EPISODE 06
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The undead battle won, follow the Investigators as they travel to Corvis to get proper medical attention for Kaar, visit a semi-legal fight club, and meet an odd member of the Corvis branch of the Strangelight Workshop.
Episode Title: A Safe Bet
Main Characters: Magnus, Selene, Derby, Kaar Support Characters: Grinder, Doctor Dhalia Game Date: 10/7/16 |
The path was about twenty feet in length. Derby created it solely by pacing back and forth incessantly for at least 30 minutes. There was little she could do but watch and wait. Kaar was still unconscious from the brutal swipe he took across the head from the undead swamp creature in the battle to defend the Bog Trog village. Selene and Magnus worked feverishly to stop the bleeding from the gashes the dwarf suffered from the attack. That task was completed nearly ten minutes ago. The wounds were disinfected and dressed respectably, and would certainly hold up for the time being. The bandages on his head and face made the dwarf look like a burn victim. Selene eyed her work and shook her head. It was in her estimation a sorry excuse for medicine, but it would do for now. She winced in pain and let out a sharp hiss as Magnus worked on her leg wound. It was not a serious injury, but the risk of infection while traveling in the swamp was too great to leave it untreated. The alcohol burned as it did its job. "We really need to invest in some restorative elixirs," she said through clenched teeth. "First aid kits are definitely better than nothing, but it would help to have more options on hand if we are going to continue to get ourselves tangled up in physical confrontations."
"Alright then, you're all set," Magnus said finally as he put the final piece of tape around the bandage on her lower thigh where the mage hunter had been clawed by the zombie trog. How many times had he or Alex patched Selene up from minor wounds when they were adventuring together over the past few years? He figured there were too many to count. As he moved back to Kaar, he took off his cloak and folded it to prop the Dwarf's head up. Selene took some type of foul-smelling vial out of her kit and uncorked it, holding the dark liquid inside up under Kaar's nose for the second time now. Thank Scyrah, he finally stirred. "I think we got him back!" she said out loud, looking to the pacing Derby who quickly ran over to see the Dwarf shoot up to a sitting position.
"Ooii!!! get that confounded stuff outa' me face, devil woman! Wha' the... Ohhh! me blasted head." Kaar called out as he lifted his hands to his temples and rubbed them as if trying to massage the pain away. Glancing around, he saw the carnage of dead and dead-again bodies littering the camp site. He saw his friends all still alive, and he looked at a concerned Derby and smirked. "Don't worry lass. Like I said a hundred times before, 'No undead bastard is gonna' kill THIS dwarf anytime soon'." Looking to Selene next, she waived him off before he could thank her.
"You're welcome. Again." Selene buttoned up her medical kit and tilted her head to the side. "I thought you were the one who was supposed to be bringing ME back from the brink," she said rhetorically to the Mechanik. "The least you could do is wait for us to retrieve Alexandra before you go nearly getting yourself killed again."
"Aye," the hurting dwarf replied. "Trust me, I don't disagree with that thought."
A few minutes later, the close call averted, Kaar appeared to be stabilizing, although he looked and felt like he had been hit by a train. Considering he was both dizzy and nauseous; the searforge trader guessed he was suffering from a mild concussion as the best case scenario. He would need professional treatment, and he would need it sooner rather than later. As Kaar was talking to his friends to get a report of the final stages of the battle, he watched Nosk approach the group from where the Bog Trog had been protecting the more vulnerable members of his tribe. "I can not thank you enough for your help in destroying the raiding party and saving our people from further loss," the Mist Speaker said with a great deal of sincerity in his amphibious voice. "It is now my turn to fulfill our end of the deal. Come sit around the campfire and I will tell you everything I know about Taloc the Dark, where he is keeping your friend, and to the best of my ability, what his vile schemes are."
"Alright then, you're all set," Magnus said finally as he put the final piece of tape around the bandage on her lower thigh where the mage hunter had been clawed by the zombie trog. How many times had he or Alex patched Selene up from minor wounds when they were adventuring together over the past few years? He figured there were too many to count. As he moved back to Kaar, he took off his cloak and folded it to prop the Dwarf's head up. Selene took some type of foul-smelling vial out of her kit and uncorked it, holding the dark liquid inside up under Kaar's nose for the second time now. Thank Scyrah, he finally stirred. "I think we got him back!" she said out loud, looking to the pacing Derby who quickly ran over to see the Dwarf shoot up to a sitting position.
"Ooii!!! get that confounded stuff outa' me face, devil woman! Wha' the... Ohhh! me blasted head." Kaar called out as he lifted his hands to his temples and rubbed them as if trying to massage the pain away. Glancing around, he saw the carnage of dead and dead-again bodies littering the camp site. He saw his friends all still alive, and he looked at a concerned Derby and smirked. "Don't worry lass. Like I said a hundred times before, 'No undead bastard is gonna' kill THIS dwarf anytime soon'." Looking to Selene next, she waived him off before he could thank her.
"You're welcome. Again." Selene buttoned up her medical kit and tilted her head to the side. "I thought you were the one who was supposed to be bringing ME back from the brink," she said rhetorically to the Mechanik. "The least you could do is wait for us to retrieve Alexandra before you go nearly getting yourself killed again."
"Aye," the hurting dwarf replied. "Trust me, I don't disagree with that thought."
A few minutes later, the close call averted, Kaar appeared to be stabilizing, although he looked and felt like he had been hit by a train. Considering he was both dizzy and nauseous; the searforge trader guessed he was suffering from a mild concussion as the best case scenario. He would need professional treatment, and he would need it sooner rather than later. As Kaar was talking to his friends to get a report of the final stages of the battle, he watched Nosk approach the group from where the Bog Trog had been protecting the more vulnerable members of his tribe. "I can not thank you enough for your help in destroying the raiding party and saving our people from further loss," the Mist Speaker said with a great deal of sincerity in his amphibious voice. "It is now my turn to fulfill our end of the deal. Come sit around the campfire and I will tell you everything I know about Taloc the Dark, where he is keeping your friend, and to the best of my ability, what his vile schemes are."
For the next hour, the Trog leader spoke about his knowledge of Taloc, Gosag, and the rest of the Cult that followed them. The companions learned a great deal, none of which made them relish the thought of a confrontation with the fanatic group, but not seeing any other option of getting Alexandra back. The highlights of the Mist Speaker's sermon focused on the Bokor himself. He informed them that Taloc the Dark was given that name for a very disturbing reason. He was said to have the dark gift of extracting the very souls of his victims in order to empower and infuse himself with magic itself. Nosk had never seen any other living creature possess that power, and had no idea where Taloc would have learned such a thing. Eyewitness accounts from Bog Trogs the Mist Speaker trusted implicitly gave him the news of this disturbing ability. Nosk also shared that it seemed the only time the ritual murders and power transference could occur was when one of Caen's moons were full. He informed the companions that they had three more nights before the next full moon was to be in the night sky; four if his calculations were off, and he was rarely if ever wrong about such things.
Upon hearing and digesting the eye-opening tale, the team discussed their options and unanimously decided on trying to make it to the City of Corvis in order to get Kaar medical treatment as well as prepare themselves for the upcoming rescue. If Nosk's information proved accurate, they could get to the city in a day, take a day to resupply, and then reach the cave that housed the cult after another day's travel. They should reach the vile sacrificial site before the ritual began with a little breathing room should an unexpected hitch temporarily sidetrack them, especially if they made good time. It also made tactical sense, as the Bog Trog leader told them that when the ritual began, all the cult members would be gathered in one room, leaving the tunnel entrance void of guards. It was the only way the group could gain surprise, and they would have to use that to their advantage if they had any hope of saving Alexandra and escaping with their lives. Getting backup from the Strangelight Workshop in Corvis would certainly not be a terrible idea either, assuming of course they had members that weren't strictly scholars that had never lifted a weapon in their lives; which they had to admit wasn't a foregone conclusion.
As the conversation continued, Nosk also shared some ancillary information that might be useful to the brave companions. Taloc was a Gatorman, and an imposing and ruthless one at that. Taller than even the Mist Speaker himself, and Nosk was freakishly big for a Bog Trog. The local tribes in the area were all deathly afraid of the cult of Gatormen and Bog Trogs that followed the Bokor, and although they would be grateful for his defeat, would certainly not be willing to risk invoking his wrath to help a group of city dwellers intent on going after him. Nosk discouraged Kaar from wasting precious time even trying. When asked more specific questions about Gosag, the tribe leader was a bit less forthcoming, and it was obvious to the group that the hatred between the two was wickedly strong. Gosag had at one time been Nosk's greatest warrior, and was incredibly skilled at combat. On a one-on-one fight, Nosk was not sure if he could take on the deformed beast and win, even if he was at full health. Nosk had been forced to exile Gosag from the tribe over a year ago for reasons he did not discuss, but were obviously painful to recall for the Speaker. The attacks on his small village, which offered no type of tactical advantage for the cult, were most likely a well executed vendetta against Nosk himself as revenge for the public humiliation and monumental loss of clout; a veritable death sentence in the wilds.
