that leaves the pretending plan. Whisper quick to Cheese that the letters she was getting were to meet with you, and you're going to pretend to be a rich asshole and you had a really good deal to offer but demanded secrecy and a meeting time that was too soon, so she had to run.

Then shout after the tracker guy to stop. Like: "You, tracker! If you want a few more coins, you'll stay right there! This was supposed to be a secret meeting, and I don't want anyone leaving until they've been convinced not to talk." You can give Cheese a pretend kick when you say "secret" to start playing up the persona. Or if you decide to kill the guards then he'll be nearby and you can kill him or bribe him more easily, too.

>>713328

I don't give much chance two professional guards will be acting easy around someone who's acting suspicious towards their charge. It also depends on how tired Fen is feeling after chasing Cheese; I'm not sure how long he left her resting in the mud, there. I guess these guys must have booked it here, too, if it wasn't a long wait, but still. We for sure can't assume these guys will be as easy as the last one we killed. "Among Bardo's best" means these guys are probably ex-military.

Personally I think it would be better to look like you were after Cheese for a personal vendetta and kick her a little or something. It'd be better than getting in another fight to the death with a possible witness (the tracker). You have to remember not to get overconfident and overextend yourself.

Take the package and act like a barbarian if they want to see what's in it maybe?

You can claim it's a Savage heirloom or something and make up fake words or whatever about it.

1/2 Fen 2016/04/02(Sat)16:43 No. 713371 ID: dd338c
File 145964058106.png - (61.00KB , 800x800 , 340.png )

I felt bad about killing the earlier bodyguard, but I knew nothing of his character.

Although I know little about these guards, what little I do hear is not going to haunt me at night over their deaths.

I don't like the idea of a witness, but I'm not going to hunt him down over this, especially since he may not care about what happens next. He's already leaving, and it won't be long until he's disappeared into the fog, so I only need to buy a little time. Plus, I am not particularly fatigued, especially not compared to those mountain kobolds that probably did not take a leisurely pace running here.

"Play along." I whisper to Cheese. "I assume you don't need them for the cloth sale."

I get up.

"This was supposed to be a secret meeting, Cheese." I say, pretending to kick Cheese while letting my cloak hide my foot stopping just short to push her instead. Cheese jerks and gasps while I turn to those guards. "We were having a discussion about punctuality."

I give Cheese another fake kick. She curls up into a ball, making a weird sobbing noise, and I forget myself for a second, as that noise nearly convinced me she was really hurt. Still, I bend low to get the pouch with the dragoncloth inside.

2/2 Fen 2016/04/02(Sat)16:43 No. 713372 ID: dd338c
File 145964060813.png - (46.22KB , 800x800 , 341.png )

>"What's your business with her?" one asks. They are close, now, and I have to turn around in order to see them and what they're doing. At no point are they off their guard, though. He recognizes me. "Wait a sec. You? What are you doing here? Thought you were just getting friendly with her in that break town before Cheese steered us off course. Now it's related. What's your business with her?"

They ask the same question more threateningly the second time and begin to approach me, drawing their swords. But before they do and before I can come up with a response, Cheese coughs.

>"He's... Rasyan was on to us. This barbarian, he was sent by Rasyan to act like a new barbarian in this land, but then get with me for additional information. But, he's not loyal to Rasyan, he wanted him dead! That's why we're off course. We couldn't go in the same direction as Rasyan, because we would have been framed for his death."
>"... what?"

What?

>"Rasyan is dead!" Cheese chokes out. "But don't blame Fen for the framing! He only told Krix about Rasyan's secret path, it was Krix who was going to try to frame us, not Fen! Fen is the one who told us - well, me, about the possible framing while we slept together, and even though we have no proof it was Krix, I owe Fen a big favor now! We had to get out and get known we were somewhere else, fast. Except for Fen, who I needed to help get out of this mess because he might be a suspect and who I owe a big favor now!"
>"You told us that the barbarian might be trying to kill you and have spent the last day fretting endlessly about Cati's agent showing up."
>"Well that's because I had to make a show to act like I never wanted to see him again, because he made me promise we wouldn't be seen together! That's why we're out here, and that's why he gave me such sudden notice to meet out here, and I'm sorry, so sorry, that I ran away, but he gave me no time or warning, and when he did he said it had to be in private, so I had to run by myself, and that's why I'm late, Fen, because this tail is so bad for running. But I gave you the alibi story and Cati's seal and guards that's why I'm meeting with Cati's agent because I need to tell her to vouch for Fen and tell her that she told him to investigate Rasyan under his nose and there isn't much time at all so we have to get back to the fence!"

I don't know if she thought about that at all or if she just spilled out a confusing, haphazard story to get the guards stop looking like they were about to try and kill me themselves.

"Figures your big butt would slow you down Cheese. How are you even going to get to the Fence quickly if the second you got here you just about passed out?"


Even if we are just going to kill them its worth going along with her little story just to get there guards down. Fighting them both at once is risky and even if you had way more practice the terrain is a mess right now.

Keep your guard up in case they do not buy it.

Ideally Cheese can distract them enough so you can take one out and even the odds. Just make sure it does not end up with Cheese in a situation where she can get killed in the scuffle. Maybe back off a bit and wait until they start dragging Cheese off and then back stab one.

Also remember to apologize for the big butt crack later.

>>713374
Really? We're going to call her fat?

.....well, I can't think of anything better to say, so yeah, let's call her fat. And remember to apologize later.

>>713375

Fen does not actually think she is fat its just playing the part of a asshole who would kick a lady while she is down for not getting here fast enough in a storm.

I mean she did say her lateness was due to her big tail so a crack about a giant butt would make sense. Just have to reassure her we like the way she looks later.

Anyways act the part and watch for the guards reaction. If Cheese's little story can get them to relax and ignore you then you might have a chance to get a surprise attack in on one of them.

Remember you are going to be fighting in mud so watch for thrown mud and sliding everywhere.

>>713372
Okay, well, as you can see here, guard, it's a confusing fucking situation between two information brokers -slash- noble agents. Even I don't fucking understand half the shit because the fucking nobles and info brokers and agents love this crazy ass half baked shit, I'm still really just a barbarian that got mixed in a few months ago and I'm not paid enough to care. Are you? I don't even KNOW what noble I'm working for now with Raysan dead, I just wanted him dead because of shit like this.

I'm in the same position as Cheese, it's just I'm in over my head and don't even understand a fraction. I was out here, ONCE, six months ago, and NOW I'm in the middle of this shit now because I wrapped up in Raysan's bullshit. I don't even know who Krix IS. I get hired to talk to her, give her some vague ass shit, Raysan tries to kill me after I complain about his bullshit and apparently I fucked up for some reason, so he's dead now because he doesn't know what to do with a barbarian, and then I get another goddamn message from somebody suggesting I find some way to contact Cheese privately to tell her about Raysan's death. She apparently knows WAY more than me.

>>713377
I know he doesn't think that about her and I know he's just pretending. I'm just amazed that we couldn't think of anything better than fat insults.

But when we go reassure her of her looks, let's not say we like the way she looks. We're saving ourselves for Lily, remember? So let's not give Cheese the wrong idea.

>>713372
Well Cheese sure is good at bullshitting, isn't she.

Act annoyed, distrustful. "And why should I trust your guards with sensitive information now?" But them on the defensive, make them sell Cheese's story to you instead of vice versa.

Be ready for a fight if they push it, but if Cheese's play works, well, she made that decision. Don't mess it up for her by attacking first.

>>713384
Fen hasn't called her fat yet, could just say "Tsk, of course that slowed you down."

1/3 Fen 2016/04/02(Sat)22:21 No. 713449 ID: dd338c
File 145966088099.png - (43.53KB , 800x800 , 342.png )

"Of course it would be your big butt would slow you down. You were passing out just a moment ago, and you want to get back to the Fence quickly? And why should I trust your guards with information now?"
>"You don't have much of a choice, there." says the more yellow mountain kobold, approaching Cheese. "Alright, step back from the girl."
"Fine but after just a few months of this, I'm already lost and in the middle of this empire business."
"Get used to it. Alright, Big Butt, let's get out of - "

Cheese's tail sweeps forward, and the mountain kobold starts tripping over her and towards me.

That tail sweep was not accidental. Cheese intentionally tripped him.

2/3 Fen 2016/04/02(Sat)22:22 No. 713450 ID: dd338c
File 145966092412.png - (64.22KB , 800x800 , 343.png )

I'm hoping that was my cue to kill him.

3/3 Fen 2016/04/02(Sat)22:22 No. 713451 ID: dd338c
File 145966094276.png - (37.71KB , 800x800 , 344.png )

Despite supposedly being an elite guard, this mountain kobold is slow moving back and slow to unsheath his sword.

Still, he buys enough time to get his sword out by blocking my own slash with the backside of his scaled forearm.

>>713451
Slow opponent? Feint and punish. Don't get grabbed since he's stronger than you.

Also, since it's muddy here, his weight will screw him over. Take advantage of what will be the worst footwork you've ever seen.

Charge in and stab him in the chest. With a sword like that the worst he can do is hit you with the hilt if you are in close enough.

Takes awhile to get it out of a shoulder holster.

Ok, he's probably going to keep moving back, because it's hard to get a sword out of a sheathe carried on your back quickly. He might also try swing at you with the arm he just blocked with, to fend you off. Sidestep or duck that and come up inside his range to stab him. Aside from being hit with a swipe or punch, the next danger is that he'll try grapple with you, so just be sure your sword isn't in a position to slip to the side if he pulls you in. Be ready to quickly pull out your dagger if need be.

Get out of the path of his swing. Opportunistic gut slash if you can manage it.

>>713449
>"Alright, Big Butt, let's get out of - "
Well, it's a good thing we're going to kill them. Otherwise, we would've accidentally given Cheese a new nickname for the guards to make fun of her with. We should defiantly apologize for that.

>>713460
Stupid autocorrect, I meant definitely! We should definitely apologize for that!

your standing so close that he will not be able to hit you with the blade. if you press in he will not be able to get the arm he defended with out to bear hug you. if you have a dagger pull it and put it in is belly, he has a big sword so he will only be able to try and hit you with the hilt if your in kissing range. If you pull out he will have the reach on you with his sword length and arm length. With big dudes as long as they cant get the bear hug off your fine, so press his defending arm against him and stab away!

Go for the exposed armpit. No armor, lots of nerves and connective bits up in there which could cripple the dominant hand, and he'll be bleeding out through the brachial artery.

>>713480
I think "time to get his sword out" means that armpit is no longer exposed. The image shows Fen's attack but we're suggesting for a time period a little bit after that, I think.

1/2 Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)13:51 No. 713609 ID: dd338c
File 145971668545.png - (26.88KB , 800x800 , 345.png )

I leap into his front, since trying to go at his side or his back will force me to try and cut through his scales again, which makes it difficult to make a decisive blow.

Although he almost manages to get his sword out, I'm too close for him to make use of it, and I stab through his stomach.

He must have let go of his sword, though, as his elbow drops on me, and my body completely shuts down on me as I fall to the mud. I drop my sword, leaving it lodged in his gut.

2/2 Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)13:51 No. 713610 ID: dd338c
File 145971669528.png - (84.91KB , 800x800 , 346.png )

I don't know if I caught a glimpse of his foot moving and instinctively rolled or if I just rolled out of trying to get out from under him, but I sense the earth shake around me as he stomps his foot around where I was.

What is an attempt to get up just ends up being a few more rolls away from him. I'm struggling to not just pass out; his elbow hit me using its scales.

He tries to step forward, though, vomits up some blood, and falls to the mud.

Cheese, if you value our partnership, please direct me to a way to fix my potential concussion.

Just lay there for a moment and take some deep breaths. Once you feel up to it get up and start bandaging your head.

Next time you try that sort of thing remember that you have a 3 foot sword at the end of your arms. Getting close does not mean go into wrestling distance. You could have gotten a good shot off that would have disabled his sword arm without getting into elbow range. Then you just would have had to wear him down for a bit until he bled out.

Your horns can heal up right? You have a bit of a chip there.

There is a valuable lesson to be learned here Fen. Big guys have big reach. And you sir are not a big guy.

Your plan was good but you should have never gotten under the arc of his arm. And you don't have to stab someone halfway through the torso to kill them. A long slice along his belly or a disabling cut to his sword arm and you would have come out uninjured. The fight would have taken slightly longer but it would have been just a matter of time.

So fight to stay conscious and keep still until you can bandage yourself. Or call for cheese at least if you cant.

>>713610
Okay so again we learn a lesson to not get in close when fighting skilled mountain kobolds. Ask Cheese for help.

Fen was lucky in that he hit something immediately disabling. Kindof odd, actually. What could be down there that would cause an immediate collapse? Do mountain kobolds have lungs that far down?

Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)14:48 No. 713629 ID: dd338c
File 145972008578.png - (71.72KB , 800x800 , 347.png )

>Next time you try that sort of thing remember that you have a 3 foot sword at the end of your arms. Getting close does not mean go into wrestling distance.
Perhaps it was a bad decision, but that mountain kobold's arm range seemed to extend almost as far as I could put my sword in deep enough for anything more than a bad gash. Perhaps my spacing wasn't good enough, but I don't have enough practice against mountain kobolds. It's been awhile since I fought Tevlis.

For now, I stay still and just talk to Cheese to stay conscious.

"Cheese... if we're partners, please direct me where to treat head injuries."
>"Oh uh uh cold! When I had a big head injury a doctor put a really cold towel around my head. I dunno what that did but that was a doctor so it probably was something! Ahhh geez should we bury the bodies! Can we? The mud here is soft and we can dig graves but it'll take awhile and I can help if you want. We should be able to get done before sunrise or fog lifts but ahhh the doctor also told me I had to rest and not move at all."

I feel my horn. There's a chip. It stings, hard.

I don't think horns regenerate without magic intervention.

>Fen was lucky in that he hit something immediately disabling.
I'm not sure. Perhaps my sword went deeper than I thought, or perhaps he simply wasn't that tough once getting stabbed and gave in to the wounds. They weren't lethal, however, I can still see him breathing, even if he's not conscious.

Well luckily you probably have enough spare money to get it healed up later. For now it will help remind you to keep getting better.

Slowly pull yourself up and once you are steady go help Cheese out from under the corpse. Finish off the big guy once you are able and ask Cheese what the plan is while you loot the bodies.

If we bury these two Cheese will have to explain where they went. If you leave them here you can claim that you were attacked and the guards died holding off the enemy while you and Cheese escaped. And now you have wounds to match the story.

If you do bury them check the surrounding area for a good out of the way spot. If not anywhere is good.

Fuck burying them, not worth it.
You need that head wound taken care of as soon as possible, or this journey is going to end prematurely. So be careful.

When that guy fell over, he probably ended up falling on Fen's sword which shoved it even further into himself. I'm actually amazed the blade isn't sticking out of his back right now. I guess that just goes to show how big that guy was.

Also, we should tell Cheese that we're sorry for the big butt comment. Don't want her to feel self-conscious about herself.

Well at the very least you need to retrieve your sword. Rest there for a couple minutes, maybe ask Cheese to take your dagger and go slit the throat of the one that's still alive. Or use her claws, whatever. Then what are we going to do when we go back to town? Two guards go missing, presumed dead, and you show up with a massive head wound. It'll look suspicious.

...should we wait on the road for the noble Cheese is going to sell the dragoncloth to? If we don't go back to town, that's the best option, I think.

Is Cheese pinned under the first one? Do you need to help her up?

>When I had a big head injury a doctor put a really cold towel around my head
Well, you're in the rain. No shortage of cold, or wet cloth. You can improvise a rain-wet cloth to wrap around the injury for now.

>Ahhh geez should we bury the bodies! Can we?
That... depends on what story you plan on telling. If I attacked you and killed your guards while you escaped, it wouldn't make sense for the running merchant or the assailant to stick around that long.

Other stories might work better if they just disappeared. You have to account for the tracker, too. I doubt he cares what happens to the guards, but it's possible someone looking into this would find out the guards found you here with some draco-bold.

He's also not dead yet.

But yes, I can dig if we need to. (Do you still have the pickaxes on you? That would help).

tl;dr- Cheese needs to start deciding on what plots we're using. You're not in the best state for being sneaky.

>but ahhh the doctor also told me I had to rest and not move at all.
If you can get up, tell her you'll stop moving once it's safe. Help bury them, then maybe bandage up with a cold flattish (if possible) stone held over the first layer of bandages.

Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)17:09 No. 713673 ID: dd338c
File 145972855379.png - (27.79KB , 800x800 , 348.png )

"That depends what story you want to give."
>"Let me think just a moment..."

I lay down. She is right, the mud here is comfortable and oddly warm. I think to slit the throat of the last one I killed, but my sword must have plunged in so far into him that there is no way to survive, so I don't bother asking Cheese to do anything when she gets out from underneath the other.

>"Hey, Fen.... do you really think my butt is too big?"
"I was hoping you were thinking about more pressing matters."
>"Er... right. Yeah."
"And no, I have not seen your butt, I only assume it is large due to your tail. I only threw it out because it is the first insult that came to mind. I'm sorry if you took real offense to it."
>"Oh, haha, no, I'm just, you know, a little self conscious, but usually people call me pink eye, or lumpy, or rotskin, or mutant, or... well, big butt or even just fat is a first, so it was a little funny to me and caught me off guard at how simple it was! Do savages think - er uh yeah nevermind sorry okay let me think another moment."

...

>"Okay, um first off, everything I just said can go right into the gutter since they're dead, sooo we don't need that story anymore! Anyways, um, oh, gosh, that darn tracker is going to... no, you know what, that's no problem, I can fix this. Okay, here's what's going to happen. We bury them, right? No one's going to be searching in the middle of the field for dead bodies, and with the dogs around, no predators are gonna dig up the shallow corpses, so it's just not feasible someone will happen upon by accident. And no one's going to look for these guards until Bardo or one of his guys sees me, and I'm gonna tell them they had to deal with Fence business and I never saw them again. If they don't believe me, they'll ask around, and find out they left town, and maybe even find the tracker that led them here. Let's say they get the tracker to lead them back here. That would be bad, but long before then - like 5 hours from now, let's say - I get a body disposer to make the bodies, you know, vanish. So, no bodies. The guards, they really did just disappear."
"Would they believe you, that you did not attempt to dispose of themself at first?"
>"They would! And that's why I'm actually a little glad that they had the tracker, because now the tracker can say what things looked like when he showed up, and it sounds like a really weird setup for me to do to off them, you know? I mean it's not perfect but I think it's gonna be okay. Do you have any better ideas? Um, really the only messy part of this is having to do the body disposal. I know good people who know good trustworthy body disposers, but, um, they don't charge cheap. Do you have like... 30 silver I could have for this, unless you can think up something better? I'm a little, uh... well, I didn't get get my head bashed in, which is really surprising in hindsight."

