Ch. 2, Interlude 3: Coins and Blood

[setanta14]

Set it to an elven death-dirge tune, and maybe we can get Kor some more gigs.

Anyways, I guess our next steps are setting up the audience with Shorafa Pamodae to see about divination or commune, and keeping an extra close eye on Saul's comings and goings.

[NukeHavoc]

Ok. I'm sick with a cold right now, but once I'm feeling better I'll post my replies.

[EvilGenius]

I think augury is a good idea but I'd like to meta-game here for a moment. We're very well accustomed to using divinations from years an years of having high level magic available. And our adventuring environment has reflected that. Some things we could only learn through divination magic.

But now we're first level again. There are probably several ways to accolish this task that do not rely on magical means, if for no other reason than the designers would probably assume such means were not available.

So I'm not saying we shouldn't pursue magical investigation. It's actually a pretty good way to break past the designer intentions if we can pull it off. . But I'm not done with old school investigations yet.

[EvilGenius]

So, low level investigations. I'm not a diplomatic dwarf but Skender is pretty diplomatic, AND he knows a lot more about the city than Tholyr.

Skender, I want to set up a promised non-violent meeting with the money lender. He works for another crime lord who you seemed to know. What can we find out about that crime lord? What's that guys relation to our employer? Can we contact agents of that crime lord and arrange a meeting with the $lender through them?

Also, we should start making the rounds of slightly nicer inns and brothels and gambling halls and see if anyone has been bragging up a big score against the office manager dwarf. Not by name of course, but if he was robbed by someone who's still around they might be hinting at it and spending some of the coin.

Also, I want to start talking to the dwarves in the city. Jorm and Tholyr should find out if the office manager had family or a clan in the city. Let's talk to them an se what we can find out. Maybe they saw him or can help us find him. Maybe they would know about any particular enemies?

[Jonkga]

I think augury is a good idea but I'd like to meta-game here for a moment. We're very well accustomed to using divinations from years an years if having high level magic available. And our adventuring environment has reflected that. Some things we could only learn through divination magic.

But now we're first level again. There are probably several ways to accolish this task that do not rely on magical means, if for no other reason than the designers would probably assume such means were not available.

So I'm not saying we shouldn't pursue magical investigation. It's actually a pretty good way to break past the designer intentions if we can pull it off. . But I'm not done with old school investigations yet.

Good points about investigation here.

I will add, though, that purchasing the aurgury or divination also gives us an audience with one of the big crime lords in the city, and helps us forge a connection there we otherwise wouldn't have. And, given Saul's tenuous grasp on his own dealings, well, that can't be a bad thing.

[setanta14]

The moneylender Smeed doesn't work for the crime boss that Skender knows (Clegg Zincher), the moneylender works for Boss Croat, the half-orc in control of the drug trade... We haven't had any dealings with that guy yet, but Skender (or anyone else) can try and find out what reasons he might have to screw with Saul.

Unless we're making a payment to Smeed for Saul, or maybe getting our own loan, I'm not sure how well meeting with him again would go, especially since Tholyr tried to break into his house while we were talking to him at his front door. He knew about us and was somewhat intimidated before we ever met the guy, so maybe someone told him we would be showing up?

Skender would still be interested in the Divination spell at least since we've already done a lot to set that up, we can afford it, and it's not going to reveal the entire plot with a few questions... But it can give us a hint as to where to focus our efforts instead of wasting time, treasure, and possibly blood where we don't need to.

[EvilGenius]

Ken, I want to find the dwarves in the city. I'll drop jorm's name a bit. I want to find out about the office manager; did anyone know him? His clan? Anything about him? When was the last time anyone has seen him?

Diplomacy: 13 +0 mod= 13

I'm also going to be on the lookout for anyone who seems suspicious or unnerved by my questions.

Perception: 16 + 5mod = 21
Sense Motive: 8 + 5 mod = 13

[Upweekis]

In addition to learning a new, less deadly weapon and getting his beard trimmed and braided, Jorm, aka "Kevn", has also been asking around about Saul's accountant. He's going to the Dwarven drinking halls, the ones with the short doors, and hanging about over in the dwarven district by the gas forges.

[EvilGenius]

The moneylender Smeed doesn't work for the crime boss that Skender knows (Clegg Zincher), the moneylender works for Boss Croat, the half-orc in control of the drug trade... We haven't had any dealings with that guy yet, but Skender (or anyone else) can try and find out what reasons he might have to screw with Saul.

Isn't the money lender a dwarf? Why would he be working for a half-orc crimelord? I'm confused.

If borrowing and/or paying is the only way to see the guy, then lets make a payment to him. It helps Saul out and gets us a meeting.

I can contribute about 50gp towards this.

[setanta14]

Not sure why a dwarven moneylender works for a half-orc crime boss, but that's what my source told me. They could be wrong, or maybe half-orcs aren't swift enough to manage money well and they needed a miserly dwarf to do it? We can doublecheck on who Smeed works for to be sure before we start making outright accusations or cracking skulls.

[Jonkga]

Not sure if Smeed is a dwarf. The source material calls him a man, but doesn't really specify human or dwarf.

Boss Croat is said by the source document to keep entirely half-orc minions. And he runs the drug trade mostly. But, it doesn't say he wouldn't work with a non-half-orc moneylender, human or dwarf.

I got the impression that Smeed was an independent moneylender, and that the loan was through him on behalf of another party.

Ken will have to clarify.

[NukeHavoc]

Not sure if Smeed is a dwarf. The source material calls him a man, but doesn't really specify human or dwarf.

Smeed is a short man of bulky stature. Could be dwarf. Could be human. Hard to say seeing as you only saw him through an eye slit in the door.

[setanta14]

It also could be that I was confusing Smeed's race with Larur Feldin's...

[EvilGenius]

Not sure if Smeed is a dwarf. The source material calls him a man, but doesn't really specify human or dwarf.

Smeed is a short man of bulky stature. Could be dwarf. Could be human. Hard to say seeing as you only saw him through an eye slit in the door.

Well in any case, we need to meet with him so we need to set up another payment.

[NukeHavoc]

In addition to learning a new, less deadly weapon and getting his beard trimmed and braided, Jorm, aka "Kevn", has also been asking around about Saul's accountant. He's going to the Dwarven drinking halls, the ones with the short doors, and hanging about over in the dwarven district by the gas forges.

I’m assuming Kevn takes 10 on his check, and gets the needed 10 to grant Tholyr a +2 bonus to his Diplomacy check. Asking around in the dwarven drinking halls yields little information about Laurer Feldin. He had a reputation for being a surly, antisocial dwarf who had little use for the rest of the dwarven community save for a few close "friends". They turn out to be a small circle of other office managers that form a dour drinking club that complains bitterly about their lot in life. Their leader – or at least the only one willing to talk to you – is Thorhud of Clan Oerg.

His attitude is “Unfriendly” (you expect that if you weren’t dwarves, he’d be downright hostile toward you).

“Feldin? Ain’t seen him since last week. Man’s as solid as a mountain. He wouldn’t miss this unless he was dead. Of course, we all die.” He shrugs, as if his fellow dwarf’s death is to be expected. You suspect this is more because of his dour outlook on life than a belief that someone was gunning for the Gold Goblin’s manager.

He seems disinclined to talk to you more unless you can convince him otherwise (Diplomacy Check DC 20, +2 bonus because you are both dwarves).