The conversation ended with Selene offering to track for the group in order to get them to and from Corvis in order to reach their destinations on time. Nosk gave Selene specific instructions on how to accomplish tracking to the Black River from their campsite, and then how to find the cave once they left Corvis. She and Magnus paid close attention, feeling they could use all the help someone was willing to offer. Selene was a respectable tracker, but the swamps were a miserable place to try and show that off. They were inherently difficult to navigate, regardless of one's skill. But the directions seemed rather uncomplicated, so between the two of them the team felt quite confident they would have little trouble with the route. Some final advice from Nosk included the tactics and probable weaponry the Investigators could expect from the Cult's warriors, and the assurance that a victory would forever solidify a truce between his village and the Companions; not a small accomplishment in the marshes of the Thornwood for a group so incredibly foreign to the ways of the wilds.
Upon hearing and digesting the eye-opening tale, the team discussed their options and unanimously decided on trying to make it to the City of Corvis in order to get Kaar medical treatment as well as prepare themselves for the upcoming rescue. If Nosk's information proved accurate, they could get to the city in a day, take a day to resupply, and then reach the cave that housed the cult after another day's travel. They should reach the vile sacrificial site before the ritual began with a little breathing room should an unexpected hitch temporarily sidetrack them, especially if they made good time. It also made tactical sense, as the Bog Trog leader told them that when the ritual began, all the cult members would be gathered in one room, leaving the tunnel entrance void of guards. It was the only way the group could gain surprise, and they would have to use that to their advantage if they had any hope of saving Alexandra and escaping with their lives. Getting backup from the Strangelight Workshop in Corvis would certainly not be a terrible idea either, assuming of course they had members that weren't strictly scholars that had never lifted a weapon in their lives; which they had to admit wasn't a foregone conclusion.
As the conversation continued, Nosk also shared some ancillary information that might be useful to the brave companions. Taloc was a Gatorman, and an imposing and ruthless one at that. Taller than even the Mist Speaker himself, and Nosk was freakishly big for a Bog Trog. The local tribes in the area were all deathly afraid of the cult of Gatormen and Bog Trogs that followed the Bokor, and although they would be grateful for his defeat, would certainly not be willing to risk invoking his wrath to help a group of city dwellers intent on going after him. Nosk discouraged Kaar from wasting precious time even trying. When asked more specific questions about Gosag, the tribe leader was a bit less forthcoming, and it was obvious to the group that the hatred between the two was wickedly strong. Gosag had at one time been Nosk's greatest warrior, and was incredibly skilled at combat. On a one-on-one fight, Nosk was not sure if he could take on the deformed beast and win, even if he was at full health. Nosk had been forced to exile Gosag from the tribe over a year ago for reasons he did not discuss, but were obviously painful to recall for the Speaker. The attacks on his small village, which offered no type of tactical advantage for the cult, were most likely a well executed vendetta against Nosk himself as revenge for the public humiliation and monumental loss of clout; a veritable death sentence in the wilds.
The conversation ended with Selene offering to track for the group in order to get them to and from Corvis in order to reach their destinations on time. Nosk gave Selene specific instructions on how to accomplish tracking to the Black River from their campsite, and then how to find the cave once they left Corvis. She and Magnus paid close attention, feeling they could use all the help someone was willing to offer. Selene was a respectable tracker, but the swamps were a miserable place to try and show that off. They were inherently difficult to navigate, regardless of one's skill. But the directions seemed rather uncomplicated, so between the two of them the team felt quite confident they would have little trouble with the route. Some final advice from Nosk included the tactics and probable weaponry the Investigators could expect from the Cult's warriors, and the assurance that a victory would forever solidify a truce between his village and the Companions; not a small accomplishment in the marshes of the Thornwood for a group so incredibly foreign to the ways of the wilds.
As the group slogged their way through the heaviness of the swamp, the sun was still about an hour from rising. To their fortune the rains had stayed away, which made traveling the slushy terrain a bit easier at least. The moons were bright, which allowed the companions to travel with their lantern at low levels, making Selene more comfortable. Of course, more comfortable than "extremely uncomfortable" wasn't exactly an encouraging amount of comfort to begin with. The Iosan focused on the positive, knowing that Magnus would complain so profusely without the illumination of the lantern, it would have probably been ten times worse than the small amount of light it gave off anyway. A few hours passed uneventfully when Kaar halted the group from his position in line. Feeling dizzy and sick, the dwarf heaved into the brush a half dozen times before taking an oily mechanik's rag and wiping his mouth and beard. As Magnus looked at his friend, he felt badly for him but had to turn away as not to laugh in the disheveled dwarf's face. Not only did the trader look like a soggy, fat, pear, with stained white bandaged covering cuts all over his face and head; but his beard had become a collection pit for all manner of crawlers and insects that found the thick hair a moist nesting place. On top of that, the dwarf could not wipe his face completely clean of vomit, giving his beard a yellowish color of puke in hard to reach spots. And the cherry on top was now the greasy rag with black, oily residue smudging the bandages around his nose and upper mouth, giving him the look of a homeless vagrant who had spent the past several months in the pig pits of a Menite prison camp. He was about as miserable a sight as the gunmage had ever seen; and to make matters worse, probably felt every bit as bad as he looked and smelled.
After taking a moment to let Kaar recover, Selene had to turn to the group and admit she thought she had lost the trail. "I can not find any signs of the next type of tree Nosk had told me to look for, and it has been some time since the last natural marker," she said with a scowl. "Using the moons as a guide, I can easily continue heading straight east, but we may lose valuable time should I do so. What does everyone think?" she queried, wanting to get the team's advice. As the Elf, Kaar, and Magnus discussed their best option, Derby came stealthily out of the brush to the left of them where she had been following the group in a parallel line to broaden their viewing distance in the areas of poorest visibility.
"Well, I take it we are lost considering you have stopped," she interrupted. Before they could fill her in, she continued. "To our left about 60 yards or so is a group of explorers. It appears they have set up camp for dinner and a game of cards."
"Do they know we are here?" Magnus asked, sounding somewhat alarmed and not wanting to subject the compromised dwarf to any type of confrontation in his current condition.
Derby shook her head and squinted her eyes as if to indicate that in order for them to know the companions were there, she would have had to have been careless enough to get discovered. "They have no idea. I don't even think they have anyone on scouting duty yet," she answered.
"Let's give them a wide berth and go around," Kaar suggested. "No need to make contact in my opinion."
"I have a better idea," Derby smiled as she rubbed her hands together. "If we are lost, I think I can help us get back on track and win us some coin while doing so. Give me 20 minutes and I will take care of everything. Come along if you want to watch."
"Wait. What about..." and Kaar just stopped mid sentence. He felt like he was going to be sick again, and suddenly a twenty minute break sounded like a most excellent idea, even if it meant enduring one of Derby's infamous 'ideas'.
Five minutes later and Derby Sway, along with the rest of her beleaguered group, seemingly appeared out of nowhere and approached the exploration team. Making small talk at first, she took a seat on a log next to one of the explorers and gave the man a wink. "You are playing cards? Oh, what game is it?" she asked excitedly. Derby could see a few coins sat on a tree stump that was temporarily functioning as a makeshift table, but realized the stakes were not that large. Still, even if she pulled all her group's money together, the young thief didn't have enough to do any meaningful gambling, at least in her eyes, and realized she would need to improvise a bit. The group of travelers numbered eight total, and some engagement revealed that this group was actually a mercenary outfit dispatched from Corvis on an undisclosed assignment. In truth, Derby didn't much care why they were here; only that her group needed directions to the city, and these people could provide them. Unfortunately, when they saw her interest in their little game, and a potential mark for an 'honest' little round of card-sharking, they decided that such information could only be obtained if she joined their game and won. The pleasure of the night was Hangman's Bluff, a single deck card game primarily based on bluffing and misdirection, with the first player to score five victory hands being declared the winner. With nothing coming to mind to offer up on her end, Derby wagered the only piece of treasure the group had of real value: the new mechanika sword they found in the temple.
Now Selene realized that technically the blade was group property. But the Mage Hunter also knew that she was by far the most qualified member of the team to hold and wield the weapon. So in the Iosan's mind, Derby's willingness to offer up the sword as her "bet" was altogether crushing. Her friend was a better than average gambler yes; but her propensity for blowing games at the end of a good run and losing all her money and property was approaching historical status. So, in a matter Selene viewed as saving the thief from herself, the Iosan whispered something into Maggy's ear, and then proceeded to flirt heavily with one of the gamblers seated across from Sway. Before long, the Elven woman was escorting the young man into the woods, leaving a vacant seat at the makeshift table. The gamblers looked at each other and began to argue about how to proceed now that one of their players had suddenly up and left.
