A Mining Operation{[Clansedge]Dirthxanous}

[Namenlos]

As Dirthxanous wanders the single street of the simple town taking in the sights and remaining unimpressed. After the sprawling streets and buildings of his current home this place was pitiful in comparison. The only thing going for it was the lack of smog constantly constricting the throat.

Strangely there are far more people about than the handful of buildings should be able to accomadate . Dirthxanous watches a crew of several score dwarves and human miners make their way towards the doorway of a small domed shaped building of stone that should be able to comfortably hold no more than half their number, yet they all managed to find their way within. Upon further investigation Dirthxanous discovers thatmost if not all of the buildings are almost only for show, their true depths held beneath the dirt at his feet.

Dirthxanous is not able to find an exact entrance to the mines, despite his searching. He does take notice of several large caravans of wagons loaded down with the substance he has come to know as iron ore, from his stay in the town of Keldane. The wagons arrive from the Northweastern gate and make their way to the largest refinery, disappearing down a ramp leading into a storage facility.
So perhaps the Iron itself is mined outside the walls of the city. New options present themselves; would Arnos be content with sabotage at just the refinery, or would he need to travel even further and find these mines.

As his thoughts ponder the best way to commit his task he keeps an eye out for a likely Inn, and only finds one. A rough stone building juts rudely into the road in the northwestern loop of the town that would most likely fit the description of Inn, that or Slophouse. A fairly constant troupe of men and women, both Dwarf and Human, make their way in and out of the building at regular intervals and as with most of the buildings Dirth has seen far more folk go in and out than should be able to fit within.

A crude painting hangs above the doorway depicting a Cow standing on three legs and writing in characters unfamiliar to your eyes are written in faded blue beneath. Dirthxanous follows a few dozen feet behind a group of forty miners as they enter the building and is greeted by a rather typical in scene, albeit minus the forty miners whom he glimpses the last of descending the stairs. Several Waitresses dance about a small crowd of Humans and Dwarves drinking away merrily either having recently finshed a shift or preparing for one. The room you stand in is fairly sparse and maintains only the basic amenities, however from the large stairwell in the center of the room loud sounds of laughter, singing and general drunken good times can be heard echoing forth.

As Dirthxanous approches the near bar he takes in the tender, a wild eyed firey haired man who dashes about wildely often flinching about as if hearing a sound only he can hear. Two large scarred men in heavy armor sit at the counter nursing tankards of what you assume is the local ale, the men have a dangerous air about them yet keep quiet and to themselves. A young child of seven or eight summers sits lazily upon a keg near where the bar meets the wall and polishes a rough glass tankard, spitting within its depths before using the soiled edge of his shirt to wipe it dry.

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OOC: Your character is the token circled in red.

[TristenC]

[OOC: Building #16 I take it? If there is a stable, he will have Dulcinea taken care of. Otherwise he will tie her to the hitching post outside and look for a stable nearby later. I like your map-maker by the way. What program is that? Also, I’m not sure we discussed what clothes he is wearing today but since it is a covert operation I’m thinking travelers outfit over his chain.]

Knowing he won’t be able to shift again until tomorrow, Dirthxanous settles in to gather a bit of intel. Taking a seat on the north side of the bar, he leans with his back to the wall tucking his pack securely between his leg and the bar itself with the strap looped around one foot. He does his best to not stand out much, and orders whatever is readily on tap (ale or beer). For now he will sit and observe the reactions/action in the bar trying to gage the mood and flow… he will also keep an eye out for any potential roguey-types (like the guy in black leather at the top of the map, lol).

[Namenlos]

Dirthxanous Spot check [1d20+4] = 10+4 = 14

Dirthxanous makes his way to the north end of the bar, passing two heavily armored and scarred warriors to his right. Beneath dark cloaks metal plates grate against each other each time one of the men tanks a drink from his tankard.

You pass another child on your left, he must be almost ten, leaning over the rail of the stairs, his attention enraptured by something taking place below.