>>713673
Tell her you can easily cover the cost of body disposal, and that sounds like a safe plan. Ask if she can make change or just wants a whole gold piece for it. It also sounds like you won't be returning with her to The Fence, because returning wounded would look bad. Maybe you can go to the Crow Zone next and deliver the pickaxes, then recover there? If there's bandit activity on the roads out here you can just use that as your cover story.

Saw the bodies up so that they decompose faster. Be sure to open up wounds and slather their entrails all over to increase infestation.

Keep the bones until you can find a place to grind them into powder or dump them in an ocean, or just hide them across the area and make a few bone puppets.

>>713673
You can cover the cost to close this, yes. Rasyan's money means little to you, and you'd been spending fairly liberally to catch up to her so quick.

Is it safe for you to return to Fence? Treating your wound and resting would be preferable, if being seen doesn't raise more complications. (Depends on if she knows a sneaky way back in, and/or a discreet sawbones).

Yeah I can lend you the money. Should I find my horn chip to remove any evidence? Also make sure that these two do not have any money or other items on them before we go.

As for your head getting bashed in I got that covered. They bashed mine in slightly because I wanted to take them out fast enough so that you would not get hurt in the crossfire.

Do you know how much it would cost to fix my horn? And who could even do such a thing?

>>713679
Since people will be coming to collect the bodies, making a mess of them is actually counter productive, as it would be harder to gather them up.

>Do you have any better ideas?
We might be able to use your contacts, or the people I paid off to get to you, to sell a story better. It's also possible to collaborate with the crows, if you're willing to not cut ties with them, who are orchestrating something with Rasyan's documents.

...I also meant to discus with you what to do with his possessions. His badge, jewellery, and enchanted weapons might be too dangerous to keep, but they have value. (If there were a safe way to "launder" magic swords, that would be pretty convenient). That's less an immediate concern, though.

>>713673
>Usually people call me pink eye, or lumpy, or rotskin, or mutant, or...well, big butt or even just fat is a first, so it was a little funny to me and caught me off guard at how simple it was!
Oh, that poor girl! I can't imagine how horrible it must be for her to have everyone say these things to her face on a daily basis! I feel so bad for her. :'-(

Also, any chance we can get Fen's sword back? His entire sword is probably buried deep inside that guy, so we're probably going to have to dig into the body to get it back.

Having not met any other cave kobolds I have nothing to compare your butt to. I don't really understand why people would be so mean to you. I think you look just fine.

Paying the body experts is a good idea. I have some money right now and all of the nobles possessions in the bank. If you can fence them we should have plenty of money to work with.

Maybe the crows can help with story ideas. I gave them the documents I found on the noble and made friends with them. I think they will understand what you were doing if you take the chance to explain.

You know, no matter what Cheese says it always comes across as a self serving lie to me. The shit with the dragoncloth, 30 silver for corpse disposal, it all smells like a scam.

1/2 Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)19:16 No. 713732 ID: dd338c
File 145973619754.png - (163.32KB , 800x800 , 349.png )

"I'll cover it. I can't see any flaws with the plan, but could your contacts in your area of the fence sell your story?"
>"Ehhh the questioners may know that they're buddies with me, so it may look a little suspicious if they really try and sell a story! I'll make sure they don't say anything contradictory though, yes."
"Could we talk to the crows about stories?"
>"Uh... I'll wanna have a good chat with them first! Since I can do that now! So... not now but that wasn't a bad idea."
"And if I'm wounded, I may be suspect to arrive shortly after the tracker found us, so I take it I will not be returning to the Fence."
>"Eh? Did the tracker actually see you?"
"Come to think of it, no."
>"Plus, I mean, Bardo would probably sooner admit to losing two guards to nothing than admit they lost to a single barbarian! So even if it does somehow come up, I can't imagine it being an issue. I mean if you hate the fence then... wait did you leave stuff in the bank? You gotta go back for those things anyway. So, uh, just clean yourself up a bit and it may just look like you got a chip in your horn, and your hood should cover with, uh, however bad the top of your head looks."
"How much would it cost to repair my horn?"
>"Uh... it really depends on how long it takes the wizard, but I think it might cost like a few gold."
"That much?"
>"Yeahhhh don't lose a limb till you're swimming in gold okay?"

>Begin body disposal first
It would take a great deal of time, and I'm unwilling to do something so gruesome myself, when burying them at the cost of 30 silver will do.

After a moment, I feel alright enough to at least sit in one spot and dig carefully. Cheese helps pull my sword out from underneath the mountain kobold, and, perhaps thanks to her namesake of cave kobold, seems particularly quick at digging a sizeable hole.

Before long, we have rather disrespectful graves, considering they're more hiding spots than places of rest. I spend some extra time matting them down, much like I used to have to hide my own tracks at times.

Cheese set aside the items that the guards had, excepting their two giant swords, which we buried with them since we can't take them back with us.

Aside from that, they each had a seal of Bardo, some food, which Cheese and I eat, some bandages which I use, a small length of rope, and between both of them, about 8 silver and 12 copper.

2/2 Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)19:16 No. 713733 ID: dd338c
File 145973620559.png - (127.27KB , 800x800 , 350.png )

We begin walking back to the fence while cleaning up a little bit, using what little rain still comes down.

"By the way. If I go to the goldyard, will I see any cave kobolds?"
>"Oh, yes! As long as you don't just visit big fancy places. We kinda stay in the, uh, working areas. Why though?"
"You are the only cave kobold I have seen. I have no idea what they look like."
"Oh, welll, imagine me, but, uh, sharper looking, and thinner. Way thinner. Like, thinner than field kobolds."
"I've been seeing some field kobolds that don't look that thin."
>"That's mostly fluff! Field kobolds in this land get fluffy."
"Anyways, I have some items from Pocky I would like to sell."
>"Who's that?"
"Sorry. Rasyan. Someone called him Pocky since he came from pocktown."
>"Haha oh geez that's really funny except he's dead."
"I wasn't laughing."
>"Oh..."

I give her the list of items.

>"Oh my god, I can do most of that for a good amount, I mean the seal itself can probably be melted down into like 3 gold coins, the necklace could sell for a bunch, um, those swords... let's.. that's trickier. I can hold onto them but I can't fence them fast. I'll get to work, though! You should, um, if your head injury is getting better, it should be okay for you to sleep. You've been up all night!"
"So have you."
>"Yeah but that's okay. Um... what are you going to do though? I mean, I know your long plan, but I think I can take care of the rest of things if you want to, you know... go away and fight in the army. The next teleport is in about two days and chance in Graskin, which is probably a day's away or so from here to travel to. And if you miss that, you gotta wait another week."

Considering how things have been going it almost seems like interfering with things outside the army/arena is a faster path to wealth and power than just joining and doing as were told.

>>713733
Today, rest up and buy that buckler. Maybe get medical treatement for your head. Not enough to fix your horn, just enough so you're at the top of your game tomorrow. Tomorrow, or just later today and have a stopover part of the way there, leave for Graskin and deliver the pickaxes along the way, avoiding Rumtown again.

>I mean the seal itself can probably be melted down into like 3 gold coins
Assuming there's no way to use it as a seal. Probably no safe way to exploit that. It's safer melted down.

>Um... what are you going to do though?
I'm not sure. One crisis solved.

I'll have to make my delivery to the crows. And I will have to take the teleport to the capital. I'm not sure it's important I rush to make this weeks instead of next weeks if there's things worth doing here...? (Check Cheese for possible leads).

What about you? Now that you've ditched your guards, what do you plan on doing beyond handing off the dragoncloth?

"First me and you need to have a long talk about our new partnership."

"So I understand why you did what you did. You definitely strained our new friendship but I can get past that. Next time you need something big just ask first. If you had just asked for my help that first night together we would not be up to our necks in dead people right now. "

"If I lend you my dragoncloth then we are going to be working together for a long time. You will use your new freedom to help me the best you can. And if I become a noble you will be my spymaster/adviser. We can work together to be the best sort of noble. If I die in the process then you make sure to take care of yourself and my family and friends if you can."

Then give her your exact timeline and what you were planning. You have until early winter to become a established noble so that Lily can be with you. You figured the tournament was the best way but as recent events have shown you need lots more fighting experience so was considering the army to have a trial by fire.

So being the expert that she is what does she think of the plan. If fen goes to the army will he get stuck there? Is there a better way of getting lots of fighting experience and making a name for himself? And once Shup realizes what I am trying will he interfere.

And we need more info about how to fight against magic. Who knows what might show up at the gladiator games or elsewhere.

You should ask her how much it would cost to have your sword enchanted, you don't want it wearing away and you always need a good weapon.

So together with the seals the guards had that's about 9 gold coins right?

Before you go to the army maybe you should see what preparations you need to make before you're stuck in it. Finding a bank that can accrue interest on your money while you are gone, maybe make contacts for the future Tournament. Also you still need good armor and possibly investigate any magical medical stuff you can get for future injuries.

So together with the seals the guards had that's about 9 gold coins right?

Before you go to the army maybe you should see what preparations you need to make before you're stuck in it. Finding a bank that can accrue interest on your money while you are gone, maybe make contacts for the future Tournament. Also you still need good armor and possibly investigate any magical medical stuff you can get for future injuries.

>>713733
So really, my next goal is just get to the city, teleport, and sign up now? That's all I have to do with this complex plan of yours? Then just survive in the army until... I don't know.

Let's review, what's needs to happen on my end for your plan to work once I'm in the army? I had assumed my goal to become a noble would be achieved there, in addition to the gladiator stuff, but with your goal of freedom in the mix, complications to my plan may have been added, so beyond Dragon Army work and winning Gladiator matches, what else do I need to do?

Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)20:29 No. 713752 ID: dd338c
File 145974056653.png - (89.22KB , 800x800 , 351.png )

"Given the last couple of days, I am almost rethinking joining the army."
>"You want to slow down?"
"No; the opposite. The last couple of days have shown that it is a faster path to wealth and power than simply joining and doing as I'm told."

Cheese is silent, then tries, and fails, to contain a laugh.

>"You... you don't know anything about the army, do you?"
"..."
>"If you need to make a name for yourself, the dragon army is probably the best way. I mean you couuuld do it by just wandering around the countryside and killing people here but, I mean, that's gonna make you a lot more enemies. Way too many enemies. And it's important to have more weight in friends than enemies."
"Regardless, for now I have to make my delivery to the crows. I will stay in the fence to purchase a couple more things before leaving. However, if there is something worthwhile doing for a week, then I see no reason why I shouldn't put off joining the army for one week." I go on to give her the full timeline that I am aiming for.
>"That is really not much time! Can't think of anything for you to do the next week that would really be worthwhile since you seem to have to make every hour count here."
"What about you? What will you do other than handing off the dragoncloth and my items?"
>"Well I mean, we're gonna see if... what did you do with Rasyan's corpse?"
"Stripped him, rolled him in the dirt, and otherwise made it look like a bandit attack."
>"Oh geez good. There's a chance they might find out actually. Um... the biggest thing I'm gonna do is try to set things up so that when people realize there is a huge power void in the north-western Turtle, things kind of come out okay for me hopefully. And, uh, you, too, because your dragoncloth... well, I gotta make sure to keep tabs on it and to set it up so you can get it back, right? So... leave that up to me. Oh, um, please give me Cati's seal."
"What?"
>"It's in your pouch, like I told my guards."
"I thought that was a made up story."
>"Well yeah it was but I do actually have Cati's seal. It's okay, I can kinda use it a bit. Cati's... weird."
"How much does it cost to have a sword enchanted?"
>"Oh, a looooot like I know you might have almost 10 gold with your seals now, and so that sounds like you can buy the world but nooooo. We're gonna be in town soon so let's keep our voices low, I'll bring us to a spot where we can talk."

I give it to her, and that seems to get the guards to let Cheese in without asking any questions, and Cheese ducks into an alleyway where I follow. She pulls me to a side are where she claims it's safe to talk freely as long as we talk quietly.

"What do you think of my overall plan to become a noble, though?"
>"Joining the army is pretty solid honestly. I mean you will fight a lot no matter what, but not gonna lie, people who try to grab glory even beyond that in the army usuuuuually die, so grab for glory in smart ways! But the answer is yes you have a good idea on how to accomplish a terribly unrealistic goal."
"Do you know if Shup will interfere if he learns about my plans?"
>"M...maybe. I don't know him that well. I can try to find out about that. And... and I mean... I really do want you to succeed, and if we're going to be partners for the long term, then I better get started on preparing things for you since you're on such a tight deadline. You know, get connections and stuff for you. I can even help you out in the army, I think, depending what missions you get put on. I can get a lot of info. Let's get a room in a tavern. Do you... want seperate rooms this time? And either way, should I grab all of your stuff since I mean stealing from you was a hilariously awful idea as you showed, so I'd just be safekeeping and stuff and you can use the crows to get me to deliver your stuff to you if... um... if you want. And are you going to stay around for a week even though I have no idea what you'd do other than act like my bodyguard, or go off to join the army as soon as possible?"
"Is all I have to do, really, just join the army and survive while making a name for myself?"
>"Y... yes. That's... 'all' you have to do, yes. I can take care of the rest for your long term goals!"

One room is fine. Will be easier to chat that way. Let her know you are used to sleeping with your whole family in a pile.

Tell her how much gold you have and figure out what you should do with it. Find out how property in the army works and if she has any ideas for being smart about getting glory. If she can invest it well and keep it safe I see no problem with letting her keep a hold of most of your funds.

Most of all tell her that your brother is a derp and has not told you anything about life in the empire. Like at all. Everything you know is what you have guessed or learned the last few days.

Find out everything you can to prepare yourself and then decide what to do. I personally am leaning for going to the army as fast as possible. A week is a huge amount of time for your plan. It could make or break the whole thing. You need to get the most out of every single day for this to work.

And make sure you know how leaving and entering the army works. Do they have a set term for enlisting? Can you go join the gladiator tourney while enlisted? And how do we want to approach the army? Should we drop our brothers name or not. And so forth.

>>713752
Well I mean she can keep the stuff you have in the bank since you're going to lose everything once you join the army, but you're going to need enough money to use the warp, and you need to be armed for the trip there.

Joining the army still seems best, then. I don't know about leaving absolutely everything when you go to them, I mean most of it to be sure but you want some spending money and to get there in one piece, and it might even be useful for them to not think you're an absolute rube when you join up? I mean, they'll be sending you on suicide missions, but presumably they'd still like those missions to succeed. Looking like you know what you're doing might push you up the army ladder that little bit quicker.

I know she said fencing the swords would be hard, but would doing that get enough money to enchant your own sword? I mean if they take literally all your possessions when you join you might be leaving your sword anyway since it has some sentimental value, but you'd kind of expect an army to be keen on their soldiers having weapons that the army doesn't have to pay for themselves. Or what about a direct trade, could those two enchanted weapons be bartered directly for one in return?

>And it's important to have more weight in friends than enemies.
Well, between you and the Crows and Moss, I believe that's three. And any enemies I've made are either dead or don't know it's me they have to be angry at, yet.

>Do you... want [separate] rooms this time?
I think I trust you're not going to backstab me a second time, Cheese. You were desperate before, and I'm hoping you see a way out, now. And if I couldn't trust you in a room with me, there's no way the longer plotting would work.

>are you going to stay around for a week even though I have no idea what you'd do other than act like my bodyguard
One thing the two of you might want to do is sit down for a longer conversation with the crows for plotting, before eyes find her again. That's probably half a day at the longest, though.

The other thing might be if there's any way the two of you can exploit Raysan's demise while you're here. I don't know if it's too late with the body double, but it's possible there's still an angle there, depending on what the crows did.

...the crows might also have things they could use your help doing. Spending a week doing favors for them so you have credit to cash in later when you need their service might be wise.

One thing you need badly is knowledge. You have been pretty out of your depth so far and risked death about 3 times since you've come out here. Try to get a solid idea of what the army is like before you go.

Err, separate rooms might keep people from talking. Unless you can get a single room with two beds.

Fen 2016/04/03(Sun)21:33 No. 713768 ID: dd338c
File 145974439129.png - (32.09KB , 800x800 , 352.png )

"We'll stay in the same room."
>"Oh gosh, you... really?"
"I have lots to talk about."
>"You'd... oh my gosh. Okay! Okay. I'll talk as long as you like!"
"First I'll say that I do want to join the army right away, so I may want to leave after resting today, and receiving medical attention. I just want to make sure that I join properly, and have enough money for the warp, and all that."
>"Oh, yeah, I'll tell you all about that! And yeah you can just have like 10 silver and easily have a bit of spending money and then some before entering the army."
"If you manage to fence my sword, could that pay for enchantments on my own?"
>"Hmmmm tough to say but it would at least be a good step in that direction, yep! And with a little luck we could just trade the two for one enchantment. But keep in mind that enchantments take awhile. Lord Rasyan's probably took like a month to make."

We enter the tavern, I pay for a room, and Cheese leads me downstairs. Then downstairs again. We get privacy again in a dark, damp, and rather ominous looking room where it's difficult to tell where the wood has rotted and where it's just dirt.

>Err, separate rooms might keep people from talking.
Considering the rumors that could potentially circulate about me, this is the least worrisome of them.

"Even though I am used to underneath a tree, it does not mean that I enjoy poverty. We could have afforded a better room."
>"A-ah, I'm sorry. It's just, this tavern's bottom level, it's really calm, and there's all kinds of secret passages that I like. It's easy for me to feel almost comfortable here."
"It's fine. Should I be there to help you mend you friendship with the crows?"
>"Oh, no, no, they saw you say that I was okay, so I can settle it by myself!"
"Still, that's three friends I have including you, and any enemies I have, if things go well, will be dead or don't know I should be their enemy."
>"Yeah but uh... I've seen people who get a good break once and kinda.... have it all fall apart one way or the other, so just be careful about that.
"Alright. Does the army have a set term, or how does leaving and entering the army work?"
>"You just have to say you want to join the dragon army to a local recruiter. And you're in! That simple. Cept if you have no record - and it's better we pretend you don't - you'll get put in with the... uh.... people who joined the army cause there's no better option. And there isn't. Which means you'll be in the expendable troops that are sent in to soften up the defenses. Which is good! For you! Because then if you live, well, surviving in that will get you respect."
"Should I drop my brother's name?"
>"NooooOOOOoooooooooooooooooo no no that's like saying you're just as strong as him and they'll basically just see if you can take on an army yourself or something dumb. And get picked on. It's.. don't. Anyway, you can leave after any mission. If you only take on basic training, they won't expect much out of you, so you just have to see the mission accomplished or die trying, and once the mission is done, you can leave. So really the term is for however long the mission takes, so... try to find ones that get settled quickly enough."
"Do I get to keep any personal belongings at all?"
>"Only real usable wargear like swords and armor, so you can carry that stuff, but I mean, they'll say where you're going, you don't need stuff like money or jewelry or valuable stuff. Like dragoncloth."
"Do they not have a uniform?"
>"For the proper troops, yes, but the expendable troops are basically just a mob that is told where to mob it up. So with your fancy clothes there you're gonna look like their general. Which is both good and bad, so I'd say keep it since it actually will help protect your body unlike, you know, loinclothes and whatever."
"Can I join the gladiator tourney while enlisted?"
>"Oh yeah. Definitely. I mean... no, no, nevermind."
"Cheese."
>"No, it just... if I can set it up right... you can commit a crime and if I can set things up right, your punishment will be being sentenced to the gladiator arena. So if you were gonna be a gladiator anyway... you might be able to steal the dragoncloth back that way, and keep it until you die even when you get caught, because the laws on it are funny like I said. But don't think on that too hard now I have to think on better ideas!"
"Okay. I know nothing of the empire. My brother is, unique, and told me nothing."
>"Haaaa wow he even acts like that to his own brother huh. Well anyway... I guess we'll be saying goodbyes before too long, since we both have a lot to do in different places! I'll tell you more about the army while we're still together, though."