"I'll join!" the gunmage said with a smile, and took up the missing spot without skipping a beat. "I don't normally gamble, but I do know of this game and would like to give it a try if that's alright?" he asked innocently. Interestingly enough, Magnus wasn't lying when he said he didn't normally gamble. In fact, he found all games of chance to be a preposterous way of spending one's valuable time. That being said, there was a considerable amount more at stake here than normal, not the least of which was getting those directions so they could get to Alex in time to save her from a ritual that would most assuredly claim her life. He would play this silly game all night long if that's what it took. Thankfully, it required only eight hands before Magnus had managed to use his ability of counting cards to his advantage. With some indirect but valuable help from Derby, he won the necessary five hands before anyone else; and the gunmage pocketed 62 gold crowns and forced the explorers to give up the fastest directions to Corvis without giving anything up in return. Better still, it took less than a half hour to do so. About that time, Tanis returned from the woods with a dejected looking human male trailing behind her. Derby chuckled to herself, thinking the young man's time with Selene did not entail exactly what he had hoped it would. Bidding the now suspicious group farewell, the companions continued their march toward the infamous City of Ghosts.
Joining that game and getting exceedingly efficient directions proved to be well worth the time and effort, cutting close to five hours travel time off their journey as best as Selene could judge. This put them into Corvis right around midnight, and close to four hours ahead of Selene's already aggressive schedule. Just after entering the city however, the companions were surprised to be confronted by the same group they had left not five hours ago back in the Thornwood. Apparently the mercenary group had figured out they were out-hustled by the ragtag group of investigators, and wanted compensation or else. Still feeling woozy, Kaar realized that if he didn't diffuse this situation quickly, they wouldn't be in town even a day before getting into more trouble than they could afford. That would be completely unacceptable, not to mention he wasn't sure how much longer he could stay on his feet without rest. What transpired next was some of the most acrobatic bit of negotiation mixed with legal rhetoric that the dwarf could spin. Not ten minutes later, the mercenaries were so overwhelmed with legal jargon and threats of potential jail time, they made their apologies and went on their merry way. 62 Cygnaran Crowns wasn't worth taking the risk that Kaar's subtle threats were accurate. The dwarf seemed to know what he was talking about, which was much more than any of the mercs could claim. It didn't take long for Derby and Magnus to locate a City Guardsman and find directions to the Corvis Division of the Strangelight Workshop. Kaar felt it wise to begin there, as the Strangelight agents might know of a doctor that provided their members with some sort of premium discount on services rendered.
After taking a moment to let Kaar recover, Selene had to turn to the group and admit she thought she had lost the trail. "I can not find any signs of the next type of tree Nosk had told me to look for, and it has been some time since the last natural marker," she said with a scowl. "Using the moons as a guide, I can easily continue heading straight east, but we may lose valuable time should I do so. What does everyone think?" she queried, wanting to get the team's advice. As the Elf, Kaar, and Magnus discussed their best option, Derby came stealthily out of the brush to the left of them where she had been following the group in a parallel line to broaden their viewing distance in the areas of poorest visibility.
"Well, I take it we are lost considering you have stopped," she interrupted. Before they could fill her in, she continued. "To our left about 60 yards or so is a group of explorers. It appears they have set up camp for dinner and a game of cards."
"Do they know we are here?" Magnus asked, sounding somewhat alarmed and not wanting to subject the compromised dwarf to any type of confrontation in his current condition.
Derby shook her head and squinted her eyes as if to indicate that in order for them to know the companions were there, she would have had to have been careless enough to get discovered. "They have no idea. I don't even think they have anyone on scouting duty yet," she answered.
"Let's give them a wide berth and go around," Kaar suggested. "No need to make contact in my opinion."
"I have a better idea," Derby smiled as she rubbed her hands together. "If we are lost, I think I can help us get back on track and win us some coin while doing so. Give me 20 minutes and I will take care of everything. Come along if you want to watch."
"Wait. What about..." and Kaar just stopped mid sentence. He felt like he was going to be sick again, and suddenly a twenty minute break sounded like a most excellent idea, even if it meant enduring one of Derby's infamous 'ideas'.
Five minutes later and Derby Sway, along with the rest of her beleaguered group, seemingly appeared out of nowhere and approached the exploration team. Making small talk at first, she took a seat on a log next to one of the explorers and gave the man a wink. "You are playing cards? Oh, what game is it?" she asked excitedly. Derby could see a few coins sat on a tree stump that was temporarily functioning as a makeshift table, but realized the stakes were not that large. Still, even if she pulled all her group's money together, the young thief didn't have enough to do any meaningful gambling, at least in her eyes, and realized she would need to improvise a bit. The group of travelers numbered eight total, and some engagement revealed that this group was actually a mercenary outfit dispatched from Corvis on an undisclosed assignment. In truth, Derby didn't much care why they were here; only that her group needed directions to the city, and these people could provide them. Unfortunately, when they saw her interest in their little game, and a potential mark for an 'honest' little round of card-sharking, they decided that such information could only be obtained if she joined their game and won. The pleasure of the night was Hangman's Bluff, a single deck card game primarily based on bluffing and misdirection, with the first player to score five victory hands being declared the winner. With nothing coming to mind to offer up on her end, Derby wagered the only piece of treasure the group had of real value: the new mechanika sword they found in the temple.
Now Selene realized that technically the blade was group property. But the Mage Hunter also knew that she was by far the most qualified member of the team to hold and wield the weapon. So in the Iosan's mind, Derby's willingness to offer up the sword as her "bet" was altogether crushing. Her friend was a better than average gambler yes; but her propensity for blowing games at the end of a good run and losing all her money and property was approaching historical status. So, in a matter Selene viewed as saving the thief from herself, the Iosan whispered something into Maggy's ear, and then proceeded to flirt heavily with one of the gamblers seated across from Sway. Before long, the Elven woman was escorting the young man into the woods, leaving a vacant seat at the makeshift table. The gamblers looked at each other and began to argue about how to proceed now that one of their players had suddenly up and left.
"I'll join!" the gunmage said with a smile, and took up the missing spot without skipping a beat. "I don't normally gamble, but I do know of this game and would like to give it a try if that's alright?" he asked innocently. Interestingly enough, Magnus wasn't lying when he said he didn't normally gamble. In fact, he found all games of chance to be a preposterous way of spending one's valuable time. That being said, there was a considerable amount more at stake here than normal, not the least of which was getting those directions so they could get to Alex in time to save her from a ritual that would most assuredly claim her life. He would play this silly game all night long if that's what it took. Thankfully, it required only eight hands before Magnus had managed to use his ability of counting cards to his advantage. With some indirect but valuable help from Derby, he won the necessary five hands before anyone else; and the gunmage pocketed 62 gold crowns and forced the explorers to give up the fastest directions to Corvis without giving anything up in return. Better still, it took less than a half hour to do so. About that time, Tanis returned from the woods with a dejected looking human male trailing behind her. Derby chuckled to herself, thinking the young man's time with Selene did not entail exactly what he had hoped it would. Bidding the now suspicious group farewell, the companions continued their march toward the infamous City of Ghosts.
Joining that game and getting exceedingly efficient directions proved to be well worth the time and effort, cutting close to five hours travel time off their journey as best as Selene could judge. This put them into Corvis right around midnight, and close to four hours ahead of Selene's already aggressive schedule. Just after entering the city however, the companions were surprised to be confronted by the same group they had left not five hours ago back in the Thornwood. Apparently the mercenary group had figured out they were out-hustled by the ragtag group of investigators, and wanted compensation or else. Still feeling woozy, Kaar realized that if he didn't diffuse this situation quickly, they wouldn't be in town even a day before getting into more trouble than they could afford. That would be completely unacceptable, not to mention he wasn't sure how much longer he could stay on his feet without rest. What transpired next was some of the most acrobatic bit of negotiation mixed with legal rhetoric that the dwarf could spin. Not ten minutes later, the mercenaries were so overwhelmed with legal jargon and threats of potential jail time, they made their apologies and went on their merry way. 62 Cygnaran Crowns wasn't worth taking the risk that Kaar's subtle threats were accurate. The dwarf seemed to know what he was talking about, which was much more than any of the mercs could claim. It didn't take long for Derby and Magnus to locate a City Guardsman and find directions to the Corvis Division of the Strangelight Workshop. Kaar felt it wise to begin there, as the Strangelight agents might know of a doctor that provided their members with some sort of premium discount on services rendered.
The SI:12 agents had been traveling for nearly a full day and night without more than a few hours rest as they approached the door to the Workshop. The guardsmen had given them quite accurate directions, even showing a bit of respect for the weary group when they presented the crest of the the Strangelight Headquarters of Ceryl. As they stood at the bottom of the steps of the older building, the companions looked at each other with an expression of relief. After all they had been through the past several days, it was almost hard to believe they were actually here. Even so, it was difficult to judge which companion was the most exhausted, and that included the near tireless dwarf. Kaar's head pains had come and gone throughout the day, but at this particular moment had subsided a bit. Well, at least until he watched Magnus walk up the steps and read out loud the hastily scribbled note that was nailed to the door and signed by means of someone's fist print.
