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The search for something new

Started by RogueWolf, May 25, 2017, 01:12:56 PM

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RogueWolf

Dan'l approached the small town ahead like he did any new town, eagerly.  His hunger and thirst for knowledge would have been legendary had he taken the time to let it be known to others.  The thought brought a wry grin to the dwarf's face as the knowledge he sought wasn't quite what others thought when they heard the word.  To others it meant scientific research or mastering a specific spell.  While both held possible interest for the dwarf they were also of no interest to him at the same time.  He was untrained as a scientist and thus while the study was fascinating to hear about it was useless.  The same could be said for magic.  The thing the dwarf thirsted for more than anything was new skills, new abilities, new methods for becoming the best thief that he could possibly be. 


RogueWolf

As he approached he took the time to study the various buildings attempting to guess at their nature.  The ornate stained glass in that one depicting, well, lewd acts would lead one to believe it was home to priestessess of the local fertility goddess.  Oddly the building directly across the street had an almost castlelike quality to it.  Large, square, and fully four stories high the building was made entirely out of stone.  If that weren't enough to give it a castlesque design the arrow slits in place of windows helped.  He had heard there was some kind of a warrior's guild located nearby and wondered if that was indeed their headquarters.  It would be rather fitting but then again it could be a nunnery of some kind as well.  The thought brought forth a slight chuckle.

The dirt road that meandered though the town was choked with people on this particular day and Dan'l tore his eyes loose from the buildings to begin scanning the crowd.  All manner of individuals were present and in all manner of attire.  The attire ranged from the peasant clothes of the average villager to regal robes of the upper class.  Stange to find then in a community such as this but today must be something special.  The appearance of a fifty foot long "dragon" that moved through the crowded streets powered by the twenty or so individuals wearing the constume gave credence to that belief.  Something was going on here.  A festival or celebration of some kind and Dan'l was going to have to find out what it was.  Who knew it might lead to learning something new.

RogueWolf

For a thief of Dan'l's talent it took no time whatsoever to lift a few silver coins from those present.  The silver was a means to an end and nothing more for the thief who made his way to a tavern full to bursting with patrons in all stages of intoxication.  The smell of beer mingled with the scent of unwashed bodies and also of urine the aroma not pleasant in the least.  Dan'l had experiences far worse stenches than the current one, he ignore the odor.  The path he had to take to reach the bar was a haphazard one as he narrowly avoided running into three scantily clad women with serving trays full of beer in their hands as well as a quartet of individuals he wouldn't have liked to meet in a dark alley.  Nimbly making his way past these men he was greeted by a nonchalant nod by the large orcish figure behind the bar.

"What'll you have?" The voice was a high pitched drawl something that Dan'l never would have guessed would come out of a figure surely not any less than seven feet tall.  Somewhat taken aback he shook his head slightly to clear his head before responding.

"Beer but not what you're serving everyone else.  Give me a bottle of the good stuff.  I'll pay ya for it of course."  The stolen silver coins appeared on top of the bar before Dan'l continued.  "Of course I'll be paying for for what you can tell me about what is goin on in town today."

"Rumor is a representative of the thieves guild is coming through.  Everyone's out here hoping for a handout from him while secretly hoping he'll die in the streets.  Nobody wants a town overrun with thieves."

That was very interesting and worth every last bit of the silver coins.  Dan'l laughed inwardly mulling over what the orc said about thieves.  What the orc didn't know was the amount of money they woul bring in if a headquarters for the guild was established.

"The guild does help out in the communities where they are established.  The thieves never steal locally and make sure to spend a percentage of their take nearby.  I hear they're generous to businesses and barons alike so they can operate without fear of retaliation."