Character Select:
http://strawpoll.me/7275450

Fen: Continue as normal. Cheese will act on her own, and contact with her will be sporadic while in the army.
Cheese: The subterfuge and spy route. Control of Fen will be regained after basic military training after approximately 2 weeks. Cheese will assist Fen's goals from the background, either by gathering intel on this year's contest, gaining information on known rebellions that the Dragon Army are likely to deploy to, and gaining contacts useful to a newly risen noble.

>>713768
I think we all know /quest/ is better at sneaky spy scheming than behaving ourselves and actually following orders in boot camp.

Are we storing all our spare stuff at the bank here in Fence, or are we talking some to store at a capital bank, where we might be able to retrieve it easier? (But might be watched more, or be easier for our enemies to use official powers to search).

>>713769
/quest/ isn't really good at anything, and Fen seems like he's competent on his own. Cheese just seems like she'd break down and start crying the first time some people got her into something stupid or tried pushing for sexual stuff. Basically I don't trust /quest/ with her mental health.

>/quest/ isn't really good at anything
There are pretty clear areas where we're better at certain kinds of things. (And even more clear areas at things we're terrible at).

>tried pushing for sexual stuff
That seems a non-issue? Every kobold sans Fen seems to have been culturally conditioned to consider her hideous, and it doesn't seem like a tactic she'd be willing to initiate herself.

Her current level of mental health is the direct result of us wanting to help / befriend / use her, anyways.

Cheese 2016/04/04(Mon)19:50 No. 713947 ID: dd338c
File 145982462871.png - (23.38KB , 800x800 , 353.png )

A couple of hours later...

Ooookay. Fen just transferred just about everything in his bank over to mine, after saving some spending money for himself and buying a few other things.

Then we came back, I told him the rundown and the details of what to do to get in the army, and he finally let himself fall asleep. Then again, if he's really even asleep right now, which I'm not even that sure about, he looks too stern to be relaxed!

I'm actually really, really tired, but I'd be afraid to fall asleep now while so much is going on.

Most of all, Rasyan was going to meet Bardo tonight. I don't know if I want to be up close for that or be as far away as possible, but I'm kind of locked until late-morning here, when I was going to meet Cati's agent to sell the dragoncloth. If I set things up, though, I might be able to get a speed wagon to take me to Graskin tonight! That's normally expensive but if the deal isn't a bust, it'll be nothing.

For now, uh, I guess I could start doing... something. Maybe just go to the spot where people start talking about the day's news, but most of the time it's nothing useful and just imperical propoganda.

>>713947
Go check on the news. See if Fen is in it.

Start talking to people, earn some favors, and keep going until you have enough connections to communicate with someone important.

Chop chop! You've got time to talk and you're good at talking.

Do they have any coffee or caffeine somewhere. You could listen to the news and try to wake yourself up at the same time.

Is there anyone you could earn a favour from by telling them about Rasyan's death in advance? And what sort of things are going to go down when it gets out, anyway?

>Then again, if he's really even asleep right now, which I'm not even that sure about, he looks too stern to be relaxed!
If you can't tell if he's sleeping, how ever did you work up the nerve to rob him in your sleep before?

>Rasyan was going to meet Bardo tonight
Where, here in Fence? Rasyan's map showed him heading north, and having already passed this way.

Whether or not you can use that meeting (or failed meeting) to your advantage depends on who already knows Rasyan is out of the picture, what the body double did, and what plays the crows have started with the information Fen gave them. I don't know how feasible talking to one of them by day is, but it would help.

Listing to the local scuttlebutt seems a decent first choice.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/04(Mon)21:04 No. 713964 ID: dd338c
File 145982905896.png - (75.95KB , 800x800 , 354.png )

I'm still surprised I had the thought to rob him in the first place! It took a lot of nerve and I sweated over it for hours before going for it. Man I wonder if I did it right away if I woulda... no, no, I came out really well in the end. My nerves are still killed, though.

I'll go check the news for now. It'll at least give me priorities on who I should start talking to. It's possible that I could tell someone in advance about Rasyan's death, but there's no clean benefit for it. It's almost unbelievable I'd know about it, especially since Rasyan was never around here to begin with, he was travelling north and it's a pretty well known fact that he's going to be in Graskin tonight to meet with Bardo and others.

I'd like some coffee. This province is the best place for it, but I'll see if anyone's selling over at the information market. Probably not, cause I'm not going to where people have money for that sort of thing.

Fen would probably look at me weird if he saw me going through these tunnels. I mean, they're like a kids only zone because that's the only people who can fit through them.

And fat cockroaches like me. I really never want to see what I look like while doing this. Still, if this place wasn't literally crawling with kids, I'd probably live here.

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/04(Mon)21:04 No. 713965 ID: dd338c
File 145982907057.png - (68.75KB , 800x800 , 355.png )

One short trip later, I get myself presentable and hang out with the kids.

>"Who're you?"
"A friend."
>"Shush!" another whispers.
>"Ew, she's squishy."

We start listening in to the shouting above. People up top have to pay a copper to hear a newsman read out the paper, or a silver for a paper itself, but there's enough room down here that kids and I can listen in.

First up is the regular news! The mountain bandits at Poluputus have been getting brave, the dragonfall resistance is squashed, again, for probably like the 2nd time this week, western contintenal demand for kobold magic is up, so that's another step up for the people on the west coast. Locally, banditry is up but so is the army so that won't last too long, and, well, nothing about Rasyan, and if anyone knew about Rasyan within the last few minutes, that would be first up for sure. So Fen must've done a pretty good job disguising or hiding the body.

And I mean, it's not every day a noble goes incognito, so people don't look for it. If the people who found Rasyan's corpse looked at his perfect row of teeth, though, they might take a close look. There's a chance. Doesn't matter.

Anyway, not a big day for known news, so now the newsmen split up into the smaller news. I can go into a seperate room, and usually it takes them about half an hour per section. I think I have a couple hours to before I should be there for the agent meeting, cause if I'm late, that's the end of it, they won't wait around.

A) Royal Gossip
B) Specific resistance/bandit zones that are on the rise
C) Business and trade
D) More local details
E) Forget it, go begin setting up connections

>>713965
B would be useful info for Fen.

Do you guys have stocks? Because since you know a Nobles dead you might be able to invest in opposition when they start to take over what he had.

If that's possible the Business and Trade Section would be best.

The only problem would be if someone was suspicious enough to connect someone profiting off his death with causing his death.

>>713964
>Fat cockroaches like me.
No wonder you're so depressed! You keep calling yourself things like that! Seriously girl, we have got to get you some self-confidence!

>>713965
And I choose whatever option that will benefit you and Fen.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/04(Mon)22:59 No. 713974 ID: dd338c
File 145983597931.png - (84.08KB , 800x800 , 356.png )

I go over to the bandit zone news.

Okay, apparently those rumors about a necromancer in Erja Nokol have been spiking up to the point where it's gonna get investigated, and the Dragon Army is probably the only army that wants to touch the place. A necromancer in the Erja Nokol mausoleum is kind of an urban legend, but if it were true, the Dragon Army would descend on that place and fast.

Then there's a coastal pirate group that's been pinpointed to somehow work off of the mainland, implying they have a wizard to keep the kobold magic supply up so that they don't go insane from working off a dead land, which all islands more than slightly off the coast are.

And lastly, those bandits in poluputus are becoming more like an army. Supposedly it's hard to chase them due to the harsh climates that they call home base. If Fen goes there, I hope he knows how to fight mountain kobolds on lower ground in other people's home turf. I'm hearing a lot of big names among those bandits though, so if Fen kills one of them, big bonus.

Just knowing the history of this stuff, that's probably where the Dragon Army may intervene, since it's either on holy land, off the mainland, or in a place where apparently the poluputus army is having trouble fighting them off.

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/04(Mon)22:59 No. 713975 ID: dd338c
File 145983598874.png - (107.16KB , 800x800 , 357.png )

Each section reads their bit a few times so that people can go room to room and get the whole news if they want. I'll do one more. Next up is business and trade.

Most of it's boring stuff, but, I'm able to focus on what lines to read between.

Apparently Rasyan's land has been moving investments away from Bardo's area. It looks like Rasyan really did count on downing Bardo. Pocktown and the surrounding area's been muscling in on Bardo's area. Also Rasyan's doing. An area's market really is tied to a noble. If a noble dies, stocks and stability really take a big hit.

So Pocktown is going to have some turmoil pretty soon. If I manage to spill dirt on Bardo though, then it won't be as good as Rasyan himself doing it, but... that's a longer game and I don't have time.

So, one of two things before I meet the agent. I can get in contact with the merchant ring here and tell them about the impending turmoil in Pocktown. If I play it right, then I can get them to keep tabs on big stuff. Like tell them that Cati is going to get a dragoncloth, and I want tabs on where it goes, since Cati may not keep it herself. Once a noble has a dragoncloth, they don't just start trading it under the table.

The other option to start is to get people I know to start sending out underworld travellers to get information and maybe even spies on one or more of those locations. If I can get really good information for Fen, it'll help him when he gets sent off there. That'll cost real gold, but it's worth it.

I'm getting really nervous about this agent dealing.

Cati knows I have good info. It would be good business sense to keep me from spilling beans on her, but at the same time... it's very dangerous for a noble to let someone like me know that she got dragoncloth through illicit means, and I've never tried to fence dragoncloth before.

But there's just nothing I can do about that.

>>713975
Sounds like you might want to keep your trap shut about the dragoncloth, then. Cati knows that if anyone finds out about the deal, then it would have to be because you fucked up. That happens, you're dead meat.

If you just send out spies without specific instructions to look out for the dragoncloth, you may be able to keep tabs on it without spilling the beans and earning Cati's wrath. So that's the safer option.

Since you're nervous about the deal you'll want good bodyguards that can't just be bought out by the noble. Fen would be ideal but he's not going to be in good enough shape. On the other hand you would also have to close the deal without your bodyguards finding out what, exactly, you're selling, or for how much. I expect you have enough money now to buy bodyguards that can handle that restriction.

Hey, there's no chance Fen can use Rasyan's enchanted weapons without it being immediately obvious he stole them, is there?

Definitely contact the merchant ring. You promised Fen you'd be able to get it back for him, and you need to ensure you don't encounter unexpected difficulties.

I would be very careful about letting anyone know about the dragoncloth before the sale. If Cati hears any rumors that early it means that only you could have started them or that the original owner has put out feelers. Or that you have intentions of stealing it back.

But there is the opposite problem to consider. If no one knows about the dragoncloth that means that Cati could just kill you to keep the deal secret. So you will want to build yourself some insurance into the deal. Like the old write out a sealed letter and give it to a lawyer. If you do not get back to them they give it to the newspaper. Or whatever the equivalent is for you.

So avoid word getting out that might piss of Cati but also make sure that you have plenty of protections just to make Cati think twice if they were planning on backstabbing you.

You want to make sure that you have as many protections as possible for this deal. That much money sets off a lot of flags and would have people willing to kill there own mothers. So until you get it and pay off your debts you need to be very careful.

And then after you do pay off your debts you need to be extra careful. Because you will not be under anyone's thumb and that makes people nervous.

One big thing to remember is that this is not a illicit dragoncloth sale anymore. You are now legally fens agent and selling it under his orders. This is all perfectly legal now. (Until you get to the second part of the plan months later where he steals it back)

You know that is a good point. If Cati asks you can say that you are selling this dragoncloth for a powerful friend who needs to liquidate some assets. Its not fencing some really hot illegal goods anymore.

Before Fen came back this whole cloth deal was a big stolen mess. Now its just a very expensive and dangerous sale.

While Fen might be just some barbarian right now you saw how capable he is. Give him a year and he might be way more dangerous than his brother was. While his plan is a bit crazy if things work out you will be the new head agent of a powerful noble. One that likes and respects you this time.

Just don't let him down again. Betraying one of the few people in your life that you could consider a genuine friend was not your best moment.

Are there any coins down here? People sometimes are clumsy, so they might have dropped some coins and they fell through the cracks in the floorboards. Might be able to get some free money!

>>713964
>>713965
>>713974
Oh my god, squishy inchworm Cheese squeezing through the tunnels is adorable.

>If the people who found Rasyan's corpse looked at his perfect row of teeth, though, they might take a close look
So... when dumping noble bodies, smash in their teeth first.

>what do
If your long term plans now hinge on Fen getting power quickly, and not ending up dead, setting up spies and contacts who can help with that is a priority.

Selling information to merchants so you and/or they can make a profit shorting Pocketown before its market crashes will make some coin, and some friends, so it could be useful if you have time for it but it's a secondary priority.

(In the long term, it might be worth a few hours or a day's delay sending out spies to help Fen, since there's a limited window where you can profit on what's going to happen in Pocketown).

Selling out Cati seems too risky right now. You'd be the obvious source of the leak if the information got out.

You could make pay some of those kids to give you the quick skinny on what they were listening in on. I normally wouldn't trust kids to know what's important, but these ones look like they do it for a living and have probably been told the sorts of things to listen for.

If you're worried about the meeting with Cati, maybe you'd want to hire some guards to replace the ones you're missing? Though I guess the trouble would be finding trustworthy/decent ones, in a place like this.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/05(Tue)20:44 No. 714112 ID: dd338c
File 145991428873.png - (104.19KB , 800x800 , 358.png )

I start crawling out.
"Hey, kid?" I ask nearby to a kid I saw go into the royal gossip zone, and just come out of the local detail zone.
>"Yeah?"
"I'll pay you a copper to tell me the short story of the Royal Gossip and the local detail news."
>"Two copper."
"Two."
>"Three."
"Two."
>"Three."
"Two."
>"Two."
"Two. Follow me while you tell me about it."

I keep my coins close. People who come down here are almost always broke or close to it, so it stands out too much to have any coins let alone ever expecting to, say, finding lost coins just laying about.

I pay him two copper when it's safe. He tells me about some marriages and little scandals, but it's all really minor. Well, except that the kid tells me Lily explained what she saw in Shup. Hearing it from the kid is a second hand source though, and I already can't trust an interview with Lily to really be honest, neither from her nor the interviewer, sooooo it's all worthless.

Local details, well, apparently Bardo is muscling back in on Pocktown, and the Mithril noble is raising the draft rates for the army for the next 6 months or so.

"Thanks." I say, and pay him once we get to around where my stop is.

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/05(Tue)20:45 No. 714113 ID: dd338c
File 145991431743.png - (44.44KB , 800x800 , 359.png )

It's a good thing the kids here are basically grown ups and know not to screw around with the construction under the town, so I can find my way to where I want to go.

I crawl up into a merchant's building. A knife gets put up on my throat, but that's basically normal.

"Cheese of Erja, here for Yortle." I ask, and after a call, Yortle comes out. He's trustworthy, and maybe it's mostly because he hates ever being seen as someone who would deal with the likes of me. So, if I hand business to him, it would take a really extreme circumstance for him to tie things back to me.

>"This better be good."
"Yyes, yes it is! I mean, I can pay up front here, so that's good, right?"
>"Expected, even."
"I need a few things. A quill and paper, and also some bodyguards."
>"How many, and how's the heat?" he asks, in reference to how big of a deal guarding me is going to be.
"Maybe 3 or 4 or 2 really good ones, and it's searing but by a bucket." I say, more fancy talk for saying that I'm going to use them for a really sensitive thing and they have to be extremely trustworthy, but I'm more using them for their presence more than expecting them to get into dangerous fights.
>"How much're you willing to pay?"

I've got a good idea how to set up everything else, and I'm going to try to set up tabs on the dragoncloth without explicitly giving away that there's dragoncloth involved.

But I've got to decide what kind of bodyguards I want. I need them trustworthy, but that's about it, and that's already the bulk and will run me like 10 silver just to get trustworthy people, since that's hard to come by around here.

If I go above 10 silver, I'll get trustworthy people who are also tough looking, which is important here. Getting that sort will cost me upwards of 30 to 40 silver.

If I start giving gold, and at least a few gold, I'll get merchant guards who are trustworthy, tough looking, and actually really tough and good.

It's not like the cost really matters for this. It's that I don't know what to expect out of Cati's agent. Cati is someone who does things that are insane by normal standards, but despite her extreme measures she somehow manages to do it in a professional way. But she's still easy to offend, and bringing elite bodyguards to a meeting might be seen as, uh, a sign that I don't trust Cati. At all.

Which I mean.

I don't.

Cati's normally actually pretty honest about deals and isn't much for backstabbing, normally. Normally. I'm not normally one to backstab people who are nice to me, but...

Now dragoncloth is involved.

If Cati is normally trustworthy, you just need to look like somebody's expecting you back--or if not you, your guards. Trustworthy guards is enough for that, especially if she's easily offended, since then tough looking guards would make her think you were trying something.

Who cares about offending Cati. If you show up with barely any guards she is going to question just how you got the dragoncloth to her safely. If she gives you any crap tell her that the person you are selling the dragoncloth for insisted.

I would spend 1-2 gold. You are about to go through with a deal for thousands and thousands of gold. Having crappy security would be silly.

Plus if you show up alone with some sickly thugs then it would be easy for Cati to try and change the terms of the deal. You want to get the most money you can for the cloth and to do that you need to bargain from a position of strength.

>>714113
So... you need to balance bringing enough muscle to either discourage Cati from backstabbing you or keep you safe if Cati does backstab you, while not bringing so much that its perceived as an insult and spoils the deal anyways.