"You have got ta' be kidding me?!" the bedraggled trader said in irritation. "What kind a name is Grinder, and what on Caen is a Punchin' Pit?"
"Sounds like a fight club to me!" Derby said with some enthusiasm. "And.... sounds like we can bet on said fighting as well! C'mon Kaar. We are far ahead of schedule as it stands. And this sounds like fun," the suddenly energetic Derby said. "Besides," she lied with a grin, "I think you're beginning to look better." She grabbed the Dwarf's hand and dragged him along to the nearest guard, getting directions to the small but popular Punching Pit. Of course, the young gambler ignored the fact that the normally jovial mechanik was grumbling and mumbling to himself nearly the entire way there.
"You have got ta' be kidding me?!" the bedraggled trader said in irritation. "What kind a name is Grinder, and what on Caen is a Punchin' Pit?"
"Sounds like a fight club to me!" Derby said with some enthusiasm. "And.... sounds like we can bet on said fighting as well! C'mon Kaar. We are far ahead of schedule as it stands. And this sounds like fun," the suddenly energetic Derby said. "Besides," she lied with a grin, "I think you're beginning to look better." She grabbed the Dwarf's hand and dragged him along to the nearest guard, getting directions to the small but popular Punching Pit. Of course, the young gambler ignored the fact that the normally jovial mechanik was grumbling and mumbling to himself nearly the entire way there.
One could say the City of Corvis was in a bit of a flux-state at the moment. Over the past year, so much military activity had occurred in the Duchy of Cygnar known as the Northern Midlunds, it was almost impossible to keep track of. Not the least of these occurrences involved the previously secure Thornwood Forest being occupied by the soldiers of Khador thanks to the fall of Northguard on the northeast border of the Cygnar/Khadoran boundary line. Combine this troublesome fact with the ever present threat of the Protectorate of Menoth moving troops up and down their western lands, which also mirrored the nation of Cygnar on their southeast borders. And as if that wasn't enough, the eastern desert area known as the Bloodstone Marches had seen signs of increased Skorne Empire activity in the past year as well. In turn, this had forced King Leto Railthorne, the leader and sovereign ruler of Cygnar, to order some logistical rearranging of his eastern armies into strategic locations throughout the Northern Midlunds in preparation for the worst. It just so happened that the City of Corvis was one of those areas that saw the largest redeployment of troops affect its population. Put simply, there were a lot more soldiers in Corvis these days. Two entire divisions of the First Army were now located between Corvis and Fort Falk, causing all manner of overcrowding issues wherever the soldiers were ordered to make camp. This in turn meant that places like the Punching Pit were frequented much more regularly by people needing to blow off steam after a hard day of drills and weapons training. It wasn't even unheard of for a few soldiers to try to disguise themselves and enter the pits as contestants, hoping to earn a little extra coin in the process.
These things ran through the Companions' minds as they made their way to the front door of an old, abandoned underground warehouse in the southern district of town. The sign hanging on the sidewall was attached by easily removable chains, and as the bells of midnight struck, the group realized an establishment like this, which teetered between legal and illegal by the thinnest of threads, would be shutting its doors any moment now. They managed to gain entry as the second to last fight on the long card of scheduled bouts was just about ending. Making their way down a long but wide set of wooden steps, smells of smoke and alcohol assailed the companions as they reached the landing, overlooking a packed house of people that seemed to be from all stations and walks of life. Selene drew the hood of her cloak more tightly around her head than usual, wanting to ensure no one recognized her as Iosan. The Elven people of the Iron Kingdoms were reclusive to begin with, but being seen at this hour in a city like Corvis was far from common and certainly something she didn't want to draw attention to. Before she could even finish tying her drawstring together, Derby went rushing past her, appearing to head directly for the man on the other side of the small arena floor who was taking money and recording bets in a large book of records. It took almost no time at all to discern why she was moving so quickly when dashing past Selene a second later was a concerned looking Magnus holding up his finger and pointing to Derby as he tried not to lose her in the crowd. "That's GROUP money you know!" he was yelling at her back, trying his best to keep up with the quick little woman who had a distinct advantage darting through the crowd compared to the 6 foot tall gunmage.
As Kaar and Selene surveyed the scene in front of them, the two non-humans of the team had a slightly different outlook on what they were seeing compared to the average crowd member. Hanging from the ceiling of what was essentially just one large room, were three steel beams that served the sole purpose of having gaslight fixtures attached to them in order to illuminate what was an oval ring in the center of the open space. Around the ring, or 'pit' as it were, was a makeshift fence that was little more than thick wooden panels held together by hastily nailed crossbeams of wood that looked like untreated railroad ties. Around the circumference of the fence were various signs that looked to be advertising for various establishments, undoubtedly businesses that could be found in town. Kaar in particular found this to be a rather ingenious form of promotion that probably benefited both the event organizers and the business owners equally. The floor of the little arena was covered in hay and sawdust, with the occasional burlap sack strewn around the pit's edges. Currently there were four "participants" in the ring, each with what Selene could tell were sparring blades of various types. These were similar in many ways to real combat weapons, although they were slightly lighter in weight and had their edges significantly dulled in order to prevent serious injury. It worked most of the time. The crowds of people were standing on tiered steps that allowed for a far greater number of viewers in an area such as this. The Mage Hunter could tell that someone had put a considerable amount of time maximizing the logistics and entertainment value of the event; as was evidenced from the sheer amount of people that were here to watch and bet on the contests.
Derby made it to the large chalkboard at the back end of the pit with names and odds written up and down it like some type of complex recipe. She found a hawkish looking fellow that appeared like he may be in charge of accepting bets and approached him excitedly. "Where can I place a wager on the upcoming fight?" she asked quickly, glancing behind her for signs of her persistent and rather annoying pursuer.
"Ya be wantin' Ox!" the man yelled over what was a sudden giant outburst from the crowd. "He's to the left of the board right over there!" the tall and lanky man said. "He'll take yer bet. But ya better hurry," the man said as he saw a male human in a wide brimmed duster approaching him as well. "Last fight of the night is startin' any minute, and once it begins, the board is closed."
Derby quickly thanked the gentleman and moved toward the extremely large Ogrun she assumed was Ox. Next to him stood a smaller, wiry built man who was quite well dressed and writing as fast as he could as the larger one was accepting money and yelling names and numbers into his ear. "Hello Ox!" she said with a smile as she appeared to be the last one in line. Sensing Magnus only steps away, she held out a bag of coins and spoke quickly, "Can you check the identification of the man behind me please? I think he's been following me."
Unfortunately for the disingenuous little thief, the crowd let out an extended yell at the same time, and her duplicitous request went virtually unheard by the Ogrun as he looked up momentarily to see two of the combatants on the ground knocked out. It appeared the fight was just about over. As Derby was hastily counting out 50 gold crowns, Magnus had finally caught up to her and put a hand on her small shoulder. "20 crowns is the limit here. I mean it. We have no idea who this Grinder is, and you want to put almost all our money on him?" he attempted to reason with her as she looked up at that wide brimmed hat and then into his calculating eyes.
She whipped around to the Ogrun quickly and said with a smile as she held up her index finger, "Just one moment please. I just need a quick word with the skinny fellow here. Be right with you; promise!" she said in a rushed but pleasant voice. Turning back around to Magnus, Derby whispered something in his ear relating to the potential of gaining another large member for their group to help protect the gunmage from would-be attackers; and that according to his note, the only way this Grinder person would help was if a bet was placed on him to win his fistfight. She also managed to manipulate Mags on the point that the bigger the bet, the more confidence in him the group showed, and the more likely he would be to help them rescue Alexandra. Now maybe it had something to do with the fact that Magnus was more tired than he had felt in months, but whatever Derby actually said made a whole lot of sense at that moment, and he nodded his head in agreement at the end of her persuading argument.
Successful at last, the young thief held out 50 crowns and handed them to the Ogrun, placing a bet on the fighter named 'Grinder' to win in the final bout of the night as the crowd behind her went crazy again, the current contest coming to a close.
These things ran through the Companions' minds as they made their way to the front door of an old, abandoned underground warehouse in the southern district of town. The sign hanging on the sidewall was attached by easily removable chains, and as the bells of midnight struck, the group realized an establishment like this, which teetered between legal and illegal by the thinnest of threads, would be shutting its doors any moment now. They managed to gain entry as the second to last fight on the long card of scheduled bouts was just about ending. Making their way down a long but wide set of wooden steps, smells of smoke and alcohol assailed the companions as they reached the landing, overlooking a packed house of people that seemed to be from all stations and walks of life. Selene drew the hood of her cloak more tightly around her head than usual, wanting to ensure no one recognized her as Iosan. The Elven people of the Iron Kingdoms were reclusive to begin with, but being seen at this hour in a city like Corvis was far from common and certainly something she didn't want to draw attention to. Before she could even finish tying her drawstring together, Derby went rushing past her, appearing to head directly for the man on the other side of the small arena floor who was taking money and recording bets in a large book of records. It took almost no time at all to discern why she was moving so quickly when dashing past Selene a second later was a concerned looking Magnus holding up his finger and pointing to Derby as he tried not to lose her in the crowd. "That's GROUP money you know!" he was yelling at her back, trying his best to keep up with the quick little woman who had a distinct advantage darting through the crowd compared to the 6 foot tall gunmage.
