Chapter 2b - The Soldier's Grave
posted: 30 November 2019
@Durawin @Ramza @Gumbar
The three of you head west, away from the river. You walk for perhaps ten minutes, passing small, quiet streets. As you are almost upon the Manor District Ramza directs you north along a side street and after a few more minutes you come to a large pub with a well-painted sign out front proclaiming it to be The Soldier's Grave. Standing outside on either side of the doorway are two people - a Half-Elf man and a Human woman. They are dressed in normal clothes, though both have a matching badge on their left shoulders showing a bloodred shield.
@Ramza You know this pub well - your squadron spent many drunken nights in the 'Grave while in the city. You don't recognize the two people out front though, and while you saw the red shield emblem a few times before you left the city, you don't know who or what it belongs to.
As the three of you approach the door the woman looks you up and down and says "Who are you and what is your business here?" while the man moves to stand in front of the door.
whispers to Ramza All on you bud!
Squadron? You mean company? Ain't no airforce here
Not the time to be picky, Gumbar
in the Empire, a group of soldiers is called a squad 
this 'aint Earth buddy!
That's stupid
ok cool, my world is stupid, makes it easy on me then! enjoy running your own game Gumbar!
"I've had more nights waking up on a table in this pub than you've had drinks," I remark dryly with crossed arms. "Ramza. I'm here to drink all your ale and I guess to speak to the sergeant."
"You fought in the war? Prove it."
I roll my eyes and slide a piece of banner out of my pocket, from my old squadron. "Happy?"
she takes a look and nods to the man, who steps aside. "That scrawny one with you?" she points to Durawinwin
I grunt and nod as we slide past.
she gives the bard a distrusting look and says "Watch yourself, boy"
but she steps aside and lets you enter
"Ah! You cutie!! I may look scrawny, but at least one part is big enough for you!!"
she turns and gives you a half-smile, but says nothing
Alrighty!! Lets have a drink and find your sergeant!
as you walk into the pub you find it to be pleasantly clean, which seems odd to you @Ramza... You have many fond memories in this place, but not many clean ones...
the pub is surprisingly full for midday, you hear all manner of conversations around the building. you recognize one voice in particular - a loud voice belonging to a massive Goliath squeezed into a booth on your right side. Tegan, known to the squad simply as Sarge, looks just like he did the last time you saw him, though he is no longer in uniform.
He is currently having an animated conversation with a pair of half-orcs sitting across from him
I motion for Durawin to just follow along as u approach. "Tegan," I say curtly.
He turns to you and looks surprised. "Ramza? Is that you? You look like shit!" He smiles and stands, going in for a hug.
"Always the charmer, Sarge." I give him a sound clap on the back. "Do you still often find bits of halfling on the backside of your trousers when you stand up? Or have you actually gotten smaller?"
Tegan chuckles at your comment and says "Hold on for just a few minutes while I finish this business. I'd love to have a chat with you if you have time." As you three walk over to an empty table he sits down and quietly talks with the half-orcs for another few minutes before the three of them stand, shake hands, and the half-orcs walk out the door into the street. Tegan flashes a signal to the barkeep, who nods and pulls out four glasses and starts pulling ale. Tegan walks over to your table and sits down.
"So what have you been up to, Ramza? Keeping busy?"
"Bit of this, bit of that," I reply nonchalantly, peering over at the ale and it's status. "You? Still the same sarge as years past?"
"Aye, still the same. Bit richer maybe..." he winks
"You looking for work by any chance?"
I raise an eyebrow. "Can't imagine the army is taking that good care of you. Hedging your bets?" I take a long drink and then turn back. "Depends on the job. The party I've fallen in with for the time being has other business here, and where there's business, there's money."
"The army? Oh I haven't gotten a copper off them since we were disbanded. I'm in much more important and much more interesting work now. You recognize this?" (He points to the red shield emblem on his shoulder)
(Should I roll for history or something?)
yeah, you can roll a history check
/r d20+2
BOT
@Ramza: d20+2 = (13)+2 = 15
you have seen the red shield emblem a few places in the city since you got back, but you don't know what it is
I tell him as much
he chuckles. "I'd be surprised if you did, we're fairly new. We're called The Protectors. We protect people. And things. [he smiles] For gold."
"We could always use a man of your talents, if you haven't forgotten how to use a sword."
"And you friends of course, if you vouch for them, and if they can fight." (he looks a bit skeptical)
"How about you, holy man, can you handle yourself in a fight?" @Gumbar he looks pointedly at you
"i've been known to punch large creatures hard enough to end their bloodline before they are born."
He grunts and nods
"And the fancy one?" (looks at @Durawin)
"He's helped us out of tight spots no less."
"Fair enough, if you say he can fight, I believe you."
(make a perception check @Ramza )
"Well, like I said, if you're looking for work, we have it. Those half-orcs I was chatting with need something moved tonight, I was going to stick some old hands on the job, but if you want some quick gold, the job is yours."
/r d20+3
BOT
@Ramza: d20+3 = (1)+3 = 4
I precep gud
you are engrossed in this conversation 
"If my companions are up to it, consider it done. I do have a favor to ask, however. Do you have any contacts left at the citadel?"