...I suppose you already know just how big a temptation dragoncloth is, huh? If you were willing to backstab the only person who'd been nice to you in forever, Cati would probably be willing to betray a spy. And if you're planning on stealing the cloth back with Fen later, it's not like you need to worry about keeping your long term relationship with Cati intact. It'll be burned in a year. Spend some gold.

What's the possibility of using Fen at all? You know he's trustworthy, and very good, if he beat Raysun. Only catch is if your later plans for getting the cloth back depend on Cati not knowing his face and/or if you want to make sure no nobles know you're working together, to help with plotting. (Although he could watch at a distance, with his bow).

>>714113
If you get backstabbed by the agent then you're super fucked even if you survive the fight and keep the dragoncloth too. Might as well just assume the exchange will go fine, and worry about what will happen BEFORE and AFTER the exchange. Take 30-silver bodyguards so that you don't get robbed on the way to the meeting or after it.

A gold coin would probably be good. I'm not sure if the trade will be done there (they'll give you the bulk of the gold on the spot or put it in a bank account) so if you need to transport the gold somewhere safe good guards would be a priority.

Well, if Cati knows you at all, or is knowledgeable, then she knows you normally get accompanied by guards everywhere anyway, right? So two, looking about the level of your previous ones, shouldn't set off her alarm bells or be taken personally. So that's a minimum.

Further than that depends on where your meeting is going to be, and whether you're going to be paid in literal bags of cash. You could easily explain your bonus guards as you just wanting to be safe on your way back from the deal, so long as you don't take so many that it'll be obvious to everyone on the streets that you have something valuable. So, you could take your standard two, maybe tell them to look like they're guarding you from running away as much as protecting you to fit your normal way of things, and bring another one or two and tell them to wait outside? I'd assume for something like this Cati will have someone outside watching the place where the deal is happening while it happens, so she'll know you brought them but also know they (look like) they're not there for her. If you're not being paid with actual cash but, like, a money transfer order for your debt, you could say the same thing for getting there, but it'd be a bit less believable.

You could also leave all your guards just outside where you'll be meeting, and hope that she has that watcher outside to tell her you have guards a shout away.

>>714125
This seems like a good choice.

1/3 Cheese 2016/04/06(Wed)21:40 No. 714394 ID: dd338c
File 146000402533.png - (15.42KB , 800x800 , 360.png )

I'm going to either be carrying a lot of wealth from the meeting place to the bank, so when I think about it, it should be perfectly acceptable for me to bring guards. It's just... they might get held back in the meeting room itself. The meeting place is really kind of out of the way yet and can be reached virtually from the edge of town without ever stepping in public view, if you have the right connections to get through the needed buildings. So, it's the sort of place a noble would send agents to if they absolutely do not want the agent to be seen by anyone who isn't in their pocket.

"One gold."
>"Hm. That will get you some of the ones under the White Wing."
>"Those guys? That's like 30 silver."
"It's either that or you have to pay more."
"Two gold."
>"Really." he says flatly, like he didn't think this was something I was going to take as seriously as I am. "Alright. Deposit two copper for the pen and quill."
"Okay. And I want to leave a couple of things to the smelter."
>"10%." Yortle says, telling me I have to pay 10% of the resulting material that I want him to melt down for me, which comes down to about 1 gold in price probably. Which is not that bad really, and I absolutely do not want to haggle much with Yortle. His patience always looks full until it's not.
"Okay. Lastly... Cati is going - "
>"Lady Cati?"
"YES word down the grapevine says LADY Cati is going to get a really good, prestigious item soon. I want to know what it is, and where it ends up."
>"Anything more specific?"
"Nope!"
>"And what are you paying for this?"
"Info. Pocktown is going take an economic hit, soon."
>"How trustworthy is this information?"
"Very. I can't tell you my source, but I want to know about Lady Cati's new item enough to bet on the info I just gave you."
>"Very well. Our relationship has had its turbulence, but your info has always been trustworthy. I hope that continues."
"It will."
>"Then I will gather your guards. You may be released, now, and clean yourself up before touching any of my supplies."

I've got to wait to sell Rasyan's swords. Showing them to anyone knowledgeable, including merchants in the Turtle, is saying Rasyan doesn't have his swords anymore. Yortle knows it's best not to ask someone like me too many questions if they want to keep my business, but just him having those questions is too much for me.

And that's why Fen can't use those weapons at all.

Then again... if he ends up in the gladiator ring as a criminal, that won't matter. Thoughts.

2/3 Cheese 2016/04/06(Wed)21:40 No. 714395 ID: dd338c
File 146000405463.png - (27.49KB , 800x800 , 361.png )

I use the pen and quill to make two copies of a letter. One for myself to show if I need to prove I thought of it in advance if need be, and the other to Yortle. It's a letter describing the dragoncloth scandal.

I stamp it enclosed with wax so that I know I can get it back without it getting read. I hear a knock at the door.

"Come in."
>"Cheese. These are three bodyguards."
"Okay, they look... tough. Yeah. Yeah you're good, Yortle." And by that I mean I'm pretty sure I've seen one or two of these guys bodyguarding one of the wood nobles around here.
>"The terms?"
"I just need them for at least a quarter day, no more than the full day. Otherwise, I'm just up for the normal bodyguard contract. I pay 1 gold for them now, 1 on my safe return. Another thing, Yortle... if I don't come back safely, I want this letter read by you." He'll be able to use it well without me telling him how. "And, uh... otherwise, when I'm back, I'll take it back."
>"Five silver."
"Okay..." I write him a bank note when I ask for one, to cover what I don't have on hand.

I kinda want to bring Fen, but I'd feel bad after all he's done for me so far. Like not kill me. Which is actually a lot all things considered. And I mean I really can't predict him and I sort of doubt he's ever bodyguarded before.

That and I don't want our two faces sharing room in anyone's vision at the same time.

3/3 Cheese 2016/04/06(Wed)21:41 No. 714397 ID: dd338c
File 146000409438.png - (20.28KB , 800x800 , 362.png )

I guide everyone to the meeting area. They don't say a word, not to me, and not to each other, but they cover like every angle I could ever imagine an assassin coming from and then some extra.

I'm not that familiar, personally, with this part of the Fence. It's kinda... well, usually even agents of nobles for these deals go to at least a decent if secluded place, but this is pretty sketchy. In fact the buildings are so packed here, that it really blurs the line between what counts as indoors and outdoors. But I know it's under good protection.

Once I knock on the door, the slide on it opens up, and someone from inside looks down at us, then stops on me.

>"Hi. You'll have to come in alone, please have your guards wait outside."

>>714397
That should be fine, assuming this really is where the deal is going down.

Pout at him. Whats the point of even having guards if you have to leave them here.

Haggle for guard coverage. Unless the final meeting spot is just behind that door. If so Cati does not want anyone but you knowing she is here. So have the guards wait for you.

Honestly is probably best the guards do not know who or what you are meeting. All they need to know is you came here and left pushing a heavy covered cart. But try to get paid in something a bit easier to carry than raw gold if you can.

>And that's why Fen can't use those weapons at all.
>Then again... if he ends up in the gladiator ring as a criminal, that won't matter. Thoughts.
How rare are enchanted weapons of that caliber? Would it be feasible to sell Raysun's weapons, and just buy him something not-hot and non-incriminating to use later?

>"Hi. You'll have to come in alone, please have your guards wait outside."
This is the point where high quality bodyguards are supposed to protest. We'll see if they do.

...will the dragoncloth be visible during the exchange? If so, you can't bring Yortle's people in with you, or he'll find out the item you paid him to snoop on is the one you're selling. Actually, if they'll recognize Cati's agents at all, they can't be allowed to see said agent.

"All right. *Shrug* If I don't make it back, light the place on fire." *toss guards a gold*

It's a valid threat- the way the buildings are packed in here, even someone with passages between them would be hard pressed to get out. And CO is denser than air, and would settle into any tunnels.

...can't even take one guard in?

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/06(Wed)23:54 No. 714433 ID: dd338c
File 146001206363.png - (66.12KB , 800x800 , 363.png )

The guards look to me while I look to them. I mean, they are a little out of their element since this deal is hush hush and they know literally nothing about it, so they're going with my judgement here.

"I'd like my guards to be no more than one room behind me if I can't bring a single one in." This is a place where Cati likely didn't want her agent even seen, so it would be tough to bring in a bodyguard.
>"You can do business in the room I'm in, so your guards will be nearby."
"Okay. You three, please wait out here. It might be a couple hours, so don't mind if I'm quiet for a long time." I whisper a code phrase to them to come smashing in if I yell it or just scream or something like that. The mountain guy could probably burst right through the wall, even as solid as the wall looks. "If I don't come out, set... nevermind." Geez there are so many people living in here it would be the worst thing ever to light the place on fire just because I got murdered.

I go through, and the girl leaves me alone in this kind of barren room that looks like it might've been a shop at one point in time, with empty shelves and all.

I wait an hour, which I think about where would be best to fence stuff, since I may want to split the goods instead just just going to Yortle all the time.

Those enchantments on Rasyan's sword need the most care, since I could potentially exchange them for equal enchantments on other weapons. But that's tough, cause those enchantments are really powerful and Fen could only use them if he actually gets to a place of leadership in the army. I forgot that the yearly Dragonspire arena games don't allow magical items that the user didn't create themselves. So Fen can't use enchanted stuff unless he secretly is a wizard which would not surprise me at this point.

I hear the back door creak open.

>"Ah. It really is our little sister who came."

Oh geez.

It's my old childhood friend. And I say that in a similar way to how army people talk about their old war buddies. But we also consider each other siblings, along with the other brothers and sisters and siblings we grew up with. Not many of us are actually blood related, but we consider blood relation to be useless, and we were family in the sense of looking out for one another, between the most competent lord to the ones with mutations so unfortunate that they were immobilized and in steady pain.

This changes things. It's good that the bodyguards aren't in here, because, uh, it wouldn't go well.

Oh gosh I am so glad I did not bring Fen along.

>"How HAVE you been?" says Cabbage, with that familiar sound of her rows of teeth getting in the way of her talking, leading to a clicking noise between almost every syllable that drives just about anyone except Erja kids nuts.
Tomato makes that happy sound it makes that sounds like it's gargling mud.
"You two? I've been okay, but you two! Under... are these walls safe to talk in?"
>"Oh, yes, very, this is a very good spot."
"Under Cati?"
>"Why not? Nobles talk like they care about appearances, but like the rest of the empire, it comes down to strength and force."
"Um... because... we all promised each other we would never willingly help nobles."
>"Yes. And Lady Cati does so want your item, and that's why we were sent. Who knows what you were planning if it were a normal agent. Three elite bodyguards out there, we can tell, who knows what you told them? But if it's us. If it's us, she knows we're sisters, she knows we'd never hurt each other, no matter how angry we get at each other. She does so want that dragoncloth, and wanted us to be merry with each other, exchange our goods, and wish each other well, with us in Cati's good graces, Cati with dragoncloth, and you free from Bardo's palm."

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/06(Wed)23:54 No. 714434 ID: dd338c
File 146001208108.png - (57.17KB , 800x800 , 364.png )

>"Absolutely foolish."

Tomato laughs a laugh that sounds like a frog falling down the stairs. They're thinking. I know they're thinking.

They are not good at thinking, and now I'm worried.

They approach. I rest my hand on Cabbage's blunt, outstretched forearm, and wave to Tomato. He keeps his distance, knowing that after this long, I've lost my immunity towards his poison and will probably die if any of his barbs gets through my scales. Which probably will happen if I touch him.

>"She thinks she can threaten our home if we misbehave? Oh, every noble has cursed the day they thought that they could be the one to tame the mutants and abominations of Erja Nokol, and Cati is no different than the rest. We care, of course we care about our family, but she sent us to the one person who can undermine that. You. Cati will be mincemeat."

The family rules haven't really been in play for me in awhile since it's been so long since I've seen any family. But we do have rules. We look after ourselves and each other.

No one outside the family.

>"But first we have questions. Cati and us would love to know just how little Cheese, with her movements of ideas, concepts and information but never ever materials, got her hands on this?" she says, gesturing her sharpened limb to my bag.

Anyone outside of the family is to be used as a means to an end.

>"How? Cati has been in possession of so many plans for dragoncloth, but never the dragoncloth, but now, you get it? So many, many questions. Who knows about this dragoncloth? Who among them are alive? Who knows you have any deals with Cati? Are any alive? Who knows you have any business with Cati? Anyone alive? Who knows you have any anything with Cati? Anyone alive? Remember sister, the first in each pair of questions are informative but least unimportant. The second in each pair is the kicker, but don't worry, because we can change that."

But outsiders are enemies, always.

I absolutely cannot tell them about Fen.

The other rule, though, is that there are no secrets in the family. I've always kept that one, they know the most embarrasing stuff about me that I never want a non-sibling to know.

So in short at first I was relieved to see them but I'm actually a little fucked here ??

>>714434
Oh jeez every question is answered with "Fen"

Okay three choices here.
1) Lie. Say nobody knows anything about the deal with Cati, you made sure of that. The former owner of the dragoncloth is dead.
2) Lie, give them a name of someone you don't like, so they go kill them.
3) Tell the truth, then go warn Fen before they get to him. Tell him what they're capable of so he can be prepared when they come for him.

I'm leaning towards 1, honestly. If they go barrelling off to kill ANYONE because of this deal, the deal is also dead as a doornail.

...wait a minute, does the deal even matter anymore? Are they going to give you the gold and let you keep the dragoncloth too, then go try to kill Cati? In that case... well, if they succeed that's okay. If they fail you're fucked because Cati comes after you next.

Leaning towards 3 now. They are going to ruin everything no matter what. You can also, as part of telling the truth, tell them that Fen is part of a long term plan to gain power. You will work under him only to use him against anyone who fucks with you. That means you keep only one secret- that you are really friends with Fen. If it works, and they back off, then everything is fine. Well, assuming they manage to kill Cati and you can keep track of the dragoncloth through them (or by putting it in the bank). If it doesn't work you can just make sure Fen wins the fight. He'll probably have to use Rasyan's swords against them and have some sort of antidote for the poison.

Relax. You'll probably need to lie; If they can't know about Fen, we'll need a story or something to get them off our backs. Remember that when lying, you need to make sure you don't look like you're lying: Don't fidget or move too much, don't avoid eye contact, and don't talk too fast. It may be a little dishonorable, but this is probably a lot more important than honor.
It might be possible to help our case with Rasyan's death, but that might lead to a whole world of other problems.

...hah, wait a minute! What if you told them Rasyan knows about the dragoncloth? They don't know about the double, and will go kill the lookalike. Then "Rasyan" will die in a way that you won't get in trouble for.

I stole it.
There is... an entire barbarian village that knows about it, and the entirety of Shup's house of whom it was a gift to said tribe.
They are all alive, at least so far as you know.

...and then there's another fourth choice. Don't lie, but don't tell them about Fen. Tell them you have to ask them to do something difficult. To break the family rules. Because you've broken them yourself. You made a friend, and that friend is how you got the dragoncloth. So you're asking them not to consider your friend an enemy.

Cabbage just said she values you over her home, right? Maybe you should count on that.

Man, I love these guys. :(

Is this a real, loving family? Do they really care about your best interests? Maybe you could work something out. Do the dragoncloth trade, organize the Cati-mincemeat, take back the dragoncloth. If you say it's a long-term scheme for influence and they respect your intelligence, they might be okay with it. Setting up a puppet noble who you're good friends with from Day 1.

Otherwise, sell a good lie. Better to be your own kobold than be tied down to people who demand an... exclusive relationship.

Tell them most of the truth, but downplay Fen's knowledge and your attachment to him, and play up your long-term plans to continue "taking advantage" of him.

So: There's this ignorant barbarian called Fen. His story is very romantic. He got the dragoncloth from Lord Shup's fiancee, who he met while Shup visited their village, and her and him had a little... encounter. He's infatuated with her and wants to become a noble, quickly, before the marriage to Shup goes through, so he can marry her himself. You convinced him to give you the dragoncloth, in exchange for helping him get where he's going. He has the fighting skill to make it as a noble, you've seen it with your own eyes, with just a few little pushes along the way. But he's an ignorant savage, and once he has his title, he'll be entirely reliant on you to keep him in power. So long as he has his lover, he'll swallow whatever you tell him and do whatever you say. A nice, handsome puppet for you to prop up and play with, while you take all the real power and profit.

And instead of nobles thinking they can tame Erja Nokol, the family will have their own tame noble right under their thumb, to make moves in the spheres of society that scorn them, to make plays against nobles that only another noble can, to keep any of them from messing with you any more, stopping you or anyone from the family going through what you did again. A fine face ready to take the fall, with no more loss to you than putting you back where you started... Without your debt.

So, he knows a little - much less than he thinks there is to know. A very good fighter, he is, ignorant and naive, but useful. There's also a merchant who knows you're meeting with Cati for a trade, no more, who has been useful before and will be again. No-one who would be worth less alive - and you can always change your mind about keeping someone alive. Not so easy the other way.

I don't think Cheese knows Fen told the guards about the dragoncloth, just after she stole it?

>>714464

Leaning towards this direction.

But before you say anything make sure that Cati does not even know about this building. They are just going to lead you through the underground to the real meeting spot right? I do not trust magic or other spying methods if Cati is anywhere nearby.

Your family is very important to you and if you start down the path of lying to them it will make later plans much harder when they realized you lied to them.

Besides Fen seems like the sort who would honestly help your people. He is open minded and would not be trying to use or threaten your family once he got into power. Pretending to be planning on using him as a puppet noble will work just fine until your people actually get to know him down the road. Just make sure to go back and tell Fen about your puppet noble plan. So if he finds out from someone else he does not think you are playing him.

That being said you know these two better than anyone and if they are going to just ignore your advice and go try and murder Fen you should probably bend the truth. Its ok to lie to family if its for there own good. If need be tell them that you love them dearly but you have your own horse in this race now and you don't need them murdering it. So unless they promise to follow your lead on this one they are staying out of the loop for there own safety.

Don't tell them about Fen or anything connected to Fen.

"You've got me in a box, here. I have several conflicting promises."

"We are meeting in a strange house and I have been here for a hour. Plenty of time for Cati or anyone to get ears in this room magically or otherwise. No info gets spoken unless you both are willing to stake our peoples future on it."

If you do go for the barbarian puppet noble story make sure to not mention Fen's name. Just keep referring to him as a ignorant barbarian. If his name gets out to anyone at all its going to make later plans a mess.

Here is what I would say.

"I have no intention of telling Cati anything. If she wants this dragoncloth she can stay in the dark about its origins. And I am not going to let her think that she can use my family to get the info out of me. As things stand the only one in any danger right now is me and I intend to keep it that way. The less you two know the safer you are right now. We can meet in private later and I can tell you what is going on then."

"Tell her if she wants this info she better be prepared to pay extra for it."

No matter what do not mention Fen's name or description.