As Kaar and Selene surveyed the scene in front of them, the two non-humans of the team had a slightly different outlook on what they were seeing compared to the average crowd member. Hanging from the ceiling of what was essentially just one large room, were three steel beams that served the sole purpose of having gaslight fixtures attached to them in order to illuminate what was an oval ring in the center of the open space. Around the ring, or 'pit' as it were, was a makeshift fence that was little more than thick wooden panels held together by hastily nailed crossbeams of wood that looked like untreated railroad ties. Around the circumference of the fence were various signs that looked to be advertising for various establishments, undoubtedly businesses that could be found in town. Kaar in particular found this to be a rather ingenious form of promotion that probably benefited both the event organizers and the business owners equally. The floor of the little arena was covered in hay and sawdust, with the occasional burlap sack strewn around the pit's edges. Currently there were four "participants" in the ring, each with what Selene could tell were sparring blades of various types. These were similar in many ways to real combat weapons, although they were slightly lighter in weight and had their edges significantly dulled in order to prevent serious injury. It worked most of the time. The crowds of people were standing on tiered steps that allowed for a far greater number of viewers in an area such as this. The Mage Hunter could tell that someone had put a considerable amount of time maximizing the logistics and entertainment value of the event; as was evidenced from the sheer amount of people that were here to watch and bet on the contests.
Derby made it to the large chalkboard at the back end of the pit with names and odds written up and down it like some type of complex recipe. She found a hawkish looking fellow that appeared like he may be in charge of accepting bets and approached him excitedly. "Where can I place a wager on the upcoming fight?" she asked quickly, glancing behind her for signs of her persistent and rather annoying pursuer.
"Ya be wantin' Ox!" the man yelled over what was a sudden giant outburst from the crowd. "He's to the left of the board right over there!" the tall and lanky man said. "He'll take yer bet. But ya better hurry," the man said as he saw a male human in a wide brimmed duster approaching him as well. "Last fight of the night is startin' any minute, and once it begins, the board is closed."
Derby quickly thanked the gentleman and moved toward the extremely large Ogrun she assumed was Ox. Next to him stood a smaller, wiry built man who was quite well dressed and writing as fast as he could as the larger one was accepting money and yelling names and numbers into his ear. "Hello Ox!" she said with a smile as she appeared to be the last one in line. Sensing Magnus only steps away, she held out a bag of coins and spoke quickly, "Can you check the identification of the man behind me please? I think he's been following me."
Unfortunately for the disingenuous little thief, the crowd let out an extended yell at the same time, and her duplicitous request went virtually unheard by the Ogrun as he looked up momentarily to see two of the combatants on the ground knocked out. It appeared the fight was just about over. As Derby was hastily counting out 50 gold crowns, Magnus had finally caught up to her and put a hand on her small shoulder. "20 crowns is the limit here. I mean it. We have no idea who this Grinder is, and you want to put almost all our money on him?" he attempted to reason with her as she looked up at that wide brimmed hat and then into his calculating eyes.
She whipped around to the Ogrun quickly and said with a smile as she held up her index finger, "Just one moment please. I just need a quick word with the skinny fellow here. Be right with you; promise!" she said in a rushed but pleasant voice. Turning back around to Magnus, Derby whispered something in his ear relating to the potential of gaining another large member for their group to help protect the gunmage from would-be attackers; and that according to his note, the only way this Grinder person would help was if a bet was placed on him to win his fistfight. She also managed to manipulate Mags on the point that the bigger the bet, the more confidence in him the group showed, and the more likely he would be to help them rescue Alexandra. Now maybe it had something to do with the fact that Magnus was more tired than he had felt in months, but whatever Derby actually said made a whole lot of sense at that moment, and he nodded his head in agreement at the end of her persuading argument.
Successful at last, the young thief held out 50 crowns and handed them to the Ogrun, placing a bet on the fighter named 'Grinder' to win in the final bout of the night as the crowd behind her went crazy again, the current contest coming to a close.
"For our final fight of the night, please put your hands together for four of the greatest bare-knuckle brawlers to enter the Punching Pit this year! Hailing from the Southern Midlunds Duchy, I give you Crazy Marc McQuaid, Eli the Quick, Bad Bart, and Sam the Butcher; from this point forward known as The Fearsome Foursome!" the announcer bellowed out as the crowd began to hush themselves so they could hear the introductions. One by one, four human men entered the oval shaped arena wearing light armor and carrying no weapons of any kind. Magnus noted they were not talking, which was a good indication they didn't know each other very well, and were hopefully not accustomed to fighting as a team. He also noted that if this was to be a 4 on 1 bout, this Grinder fellow must be something to reckon with indeed. The normally disinterested gunmage was suddenly paying much closer attention to the event unfolding before him. Once the four men were in the ring, fists pumping up and down to get their side of the crowd cheering, the announcer continued.
"And their opponent, hailing from the Widower's Wood, but now making his home in our very own city of Corvis, please welcome the 'Marauder of Men' and the 'Grinder of Flesh', the one and only Grinder Stonetongue!" At the mention of the now well-known pugilist and Fellcaller of the Strangelight Workshop, the crowd went into an absolute uproar of cries, cheers, whistles. "Grinder! Grinder! Grinder! Grinder!" the people were near deafening as they chanted his name over and over until the 340 pound Trollkin came jogging out from the side room and into the center of the fighting pit. Raising his giant taped fist, the blue hulk soaked up the energy of the crowd as two men entered the ring behind him and placed what looked to Kaar to be a bed of dull spikes in the center of the floor. Quickly nailing the obstacle down, the men left the fighters to it and took their positions as eager as everyone else for the match to get underway. Everything now in place, the announcer rolled up his scroll, rang the large starting bell, and exited the combat zone, closing and locking the gate behind him. Caught up in the moment, the companions joined the cheering as the night's Main Event was about to begin!
"And their opponent, hailing from the Widower's Wood, but now making his home in our very own city of Corvis, please welcome the 'Marauder of Men' and the 'Grinder of Flesh', the one and only Grinder Stonetongue!" At the mention of the now well-known pugilist and Fellcaller of the Strangelight Workshop, the crowd went into an absolute uproar of cries, cheers, whistles. "Grinder! Grinder! Grinder! Grinder!" the people were near deafening as they chanted his name over and over until the 340 pound Trollkin came jogging out from the side room and into the center of the fighting pit. Raising his giant taped fist, the blue hulk soaked up the energy of the crowd as two men entered the ring behind him and placed what looked to Kaar to be a bed of dull spikes in the center of the floor. Quickly nailing the obstacle down, the men left the fighters to it and took their positions as eager as everyone else for the match to get underway. Everything now in place, the announcer rolled up his scroll, rang the large starting bell, and exited the combat zone, closing and locking the gate behind him. Caught up in the moment, the companions joined the cheering as the night's Main Event was about to begin!
The massive Trollkin followed the bell immediately with a warcry that was so unnaturally loud it actually reverberated throughout the building and over the voices of the screaming crowd. Following his signature shout whenever involved in a pugilistic contest, Grinder immediately stepped forward with a roundhouse right hand meant to end Sam the Butcher before the man even got started. Luckily for the bare chested fighter, he was quick enough to duck under the sloppy punch quite possibly avoiding the earliest knockout of his career. Before Sam could retaliate with a double fisted hammer club to Grinder's chest, Bad Bart stepped in and threw a wild right cross at the massive Trollkin from the side. Smirking to himself, Grinder deftly dodged out of the way and Bart's punch nearly connected with Sam. Throwing the Butcher off balance, it caused his hammer punch to miss the Fellcaller wildly. Before he could regain his balance from dodging two almost simultaneous attacks, Grinder felt another human swing at him, and this time connect solidly to the Trollkin's shoulder. Crazy Mark McQuaid had charged Grinder from the other side and took advantage of his being distracted, hitting him squarely. Disappointingly for McQuaid however, his fist bounced off the muscular Trollkin as if he had run his knuckles into a hard rubber wall. This left Eli the Quick, and true to his name, the wily little fellow was too fast for the Trollkin pugilist to react to, taking a square punch to the kidney. Nearly causing him to laugh, Grinder didn't so much as flinch from the weak strike; but did use the force of the blow to propel him forward for his next attack, a left uppercut aimed directly under the chin of poor Mark McQuaid. The crowd let out a collective "BAMM!" as the blow hit the human so hard it lifted him off his feet to land on his back on the dulled spike box in the center of the ring. Now regardless of just how polished down the spikes actually were, when a human body lands with that much force directly on top of them, flesh tends to pierce. If there was any positive thing to draw from the crushing blow that McQuaid had just suffered though, it was that the uppercut knocked the poor human out cold before he even reached the spikes, and the blood that began trickling from the puncture wounds in his back wouldn't be felt until he awoke.