The bartender snorted in disbelief before turning towards another patron of the establishment leaving Dan'l to ponder just what he was going to find in the town and if it was worth his time to do so.

cardboardcassanova


RogueWolf

Dan'l stared around the bar for whoever had made the noise trying to attract his attention and shrugged his shoulders when he found nobody.  Whoever it was probably had the wrong person anyways.  He was an utter unknown in this particular place.  The time taken to peruse those gathered in the bar was not in vain.  In the midst of the revelers a small group attempted to hide themselves.  While they dressed like the rest of the peasants their body language screamed anything but peasant.  Backs were too straight, eyes scanned the crowded room not out of curiousity or fear but out of habbit.  Something that trained military personel would do to keep appraised of any potential threats entering or exiting the area. 

This town kept getting more and more odd the longer he stayed.  A large lavish celebration supposedly for the thieves guild and then a covert military group hiding, and perhaps plotting, in a nondescript tavern.  Dan'l decided to find out a bit more about the military men and just what they might have in store.  He shuffled from the bar to within hearing distance careful to avoid any and all eye contact with any of the men.

"..tomorrow he dies."

"Then we can leave this wretched expanse of land and get back to where they serve real beer?"

"Oyln can you ever leave the ale alone long enough for a rational thought?

"Long enough to get this job done, yes.  But afterwords... No promises."

"First thing tomorrow then.  Best of luck to you all."

The men began trickling out of the establishment in ones and twos.  Dan'l hadn't heard enough to fathom what their plan may be aside from murder.  He was curious but whatever it was didn't concern him overmuch.  He nudged one of the men offering his appologies as he stole a dagger from him and vanished into the crowded streets.  Perhaps the dagger would offer some kind of clue as to what, or who, the men were.

RogueWolf

Dan'l weaved through the throngs of people clogging the streets eventually making his way into an alleyway where he began an in depth look at the dagger he had just stolen.  The design appeared deadly, very deadly.  The wavy kris like blade was designed to keep a wound from propperly healing and the notches carved into the blade itself were equally deadly designed to rip and tear flesh, muscles, and tendons.  Equally disturbing was the blood channel or blood groove carved into the middle of the blade.  The small trench caused blood to flow from the person stabbed down through the trench.  Dan'l turned the dagger over unsurprised to find the handle was hollow.  Clever bastards.  Once stabbed the blood would pour from the groove out through the handle with nothing to stop the flow.  If the blade were removed it wouldn't heal propperly and there was always the possibility of infection.  Whoever had designed this particular blade was one crafty, and deadly, bastard.  In the hands of these people who were obviously either current or former military members it would ensure a kill.

The lack of other distinguishing marks on the blade and handle told the thief just as much about the blade as the design.  It was going to be untraceable to the source.  So, a small group of military trained killers with untraceable weapons plotting to kill somebody in town.  It sounded like something not to get involved in.

RogueWolf

Dan'l tucked the dagger away inside the folds of his cloak before exiting the alley.  Only a complete fool would let somebody get his eyes on the dagger.  With a million scenarios running through his mind he made his way over to a group of heavily armored soldiers.

"Gentlemen." He paused looking over the group and ammended his greeting.  "My appologies, ladies and gentlemen.  I have something that might interest, intruigue, and terrify you all as it does me."

The words were met with laughter and scorn from the soldiers as if they had heard it all before, several times.  "This is no laughing matter somebody's life lies in the balance and I'm looking for your help." The words fell on deaf ears once more.  Slightly irritated Dan'l reached into his cloak for the dagger.  He wrenched it free and noticed four of the five soldiers had weapons drawn by the time the dagger was in his hand.  That was a good thing, maybe? "I've tried telling you I took this from a man in the tavern right up the road he was talking with a group of other men about killing somebody tomorrow morning.  I can give you a description of the men if you'd like."

One of the soldiers took hold of the dagger before turning to the others.  "Would you look at that? Some little goodie two shoes got his hands on Vick's dagger.  Now then what are we to do with him? Can't let him get away to spread the news to anyone else now can we?" The soldiers fanned out into a circle around Dan'l surrounding him even as a crowd grew to watch.

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