Tell them you were not going to tell Cati anything about the cloth unless she paid a ton extra for the info. If you tell them right now they will be in danger and you are not going to assume that Cati will not have them tortured for the info.

After the deal is done and you know its safe then you can talk more. Make sure you let them know you are not doing this to protect your sources but them and you.

If they question that tell them you have a list of people that you would not mind disappearing for them later.

>Anyone outside of the family is to be used as a means to an end.
>The second in each pair is the kicker, but don't worry, because we can change that.
"There is nobody alive to talk." Since Fen was willing to keep Rasyan a secret, and succeeded in doing so so far, this is actually true. He won't talk.
"A couple of guards learned that I had a meeting, but I had them killed swiftly after. They never had the chance to talk."
Also true, the only ones who knew aside from Fen were those two guards, who you suggested Fen kill, and he did.

You could, alternatively, think of Fen as honor-family (He's looked out for you and you for him the same way) and leave the first answer as "Nobody outside the family is alive to talk." If they try to ask how many, three, or four including you, but if they ask who the other is, "I'm not going to betray who of the family knows a dangerous secret."

>>714485

Go even further. Tell them Fen is your husband and part of the family now. You slept together twice right? And you think he is cute right? Problem solved. You can be one of Fens wives and have lots of cute purple children together.

>>714464
Not so sure about this. This might help our case right NOW, but the future for both Fen and us might get screwed over if this is the path we choose to take.

Huh. So Erja Nokol's mutations aren't consistent at all.

Do you have any super secret superpowers from yours, or do they just make you look weird?

...important question. Do you care about these members of your 'family' as people, or is this more like joining a gang for survival? Would you be willing to turn on them, or get rid of them, long term? Do you want to?

>I've lost my immunity towards his poison and will probably die if any of his barbs gets through my scales. Which probably will happen if I touch him.
How does one build up an immunity in the first place?

>The other rule, though, is that there are no secrets in the family.
Actually, if you're smart, you're remember that's double edged. You can find out what their plans are for Cati, and what Cati plans to do with the dragoncloth. In detail. This will aid you in reclaiming it / making plans later.

>"How? Cati has been in possession of so many plans for dragoncloth, but never the dragoncloth, but now, you get it?
Honestly? Pure luck. You came across it near the edge of barbarian territory, where you never expected to find it. So you did the only sensible thing and grabbed it and ran. (Technically a true account, though omitting details).

>Who knows about this dragoncloth? Who among them are alive?
Fen never actually told the crows his item was dragoncloth, and they didn't use that word in their note. Therefore, you have no confirmation they know. You can omit them without lying, technically.

Cheese doesn't know Fen told Moss, so she can omit him, and his friend.

Whoever brought the dragoncloth to where I found it must know (true, Fen and those who brought it to him know of it), but it they are alive, they know not where I am, nor where the dragoncloth is. (Technically true, Fen doesn't know exactly where you are). It was either lost, left there deliberately for a purpose I cannot fathom (true, you can't really understand how Lily did that), or it's part of a trap I do not yet understand (technically still possible).

>Who knows you have any deals with Cati? Are any alive?
Cati does, and to the best of my knowledge, she is still alive. Raysan knew, but I understand his holdings are going to fall into disorder relatively soon when his "mysterious disappearance" comes to light. (If Bardo knows, say so, and to the best of your knowledge, he is still alive). None of the other nobles know of these deals.

>Who knows you have any business with Cati? Anyone alive?
Ditto Cati, Bardo, Raysan, as above. Some of the other nobles are likely aware I've had contact with her. Bardo's guards may have been told or have suspected, but you disposed of them already.

Who knows you have any anything with Cati? Anyone alive?
Ditto above. The Crow Zone crows likely know or suspect, but they have been useful tools before and are outsiders of a different kind, in their own right. Orchestrating their deaths without allowing a single crow to potentially slip our net would be difficult, time, and resource consuming.

Some local contacts here, as well as my guards outside, have been misled to believe I am un-ivolved in this sale, by paying them to investigate what mysterious high value item Cati is purchasing. This gambit should be sufficient for its purposes without further effort.

>>714489
What? The point of saying "only family" was to hide Fen's status as someone who knows.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/07(Thu)20:48 No. 714642 ID: dd338c
File 146008732902.png - (32.06KB , 800x800 , 365.png )

"... could Cati have ears on this place?"
>"Oh, no, we are to the side of her recommended meeting area. Cati is watching everywhere but this building, you see."
"So, there's this barbarian..."
>"Ohh, you always liked those."
"Yes. I have no idea how he managed it, but he got in good with a noble who gave it to him as a gift."
>"Mm? Did you woo this barbarian into gifting it over to you?"
"I stole it."

Tomato makes its laugh again, and Cabbage laughs in a way that just sounds like a dire sounding individual going 'haaa haaa haaa' slowly and loudly.

>"Cheese, Cheese! When was this? The barbarian could come back!"
"He did! Like, he caught up to me in less than a day, it was really scary."
>"Did you kill him?"
"No... you know I like savages."

I want to say I'm going to take advantage of him, but I just can't.

"I like him."
>"CheeeeEEESE. Do you remember what happened last time you liked a savage, and trusted him?"
"I know! I know. But I got over that."
>"Your backside." she says, pushing the back of my shirt down. It's not like I can see my old brand, but I know it's there as Cabbage puts emphasis on it. "Has not gotten over it."
"This one, though!"
>"Is soooo different, I'm sure."
"He proved it, though."
>"... oh?"
"And he gave me a second chance last night. Not just that, but he let me borrow the dragoncloth."
>"Unusual." Cabbage says, and Tomato makes a gurgle.
"I know right? His story is romantic and ambitious even by northern standards."

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/07(Thu)20:50 No. 714643 ID: dd338c
File 146008740666.png - (36.17KB , 800x800 , 366.png )

Maybe I could count on them. Our family isn't just some gang that calls itself family because we had some teenage rebellion against mediocre parents, we're family because our biological parents abandoned us to a mutant orphanage. I wasn't able to walk until adolescence, as I was mostly tail. But everyone took care of me from birth, and I took care of others when I became strong enough to walk. We use our strengths to cover our weaknesses as a team, even going so far as to drink watered down poison for those who get poisonous to build immunity. Tomato does get cold easily, and I feel bad I can't hug him.

Still, we care about each other because we
>"I still don't like it. Wait. Borrow?" she says.
"We aren't Cati's allies, right?" I ask, and she smiles. Quietly, so I continue. "I promise you I'll be careful this time. I won't let myself be vulnerable again. He was nice to me even when he only saw me as a lowly shopkeeper."
>"We are nice to you. Is that not enough?"
"It is when I'm at home, but I don't like to think that we're completely alone against the world."
>"But we are." Cabbage says. Tomato puts out a funny noise and some drool comes out. "Let's not have this conversation again, Cheese. We would like to meet this barbarian."
"Well, sometime, but now's not good! Continuing on, well, one person who knows I'm dealing with Cati is... Cati."

Silence, then they laugh.

"Um... there's a slight chance the crows know about this, but I'm not sure."
>"The crows of turtle are okay, yes?"
"Yes."
>"Hm. But then the raccoons of poluputus may know. The alligators of Fisher's Run. The penguins of Dra- haa haa haaa, well, the penguins were never of much use or consequence. I suppose they are all fine, anyways."
"Rasyan, as well. The barbarian, desperate to get the dragoncloth back, told him about it before chasing me down. But he has no proof the dragoncloth ever existed. Ah, and a merchant here, he knows that I'm asking him to track down a big item Cati is going to get soon, but he doesn't know it's a dragoncloth yet, and doesn't know I'm selling it."

Silence, then Cabbage frowns and leans close. They're almost scary again to me, as it's been awhile since I've really been up close to a mutant like me, let alone an abomination like them. Erja Nokol's air is enough to mutate kids like me into what I am, but it also bubbles with tar pits. Kobold children who bathe in those pits get extreme mutations to the point where they aren't even kobolds anymore. Like these two. Who are 'lucky', since most just die or are so impeded by bad mutations that they can't survive on their own.

She just stares at me. I can tell she's thinking hard. She's remembering the recent past. Our conversation, probably, given how much she's eyeing me?

>"Barbarian. Caught up less than a day. Caught up last night. Stole dragoncloth less than... two days ago?"
"... yes?"
>"Barbarian talked to Rasyan. About dragoncloth. Yesterday? Impossible. Cheese. Rasyan did not speak to any barbarians yesterday. Rasyan did not learn about any such dragoncloth yesterday. This, we know."
"... how?"
>"Two days ago. We killed Rasyan, Cheese. Why are you telling us this? You do not know he is dead. They are hiding this, they must be, because the towns have not erupted yet. But we know he is dead. Mustard informed us he died before reaching Greenfield, north of us. He died of a fever, after a brief dose from Tomato's barbs. Cheese. Are you lying to us?"

They killed his body double.

>>714643
They do know rasyan had a double, right?

>>714643
You killed his double. I met with the real Rayson in the town I met Finn in. He sent a double up north in order to meet with me, about stuff aside from this whole cloth business, then my plans changed IMMEDIATELY as soon as I found Fen's cloth. Unless I met his double's-double, or you killed his double-double, never forget about Double-doubles with nobles. They think they're being orignal. Oh, and don't even get me started about Triple-Doubles. Fucking noble assholes and their Triple-Doubles.

Sorry I forgot to mention something about Rasyan. So after the barbarian told Rasyan about the cloth he tracked Rasyan down and Rasyan tried to set the dogs on him. So the barbarian killed him and his guards and found his plans for the next few days.

Turns out the documents showed that Rasyan had a body double and they were going to meet up north in a few days as part of there plans. So the real Rasyan is dead in a ditch somewhere south of Tool end and the body double got killed by you.

Which is going to make the chaos in Pocketown happen much faster now. I was hoping we had a few days before anyone realized Rasyan was dead.

>>714643
No, you're not lying. There was something you hadn't mentioned yet, that's all. The answer to the second question. Fen killed Rasyan. The real one. There was a decoy lookalike that followed the northern route, while the real one went south. Did they kill the lookalike, then? That's really great, that means the real one's death will be covered up! Fen is in the clear.
You have proof the real Rasyan is dead. Show them the seal. Also tell them that yes, Fen really is that skilled. He killed two elite guards to protect you, just this morning.

Hey who was the other barbarian? And whyyyyy do kobold kids bathe in the tar pits when they have such a high chance of dying? For the off chance that they become powerful?

Sounds like you got his body double. Did Cati have you go after him?

I know exactly where the real Rasyan is right now. My barbarian friend left him naked with his throat ripped out in a ditch somewhere east of here. I am working on fencing his magical swords and just started melting down his seal.

He killed him the day after I secretly met him down in a labor camp. Then he rushed over here and saved me from getting beat up by Bardo's guards.

>Tomato does get cold easily, and I feel bad I can't hug him.
...isn't the dragoncloth like super-armor? If you draped it over him, could you hug him through the cloth safely, protected from his barbs? (Cabbage could test, assuming she kept up her immunity).

You know Cati would disprove, but hey, screw her. Secret deals means she never needs to know.

>>"We are nice to you. Is that not enough?"
Why wouldn't I want more people to be nice to me? I know you care, but it's nice when some outsiders aren't terrible.

>Two days ago. We killed Raysan, Cheese. Why are you telling us this?
Did the Raysan you killed have his custom enchanted magic swords with him? Or use any magic? I believe you got his body double. The barbarian brought back his sword. They're something only a powerful mage could have made. I can show them too you later, if you need proof.

>Cheese. Are you lying to us?
We don't lie to each other. I'd hope you'd consider that one of us was wrong, fist.

>borrowing the dragoncloth
The barbarian plans to join the army. He'll either end up dead, so we never have to give it back, or he'll end up with glory and power after, which is something we can use. (Putting working with / helping Fen in a language they understand- manipulating and using outsiders. It's okay if they think that about him, if you're still helping him by doing it).

>questions
They have to tell you the truth too, right?

Ask them why they even wanted to kill Raysan. Was that for Cati, or for one of your family's plans?

This is good, though. If the public thinks Raysan died in the north, that means they won't look for someone who killed him in the south. We covered up the barbarian's crimes- that's something he owes us. (Putting things in terms you family will like).

What is Cati plotting to do with the dragoncloth, anyways?

>>714660
I feel like Tomato's barbs could get stuck in the cloth and turn it into a hazard.

>>714660
Yeah, let's not mess around with the irreplaceable super-valuable stuff. It's not even super-armor, iirc, just much more protective than actual cloth.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/07(Thu)23:28 No. 714674 ID: dd338c
File 146009692984.png - (15.64KB , 800x800 , 367.png )

>Who was the other barbarian?
A mistake of mine. But just a short period of self inflicted slavery, really. He's dead, now. Cabbage isn't the one who killed him, but she would've given the chance.

"NO! Of course not. That was a body double."
>"A body double. Convenient?"
"Did you see his swords while you were there?"
>"He had no reason to draw them."
"I have them."
>"... where?"
"In the bank."

I wish I had his seal, but I already left it to be smelted. I pull out the dragoncloth, and that gets the both of them to be quiet. It's insanely valuable, and it feels and looks like something that doesn't quite belong in a place as dirty as the world. It's completely irreplaceable. A priceless artifact. An object so holy that nobles and the ones with noble's blessings are the only ones permitted to touch it.

And I really don't care so I drape it over Tomato and hug it lightly. The dragoncloth is kind of iffy as armor, but it is pierce resistant and thick, so even if I get nicked, none of the poison should be able to seep through the cloth. I'll make sure to pick out any barbs in it later, but Tomato only loses barbs if it really lets them go. It purrs like two logs grinding against each other.

"You know I wouldn't lie."
>"Mm... I'm sorry. You have grown distant, Cheese, and I did not like hearing that yet again you are opening yourself up to an outsider."
"The barbarian is joining the army anyway, but more on that later. Why would you kill Rasyan? Did Cati order it?"
>"Oh, no, not at all."
"Why?"
>"Because we could. Not many opportunites to assassinate a gold noble. Once in a lifetime event. We couldn't let that slip by, after all."

She's family, I care about her and Tomato, but I never fooled myself into thinking they were good people. I'm not sure how she became the murderhappy person she is. Maybe the tar pit changed her, maybe having the mutations alone was enough to change her, or maybe she was just going to grow up like this anyway.

I mean. I'm not a good person either, but that didn't stop people from cleaning my sorry hide when I just couldn't reach the back of my own tail.

Cabbage used to be a field kobold, but Erja turned her legs into weird fungal stump things, and she couldn't walk at all. Her paws were also stubby and more like a stuffed animal. I was able to pass information as a stationary agent while I couldn't move, but she was too forthright, and so she couldn't find any purpose except to be cared for by the rest of us.

She felt useless, and really, she was. All of us were too tired and bitter to pretend otherwise. It's just there's no shame in it. Still, she hated it. A lot of kids in her position do. Tomato was a draconian with such a cripplingly large mouth that he couldn't see well or speak or anything like that, and while he could move, he spent most of it just falling over from getting dizzy.

Their day was just get fed, get cleaned, get fed again, try to sleep, maybe even succeed. That day was the same day for their entire lives. So both of them and a few other kids with similar issues all got people to put air pipes into their mouths and dump them into into the tar pits together. And no one blamed them. I doubt any of one of them regretted the choice, even if Cabbage and Tomato were the only ones who made it out with beneficial mutations.

>"But it was not to be, it seems." Cabbage continues. "It did seem too easy, and so Rasyan lives."
"No, Rasyan is dead. You accidentally covered for us."
>"Oh? How? How did he die?"
"The barbarian killed him."
>"Ah? Poison? Is the barbarian not alone, but rather a warlord with his tribe who got the drop on Rasyan? He is not a cunning spy, is he?"
"No, he's alone. He fought Rasyan."
>"Hm? As in with swords?"
"Yeah! And you know, the dumbest part about it is that I don't think the savage even thought he was that tough!"
>"Ah. He is strong, he must be, even if Rasyan was a training room champion." Cabbage says, referring to the fact that there's always a difference between a noble that got their title by fighting, and one that got their fighting ability by buying training. "Strong enough to fight me?"
"He fought two of Bardo's best, but got the drop on one and took an injury from the other, so... probably not."
>"That is good. I do pref-"

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/07(Thu)23:28 No. 714675 ID: dd338c
File 146009693837.png - (29.87KB , 800x800 , 368.png )

Cabbage spins around and extends her scythe limb whatevers hard enough to go through the wall before the sound of her last word finishes being heard.

>"Mmmm. I was wrong." Cabbage says.

Something's coming through the wall. Red. Blood? It's blood. Blood is coming through the wall. There's something thumping against the wall.

>"There was a small hole? I thought I would have noticed. I should have seen this. Is it new? Did someone make this hole? I am sorry. Ah... " she lowers her voice. "I was so wrong. A terrible mistake of mine. Mm.. no, no other holes exist. That was it, but a terrible mistake. There are more people, though. Tomato, please come with me. Please stay here with the cloth, Cheese."

>>714675
I really hope that wasn't one of our bodyguards she just stabbed by accident.

>>714675
Alright. Stay by the door so you can call for your bodyguards in case anyone comes in to try something.

If you can, grab the gold now. It sounds like there won't be an exchange since Cati is dead, but you need that gold.

Ensure no screams are heard, or you'll end up having to kill my bodyguards as well. That would be... unfortunate. Also, potentially bad for business, and I'd feel bad emotionally.

Hmm, I can't imagine anyone we met on OUR end would have tried this, might be Cati's people, planning to betray all three of you at the same time. If it IS our fault, perhaps we flashed too much gold at that asshole you got the bodyguards from.

Someone was spying on you! That's seriously not good.

Being left alone with the cloth at a juncture when someone might be betraying you seems like a risky idea to me.

Whoever's watching knows you're with them already. If you can, maybe try to stay within safe distance of Cabbage and Tomato, a bit behind them so that you don't get any surprise arrows, watching your back for a flank.

Alternatively, you could leave the room for the time being, and stay with your guards. They might be with whoever's spying on you, though.

Meanwhile: Are those Cati's spies, or someone else's? If they're Cati's, then would killing them screw up our deal? It's not like we can let them live, but it might be worthwhile to try to save one for interrogation, maybe forge a report. Ensuring that no one who saw us escapes alive is the priority, though.

We told you to not say anything here Cheese. Now we have who knows how many people that heard way to much. I know they are family but you should have been more careful.

Staying alone with the cloth while they go murder everything in site seems dangerous. Ask if you should follow along for safety.

>Cati is dead
What makes you say that? Rasanyan and his double are dead, and Tomato killed an eavesdropper on the meeting. Cati didn't show up to the location, as far as we know.
>I don't know what to expect out of Cati's agent. Cati is someone who does things that are insane by normal standards, but despite her extreme measures she somehow manages to do it in a professional way.
Could be her agent was, or soon will be, killed, which will suck for the deal, but Cati herself is not dead.