As Dirth moves into the corner stool at the bar he passes an older man in heavy leather work clothes stained black with soot, his body is bent heavily forward and Dirth can practically hear it creak as he drags the cup before him to his lips. The man sporadically coughs weakly into the elbow of his much stained work clothes.

As his back hits the wall Dirthxanous notices a spritely young waitress moving about the tables, making her way to the northeastern corner of the tavern. Dirth is surprised to see that there is a man tucked neatly into the shadows of the corner, only noticing him as the server takes his order.

The barkeep approaches Dirths end of the bar a gaptoothed grin stretching across his red bearded face. The man looks to be half dwarven, tall for a dwarf but short for a human and with the build of a dwarf whos muscle was turning to fat. The man continues to grin foolishly at Dirth, finally pointing at his ears and asking in a comical voice "Hey Woe! You're an Elf aint'cha!whot'choo doin here? Thought you loy said it stank too much, the smell of dying forests or somesuch. so which is it? The man rambles on, a constant stream of inquisitive foolishness and he cannot apparently get over Dirthxanous' elven features, even waving at the child polishing the glass to come over and see.

[TristenC]

[OOC: Wellll crap. Welp, one persona is as good as the next… let me know if his language goes too far for you. I figure this is a private thread so we can get away with a little more…
Yeah, map sizes can be a pain. I’ll keep a copy of the last one you post if it helps and you can just describe the moves. Also, saving maps as a different file type often help reduce the image size a lot]

Half elven, he mutters somewhat defensively. And only the bad half… he finishes quietly. Goddamn racist elves… my mother was apparently pretty enough to rape, but not enough to take home… knife-ears would have outlived her in a few decades… could have at least treated her decent… surprised his tiny dick had anything in it… He turns to spit away from the bar. Gimmie an ale, if you’ve got more behind that filthy counter than questions. Once with his ale, he’ll take a decent drink and continue. I’m here doin’ a favor for a friend… decent guy, half dwarf like yourself. He’ll be here tomorrow or in a few days, not sure exactly when, looking for work in one of the mines.

[Namenlos]

11:30 A.M. on the 17th of Surch, 516


The man listens at Dirths tirade though his confused look persists through, his eyes only brightening with a glimmer of purpose at the mention of Ale. He snatches the glass tankard from the child at his side and will dip it into the frothy top of an open barrel and then slide the mug before Dirth and tap three fingers on the counters edge beaming at Dirth as he completes his task.

The man directly next to Dirth at the bar will raise his drink as a toast at the slander of elves and takes a long drought, he'll say nothing but at the mention of half-dwarf he snorts into his drink spraying foam across the counter.
A heavy rumble rises from the center of the room near the stairs, reminiscent of the engines from the airship. Dirth quickly realizes that the noise is coming from the Dwarves at a center table, a waitress moves swiftly about their table depositing food and drinks before each. As a Dwarf receives their meal they add their "voice" to the steady slow humming and as the last is served it begins to pick up before breaking into a slow chant of heavily accented words.


Ich war nur das Alter von sechzehn
Als ich zum ersten Mal auf der Festplatte
Nach sechs Monaten harter Arbeit
Zu Hause habe ich ankommen
I mit einem hübschen Mädchen umworben
T'was ihr ließ mich durchstreifen
Jetzt bin ich nur ein Fluss -Treiber
Und ich bin weit weg von zu Hause

Ich esse, wenn ich hungrig bin
Und ich werde trinken , wenn ich trocken
Betrunken , wenn ich bereit bin
Holen Sie sich nüchtern nach und nach
Und wenn dieser Fluss nicht mich zu ertränken
Es ist nach unten werde ich meine zu durchstreifen
Denn ich bin ein Fluss -Treiber
Und ich bin weit weg von zu Hause

Ich werde einen einsamen Schloss zu bauen
Irgend auf einen Berg hoch
Wo sie sitzen und sehen Sie mich kann
Wie gehe ich vorbei
Wo sie sitzen und sehen Sie mich kann
Wie gehe ich marschieren
Denn ich bin ein Fluss -Treiber
Und ich bin weit weg von zu Hause

The bumbling bartender grins happily throughout the singing, tapping a toe off key and ignoring the appearance of several new patrons. The child at his side giving up tugging at his apron to get his attention, handles the customers himself.

