Chapter:1 Home sweet Gnome!

[Synthalus]

Narrator

The four Orc thugs remove the corpse off the guild floor and throw it in the ally behind the guild to feed the low quarter rat population. Egglend presents Zendur with Worts key and Yellow saddle stone and says;

" May your reign be a long and prosperous one for us both. I was going to discuss with you what we should do with the welp, but you created a commotion forcing Wort to mouth off to me for the final time in his pathetic life and now here we are. The office is all yours and I only have one small favor to ask, I am happy with my position as second in command and would like to remain so?

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "Thanks for takin care of the mess. We got someone ta get the blood outta our floor?" done being distracted by the blood stain "Eh second in command that sounds good ta me. We got a trip ere in the next day or so anyway. Needed someone ta take care o the place in our absence. Guess we can take Bamble and Nimble with us. Lads cheer up you get ta go with us." he smiles at Nimble and Bamble. Turns back to Egglend "So bout out orcs ere they aint with the tribe o orcs that threatens this place are they?"

[Synthalus]

EGGLEND
"Not at all we recruit our Orcs from the underdark. We bought them from some dwarf tribe that's working with that slippery snake Eustace!"

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "Yeah we just met him. Made a deal wit him. Lucky we took Sten down first or Eustace would be runnin this place. He had plans ta take out Sten soon. Oh an speakin of deals we made a bargain with the constable as well. Payin him a wee bit more ta keep him off our backs. But Saph here worked a great deal for us with Eustace and we're over chargin him a tribute for two years." the dwarf smiles and winks at Egglend "Here yah go boys. Drinks r on me." he flips the orcs each 5 gold pieces.

[Dram]

Saphjawx- This is a very nice place. Glad that monstrosity not hanging over our office anymore. Throw out the backdoor with his kid. Zen and myself will lead this guild into great prosperity. We have been trying to arrive here most of day. Egglend second in charge you say that is good. We have some things to discuss with you privately. Saph steps over the bloody spot on the floor and enters the office.

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "Better idea take the statue and use it for fire wood." Zen snaps his fingers and Nimble grabs up the broken statue and tosses it in the nearest fire place. "Bamble Nimble go get some R and R lads after yer done burnin that." and with that the dwarf follows Saph into the office.

[Dram]

Saphjawx- Egglend have you heard about Jagged Rose Expedition. We will leaving here in the next couple of days on that mission. You seem to be very capable in handling yourself. What was the split that your predecessor had with rest of the guild. And is there any other situations that we need to be aware of? Saph looks to Zen to see if has anything add.

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "What other businesses do we have running in the area? Gamblin'? Tell me we got somethin sides robbin folks."

[Synthalus]

EGGLEND

The guild used to pull in about 5000gp every 3-5 months but now with the lose of the more experienced thievs the guild will be lucky to manage half of that. All of this income comes from racketeering, robberies, mugging, burglary, and extortion. Stencil was a master of extortion. Half of that money went to the safe house located at the gambling den to be used in high stakes games and the other half is stored hear at the guild. It is used to equip our men and pay for bribery. As chief thief you decide how to manage it however you see fit. As second my cut has always be 15% of the monthly take.

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "Well bein a thief I know the costs of showin too much generosity but I am a bit less stingy as I know how that bodes.Up yer cut to 20% we now have a tribute from Eustace for allowin him to setup his assassins guild, with promise to not threaten us or target our kind. But I got some ideas that could pay off. We should start takin part o them bids they place on the arena matches, an I think we can set up a tavern an brewery that can bring in more funding. Might be worth takin jobs ta gather precious items for the weathier denizens of this city."

[Dram]

Saphjawx- Do we have any business with our ladies of the night? And if not who controls the business if we don't. 20% sounds like fair take. As Zen said our income from the assassins guild should help. Who would we to contact in order to set this up within the arena. The tavern could be a front for the gambling.

[Synthalus]

EGGLEND

We already have a man in the arena betting office who takes illegal bets for us already, as for the ladies of the night we don't have too many of those around. Aye their are a handful or so in town maybe a dozen tops, but they are all independants. No one manages them to me knowledge. You might wise to inquire with lady Beaumont at the laird feast tomorrow she'd be the closest thing to a madam round these parts.