Get all your stuff back in your bag and ready to go. Then be prepared to follow them if need be.

Whoever is spying on you needs to die and fast. Those two are probably going to slaughter anyone nearby just in case. Let them know you have bodyguards outside. Don't try to protect your bodyguards cause they might be in on the spying.

>>714701
"Cati is mincemeat" sounded like dead to me- oh it was "will be mincemeat", nevermind. So they are going to take the dragoncloth back, then try to kill Cati.

>>714674
D'aww. Best use of a Macguffin.

>>714675
On the one hand, I feel bad for whoever just got killed (especially if it's kids snooping like under the news house), but at the same time, you really can't afford to let whoever overheard that live.

Keep it quiet, if you can. This will be a lot simpler for me if my guards don't get involved and end up dead as well.

>Please stay here with the cloth, Cheese.
Disengage carefully. No getting pricked pulling it off of him too fast or carelessly, or when you're trying to fold the cloth back up.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)14:51 No. 714789 ID: dd338c
File 146015231801.png - (30.09KB , 800x800 , 369.png )

"I can't stay alone here! What if they're trying to lead you out?"
>"Hmm. Okay. Stay close to us."
"Where is the gold?"
>"On me. I will give it to you in a moment."
"Waitwait I have body guards, they may not be with the spy!"

Cabbage opens the door. Tomato scurries out while I stuff the dragoncloth back into my bag.

>"Hello to yoooou!" I hear Cabbage say. All I see is a glimpse of the field kobold bodyguard of mine lunge at Cabbage. Her sword is out, but is blocked and knocked out of her grasp with one of Cabbage's limbs, and other limb runs her through. Then the blocking limb runs her through a second time, this time through the bodyguard's throat before she can scream.
".... wait shit, shit shitshit! Hold on, that was my bodyguard!"
>"Hm? They allowed a spy to peer into our room? And then attacked me? But my, she was a fast one. So quick. So quick to be killed."

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)14:52 No. 714790 ID: dd338c
File 146015232831.png - (29.87KB , 800x800 , 370.png )

I look outside and around the corner. Damn it damn it damn it that mountain bodyguard was the one spying! I really screwed up here talking so openly, but it's not like I knew of a nearby place that would've been any more guaranteed to be safe to talk in, at least not one I could get Cabbage and Tomato in to without being seen.

Tomato comes back, dragging the draconian bodyguard. He's kicking and trying to scream at Tomato, but Tomato is dragging him by the neck into the empty shop room.

>"Ah. Tomato. Are you hurt? Mm. Just a scratch. You are okay. CheeEese. Who are these ones? Is the spy dead? These are not normal weakling kobolds."

>>714790
They were very expensive bodyguards that were SUPPOSED TO BE discreet. But you've been lied to. There will be consequences. Hmm, but who lied? The merchant you bought them from, or the company they're from? The merchant may have been unawares. How do we find this out, however? I doubt your two friends can walk around in public without being attacked.

...that definitely looks like the mountain kobold was the spy, and is dead. What's with the ceiling, though? I hope the mountain kobold wasn't relaying information to someone else through that crack.

Damn it these were my bodyguards. Looks like Yortle might have sent along some of his own men instead of hiring people like normal. He probably decided to spy on me after seeing me flashing more gold than usual. We should probably go to his place after this and take care of him. If he has not melted down the stuff I gave him he has evidence we need to destroy.

Could you not kill that last one yet so we can question him? And make sure there is no one else that could have heard us talking.

...hang on, what was causing the thumping noise, anyway? If he got stabbed through the head, could those have been death spasms?

Yeah that crack in the floorboards to the second floor means Cabbage should sweep the upstairs for more spies. Also track down the guy who let you in when you first got here. Your bodyguards got through him somehow or snuck in somewhere else.

So you have a potentially dead doorman somewhere or a hole in the building they snuck in through. Or the doorman was in on it somehow.

Yortle might be in on things or might not. But right now you need to treat him as a enemy until you can be sure he does not still have a bunch of hot seals on him.

>Is the spy dead?
Confirm it. Check for a pulse. He can't afford to survive, hearing what he did.

>Hole wasn't there before
Would any of you have heard if he bored a new hole to spy through?

>These are not normal weakling kobolds.
No, they were supposed to be strong enough if someone who wasn't you tried to kill me today. Their betrayal is problematic.

>what do
Interrogate the prisoner.

"I discover I have employed not guards, but spies. Who paid you three to spy on me? Was it Yortle or someone else? If you want to live, I suggest you start trading useful information for your life."

(We... probably can't let him live. The mountain bold was the one listening in, but he could have repeated anything to the other two).

Cheese, if you can't trust Yortle, he may have already read the letter. That would be... bad. The body count for your siblings to contain this grows to pretty much anyone in Yortle's group.

Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)15:30 No. 714822 ID: dd338c
File 146015464734.png - (26.29KB , 800x800 , 371.png )

I confirm the mountain kobold is as dead as dead gets before going back into the room, where we look again to make sure no new holes were bored.

"They were supposed to be discreet! Trustworthy! That was like, the biggest, most important trait! I mean I could've gotten the shittiest bodyguards but as long as they were trustworthy it would've been okay! And yes the spy was dead, but what were those thumps?"
>"Mm, I did feel movement on my limb, I believe our dead peeper was having death spasms. Where where where did you get them from?"
"Urgh, some... some butt that I thought was trustworthy! He got me the guards though - wait, maybe Yortle was okay but the person he got from tried to pull us over."
>"Mm, perhaps they were working alone?"
"No, the field kobold attacked you right away, and they must've seen the mountain one burying - wait, there's no way that big guy could've made a hole that small. They were in on it together, and, well, bodyguards don't get a good reputation acting on their own. One - this one - this one works under a noble. I can't remember which one, but he definitely wasn't under Yortle's payroll!"
>"Ahh, if only we could... ask him."

The draconian remains silent and still on the wall of which he was pushed too, after we close the door again.

>"It's a good thing we have the antidote, hmm? Perhaps he isn't a talker, though. It's a shame, as Tomato's poison isn't nice. Oh, I didn't notice! Look, Cheese, yellow eyes. A friend of yours, perhaps?"
"Cabbage..."
>"I tease! I'm sorry. Not sorry for the draconian. It must be feeling feverish already, but that's only the start. Soon, itches. The hide dries out and the scale feel like they are trying to escape, because, well, they are. It only gets worse from there. It just isn't a pretty way to go."
>"there"

Tomato?

>"Keep your words to a minimum." Cabbage says. "We know how much it hurts to speak."
>"another kobold saw. Spoke" Tomato finishes, pointing at himself for the first phrase, then the draconian for the word 'spoke.'
"Ahhhhh Cabbage I need this placed sweeped for any people!"
>"Of couuuurse. Tomato, be a dear and protect Cheese from this draconian, as your poison does require minutes. And Cheese... you always were good at finding information, so do what you do best, yes?"

>>714817
Well, torture is very unreliable so let's try bribery and negotiation. Tell him if he tells us who ordered him to spy on you, you'll both save him from a gruesome death and pay him a handsome sum of money. But, of course, if he lies... you'll find him, he'll die from more than poison, and so will his tribe.

Oh ask him who the last kobold was, just in case Cabbage doesn't find them.

>so do what you do best, yes?
Yes. Cabbage goes, you question.

Ask yes or no questions when you can, so he can nod / shake his head instead of wasting time and effort struggling to speak.

If you want the antidote, I need answers, fast. Were you spying at Yortle's behest? Yes or no.

The forth who was here. Field, mountain, draconian, sea, cave... (list types of kobolds, stop when he affirms one). Man? Woman? Name? (He can answer, or shake his head if he doesn't know).

Your employer? (If not Yortle).

Oh right, we can straight up ask which noble he works under normally.

So you have two choices here guy. You tell me what your little plan was and if I like your answers you can get a antidote or at the very least a quick death.

Or you can stay silent and then a whole lot of extra people have to die. Not talking about just your partners in crime by the way. While you might just sit there and scowl at me I will find out who you are. And if we have to go that far I will find out about your friends and family and then they will get visits from my friends and family.

While I would not enjoy having your family tracked down and horribly murdered its sort of out of my hands now.

So make your choice. You have until my sister gets back and then the choice gets made for you.

Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)16:02 No. 714842 ID: dd338c
File 146015657575.png - (33.65KB , 800x800 , 372.png )

"Okay, so, uh, my mantisy friend has the antidote, I don't, but let's make this quick anyway! So if you want to play with self preservation, and want a little coin on the side since you know I have since I paid for your services, then please tell me who you work for."

Stone silence.

"Yortle?"

Nothing.

".... Sir Tawns? Lord Rumu? Lord Vackles? Lord Bace?" I list off a few random nobles that might be suspect, but he just stares at me because I bought off bodyguards that were too goddamn good because all my proactive decisions always backfire on me!

Ugh, I hope no one finds the bodies soon because it's really not a good thing to have super good bodyguards just get killed without a good reason, but I guess it's not like they weren't spying on me! Geez, what am I gonna tell Yortle when I -

Oh fuck the world and me in it the damn letter! He has the letter!

"Wait a second, barbarian bodyguard! Oh duh you're under Lord Vackles and your name is Pak. Geez it's dumb. Okay you're tough and you're not going to speak, and I think that's not going to change even as your skin boils under your scales, and it's really not gonna change when your tongue falls off. And you know we can't let you live."

Yeah, this guy is a rock, he doesn't even change expression.

"So I'll cut the bullshit about letting you go. But... what you do have is a family."

Rocks can still be cracked.

>"They have nothing to do with this, mutant."
"Mmhmm, I know that. And if you answer my questions, you can keep it that way!"
>"My lord has kept us alive. We owe our livelihood to him, not just me."
"Well okay, if you wanna sacrifice them, but I can tell you're itching, now. Think your wife is gonna be as tough as you?"
>"My wife." he laughs at me. "Is of the strongest will."
"Just imagine her going through this, now, okay."

I wait a bit longer. He's showing signs of overheating and shaking.

"Now imagine your kids-"
>"The world calls you monsters for a reason."

That was supposed to sting me but I'm relieved he said that because I dunno if I could've finished my sentence without puking at myself. Even the murder glorifying side of the empire frowns on killing children, but he doesn't know that mutants feel the same, even moreso.

"How about information?"
>"Yortle. He told us you were up to something bigger than usual. He, through Lord Vackles' approval, paid us extra to spy on your meeting only if possible without risk. The mountain kobold got the idea for the hole. Clearly it was a mistake. By my tribe's honor, this is what I know. Is that enough, earth wretch, to kill me now?"
"Not yet. Who did you see, out there?"

He pauses.

"Then first, your wif-"
>"Lord Vackles' spy. I do not know the name, but it does not matter, as he was only tasked as a secret watcher to see if a poor fate befell us. Now he will report our demise to Lord Vackles'.
"By Yortle?"
>"Yortle is unaware of his existence."
"Tomato, you said this draconian spoke?"

Tomato nods.

"Pak, what did you say?"
>"Go."
"... really?"
>"What would I say? I never learned what this meeting was for."
"I don't suppose you can show me you're not lying?"
>"I have already told too much. I no longer have reason to hide anything more, after placing my family as my greatest priority."
"... oh wait Tomato did he say 'go'?"

I turn to look at Tomato who's been nodding this whole time. Whoops.

>>714842
Sounds like he's earned the antidote, if you even have it(and a quick death regardless), and you won't go after his family.

It sounds like Vackles will be a problem, and might come after you. Ask where Vackles is, how to contact him. Maybe we can buy him off instead of trying to kill his entire organization.

Afterwards we have to get back to Yortle and make absolutely sure he didn't read the letter. If he did, you'll have to kill him and anyone he could have given the information to.

Cheese it is perfectly fine to horribly threaten peoples families as long as you have no intention of doing it. All that matters is he thinks you are all horrible mutants that would.

As much as I would like to let him live honestly he has to die. Cati would have your family kill him just for knowing they were here. And even if the spy escapes I don't think the spy saw Cabbage or Tomato. But this guy did.

So give him the quick death he deserves. Tell him the family stuff was just a empty threat.

And then hope that Yortle did not touch your letter and that Cabbage can catch the spy. If the spy escapes its probably not to bad. He was just here to see if the bodyguards got eaten.

But that letter and those seals are a disaster waiting to happen. If he has not touched the letter and not hidden the seals you can tell him to start running. Cause Cati will have him dead for what he did. And if he did read the letter then you have to kill him on the spot.

Oh crap.

Before you hunt the agent, threaten Pak one more time, explaining that you intend to scream at his children until they become the town loonies and start a disease cult. Of course, you'll kill them before they start raking in serious casualties but by then the flamethrower to his family's PR will be so great that the next Shakespeare (or whoever passes for a poet in this empire) will create three ballads in honor of your exemplary disgrace.

The longer he talks, the less you'll consider ripping apart his children's minds. Also give him the antidote.

>>714842
It's good you know little, you would have been betrayed by your superiors had you known more. Who knows what your master would have done to your own family, had you known what this meeting was about. All to ensure secrecy. They would have been thorough.

Alright, make it quick.

Right then. We have two priorities. (1) Getting ahold of Yorlte before he decides to open your letter, and quite possibly killing him and everyone he could have told. (2) Getting to Lord Vackles' spy before he or she reaches anyone they could pass information to, or worse, leaves it concealed in a dead drop, bank, or other hiding spot. They need to die fast.

..it would help if you at least go the spy's description before he dies. Kobold type, at the very least.

Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)16:58 No. 714879 ID: dd338c
File 146015990429.png - (34.22KB , 800x800 , 373.png )

"Okay. One more thing, what did the spy look like?"
>"A hood, as he is not to be known by anyone, but it was a draconian."
"Well that makes sense. Thank you. Um... hm... Tomato do you have a knife?"

It shakes its head.

>"Erg... my claws aren't.. like, may as well wait for the poison over using my claws. Uh... do you have any ideas on how to kill you, Pak?"
"Are you joking?"
>"No."

....

"I will use my own knife, then. Leave my family be."
>"Oh, yeah, I was just threatening them, sorry about that."

I step back with Tomato, and Pak slits his own throat. Kind of, uh, weird. I think Cabbage really does have an antidote since sometimes accidents happen, but it doesn't matter.

>"So what now?" Cabbage comes downstairs. "This is clear. I do believe that there are no other witnesses, and I do hope I'm not mistaken once again."
"No, Cabbage, that was really my mistake, I shouldn't have spoken so open - "
>"No, I made a mistake. I am the noble's agent. I am better than this."
"No, it really was my mistake."
>"Enouuuugh, Cheese. It was mine."
>"mine" Tomato says, and we drop it at that just so that he doesn't talk more.

>"What now? Is the other spy gone?"
"Yes... he saw you two slaughter these bodyguards. He's probably making a full sprint to Vackles right now."
>"Should we kill Yortle? As it is tough to kill a noble." she says, now keeping her voice down to a whisper. "No, rather, it is tough to kill a noble and not be caught. Ah. Is the entire town going to learn of the dragoncloth?"
"N-no, telling the whole town really doesn't benefit anyone. I think... I think Vackles is going to know about the dead bodyguards. I don't know what he's going to do, but it doesn't sound like the spy knows about the dragoncloth buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUHHHHHHHHt I may have written a.... incriminating letter. In case I died, Yortle was to read it saying I was selling dragoncloth."
>"Oh, Cheese, Cheese, you were usually so good at preventative measures, too."
"I thought Yortle was trustworthy! Man if I can't trust him then who...."

Oh.

"Who outside the family?"
>"No one. Never trust anyone but the family. I do wish you would keep these lessons to heart."
"Well the letter was the right idea in like any circumstance but this one but it was this one so..."
>"Mm. Must you go back? I overheard. Yortle himself sent you untrustworthy bodyguards. And you intend to walk back to him? Where is Vackles?"
"Northeast corner."
>"Noooo, Tomato and I cannot get there without being seen. Not even Tomato can crawl, as there are so many young children in those tunnels, it is so bad."
"Still, I have to find that letter I left with Yortle and destroy it. I think.. I think I can get you there without being seen by any kids, there's some really old tunnels. They're kind of... unsafe to be in due to collapsing, but..."
>"We will tread carefully, wherever you lead us."

I don't see any other choice, other than go to Yortle as fast as possible and... do something. Except that fast as possible would be to just run out there and go through all the populated streets and stuff. Going through the tunnels would rely on kids being discreet. Going through the deep tunnels is safe as far as staying hidden goes, but, it'll take over twice as long to get there as if we were to casually stroll there.

Is Fen still in town? Can you get him to go with you?

How close is Vackles to Yortle? Say if you go there slowly in the old tunnels will he have time to get news of what happened after the spy delivers his news?

You should not go to Yortle alone. But you need to get there as fast as possible so you can beat anyone else there who might tell him what happened. We have to assume the worst and that he has already read the letter. You going alone is dangerous.

So am leaning for the old tunnels after looting the bodies here.

>>714879
Fuck this shit, STRUT YOUR MUTANT SELVES OVER THERE.
As if the public doesn't already know that Cabbage and Tomato is part of Cati's crew for now. Who cares who knows. Anyone that gets in our way gets a whole lot of poison and mutant knives.

Tell me, who would FUCK with these two? You? Maybe, but not Cabbage. Let them all scream in fear, let them RUN. Let Yortle KNOW the pain he will feel. The largest danger will be from any ranged attackers, but they would need a reason to hurt potentially very dangerous mutants. And by the time we reach Yortles, it will be too late for that fool to get archers or arbalists.

>>714879
I imagine casually strolling there will cause guards to attack, right? Eventually they'll stop attacking, after a bunch of them die without civilian casualties. So, I suppose you have to decide if the lives of a bunch of innocent guards are worth the time and danger of the tunnels.
...wait, can you buy a guard escort? That could be optimal.

Another option is to leave all your valuables with them, and run to Yortle, destroy the letter making sure he hasn't read it, then go back to retrieve your gold.

...after which you just need to get to a bank without being robbed.

Get two sheets and cut eye holes. Then escort your two suspiciously lumpy friends quickly through back streets.

Maybe upgrade the sheets to burlap or something.

Ok run out and rent a big closed carriage and pay double for emergency speed service.

Then shove these two in the back and book it to the ally behind Yortles place. Or the closest underground entrance near his shop.

Ps. Don't actually shove them.

>Not even Tomato can crawl, as there are so many young children in those tunnels, it is so bad.
Well it's good to see Cabbage has some standards.