At the mention of Half-Dwarf the bartender grins happily, pointing to himself . His eyes appear to fade in and out of focus at varying times as does his attention to what is happening around him, Dirthxanous can only assume that this Human is "broken" in some way.

(OOC: The sitting crowd of the room will not have changed but there will be a steady flow of people coming and going from the door and the stairs every now and then. I will not be describing them all just letting you know that there is a flow of traffic. Yep, not offended here, not much response from it in game anyway, sorry )

[TristenC]

Dirth pays for his drink and tries to ignore the hygenic habits of the staff. Raising his own in toast, he slaps the old man on his back gently to help clear the cough. Something about half-dwarves bother you old timer? he says quietly.

When the Dwarves start up their song he bobs his head in time, doing his best to commit it and the tune to memory. He pays careful attention to the words, since he understands Dwarven. His nimble mind races to collect and differentiate the accents from each other, in an effort to have a store of them for later. So, he turns to the bartender after hearing from the old man. what’s below? Just rooms or is there more to this merry place?

[Namenlos]

11:40 A.M.

"Boy, I ain't got no problem with Half-Dwarves but he ain't no Half-Dwarf. Man's simple, plain and simple. Ore cart cracked him on the head, took a foot of his height and his senses as well. Course, now you've made 'im happy thinking he's a Half-Dwarf, so no harm, heh." Replies the older man, grinning slightly before launching into another coughing fit into his arm sleeve and returning ti his cups.

As the light song finishes the Dwarves attack their meals almost as noisily as they had sung, anyone that had been paying attention to them returns about their task. No one made any loud sounds to interrupt, adopting hushed tones throughout the singing.

With the revelation regarding the bartenders predicament Dirth reassesses his usefulness as a source of information. Though a few short, pointed and easy questions should not tax the man to fiercely and Dirth inquires as to whats down below. "heehee, how do ye not know? It's the underground, O' course! Where'd ya think everyone lives? We ain't Elves ya know, hanging from trees for the night, ya know! Swinging about all nimbly pimbly."

I was just the age of sixteen
When I first went on the drive
After six months hard labor
At home I did arrive
I courted with a pretty girl
T'was her caused me to roam
Now I'm just a river driver
And I'm far away from home

[Chorus]
I'll eat when I am hungry
And I'll drink when I am dry
Get drunk whenever I'm ready
Get sober by and by
And if this river don't drown me
It's down I'll mean to roam
For I'm a river driver
And I'm far away from home

I'll build a lonesome castle
Upon some mountain high
Where she can sit and view me
As I go passing by
Where she can sit and view me
As I go marching on
For I'm a river driver
And I'm far away from home

[TristenC]

[Ooc: lol. Fake-out from the orc/elf guy... really? I figured you went trigger happy and created half dwarves... or is that a thing in 3.5? ]

[TristenC]

[OOC: Lol, realized my last post here was only OOC... D'oh!]

Z'at right? he says to the old man, regarding the bartender. Poor bastard... After enjoying the song thoroughly, he responds to the barkeep, pretending to only have half-heard. Of course it is, but I meant what's near this entrance? Can a man find a bed nearby those stairs or will I need directions somewheres? And about the mining job for my friend? I heard of a place that might be hiring called [<insert relevant 'job' information here>]. Where should I have my friend go to put-in for that?

[Namenlos]

(OOC: Knowledge-none relevant, no Wis. Mod., [1d20] = 6(fail), Dirth does not know the area well enough to use actual business/job references. Bluff-[1d20+8] = 18+8 = 26 (success) I just have to mention that the bartender has no real defense against your bluffing, so good roll lol. I'll try not to make this too roll heavy, It's not a style I like, So I'll try to give good roleplay shortcuts for dialogue etc., natural effects will be more roll dependent for randomness such as avalanches and stuff, did that make sense? I felt like I phrased it funny.)