With one fighter down, Grinder let out another bellow, both in celebration for so quickly disposing of one of his opponents and to see if he couldn't strike some fear in those that remained. However, in doing so he opened himself up briefly enough that Bart landed with a solid right hand punch to Grinder's back. To Bart's dismay though, he landed the blow directly on the Trollkin's custom armor, which absorbed the entire force of the punch. Seeing the fist land and do no damage caused Sam to try a slightly different tactic. The large man jumped up and tried to grab Grinder's massive arm, thinking if he could grapple it and pin it behind his back, the Trollkin would be at an extreme disadvantage. Derby watched from her position at the top of the small arena, thinking Sam deserved marks for a clever if foolish tactical move. Unfortunately, what Sam failed to realize when he formulated his little plan was just how huge and muscular Grinder Stonetongue actually was. The Trollkin immediately flexed his bicep and shook his arm. Poor Sam's eyes widened in surprise as what he thought was a solid grip disappeared as he fell to his feet, now right next to the blue monster with his defenses down and off balance. Not to be outdone by the tactics of his fellows, the quick moving Eli decided he was going to use Bart as leverage to jump up onto Grinder's back and choke him until he passed out. Selene bowed her head as if in wonderment at the ill-conceived tactics on display; and in a moment of quick regret, Eli suddenly realized that Bart had absolutely no idea he was going to use him as a human springboard, shifting at the last moment, causing Eli to get halfway up the Fellcallers back, lose his balance, and crash down onto his own back with a thud. At that moment, the crowd let out a loud "Ohhhhh!" in unison, thinking that the fall could not have felt very good at all.
And now it was Grinder's turn to act again, and deciding he wanted to save the so-called 'Butcher' for later, turned instead to face Bad Bart. Displaying more quickness than the human could have ever guessed the muscular Trollkin possessed, Grinder separated his hands and brought them crashing into the surprised man's ears on both sides of his head as he yelled into his face, "Boom go the eardrums!" Kaar, in perfect position to see this occur from his place in the crowd, winced in sympathy as he heard a squishing sound and watched the poor man's body go completely limp and fall to the ground like a pudding stick that had been out in the sun too long. The dwarf watched as blood began running out of Bart's ears, thinking he would need to be under medical care even longer than himself. That was two fighters down, and Grinder smirked confidently as he turned to face Sam with a steely glare. To his credit, the burly butcher didn't back away from the giant Trollkin. Instead, he reared back with everything he had and threw a roundhouse right cross at Grinder's face, missing by less than an inch as the Fellcaller twisted his head to the side just in time to avoid the potential knockout blow. As he was forced to turn his face, Grinder was fortunate enough to have pivoted in the right direction, just in time to see an airborne Eli jump off the top of a fence rung at the Trollkin's head. Showing his ability to think quicker than most barroom brawlers, Grinder grabbed Eli out of the air and used the thin man's own momentum to help the enormous Trollkin pile drive him straight into the ground in front of Sam. The crowd let out another "BAMM!" as the wiry human's bones crunched and most likely broke in a half dozen places simultaneously. Grinder used his own momentum to roll through the innovative attack and come up onto his feet face to face with Sam the Butcher. "Give up now!" the Trollkin yelled into the sole remaining fighter's face, spit flying from his giant mouth. Still not daunted, Sam crouched down and attempted a leg sweep, thinking if he could get the monstrous pugilist off his feet, he could perhaps even the odds. Another good idea with some of the worst actual execution to go along with it, the human fighter came up about three inches short with his low spin kick, and didn't even make contact with the now grinning Stonetongue.
"You call THAT a kick!?" Grinder yelled to Sam as he was returning to a standing position to try and brace for the inevitable retaliation. "I'll show you a kick!" the trollkin answered his own question as he proceeded to punt Sam the Butcher through the fenced wall, breaking the railroad tie crossbeam supports, and send the man flying right into the crowd where Selene Tanis was standing! Completely surprised by the unexpected move, the Iosan was more concerned with her hood staying over her head than keeping her balance, and was not quick enough to evade the flaying human as he came crashing down on top of her and another poor gentleman standing directly adjacent. Getting to their feet and looking at Sam, the pit fighter was unconscious, causing the match to end with Grinder not even receiving so much as a scratch! As expected, the crowd was beside itself, the people who were smart enough to bet on the Trollkin pumping their fists and yelling in joy. Those who did not were dejected that they had lost their money of course; but to see such a total display of dominance from the local pugilist was almost worth it. Grinder lifted his fists and strode around the ring, soaking up the energy and accolades. The fact that he bet on himself and won was great; but beating four opponents at once so decisively was perhaps the more gratifying thing for the Trollkin, believing in his heart that this was the next stepping stone to something greater just around the corner. His dreams all but promised him as much. At the top of the steps, kissing and hugging anyone that came within five feet of her, Derby Sway was jumping up and down and celebrating a bet gone right for a change! Adrenaline coursing through her body, the young gambler had totally forgotten just how exhausted she was, and stood in line to collect her winnings as the crowd began to disperse out of the Punching Pit warehouse, a glorious night of fighting not soon forgotten.
With one fighter down, Grinder let out another bellow, both in celebration for so quickly disposing of one of his opponents and to see if he couldn't strike some fear in those that remained. However, in doing so he opened himself up briefly enough that Bart landed with a solid right hand punch to Grinder's back. To Bart's dismay though, he landed the blow directly on the Trollkin's custom armor, which absorbed the entire force of the punch. Seeing the fist land and do no damage caused Sam to try a slightly different tactic. The large man jumped up and tried to grab Grinder's massive arm, thinking if he could grapple it and pin it behind his back, the Trollkin would be at an extreme disadvantage. Derby watched from her position at the top of the small arena, thinking Sam deserved marks for a clever if foolish tactical move. Unfortunately, what Sam failed to realize when he formulated his little plan was just how huge and muscular Grinder Stonetongue actually was. The Trollkin immediately flexed his bicep and shook his arm. Poor Sam's eyes widened in surprise as what he thought was a solid grip disappeared as he fell to his feet, now right next to the blue monster with his defenses down and off balance. Not to be outdone by the tactics of his fellows, the quick moving Eli decided he was going to use Bart as leverage to jump up onto Grinder's back and choke him until he passed out. Selene bowed her head as if in wonderment at the ill-conceived tactics on display; and in a moment of quick regret, Eli suddenly realized that Bart had absolutely no idea he was going to use him as a human springboard, shifting at the last moment, causing Eli to get halfway up the Fellcallers back, lose his balance, and crash down onto his own back with a thud. At that moment, the crowd let out a loud "Ohhhhh!" in unison, thinking that the fall could not have felt very good at all.
And now it was Grinder's turn to act again, and deciding he wanted to save the so-called 'Butcher' for later, turned instead to face Bad Bart. Displaying more quickness than the human could have ever guessed the muscular Trollkin possessed, Grinder separated his hands and brought them crashing into the surprised man's ears on both sides of his head as he yelled into his face, "Boom go the eardrums!" Kaar, in perfect position to see this occur from his place in the crowd, winced in sympathy as he heard a squishing sound and watched the poor man's body go completely limp and fall to the ground like a pudding stick that had been out in the sun too long. The dwarf watched as blood began running out of Bart's ears, thinking he would need to be under medical care even longer than himself. That was two fighters down, and Grinder smirked confidently as he turned to face Sam with a steely glare. To his credit, the burly butcher didn't back away from the giant Trollkin. Instead, he reared back with everything he had and threw a roundhouse right cross at Grinder's face, missing by less than an inch as the Fellcaller twisted his head to the side just in time to avoid the potential knockout blow. As he was forced to turn his face, Grinder was fortunate enough to have pivoted in the right direction, just in time to see an airborne Eli jump off the top of a fence rung at the Trollkin's head. Showing his ability to think quicker than most barroom brawlers, Grinder grabbed Eli out of the air and used the thin man's own momentum to help the enormous Trollkin pile drive him straight into the ground in front of Sam. The crowd let out another "BAMM!" as the wiry human's bones crunched and most likely broke in a half dozen places simultaneously. Grinder used his own momentum to roll through the innovative attack and come up onto his feet face to face with Sam the Butcher. "Give up now!" the Trollkin yelled into the sole remaining fighter's face, spit flying from his giant mouth. Still not daunted, Sam crouched down and attempted a leg sweep, thinking if he could get the monstrous pugilist off his feet, he could perhaps even the odds. Another good idea with some of the worst actual execution to go along with it, the human fighter came up about three inches short with his low spin kick, and didn't even make contact with the now grinning Stonetongue.