"Contacts? Hmm... I think Stoney moved to the citadel guard after the squad was broken up." (you remember Stoney as the nickname of a small elven woman who was in your squad. you weren't super close to her - no one was - but you were at least on speaking terms.) "I could see if I can get in touch with her if you like, after the job of course."
"The job is pretty simple. Come back here at midnight and there will be a small chest for you to escort. Destination will be given when you pick up the goods. If you get the chest there you get 100 gold. If you get it there quietly, there's 50 on top."
That sounds fair. We really need the contact though.
He waves his hand and a tall man you failed to notice walks over. "Got us some new recruits. I vouch for this one, and he vouches for the other two." The man nods and pulls out three patches with now-familiar bloodred shields on them and hands them to you. ( @Ramza you are startled a bit as you recognize this man - he was there when you were given the job to protect Gambar) The tall man says "put these on before tonight.", nods, and walks off to the bar.
Tegan turns to @Durawin "Aye, I'll get in contact with some folks tonight, they'll let me know if Stoney is up for talking. I'll let you know in the morning."
Great! Thanks!
"You do what you need to, just be back by midnight. (he turns back to ramza) It is good seeing you again."
(at this point it is around 6p)
what would you guys like to do for 6 hours? rest? shop? eat? go whoring?
wouldn't that last fall under shopping? 
it could at that!
Anyway- I'd prefer to rest & eat: not out of any sense of virtue, just to make the job easier
I agree with @Durawin
we'll party after we get our money that we don't have to share with the rest of the party
I agree as well. I and my character feel there's going to be a wrinkle here, but no sense fretting now. Drink and food and gold that we aren't sharing await!
YEARGH
Of course there will be a wrinkle- otherwise we wouldn't have to keep it quiet
But it'll be fun!
so whats next kids
Am I sufficiently drunk yet for this adventure
am i sufficiently ready to punch another creature to oblivion?
YUSS
you could, you know, go find the rest of the party and make a plan to do everything together....
yeah i was going to ask about that
but Durawin seems intent on not sharing the gold
though no one really knows where anyone else is... and no one made plans to meet up....
meh, we have magic. we will find a way
I guess I naively didn't think we'd end up in a position where we absolutely needed every party member lol. Either way, I doubt we have time to go fetch them and even if we did they weren't expecting six of us
oh we gonn get fucked
Thank God you're here as our healer
i assume we are all well rested from the voyage right?
Yes
Did Rylef from the docks show up tonight? She might be of use in some way
do you head back to the 'Grave before midnight? or do you even leave? how do you spend the evening?
i go where ramza goes
Makes the most sense that we stayed here, food and drink and info and all that. And in the off chance the rest of the party at the uni decided to try to find us, they'd be able to because they knew it's where we went.
Around 8:00 at night, after a few ales (possibly more than a few for Gumbar), the door opens and you see Rylef walk in. She heads to the bar, speaks to the barkeep, who points at your table. She thanks him and then wanders over and takes a seat. She grabs a half-finished mug from the table and starts drinking with a smile.
"I see you didn't forget how to find the 'Grave"
"Might have thought I lived here by now, I'dve guessed from you," I say with a wink.
"So did you meet up with Sarge? He offer you a job?"
"Of course. Some coin and a favor in exchange for a lovely evening stroll. He seems to have turned from hulking brute to hulking shrewd businessman like it was his calling all along."
"Heh, took me by surprise too. At least he seems to be making the best of what life has handed him. So, you care for some company tonight? Or do you think you boys can handle it?"
"I'll say. And if you believe you can make the passage easier, then by all means, assuming my companions have no qualm. You know these streets better than I, and Sarge stressed discretion. A few less coin is less a burden than the possible alternatives. What do you know of the Protectors?"
"Tegan offered me a spot in their ranks back when the squad broke up, but I didn't take it. I've had enough of fighting, and they seem to do more than enough of that sort of thing."
"I know they will fight for gold, though I've mostly seen them around acting as hired guards."
"You sure you're up for this, then?"
"You said it'd just be an evening stroll - I assumed it was a transport job. You think there will be fighting?"
"If there's a bonus for getting there quietly, there stands to be some risk. Just want to make sure you're prepared for that."
"i'll protect ye."
"Ah, well, in that case, I think I'll pass. Like I said, I've had enough sword-swinging for a lifetime. So what have you been up to?"
"I understand. I'd be willing to part a few coin nonetheless for any information you might have that could help our passage tonight, assuming you're still around come midnight. As for me, I've fallen in with these lot." I gesture to my inebriated companions. "Minus a few hiccups, the path we're on seems to promise plenty reward."
"I'll be here, it was a long day on the docks, I need to unwind."
I signal for another round from the barkeep. "Cheers, then."
You three continue drinking and eating and conversing for a few hours until around 10:30 PM, when you hear a commotion outside. After a few moments the door opens, and one of the Protectors walks in, sees you, walks over to your table and asks Ramza whether he knows anything about three scrawny men asking to come in. Assuming it to be your companions, you tell the Protector they are your friends and to let them in. He walks back out, and a few moments later you are joined by the rest of your party.
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