>Except that fast as possible would be to just run out there and go through all the populated streets and stuff. Going through the tunnels would rely on kids being discreet. Going through the deep tunnels is safe as far as staying hidden goes, but, it'll take over twice as long to get there as if we were to casually stroll there.
So fast an obvious, slower and having to trust kids, or slowest and trust no one.
Hey, are there any vehicles? Carriages, covered wagons, cargo delivery things? All you have to do is go out into the street and buy one off of someone for way more than it's worth and hide your siblings in the back. (Or hire someone to drive you and you all hide in the back). Even with traffic, that's gotta be quicker than crawling to Yortle, and you'll have a disguise.

It's an idea but maybe you could pretend the deal went bad and try to get your letter back that way, acting ignorant the entire time to Yortle?

Anyway if you can destroy the letter and Yortle if he read it that would be the end of it. But if he told someone else you cant just go on a murder spree.

You should probably decide now at which point to cut your losses and minimize damage.

Maybe you can pretend that the letter is a lie and it's actually part of some deeper (fake?) game you were playing that got fucked up?

Like you could have your siblings chase you through the streets before 'getting away' and then make up a story about how the deal went bad but it was a different, fake deal, than the Dragoncloth one? After all if he reads your note then he will probably be skeptical as to you having dragoncloth, since it's so rare. you can pose the bodies like it was a fight, and then present this fake story to supplant the real one.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)18:36 No. 714923 ID: dd338c
File 146016580220.png - (24.25KB , 800x800 , 374.png )

"Ahh I really just want to run through town with you two to get to Yortle."
>"Cati made it all too clear to us that we are not to be seen. While it is a secret we work for Cati, it is a secret known by too many people. I am sorry, but until we have Cati under our terms, we cannot afford to cross her."
"A... a wagon! I can get a wagon if you have some gold on you, and I can buy one, and then you two hide out while I lead the mountain kobolds of burden to Yortle's."

I think there's... yeah, there's a shitty building next door to Yortle's we can use to hop quickly into the tunnels and up into his place without much of a risk of kids.

I point on Cabbage's map where we'll meet up. I then run, as best as I can, to a local taxi service

"Hi!"
>"Hmmmrr, a mutant. What can I do for you?"
"I would like to rent - er sorry buy a wagon today, uh, specifically that one - " I point to the one with a closed tent to hide the contents - with drivers for today, right now, no questions please."
>"... how much are you willing to offer?"
"1 gold piece it's an emergency!"

I don't really need to buy this thing but I don't have enough small change and 1 gold is too much for a rental and he'd probably think it was a trap.

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)18:36 No. 714924 ID: dd338c
File 146016580858.png - (25.44KB , 800x800 , 375.png )

He bites on the gold a bunch, and even still, seems reluctant to sell. He sells anyway. I'm able to get the mountain kobolds to back it up into a door where I go in through a window and motion Tomato and Cabbage inside. Then I get back into the driver's seat and lead them on to Yortle's.

By the time it's all said and done it still would've been faster to walk here but we probably did save time by not taking the deep tunnels.

There are multiple strong looking people at Yortle's place that I am pretty sure are not the usual sorts of guards, and there's a big commotion inside, like a bunch of people are fighting.

>"We should take another route." one of the mountain kobolds say. "Those are Lord Vackles' soldiers, and we shouldn't get in their way."

... Are there eavesdropping tunnels under Yortle's place? I mean, he knows about at least one tunnel, the one you came up through to meet him, but are there maybe others? Does one of your friends maybe have very good hearing?

>>714924
Looks like Lord Vackle decided he wanted payback for the deaths of his guards. If he gets to the letter, or Yortle decides to open it due to things going south, then mission failure.

The obvious option is for them to stop the taxi in front of the door, tell the taxi drivers to leave, and then your friends leap out and kill everyone inside. However this will result in a lot of witnesses that might just run for it instead of trying to fight and dying. Too risky.

How about instead we take the taxi over to an entrance to whatever tunnels that will let us get close to the letter. Then Cheese can sneak in and steal the letter, then get the fuck out. The letter is the only concern here.

I assume Cabbage and Tomato could walk into the mess and kill anyone they wanted. Problem is, they'd be seen, and there's enough people that witnesses would escape.

We need a nearby building with tunnel access so we can make a surgical strike. Or we need to trail the soldiers after they've claimed the goods.

Looks like Yortle got in over his head and is being raided. You need to sneak in and retrieve your stuff unseen if possible.

Go around to your underground area and get in there. Then kill only who you need to silently.

MAybe this is a stealth mission.

You might be able to mix this

>>714921

With a new plan to get inside.

Unfortunately they probably know that you exist since your description is so unique so they might try to grab you. It's not likely foot soldiers would know about you, but it's possible.

Presumably Yortle would have a way out of there if shit hit the fan, which it seems like it did. Maybe Tunnels. Maybe you can intercept him that way? Or sneak inside that way?

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)19:53 No. 714969 ID: dd338c
File 146017041283.png - (13.78KB , 800x800 , 376.png )

"Okay, um, back away. Actually I need to, uh, rethink the route, this place is confusing."
>"If you tell us where to go, we'll probably know where to go. We've travelled these streets a lot of times, miss."
"Nono just uh park in this spot I'll be just a few moments! I need to think about something so please watch the street and do nooooot disturb me in the back okay?"

They look nervous to be left in such a suspicious looking cart so close to the noble's entourage, but we're a few bends away and Vackles' bunch seems contained where they are, so it shouldn't be a problem.

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)19:57 No. 714972 ID: dd338c
File 146017065891.png - (36.11KB , 800x800 , 377.png )

I can poke into the underside here and eavesdrop. Cabbage can't fit here, but I motion for Tomato to come with me and follow behind. By the time I get down in there, the fighting's stopped, although I'm hearing a lot of people move around and, by the sounds of it, turn the place upside down. I can hear the voices at least. I go to where the letter is just in case there's no one there and I can get to it, but no, there's someone in the room, it looks like.

"-is probably not dead. Despite the internal wars of Erja Nokol, the mutants don't head out of town to fight each other. A haughty voice bossing everyone around. This person is a noble, and it's a safe assumption it's Lord Vackles.
>"Shall we put wanted posters across town?"
"No, that's too risky. Dangerous contraband is involved. I have already sent a runner to investigate if they have left already and I will deal with it if so, but for now, you go and inform the town guard is to quadruple their staff and be put on the highest alert for mutants and abominations. I will deal with Lord Warfield's inquiries. The abominations are to be detained or killed, but, for everyone's safety, not searched without my presence. Once I confirm they have not yet left, we can take our time inside of the town. They can't hide from everyone, not forever. And Cheese. You." he says, turning to face someone else. "She'll come back here, so clear out the bodies and lay out a trap for her in the next several minutes."
>"Yes sir. And Yortle's?"
"His body with the rest, he's unimportant now."

I'd be more sympathetic to Yortle if he didn't get his mooks to knifehold every little girl that tried to do "play business with the funny toy man".

Maybe he's not dead yet? Whatever, can you and your sister assault them now while Tomato plays defense or should you leave? Yortle has a stash that includes all the gold you fed him.

>>714970
Shit, he knows. He's not telling anyone what it is though, so we just have to assassinate him. If he read the letter then he's likely destroyed it himself to prevent the (in his words) dangerous knowledge from spreading.

So go back to the taxi, tell the others what's going on, and... well, I don't know. We have to catch Vackles with his guard down, but not out in the open where people will see your friends.

Ooooor you could assassinate him yourself. Ever used a blowgun before? Put one of Tomato's quills on a dart and dart him, and he's done for. Or put a quill somewhere you know he'll step on it or poke his finger on.

Well Vackles found out and now you need to kill him.

He will not have told anyone and will have the letter on him if he has not destroyed it. He obviously wants that Cloth.

Will probably be best to ambush them while they are clearing out bodies for this trap. Maybe a two pronged assault where Cabbage comes through the back and you go in with Tomato to take out Vackles.

Get back to the carriage and let your more dangerous family members advise you.

...wait, if you're under the building... can you get Tomato to poison him through the floorboards?

Quickly get back to the cart and let Cabbage know that the noble knows about them and about the Dragoncloth.

They are cleaning out bodies now to prepare a trap for us so if we hit them quick they will be off there guard.

I wonder if Tomato could lurk down here and drag people through the floorboards once Cabbage attacks.

As for you do your best to help without getting in there way.

>>714972
...either they didn't know how important the letter was and left it, or we have to assume the noble has it. That means he has to die, today.

Maybe you need Fen's help. Someone they can't make at a glance. They're expecting the three of you.

So this whole thing sounds like a wash.

Cutting your losses now sounds like safest course of action. The Noble knows you have dragoncloth and actively searching for you. Getting a message to Fen that you're going out of town and retrieving your stuff from the bank sounds like the best options. After that skedaddle and get the deal done.

One way to do this may be to pretend you have already left the town or spread rumors like that and double back when the town is sparsely guarded.

Another idea is to have Fen act like he's still chasing you. If rumors get out that he was chasing you that could lead them to follow him, away from you.

Maybe you could also flip one of Tomatoes barbs up there, hope you get lucky and he steps on it.

Or, and this might be the best option, frame this Vackles guy for the murder of Pocky. Maybe let it slip to Warfield that he can get one over an opponent and stash his swords somewhere for him to find?

Building on that idea if you get the swords you may be able to pretend like the swords are the contraband he's looking for. It's more plausible than the dragoncloth, and you have proof (the swords to back it up). Maybe pretend you were an unfortunate bystander to the murder and coverup or something and he is trying to silence the final loose end (you).

Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)21:06 No. 715045 ID: dd338c
File 146017479285.png - (23.45KB , 800x800 , 378.png )

I look back to Tomato, thinking maybe I could poison Vackles though the floorboards. I don't think so. They're loose enough to let light through, but thick enough that Tomato could only aim up, and it'll be difficult to get in position, and it's hard to tell where anyone is standing exactly and Vackles is already leaving, dangit.

Tomato isn't all that accurate with his quill shooting anyway. Uh well it's probably better than my aim with a blow dart if I tried that.

I go back to the wagon as fast as I can without making noise, but we can only go so fast.

If Vackles hasn't made it out yet, maybe I can send in... no, there's only two siblings of mine and a half dozen exits to the place.

>"What is the news?" Cabbage whispers once I get back, making sure to only speak while the roads are loud to prevent our drivers from hearing nearby.
"The news... is that we can't leave town."
>"Hmm?"
"They're cleaning out bodies, and Vackles, probably only Vackles, knows about the dragoncloth."
>"Mm. Troublesome. Perhaps we have to murder him after all. Simply get him in private where we can reach, and we will kill."
"That's easier said than done! He probably never has less than like ten guards around him, I mean not just is he a noble, he owns the town guard!"
>"We are under Cati. Who is he to prevent us leaving?"
"It was... it is an illicit deal. If he manages to kill us and get the dragoncloth, he can say he just found illicit dragoncloth, and Cati can't do anything because she can't prove it's legitimately hers! He's probably in over his head, but, well... that doesn't make it easier for us."
>"Hrmmm, I do miss when I could kill our problems without these constraints."

Maybe I need Fen's help, but I don't want to keep him from joining the military. I don't know... I can think about it, it's still early.

I just can't think of anything I can do right now. It looks like I'm playing a longer game. Against a noble.

The Fence isn't the biggest town, but it's got a lot of illicit activity.

And if I don't know someone who can help, I know someone who knows someone.

And hopefully I can trust them this time, because I probably have to. I just need a plan. Something to get him out in the open. Something to kill him while he's surrounded by guards. Escaping town somehow. Some way to remove him from power, like framing him for Pocky's death by planting the swords -

Ack, the swords! The bank! I should probably pull all that stuff out of the bank before the town guard is crawling all over town and is watching that. I know of a room in the deep tunnels I can use as a hideaway. It takes a bit to get to, but I think I can get Cabbage and Tomato in there.

But I need to start thinking of ideas on how to deal with this. Vackles sounded patient enough to go at it carefully, but I doubt he's going to just wait for us to turn ourselves in.

>>715045
He will have to personally retrieve the dragoncloth. You can use it as bait. Maybe get a message sent to him that you'll exchange it for safe passage out of town, and make sure the meeting place is somewhere he can be killed without anyone but the guards he brings witnessing it. Also make sure the escape routes can be covered. Lastly, make sure you can leave the area without being seen, because he will absolutely leave guards outside the location to try to catch you.

A trap like this will most certainly provoke him into bringing the strongest possible force. Make sure that he cannot bring an army into the location, and also make sure you can see what's coming. If it's too much for your sisters to handle (and I doubt it will be, to be honest) you'll need to escape and try a different plan. Like luring him somewhere that you can just lace with poison or explosives.

Or set a pitfall or something lethal like that in the room.

Ok first you get off the streets and get everyone to a safe place.

Then you get everything out of the bank somehow. Probably do that first before they get your name circulated and you cant access your deposits anymore. Your description will be out around town soon enough.

Then you set a trap for him. You leak news of something and reverse the trap he was going to try and pull you into. It could be setting him up somehow or just luring his guards away and murdering him. Maybe we can blame Pocky's death on him and have Bardo go after him. Or maybe just have your siblings start picking off guards one at a time until they all get scared and abandon him.

For now get out of here without being found out unless you can see which way Vackles is leaving. It could be worth it to blitz him here and then scuttle back into the underground. Everyone is going to know you all are here soon enough. Might be worth it to cause some chaos.

You need to make that deal with Cati soon. When she catches word of this, the amount she'll give for that dragoncloth will go way down.

... You might need to find someone else to track it.

Fen probably shouldn't get involved, but what you can do is give him your bank password and get him to deliver the stuff back for you, since he'll be able to move through the streets freely and you can trust him with your stuff. It won't take him long and then he can leave.

In general, after that, if it's a noble and the town guards who will be after you, you'd be best to go for help to people who don't like either.

You know maybe you can turn this all around. Say you could start dropping clues that this was not a mistake on your part but a plot to get rid of Vackles. Make him start acting paranoid and lashing out at everything.

Then get Bardo into things. He was going to meet up with Pocky in a day up north but now that's not going to happen. If you could get word out that Vackles killed him and has Pockeys swords you might be able to lure Bardo here. Get him here to try and figure out what you are up to and its a great chance to get rid of another thorn in your side.

Then kill both of them in a trap and suddenly your debt is gone and you still have all the money from the dragoncloth sale to help Fen.

I think making Fen act like hes still chasing you as he leaves foe the army is a good idea. Get the guy off your trail. This might put Fen in danger though, so it needs workshopping. You might be able to spin it so that people will think you and Fen are still enemies and add an extra degree of seperation. What better way to know who Fens enemies are then be one?

Retrieving your stuff (especially swords) is the top priority. The question is whether its better to get them now before they are consfiscated ir try to intercept them. The swords would be neccessary for any decent frame job. The Lord he was talking about, do you know anything about him? Some angle to play them off one another?

Hey Cheese just to make sure what exactly did you say in that letter.

Need to know how bad the info leak was so you can deal with the repercussions.

Cause if its bad enough it might be worth it to charge in there and kill your way to him even with the chance of him escaping.

The crows still have Pockys correspondance, right? If Vackles is mentioned in them thst could be another shred of evidence to an eventual frame job.

The crows still have Pockys correspondance, right? If Vackles is mentioned in them thst could be another shred of evidence to an eventual frame job.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)22:50 No. 715119 ID: dd338c
File 146018100256.png - (18.29KB , 800x800 , 379.png )

I give the drivers a tip and have them park the wagon at some place they tell me about but that I will probably never see.

Then I go to hide Cabbage and Tomato at my hideaway.

Then I go see Fen. He's practicing swinging swords around I guess.

"Heyyy Fen?"
>"Hello, Cheese."
"Uh... stuff happened. Could I get you to pull my stuff out of my bank?"
>"Alright. What is wrong?"
"Oh, noth.... well everything but nothing you have to be involved in!"
>"You want me to gather everything from the bank, but won't tell me why?"
"Just worry about going to join the army, okay? I really... don't want you to get involved with this one."
>"You're involving me now."
"Erk... Fen... come onnnn-"
>"Fine. Did you sell the cloth?"
"That's... a work in progress. I found Cati's agents, uh, we're having... issues. Finalizing the deal. And all that. I'm working on it."
>"I'll trust you to it."
"Thanks! And can you get me some writing supplies and food and just like... travelling gear?"
>"Alright, Cheese. I will wait until tonight before leaving."

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/08(Fri)22:50 No. 715120 ID: dd338c
File 146018101796.png - (20.62KB , 800x800 , 380.png )

He gets all the stuff, and seems to expect more of an answer, but I really don't want him worrying about this more than he has to! He seemed tired. I don't think he ever did get much sleep.

I grab my things and make the trek back down into the tunnels, then into the tunnel's tunnels, where the wood has rotted back into the dirt and the stone is flaky. It's practically pitch black here, but that's okay with me. I have candles, but I don't need them.

I start reviewing everything and write a few shorthand notes to keep my head straight.

Vackles has... the town guard, but he isn't telling them anything more than to watch out for mutants. I think he's the only one who knows about dragoncloth. He's also got all kinds of resources and probably spies all over for security reasons. All I wrote is detailing that I found dragoncloth and was going to sell it to Cati. It doesn't mention Fen or how I found it or anything like that.

I have... my family, food to last, and, well, a few contacts after Yortle.

The kids. They'll do damn near anything for a couple of copper, and I can get them to spy on a whole lot of places. If I want to spread a rumor or just get a lot of eyes on a lot of places at random, I'd start with them.

A tavern called the Lost Meal. It's where Lord Warfield's spies go the most to get the word on the town. Warfield is the stone noble who runs the entire Fence, with some wood nobles underneath him controlling various parts of it, either components of the town such as Vackles running the town guard, or nobles who watch over specific districts. So he would ask Vackles why the security is getting ramped up. If I can get to the Lost Meal and just pop up for a moment, I may be able to get information.

Sir Gauche is a wood noble in charge of the Yellow District. I could talk directly to him, as Gauche is the closest thing I have to a noble as a real, honest ally, but he may not like me dragging him into this. The people there are loyal to me and have let me hide under them, but they're, well, most of them are just town riff raff and heckle strangers. But they'd also do a lot for money.

The fourth place... is the merchant ring, higher up than I normally like to go. They'd turn me in for a copper shard and normally I'd sooner entertain the idea of just giving the dragoncloth right to Sir Gauche, but I feel like there might be something there. I mean, normally merchants can go in and out of the town if they look like they have wares, but if Vackles is going to upturn every wagon in and out, a lot of people are going to be upset.

That's basically it unless I want to make new contacts.

Oh and Fen, but I may just ask him to tell Bardo that Vackles killed Pocky or maybe ask the crows for help or something like that.

Lets start causing chaos.