"You call THAT a kick!?" Grinder yelled to Sam as he was returning to a standing position to try and brace for the inevitable retaliation. "I'll show you a kick!" the trollkin answered his own question as he proceeded to punt Sam the Butcher through the fenced wall, breaking the railroad tie crossbeam supports, and send the man flying right into the crowd where Selene Tanis was standing! Completely surprised by the unexpected move, the Iosan was more concerned with her hood staying over her head than keeping her balance, and was not quick enough to evade the flaying human as he came crashing down on top of her and another poor gentleman standing directly adjacent. Getting to their feet and looking at Sam, the pit fighter was unconscious, causing the match to end with Grinder not even receiving so much as a scratch! As expected, the crowd was beside itself, the people who were smart enough to bet on the Trollkin pumping their fists and yelling in joy. Those who did not were dejected that they had lost their money of course; but to see such a total display of dominance from the local pugilist was almost worth it. Grinder lifted his fists and strode around the ring, soaking up the energy and accolades. The fact that he bet on himself and won was great; but beating four opponents at once so decisively was perhaps the more gratifying thing for the Trollkin, believing in his heart that this was the next stepping stone to something greater just around the corner. His dreams all but promised him as much. At the top of the steps, kissing and hugging anyone that came within five feet of her, Derby Sway was jumping up and down and celebrating a bet gone right for a change! Adrenaline coursing through her body, the young gambler had totally forgotten just how exhausted she was, and stood in line to collect her winnings as the crowd began to disperse out of the Punching Pit warehouse, a glorious night of fighting not soon forgotten.
As the doctor on call for the night gave directions to his staff, (which in this case consisted of one female trollkin strong enough to lift any patient the physician might need carried back to this office); the big Ogrun named Ox yelled out to Grinder. "Hey Blue. Here's your winnings. Nice job tonight." Sitting on a bench unwrapping the tape from his massive hands, the Trollkin put one arm into the air and deftly caught the money pouch that came flying his way. Grinder didn't bother counting it, at least not here. Ancel could at times be kind of a snake, but when it came to the exchange of money, he was about as reliable as they came. Grinder supposed he had to be, considering the business he was in and the importance of maintaining his reputation. Besides, the man was just as quick to collect money Grinder owed him when he lost bets as he was to pay out when the Trollkin won. But at least he was consistent both ways, which was more than could be said about some of the bookies in Corvis.
As he put the pouch away in a pack he was rummaging through at his feet, Stonetongue noticed a small group of people approaching him, led by a Rhul with red hair and a face that looked like he was on the losing end of a beating of his own. Following the dwarf was a human in a brown trench coat and wide brimmed duster, and an athletically shaped female who was covered from head to toe by an enveloping cloak. Doing a quick scan in case this wasn't a social visit, Grinder noticed the dwarf had an axe hanging from his belt and a very rustic but impressive looking rifle holstered to his back. The human with the duster had a single magelock pistol that he tried unsuccessfully to keep concealed under his armored coat and a sabre of some sort at his side. The woman was a veritable weapons shop, and she didn't even remotely try to hide it. Sheathed on her left hip was a longsword with an innately carved hilt. Tied across her back was a greatsword, although as far as two-handed swords go, looked a bit on the thin side; Iosan or Nyss design perhaps, he thought to himself. And hanging from her belt on her right side was an impressive looking crossbow, although it looked wet and dirty, as if it had been thrown to the ground numerous times and not properly cleaned. Next to the ranged weapon was a neat quiver with bolts undoubtedly for the aforementioned crossbow. When the group of three got to within ten feet of the trollkin, they stopped and addressed him in quite a friendly manner. It was the dwarf that spoke. "Ho there, Grinder," he said with the typically thick accent of a person from the northern lands of Rhul.
As he put the pouch away in a pack he was rummaging through at his feet, Stonetongue noticed a small group of people approaching him, led by a Rhul with red hair and a face that looked like he was on the losing end of a beating of his own. Following the dwarf was a human in a brown trench coat and wide brimmed duster, and an athletically shaped female who was covered from head to toe by an enveloping cloak. Doing a quick scan in case this wasn't a social visit, Grinder noticed the dwarf had an axe hanging from his belt and a very rustic but impressive looking rifle holstered to his back. The human with the duster had a single magelock pistol that he tried unsuccessfully to keep concealed under his armored coat and a sabre of some sort at his side. The woman was a veritable weapons shop, and she didn't even remotely try to hide it. Sheathed on her left hip was a longsword with an innately carved hilt. Tied across her back was a greatsword, although as far as two-handed swords go, looked a bit on the thin side; Iosan or Nyss design perhaps, he thought to himself. And hanging from her belt on her right side was an impressive looking crossbow, although it looked wet and dirty, as if it had been thrown to the ground numerous times and not properly cleaned. Next to the ranged weapon was a neat quiver with bolts undoubtedly for the aforementioned crossbow. When the group of three got to within ten feet of the trollkin, they stopped and addressed him in quite a friendly manner. It was the dwarf that spoke. "Ho there, Grinder," he said with the typically thick accent of a person from the northern lands of Rhul.
Making her way down the steps, Derby was practically skipping as she turned on a landing to approach her friends. She stopped momentarily when she saw them conversing with the Trollkin pugilist. Rather than interrupt, the curious thief took a moment to eye the large fighter, seeing what she could discern. Other than his size, which Derby estimated to be every bit of 7 feet tall, there were numerous striking things she picked up on. First was the stone necklace that Grinder wore. The young woman couldn't help but notice that the heavy looking piece of jewelry actually looked more like a collar than an actual necklace. She could make out no seams where they would normally have been, and the stone itself appeared to be made from granite, although this was only a guess, as rock-typing was far from her specialty. Markings that almost looked like runes were carved into the circumference of the collar, even if their meaning was lost on the thief. Moving to his armor, Derby could see it was clearly custom made and fitted, not surprising given his size and frame. It looked to be constructed of leathers primarily, although there were pieces of steel located in strategic places in order to offer improved protection. He wore an unhooded fur-lined cloak that appeared to be brown in color. The fur itself was obviously from some large animal, although whether it was a bear or something more exotic was beyond her ability to determine. The Fellcaller was also adorned with various fetishes of bone, small animal skulls, and what looked like feathers with dried blood on them. Just enough to give off a sense of the wild, and she guessed to help intimidate his enemies with the feeling of having to deal with a primal warrior. Sitting on the bench next to Grinder was his giant wooden warhammer, and although it didn't look like anything special, it certainly was one of the largest weapons Sway had ever seen. The pugilist himself was not very attractive, scars and reset bones in his face giving him an odd appearance, even for a trollkin. Derby smiled inside when she came to the conclusion that like her, he was probably accepted as an agent not for his mechanikal or spellcasting abilities, but instead for other skillsets that the Strangelight Workshop deemed important in a myriad of complimentary ways. She decided right then and there that she liked him.
As Derby approached and introduced herself, Kaar was already recanting the story of how the SI:12 team had arrived in town and what they had discovered along the way. The next hour was spent with both Grinder and the Investigators asking and answering questions back and forth until finally the subject came up about the woman they had found dead on the trail by the ransacked prison wagon. After describing her in detail, Grinder confirmed that she was not only a member of his group, but was also the Headmaster of the Corvis Branch. With the rest of the Workshop members missing in action, the group didn't really know what to think other than things were probably not boding well with regards to their investigation. With the main topics covered and beginning to feel light headed again, Kaar asked Grinder if he knew of any doctors in the area that were designated to treat Workshop agents. "Not any that we use specifically," said the Trollkin. "But I do know a doctor that has patched me up more than once after a tough fight. I'm sure she can help you out, and I would be happy to make introductions."
Good enough for the dwarf, he jumped on the offer immediately. Her name was Dr. Dhalia, and her office was up the road not too far from the Punching Pit. Grinder mentioned she had some quirks and tended to keep weird hours, but that she was reliable if a bit unorthodox. "Dhalia believes in natural healing," he said. "Not much into modern alchemy and more 'traditional' remedies."
"Right now, I'm really in no position to compare health care techniques and general practice pros and cons. Let's go." The Dwarf nodded for Grinder to lead the way.
As Derby approached and introduced herself, Kaar was already recanting the story of how the SI:12 team had arrived in town and what they had discovered along the way. The next hour was spent with both Grinder and the Investigators asking and answering questions back and forth until finally the subject came up about the woman they had found dead on the trail by the ransacked prison wagon. After describing her in detail, Grinder confirmed that she was not only a member of his group, but was also the Headmaster of the Corvis Branch. With the rest of the Workshop members missing in action, the group didn't really know what to think other than things were probably not boding well with regards to their investigation. With the main topics covered and beginning to feel light headed again, Kaar asked Grinder if he knew of any doctors in the area that were designated to treat Workshop agents. "Not any that we use specifically," said the Trollkin. "But I do know a doctor that has patched me up more than once after a tough fight. I'm sure she can help you out, and I would be happy to make introductions."
Good enough for the dwarf, he jumped on the offer immediately. Her name was Dr. Dhalia, and her office was up the road not too far from the Punching Pit. Grinder mentioned she had some quirks and tended to keep weird hours, but that she was reliable if a bit unorthodox. "Dhalia believes in natural healing," he said. "Not much into modern alchemy and more 'traditional' remedies."
"Right now, I'm really in no position to compare health care techniques and general practice pros and cons. Let's go." The Dwarf nodded for Grinder to lead the way.