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "Well there is always opportunity if yah look hard nough. Always a way ta expand an enterprise like this."

[Dram]

Saphjawx- We will speak with Lady Beaumont at the dinner tomorrow night. I would like to visit this gambling den. What do we have in the way of safe or a treasure room and need be quick escape routes, and secret doors here in the guild.

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "Aye. What do we have in the way of marking safe houses in the city? I can only figure we must have more n just this one hideout there best be a series of marked but only in the way our kind would know around a city of this size." thinking a bit more on other information of need "What folk are we to watch out for other n Eustace, there any other rival guilds or enemies of the guild to worry about or watch for?"

[Dram]

Saphjawx- Ah yes Zen them are very good questions indeed. Do we need to have body guards with us. I do have another question. What do we have in the way of weapons or items that may help us on our adventure within the guild. Saph looks over to Zendur. We should be departing soon and see how friends in the Jagged Rose faired in the Arena.

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur "Zen" "Eh they're alive I bet. Likely they dispatched them gray dwarf's. Terrible name for our group." waiting for Egglend patiently scratching his beard "We got any type of mercenary group in this guild? I herd a group of Drow call em selves Bregan D'aerthe. Dunno what it means but I like tha idea. Any way if yah can answer our final questions we'll leave yah in charge while we go do our business. We can no dally much longer our friends will be asking were were are."

[Synthalus]

1.) What do we have in the way of marking safe houses in the city?
2.) What folk are we to watch out for other n Eustace, there any other rival guilds or enemies of the guild to worry about or watch for?
3.) What do we have in the way of weapons or items that may help us on our adventure within the guild?
4.) We got any type of mercenary group in this guild?


EGGLEND

Egglend plays with the tip of his goatee and answers the questions.

1.) We mark our safe houses with this sign (See image below). We have three known locations including this one, Foreign Quarter/Common Quarter/Low Quarter. It is rumored that Sten had his own secret safe house but the last person that might have known its location is feeding the rats now. (Egglend shifts his feet and kicks at the dirt floor in frustration) Sorry about that, didn't think it would be an issue until now.

2.) Eustace is our main problem. Other then Eustace their is the beggars guild, A shifty lot they is. They are not our enemies but a clear rival for gold pinched from passers by, Thieves the lot of them but not like us. The beggars are mostly a kindly group of thieves. Also we would warn you of the Red cloaks! They are a group of guardsmen that are former beggars guild and thieves guild members that now work for the city watch and the Laird himself. The red cloaks know all of our marks and safe houses but do not hassle us as long as we pay tribute to the city an don't over step our boundaries. You met their leader earlier, That guard captain you mentioned.

3.) To answer your other question not much, we may have a half dozen healing potions around ere for wounded thieves I could gather up fur yah?

4.) The only Mercenary group that resides in town is the fighters guild. You'll not find it marked on any map though as it is a word of mouth guild. Their leader is in fact the Laird of the city and they act on his behalf much like minutemen. Most members are common folk. If you please or pay the Laird well I figure he would gather them for whatever purpose you needed.

[GreyWolfVT]

Zendur smiles and pats Eggard on the shoulder "Thank ya greatly Eggard this is a mass of help. Though I suspect as sly as Sten held himself and his ego. He likely marked his secret place with one of the symbols that would point our kind to pass over the place. Just a sneaking suspicion. It it were me I'd try ta scare off other thieves less likely they'd know it was my secret stash. The beggars ya know it may not be a bad idea to try and ally with them. Best ta have the extra help when we got a flip flop ally like Eustace."

[Dram]

Saphjawx- Egglend you have been very helpful this evening. When we return from the Jagged Rose mission. We will have to make a decision about Assassins Guild. Egglend be very carefull with any dealings with the assassins guild. If they try to make a power move you call in all favors within the guild to shut them down. Maybe if we start working with the Beggar's guild they can put some ears into their guild. I wish we could stay longer but we will be surely missed before to long if not already. Leave the Potions for our brothers to use. We will inquire with leader on the expedition for those items.