First get word out to Bardo that Vackles killed Pocky but you don't know why yet. Mention he seems to be trying something big and you are trying to find out what. Say that you got some rock solid evidence that he did it but he found out you have it and is trying to close off the city and silence you. I would avoid getting Fen involved unless its just him dropping off a letter at the bank. Keep him out of everything if possible.

Then start spreading rumors to the merchant ring that Vackles is trying to destabilize trade with Pocktown to corner the market on whatever it is they do. Then start another rumor that he killed Pocky to short stock or whatever the equivalent is here. The rumors combined with him searching everything will get them up in arms.

Tell Sir Gauche that shit is going down and give him info on how to avoid the coming storm. This will make him like you more and be more willing to help you out later. If you can give him info on how to profit from this mess.

Finally start some rumors about Vackles attempting a power grab to destabilize Lord Warfield. You want him getting extra suspicious about what Vackles is up to.

Then sit back and fan the flames as the various factions begin to grind against each other. Wait for openings and find your opportunities to strike.

>>715120
You could cause a huge enough stir that Warfield asks Vackles to report to him about what's going on. Then pay some of Gauche's men to block off streets to make Vackles take a certain route, and ambush him at one or even multiple points along that route, wherever you can strike at him while not being seen. Narrow alleyways, projectile attacks from windows of abandoned buildings, undermining the very street he walks on...

Of course, you'd want to use kids as spies to keep tabs on Vackles' movement, to pull off the ambushes.
Actually I wonder, if with good enough information and a day's work digging, you could tunnel under his house and assassinate him in his own home?

If Bardo were to die would your debt disappear? Or would it transfer to his estate or something? Cause if you get the chance to take him out it would be icing on the cake.

I like the idea of getting the nobles in town fighting over rumors. Will make it easier for you to work if all the factions are on edge and fighting each other.

A good rumor to start about Vackles would be a story about how someone saw him showing off his new magical swords to his guard captain and laughing about it. And the swords just happened to be exactly the same as the ones pocky had on him at all times. Plus Fen had his clothes and jewelry right? Could probably use that as your evidence that you "stole" from Vackles.

Another rumor would be that he killed Yortles because he knew two much. You heard Yortles was helping him melt down some hot items but apparently things went south. Something about some noble seals and Yortle trying to blackmail him. And now he is trying to drum up a rumor about mutants to catch you and have a excuse to search all the merchants in and out of town.

Then get word to Bardo that Vackles went after you because you saw him with Pocky's swords. His guards killed the bodyguards that Bardo had with you and you barely escaped. Once he gets into town the rumors should already be flying so he will be more inclined to believe your story.

>>715120
Ask Cabbage if she really does have the antidote to Tomato's poison. If she does, then start pulling out any of his barbs that might've gotten stuck in the Dragoncloth when you hugged him. You don't want to accidentally poison yourself when you touch it.

You should probably give Fen a basic rundown of the situation. Details aren't necessary but some mutual trust needs to be involved.

Also you might want to set up some way to contact him while he's in the army.

I mentioned earlier about the plan to make people think you and Fen are enemies as an extra degree of separation. Do you think that's viable or complicated?

One possibility is you get Fen to go to the Lost Meal 'looking for you'. He can give info or allude as to you either being out of town or having contraband, and let the spies put two and two together to implicate Vackles.

You may be able to use Gauche to overthrow Vackles if you try the framing job, unless you think he would be too skittish about the dead Goldie. Convince him he can rise in status by taking him down somehow.

Have you informed Fen about the different missions he might get sent on and given him advice about that? You should do that before he leaves.

1/2 Cheese 2016/04/09(Sat)11:09 No. 715204 ID: dd338c
File 146022539243.png - (24.77KB , 800x800 , 381.png )

"Say, Cabbage, did you really have antidote?"
>"Yeesss."
"I'm going to make sure no barbs got into the dragoncloth."
>"Be safe and take this, then, but do be careful."

I clean up the dragoncloth, looking over my stash.

I had Fen break some gold for me, because to make things stretch,I've got to pay a lot of people in small amounts than in gold, so I took ten gold out for a huge bag of copper and silver. I'm afraid of who might've seen Fen with that kind of money, but he made it back to me okay, and I made it down here without being seen, so it's okay. But I have hundreds of copper and silver now for buying off kids with copper and more established folk with silver.

"Oh, Cabbage, what kind of money did you bring for the dragoncloth?"
>"Three mithril coins to cover the first three thousand gold, and then five stacks of one hundred gold towers."

Gosh. Plenty of gold. That gives about 100 gold I can spend without having to cut into Bardo's debt. I wonder, if I didn't have my debt to Bardo right now, would I be richer than Vackles?

2/2 Cheese 2016/04/09(Sat)11:10 No. 715205 ID: dd338c
File 146022540475.png - (23.43KB , 800x800 , 382.png )

I go back up. I need to talk to Fen.

I'm also thinking to make it sound to the public like I'm his enemy. Yeah. That might work. I don't have a choice because he's really the only one that can be seen in public, who might actually be able to get an audience with Bardo, that I feel I can fully trust and also get in contact with.

"Hi Fen."
>"Hello. How are you fitting through that hole?"
"Um... I'm squishy. I'll just... stay here on the floor. I do need your help, actually?"

...

>"I'm listening."
"Er, right. Uh, well..." I start explaining everything as fast as I can but as clearly as I can. I think I cover everything and I think he gets it. "When you leave town today, could you, um... I don't know how, but could you try to get a message to Bardo saying that Lord Vackles of the Fence killed Pocky? I'd like to frame him."
>"Very well. How would I convince him?"
"Um... I'm... working on that. Um... more on that later, but tell him that Vackles is going after me because I saw him with Rasyan's swords."
>"What?"
"That's a lie, Fen."
>"Oh. I understand."
"I didn't really want to involve you with that, but... I don't have anyone who I can really trust to deliver the message to someone like Bardo, so... thank you."

He really did bring up a point. I could say something vague like Vackles' is trying to steer more people to the fence by making unrest in Pocktown and the surrounding region, but that's kind of weak on its own and really a dumb reason to kill a noble. I should send out information gatherers to find out a good reason why Vackles really would try to kill a gold noble like that and succeed, because offhand, he doesn't really have much reason to off Rasyan.

"The other thing is... can we still pretend to be enemies?"
>"As long as it is really pretending."
"Yes yes! Um... there's a tavern called the Lost Meal. Could you go there, looking for me? Maybe say that I had some contraband and that I skipped town?"
>"Why?"
"Uh... mostly to spread the idea that I have some bigtime contraband."
>"This sounds like the thing we would not want to spread."
"Okay okay I know it sounds bad and non-intuitive but I really need things to be a mess for Vackles and if I can make it out to sound like Vackles is trying to keep too much for himself I can make friction between him and the other nobles. That and we should have degrees of seperation between us for now as far as the public is concerned! But uh... hey you told me you stopped at the diner in the yellow district. You can leave messages for me there and vice versa okay? I have a bad feelings about staying in this inn."
>"Okay."
"I'm going to get info on what missions in the army you might get sent off to and give you a recommendation so I know where abouts you are too."

Okay that was a lot of information, am I forgetting anything else to tell Fen?

give him the succ

Fen does not have anything on him anymore that could point anyone to anything right?

Now if Fen is going to pretend to be still after you he will need a reason why. If he gets interviewed by Vackles what is he going to say? It can't be about the dragoncloth cause that could get Fen killed.

He met Shup and Lily because they had gone south to get some glowbulbs right? Maybe his story is that he came north to sell stuff for his clan and met a friendly purple shopkeeper that scammed him. Say he had something special that he did not know was worth more up here that was worth like 2 gold or something. You gave him a silver for it and now he is after you for revenge because he found out the real value.

That would give him a good reason to be after you but not be enough money to tempt a noble.

How long should he stay in town? What is his time limit for reaching this weeks warp? Make sure to give him advice on how to get a message to Bardo. Also let him know about the noble you are sort of friends with. What contraband is "Big Time" enough without being dragoncloth. Fen has no idea what contraband is. It should probably be something from down south to fit his scammed story.

>>715205
Be careful Fen.
And be on the lookout for Shup's men anywhere. The more we think about how Lily gave you this dragoncloth, the more I think the idea was mostly Shup's to complicate all sorts of matters for you, as a very complicated and entertaining form of revenge. Lily didn't think about how many problems this item would bring you, but Shup knew. Oh, he knew.

You can be sure he's keeping tabs on you, from the shadows, to entertain himself. He'll be the biggest wildcard in this, so minimize your contact with him and keep him entertained until your ready to take him on. He'll make things more challenging for you, and some easy, just to see what will happen and how you take on the situation.

If we are going with getting Bardo in on this thing maybe we can fix our dead bodyguard problem at the same time. Then again that may just complicate things too much.

The best way to get a message to Bardo would probably be through spies, so it doesn't implicate you or Fen directly. Do you know any Bardo informers Fen can 'bump' into on his way to the Army?

A way to do this would probably be to see if the Crows could plant the correspondence somewhere incriminating?

Actually Pocky was involved with the merchants in this area heavily, right? Maybe you could get some people to false flag Vackles trying to take up the merchant business in this area. Make it seem like he had knowledge of Rosyan's death and was trying to profit from it preemptively.

Maybe pay some fake guards to check the merchants and drop hints about them needing to get used to a change in leadership.

I think making it seem like he's overly ambitious would seem really easy since most Nobles seem ambitious, and everyone you try to sell the story to might do the same thing in his position.

Other than that maybe just thank Fen? Also tell him if there is anything you want him to avoid or whatever (like running afoul of your family).

>>715214
Adding to this, ask Fen if he knows anything about Rosyan's dealings, since he was trying to assassinate two merchants who had dirt on him. You might be able to recruit them into being allies since maybe you saved their lives (unless they are already dead)?

1/3 Cheese 2016/04/09(Sat)12:38 No. 715218 ID: dd338c
File 146023072882.png - (26.83KB , 800x800 , 383.png )

"Oh uh, keep an eye out for Shup's guys?"
>"What? Is Shup around?"
"Oh, no, just... thinking. And um just remember, don't ever mention the dragoncloth if you get asked for info about me. Just say you had stuff to sell in the empire from the savagelands and you got scammed by me because I dunno you had something that was worth over a gold piece but I gave you a silver for it and then you found out the real value and now you're out for blood or I dunno however dramatic savages would put it. Better to leave the contraband to imagination but if you gotta say it just say you got some special glowleaves that had like, a wizard came by and enchanted it with a ton of anti-rot. Oh and there's a noble here by Sir Gauche that I'm kinda sorta friends with. FYI. Oh um. Was there anything in Rasyan's paperwork that mentioned Vackles?"
>"I didn't read it. I gave it to the crows."
"Right... could you... could you ask a crow to keep an eye out, if there's fog, at the high broken bell on the old church just north of the center of town? I'm hoping I can get the crows in on this but I can't contact them while in town."
>"I'll see if I find any crows on my way out."

That would be great. If I can get crows in on this, then I'll have a lot of working range outside of town.

If he leaves tonight he'll be able to spend tomorrow in town, then leave the next day through the warp. I tell him about a diner where he can get into contact with someone who can help him meet Bardo, or better yet, have someone else meet Bardo other than Fen. Oh, man, if Bardo actually came down here, and I managed to kill him in chaos somehow, my debt would be gone, since I'm under his name, not his title.

>give him the succ
but

2/3 Cheese 2016/04/09(Sat)12:38 No. 715219 ID: dd338c
File 146023073575.png - (12.72KB , 800x800 , 384.png )

>give him the succ
he'd neverrrr

3/3 Cheese 2016/04/09(Sat)12:39 No. 715220 ID: dd338c
File 146023075875.png - (81.72KB , 800x800 , 385.png )

Oh no I just sort of slinked away after mentioning the diner instead of saying goodbye or being socially acceptable. It's too late though I can't just crawl back into the room, say, 'that was it, goodbye' and then slink back again that's even weirder.

After stopping at the hideout, I go to a kid's hideaway, where there are some young adults who grew up in the tunnels who can only fit in some of the initial, larger gaps.

I barely poke my head through before some kids approach me.

>"Oh ho, is that Cheese? I thought I smelled trouble."
"Heyyy Gravel. How've you been?"
>"Business as usual, and sounds like it's going to continue. Whatcha need, girl?... girl, right? Ha, I tease."
"Haha but really I need like... a lot. I need to gather information from the town and then give the town misinformation."
>"Hey, say, didn't you owe us money? I know you wouldn't show your face around here and try to repay us with more work, right?"
"Mmhmmm. Hold out your hand."
I empty my purse out to drop like 20 copper."
>"Nice! With interest."
"Yes, also an advance for what I'd like. Other than that, I'll pay good sums for just going out and doing work, and then pay good sums when I actually get information."

I wrote down a mental checklist for rumors, but maybe I forgot some.

The kids aren't that trustworthy, and I have to handle things delicately because they wouldn't be above selling me out if they felt it benefitted them. But for covering town-wide operations, these are the best I've got, and as long as I'm helpful to them, they'll be good to me.

Rumors to spread:
-Vackles has new swords like Pocky Rasyan's.
-Vackles got Yortle to melt down hot items, but things went south and Yortle got killed.
-Vackles is trying to destabilize trade in Pocktown to force more trade through the Fence.
-Vackles is attempting a power grab from Warfield

Information to gather:
-Anything on the potential army missions for Fen.
-Why Vackles might have a motive to specifically kill Rasyan.
-What Vackles is up to.

That last one is a double edged sword. I really want to know what Vackles is planning, but that may mean the kids will learn that I'm actually a wanted criminal, and, well, the kids are only so trustworthy.

Another iffy rumor I could add is that Vackles is trying to rule the merchants here, but I mean it's probably unbelievable if there's all these rumors floating around about how Vackles is trying to overthrow practically everyone. Then again, there's going to be rumors floating around that don't come from me either, so maybe diluting the rumor pool isn't gonna change anything.

>>715205
Huh. Fen didn't have much commentary on you sharing some of your biggest secrets with him. Although I guess you sure showed him you're trusting him now.

>>715120
Is the seeing in the dark a mutant thing, or a cave kobold thing?

>That last one is a double edged sword.
The other downside to it is if any of the kids are caught spying, he could become aware of the network you're using to spread misinformation against him. Potentially allows him to star trying to counter. I'm not sure you want them to get close.

Are there other resources you could use to keep tabs on him? (Man, if you do contact the crows again, that would be a big help).

>dilute the rumor pool further?
It'll do that on it's own. If you sew paranoia and fear, people will jump to their own conclusions. Better to have a few core ideas and then see what grows from that.

If you wanted to demonstrably sew fear resentment against Vackles, you could pay a person here and there to pick fights with his soldiers over things, or goad other people too. Yelling insults or accusations, or even a shove or thrown stone at the right time could set a crowd of people off. If you don't mind some people getting hurt, you could start stirring up the populace.

>other ideas
Poisoning someone might be a possibility while Tomato is around. If you could get him to bottle some liquid, or crush up some needles, that would be something that could be added to food.

Even if you don't get a chance to use it now, it could be useful in the future. (And if you get enough to share, it's something Fen might be able to use).

Fen forgot this I guess.
>>708703

Anyway I think the important thing here is that every rumor can be tied up into a sort of psuedo story that makes some sense. Like, Pocky got killed, accidentally or on purpose, and now Vackles is trying to use his death to increase his station. That sort of ties everything together. Now you just have to sell the bits and pieces of the story so that people can put the pieces together themselves. I think him trying to get one over on the merchants strengthens that story, but maybe I'm wrong.

>>715220
Spread Rumor 2 and 3
Gather info 1 and 2
2 is important, as it starts discussion and support of 3, and vice versa.

A good way of looking at your debt to Bardo is that he is not going to let his 3k investment get hurt if he can help it at all.

If you had a contact worth that much you would do most anything to make sure they stayed healthy. So he will be up to his neck in this stuff once he realizes that Vackles is out to kill you.

Just make sure they never meet unless its in a secret place where Cabbage and Tomato can go in and kill them together.

Remember to stagger your rumors for best affect.

So you want simple ones about Vackles to start and then a day or two later get the sword one started. Then people will have been hearing things about him destabilizing trade and will be more open to the idea that he killed Rasyan.

Avoid getting any of the kids to close to Vackles or his men because they will find out you are wanted and might turn you in. Assume they will find out eventually and be careful at all times. Keep moving your base of operations and never use the same route through the underground twice.



Here is a longer term trap to plan. Find a safe spot that you can eventually meet with Bardo if he comes to town. Make sure its out of the way and has two underground entrances and one of them is well hidden so only you know about it. Also has to be big enough to move Cabbage through. It should also have some hidden spots that Vackles men could use to spy on so they think its safe. Somewhere you can collapse the exit behind you in case something goes wrong.

Then send word to Bardo that you will use it as you meeting place with him. Possibly meet him there once before so he will let his guard down. Then leak the info about your next (and final) meeting with Bardo to Vackles before hand.

Then acquire some rich red cloth that could be mistaken for dragoncloth at a distance. Use it to wrap the sword or seals or something and hand it off to Bardo while telling him that this is what Vackles is after. Vackles will see the exchange and try to kill Bardo for the "cloth". They fight and Cabbage finishes them both off and possibly there guards. Then you retrieve your stuff and leave in the chaos.

If you can pull it off then you will loose your debt and the people after you at the same time.

1/3 Cheese 2016/04/09(Sat)15:46 No. 715263 ID: dd338c
File 146024200485.png - (47.56KB , 1200x486 , 386.png )

>Fen didn't have much commentary on you sharing some of your biggest secrets with him.
I may have just not given him time since I kinda streamed out all my thoughts on him at once.

>Is the seeing in the dark a mutant thing, or a cave kobold thing?
Well mostly cave kobold thing but the mutations actually exaggerated it so I can operate in near pitch black.

I go ahead and spread all the rumors, and almost all the information except for trying to find out what Vackles is up to. That, and trying to pay these kids to heckle the guards, might backfire on me if they get caught and spill the beans. Or just... reminding Vackles that children and tunnels exist. Nobles here are surprisingly oblivious to the existence of this network.

One more rumor too. Vackles doesn't really have the capital and staff to be part of the merchant ring, but, he does accept kickbacks and taxes and all sorts of stuff from the merchants. So if he's able to get more merchants getting through the fence and forces a lot more illicit activity to come through, then he still benefits from taxes and the amount of kickbacks. In other words, by having more mercantile competition in town, he can find a lot more merchants willing to put up with a new level of town guard bullshit!

I'm going to start documenting this stuff in my hideout since there are a lot more moving parts now and my short term memory isn't always the best.

It'd be best to stagger the rumors out, but that would take days, and... he can probably find me by then. Maybe.

"That's a lot of stuff, and it takes more than a few jangles to get enough of us out there to be listened to."
>"I know. I'll be back in a moment."