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The bartenders perpetual gap toothed grin wobbles before Dirth as he contemplates the new questions, he looks to the stairs before replying."Ya' down there are the beds and stuff. I just get to help here up top?"

Dirthxanous continues his questioning of the hapless man, whos eyes begin to take on a wild look as the difficulty rises. "And about the mining job for my friend? I heard of a place that might be hiring called "The Refinery". Where should I have my friend go to put-in for that?"


Fortunately before the confused bartender can panic the old timer to Dirths right speaks up. "Ey! Jorgen, grab us another round will ya? Folks are getting dry" The bartender happily turns away, forgetting Dirth and moving to the middle of the bar, where the barrels stand. The dusty old miner then addresses Dirth in his tired and rough voice "Ye're new friend, nothing wrong with that, but ye should know to leave poor Jorgen alone. The town watches out for him, as best we can, and don't take kindly to folks causing him trouble. Just order yer drinks from him and let him be, word to the wise is all." The man coughs roughly as he finishes and grabs his tankard for a swift swallow. "Ye wanted to know what's down below? It's the actual tavern lad, this up here's the welcome room, for those wantin sun, privacy or just to say hi to Jorgen. Real place is down the stairs, run by Cohl, he'll be at the bar. If it's mining he wants then just send him over to the refinery, that big metal contraption of pipes... that, well, sounds like a refinery."

The old miner drags his gaze from the tankard before him and takes in Dirths fine(from his perspective) clothing. "I tell ye what, next rounds on you and you'll owe me a few later but I'll help get you and your friend set up in town?




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(OOC: The old miner is the changing colored voices, apparently he's speaking in different voices/tones... just kidding, I forgot the original color as I typed it.)

[TristenC]

[OOC: I meant the reference from the job he was given at the assassin's guild where they presumably told him which mine he is to sabotage and the guy he is supposed to kill...]

[Namenlos]

OOC: My apologies, I thought that was an insert for a bluff attempt, not actual information, I gotcha now. The relevant information would have been the refinery, It's Clan run versus company owned(which amounts to the same I guess). Other than the bit of the company the dialogue remains mostly the same, I can rewrite it if you'd like. I'll probably do that anyway but the old miners offer remains the same, Dirth doesn't know, but you can, that he gets a bonus for bringing in new hires.

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OOC: Changed the above text to reflect what you've said, should make more sense.

[TristenC]

Thanks for the tip, I guess I didn't realize how bad it had gotten for him. I appreciate the info and the offer for help. I'll get this round as a thank you.[/color] he says with a grin and a hoisted tankard. After he finishes his drink, he thanks the old man again I appreciate the info. I'm going to hunt out a room. he'll make his way downstairs to get a room, taking his pack and heading down the stairs. Thanks Jorgen, he calls to the man behind the bar as he descends.

[Namenlos]

(OOC: will use this post to place my next reply but will start by addressing a few things in regards to his mission. The mine he was sent to poison would be the refinery itself, the Ore is stored there before and after processing. He was given no specific target within the refinery, relying on his best judgement to pick a suitable candidate to cause a sufficient break down in production. If these don't sit well with you I can adjust it to give him a more linear goal.)

The old miner raises his tankard to match Dirths own and nods at his thanks. Jorgen catches the good bye and gives a friendly smile and wave in return.

Dirthxanous makes his way round the counter to the stairway and heads down to the floor below, a fresh blast of noise from below assaulting his ears. The underground room in which the stairs deposit him is quite large and occupied by at least two score patrons, all talking, drinking and eating away. The rooms occupants appear to be mainly Dwarven with a smattering of humans thrown in, several are obviously local miners but the glint of steel weapons and armor suggests that there are a few guards at least, if not sell-swords.

[TristenC]

[ooc: sorry my posting has been so sparse here lately. Now that the party in Ravenloft has assembled it'll be better. Once the puzzle dungeon gets underway it should help too. Easier to keep things rolling than to start the boulder in the first place, right? ]

Dirth makes his way to the bar at the East wall. Once a bartender is free, he gets their attention before asking How much for a room?[/color]