Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

kleomenes wrote:Daug'aonar tenses up at sight of the beast, a hand moving down to his cleaver by instinct, despite his knowledge of the city's wards. Behind his visor his eyes narrow in reciprocated aggression. He looks up at the Quaggoth, his own diminutive and spiky form very much in its shadow.

"What?" he says, in undercommon.

DM Arrakeen wrote:The merchant swallowed hard and took a step forward putting the stall full of goods at his back. Better safe than sorry, he thought, keenly aware that the wards would not protect his property if the monster decided to make a point. City guard glanced at the scene, a glimmer of dry amusement shone in his eyes.

Meanwhile, the Quaggoth leaned down to compensate for the difference in size and looked to the cleaver. A low growl vibrated inside the beast's chest as it scrutinized the Master of Hounds.

"Master has job. Come," the creature grunted in undercommon. Gesturing with its clawed paw-like hand, it ushered Daug to follow.

DM Arrakeen wrote:The beast led Daug to the western edge of the Bazaar and into the festhall known as The Glouras' Wings. The faerie barkeep looked to the door, and her wings fluttered nervously at the sight of the creature. She didn't call herself a Deep Queen for no reason, however, so she didn't allow such a nuisance to bother her or to disrupt business. Gloura's focus promptly returned to the task at hand. The tavern might not have been very full, but she still had drinks to pour. The Quaggoth drew the attention of the other patrons as it walked across the main room and toward one of the tables in the back.

A well-dressed drow with sharp features and a goblet of mushroom wine sat there. Long fingers kept flipping through the pages of a tome in front of him. Upon the arrival of his slave and the Master of Hounds, the jaluk finally looked up. An analytical, red gaze settled on the other drow.

"Sit. I have something to discuss with you," the observer's tone indicated it wasn't a question, and he gestured to the chair across from him.

The beast positioned itself behind his master without a word, then began to watch the area cautiously.

kleomenes wrote:Daug follows the Quaggoth into Gloura's, relaxing as they enter that place. Padding after the Quaggoth, his eyes move to the book when arriving at the drow's table. The warrior judges this book-reading drow is likely a faern, and so his nod of acquiescence is overlong, denoting respect, before he sits where indicated.

Daug looks across the table at the drow. "You have business? We can talk business."

DM Arrakeen wrote:The observer closed the book and folded his hands on top of it.
"Rumor has it that your organization is the local go-to if one needs to hire a skilled enforcer or a blade. You hardly have any competition worth mentioning," he spoke in drow with an accent different from the locals. "That alone has piqued my interest, so I want you to arrange a meeting with someone that has the clearance to make these decisions," he paused when his slave's muffled snarl caught his attention.

Quaggoth's eyes clung to the drowess by the bar. She seemed unaware of the beast's stare, but the snakes of her whip were not. All four heads turned to regard the monster, their collective hiss alarmed the priestess. Her hand dropped to the weapon's handle, and she looked in the direction the serpents were looking. Upon seeing the beast, she smirked, but that expression vanished as soon as she spotted the drow male. It was the drowess' turn to stare; anger was plainly written across her features. The snakes coiled and hissed mirroring the whip bearer's emotions. The observer, however, spared the female but a one, dispassionate glance before looking back to Daug.

"My schedule in the next three maybe four cycles should easily accommodate a meeting," the jaluk continued as if the distraction didn't happen. "This should speed things up and ensure you run to your masters as soon as you leave this place," the drow slid a sizeable pouch across the table to the Master of Hounds.

kleomenes wrote:Daug listens to the drow's words, nodding in what he seems to think are appropriate places. He too looks over at the snarl, and takes note of the target of the Quaggoth's gaze. His helmeted head stays angled towards the drowess at the silent exchange, and it is only when he is addressed again that he turns back to his table-companion.

He reaches for the pouch before speaking. "I will arrange meeting, yes. The Lieutenant will be wanting to know more than nothing though. He is important man, he is busy man. I want to be able to tell him he is not wasting his time."

This is, in fact, a bad attempt at inflating Vesche's importance in order to wring more information out of the presumed faern.

///with Zero bluff!

Apologies for the delay, RL hell

DM Arrakeen wrote:Quaggoth's glare followed the priestess who hurriedly left, and the beast returned to passive observation. Daug's words were met with a chuckle and a glint of amusement in observer's eyes.

"Is he now?" jaluk's brow arched. "If that is true then he will surely realize that if I pay a mere creature such as you 10 trade bars to schedule a meeting I mean real business," the drow smirked, sharp white teeth flashed briefly in a predatory smile. "But I'll humor you, Hound Master," he lowered his voice. "I hired a different company, and they failed. Their body parts littered the tunnels making scavengers quite happy. I, on the other hand, am far from being satisfied and I need what they lost retrieved and returned to me," the observer leaned back in his chair. "Now, run to that wanna-be Jarlaxle of yours, and get me that meeting," he waved his hand dismissively indicating he was done talking.

The beast at the jaluk's side let out a lowpitched growl, took a step toward the table and glared down at Daug.

DM Arrakeen wrote:Quaggoth's clawed hands twitched, wrinkles forming on its snout, but he did not move. In silence, the beast watched the Master of Hounds leave the establishment. The observer, on the other hand, shook his head lightly in mild amusement. Slender fingers tapped against the cover of the tome and he whispered to the slave.

"By my estimate, the spider kissers are about to realize that something is up," he clicked his tongue and reached for the wine. "Finally, the stratagem games can begin. Go. Deploy the first pawn."

For a moment it looked as if the Quaggoth was smirking, and a murmur of satisfaction emitted from him. The beast dipped his head and without another word left his master side.

DM Arrakeen wrote:The Quaggoth barely looked at the stranger, moving past him in fluid motion toward the Glouras' exit. His concern was the task given by the master, and that took priority over anything else.

The observer was about to take a sip from the goblet when an unknown drow dared to approach his table. His hand paused and he put the chalice down again. Red irises clung to the short jaluk as he spoke; and the sitting drow didn't respond right away, allowing the silence stretch between him and the other male. Whether he was considering the words or merely toying with the stranger was impossible to tell. Finally, he indicated the seat which Daug had previously occupied.
"You are more or less correct. Your interruption," drow's gaze slid momentarily toward the wine, "is within the range of possibilities I've prevised," he paused for a moment, waiting for the other drow to sit before speaking again. "Not the only ones, you say. So what can these others offer that the mercenary chapter with vast resources can't?"

DM Arrakeen wrote:The Quaggoth barely looked at the stranger, moving past him in fluid motion toward the Glouras' exit. His concern was the task given by the master, and that took priority over anything else.

The observer was about to take a sip from the goblet when an unknown drow dared to approach his table. His hand paused and he put the chalice down again. Red irises clung to the short jaluk as he spoke; and the sitting drow didn't respond right away, allowing the silence stretch between him and the other male. Whether he was considering the words or merely toying with the stranger was impossible to tell. Finally, he indicated the seat which Daug had previously occupied.
"You are more or less correct. Your interruption," drow's gaze slid momentarily toward the wine, "is within the range of possibilities I've prevised," he paused for a moment, waiting for the other drow to sit before speaking again. "Not the only ones, you say. So what can these others offer that the mercenary chapter with vast resources can't?"