The large clock that rose above many of the other local buildings in the southern district of Corvis read 1:30 am, and Grinder mentioned that he couldn't be sure the doctor would take their visit this late, even with her crazy hours. Derby insisted that it wasn't up for debate, as her friend needed to be looked at as soon as possible, and pushed the group to quicken their step. Getting to the door of the small residence, the sign on the shingle had "Dr. Dhalia" on it in at least three different alphabets, with a sign of the goddess Dhunia below the names. "Uhhh... what race would the doctor be exactly?" Derby inquired with a bit of hesitation in her voice.
"She's a Trollkin," Grinder answered, as if he hadn't even given it a second thought. "Why? Is there something wrong?" he asked, not understanding what could be the problem.
"Uh, lad. Ye' know that the Trollkin physicians are known ta' be a bit rough with their patients, right?" Kaar said below his bandaged face.
"They are?" Grinder asked, never really giving it a great amount of thought himself. But now that the Investigators had brought it up, he got to thinking that he rarely even went to a doctor for treatment; and when he did, it was always Dhalia. He really had little to compare her form of treatment to. "Well, do you want to wait until morning and find someone else?" the pugilist asked, not sure how to proceed.
As Derby and Magnus nodded their heads simultaneously in the affirmative, Selene stepped forward and spoke. "Absolutely not. He has gone far too long without proper treatment as it is," and the Military Officer approached the door and knocked loudly. After waiting about 20 seconds with no answer, she banged again with the same result.
Squinting a bit and turning his head to the side, Magnus bent down and picked up what was unmistakably a small tuft of fur that appeared to create a trail down a side alley. "Uhhh... does your Dr. Dhalia have any house pets by chance?" he asked. "Cats, perhaps?"
Grinder chuckled. "Oh. You could say that. She has a cat or two."
"Well, unless I'm mistaken, it appears that one of them got out recently and headed down that alley, no doubt looking to get itself in all kinds of trouble; as most felines are apt to do when the sun goes down," Magnus said. "Perhaps the good doctor went chasing after it."
It took Derby less than a second to call to the group as she headed down the alley, "On it!"
Watching Derby assess the situation, make a split second decision, and completely disappear out of sight, Grinder looked to the Companions and asked, "Does she always do that?"
"Unfortunately yes," Magnus said calmly as he began to look around the area for any sense of possible trouble. He found the streets to be empty and quiet, a bit to his surprise. He noted that in his mind for future reference. Not five minutes later, Derby reappeared from the alley, having a conversation with a tall female Trollkin in her pajamas, huge slippers, and holding an extremely furry cat in her arms. As soon as she spotted the group she looked to Grinder. "Are you the one I'm treating?" she asked him. "Lose another fight tonight?"
"I won actually," Grinder said, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. "Nah... I'm fine. Shorty here is pretty banged up though. He's got some kind of head injury needs lookin' at pretty bad."
"I would have never guessed," Dhalia said sarcastically, looking at the dwarf's myriad bandages almost completely covering his head and face. "Well come on in. If you're a friend of the big dummy here, then the least I can do is look at you," she said in somewhat friendly tone. "Besides, Rhulefolk are fun to treat. You're a hardy folk. Can mostly take the pain a good fixin' up can sometimes cause." And with that, Dhalia waved the group in to her home clinic. Grinder showed Kaar to the medical room while Dhalia went into the side hall to prep. The medical area itself had an interesting smell of disinfectant, earth roots, alchemical residue, and cat litter all mixed into one truly bizarre odor. Derby, planning to stay with her friend throughout the process, stepped into the room after Kaar, took one whiff, and promptly turned around and walked right back out to the waiting room.
Before Grinder left the room himself, he handed Kaar a thick, polished wooden stick with massive tooth marks embedded into the grain. "You may, uhh... need this. Just remember, the harder you bite, the less it hurts." Kaar accepted the stick and stared blankly back at the Trollkin. Whatever his expression was, it was hidden under all the bandages; but Grinder had a feeling he hadn't just encouraged the Dwarf very much. "OK then......... good luck!" he said as he exited the room and closed the door.
As he exited the medical area, Grinder walked across to the other side of the waiting room and opened a door to a side closet that the companions couldn't help but notice housed a cage full of live chickens. Grabbing one of the birds out of the small coop, the pugilist calmly snapped it's neck and tore it clean off from the torso. He then began to pour the blood dispensing from the unattached neck onto the feathers of the chicken's body. Apparently satisfied that he had effectively completed the ritual, Grinder plucked the bloody feathers from the dead bird and proceeded to meticulously attach them to his armor and cloak next to the other fetishes.
As the rest of the group just stared speechless at the Trollkin with their mouths open; the gunmage was the one who finally broke the silence in typical Magnus fashion. "Well, at least that explains the feathers I guess..."
"She's a Trollkin," Grinder answered, as if he hadn't even given it a second thought. "Why? Is there something wrong?" he asked, not understanding what could be the problem.
"Uh, lad. Ye' know that the Trollkin physicians are known ta' be a bit rough with their patients, right?" Kaar said below his bandaged face.
"They are?" Grinder asked, never really giving it a great amount of thought himself. But now that the Investigators had brought it up, he got to thinking that he rarely even went to a doctor for treatment; and when he did, it was always Dhalia. He really had little to compare her form of treatment to. "Well, do you want to wait until morning and find someone else?" the pugilist asked, not sure how to proceed.
As Derby and Magnus nodded their heads simultaneously in the affirmative, Selene stepped forward and spoke. "Absolutely not. He has gone far too long without proper treatment as it is," and the Military Officer approached the door and knocked loudly. After waiting about 20 seconds with no answer, she banged again with the same result.
Squinting a bit and turning his head to the side, Magnus bent down and picked up what was unmistakably a small tuft of fur that appeared to create a trail down a side alley. "Uhhh... does your Dr. Dhalia have any house pets by chance?" he asked. "Cats, perhaps?"
Grinder chuckled. "Oh. You could say that. She has a cat or two."
"Well, unless I'm mistaken, it appears that one of them got out recently and headed down that alley, no doubt looking to get itself in all kinds of trouble; as most felines are apt to do when the sun goes down," Magnus said. "Perhaps the good doctor went chasing after it."
It took Derby less than a second to call to the group as she headed down the alley, "On it!"
Watching Derby assess the situation, make a split second decision, and completely disappear out of sight, Grinder looked to the Companions and asked, "Does she always do that?"
"Unfortunately yes," Magnus said calmly as he began to look around the area for any sense of possible trouble. He found the streets to be empty and quiet, a bit to his surprise. He noted that in his mind for future reference. Not five minutes later, Derby reappeared from the alley, having a conversation with a tall female Trollkin in her pajamas, huge slippers, and holding an extremely furry cat in her arms. As soon as she spotted the group she looked to Grinder. "Are you the one I'm treating?" she asked him. "Lose another fight tonight?"
"I won actually," Grinder said, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. "Nah... I'm fine. Shorty here is pretty banged up though. He's got some kind of head injury needs lookin' at pretty bad."
"I would have never guessed," Dhalia said sarcastically, looking at the dwarf's myriad bandages almost completely covering his head and face. "Well come on in. If you're a friend of the big dummy here, then the least I can do is look at you," she said in somewhat friendly tone. "Besides, Rhulefolk are fun to treat. You're a hardy folk. Can mostly take the pain a good fixin' up can sometimes cause." And with that, Dhalia waved the group in to her home clinic. Grinder showed Kaar to the medical room while Dhalia went into the side hall to prep. The medical area itself had an interesting smell of disinfectant, earth roots, alchemical residue, and cat litter all mixed into one truly bizarre odor. Derby, planning to stay with her friend throughout the process, stepped into the room after Kaar, took one whiff, and promptly turned around and walked right back out to the waiting room.
Before Grinder left the room himself, he handed Kaar a thick, polished wooden stick with massive tooth marks embedded into the grain. "You may, uhh... need this. Just remember, the harder you bite, the less it hurts." Kaar accepted the stick and stared blankly back at the Trollkin. Whatever his expression was, it was hidden under all the bandages; but Grinder had a feeling he hadn't just encouraged the Dwarf very much. "OK then......... good luck!" he said as he exited the room and closed the door.
As he exited the medical area, Grinder walked across to the other side of the waiting room and opened a door to a side closet that the companions couldn't help but notice housed a cage full of live chickens. Grabbing one of the birds out of the small coop, the pugilist calmly snapped it's neck and tore it clean off from the torso. He then began to pour the blood dispensing from the unattached neck onto the feathers of the chicken's body. Apparently satisfied that he had effectively completed the ritual, Grinder plucked the bloody feathers from the dead bird and proceeded to meticulously attach them to his armor and cloak next to the other fetishes.
As the rest of the group just stared speechless at the Trollkin with their mouths open; the gunmage was the one who finally broke the silence in typical Magnus fashion. "Well, at least that explains the feathers I guess..."
. . . . END SESSION . . . .