Malta Session 6: 09/20/2017 Blue Bath Waters, The Brown-Shoe and A Job Well Done

Iris Continental

We begin this week’s session in Hagar Qim, as Lete looks to exercise his hedonistic traits he happens upon a casino. He is eventually greeted by a gentlemen who directs Lete to a bar where the brawler observes nearly everyone seems to be well armed but enjoying themselves, even the house employees seem armed and armored. As Lete watches he overhears a bit of conversation: “those prices are unacceptable for that kind of work.” However Lete is approached ‘Complements of Kala’ and eventually are led to a private party and is kept ‘busy’ until after breakfast.

Meanwhile Marco Andrezi is making slow and steady progress with Evagara.

The next morning (6^th day) there’s a knock at the room where the rest of the characters are staying where an Iris Continental room service offers morning bath services as well as breakfast and that’s where the party reunites (along with about 30 other guests.) The bathhouse is separate from the Iris Continental and sectioned off where it appears some individuals are meeting here as well; a place were there are not weapons and everyone is naked.  

At breakfast we keep to ourselves trying to disassociate ourselves at the onset of a new day.

A Unique Coin

Jabari makes tentative contact with a man named Sakar who makes some assumptions on the nature of Jabari’s presence in Hagar Qim and offers a task by sliding over a unique coin; Sakar asks if Jabari is alone. The truthful answer is no, but it is at Jabari’s discretion- Jabari is not looking for any job but is in fact here with a purpose and mentions the ‘journal’ we are looking for. The brief meeting is a non-starter and Sakar unceremoniously leaves thanking Jabari for his time.

Lex, sitting across from an attractive woman, eventually leads to a conversation; Loshe by name appears to be an exotic human, Lex introduces himself as Atemis. They make small talk, she assumes he is here for ‘events’ and asks his reason for being here. His answer comes as shopping, to which she answers she is a fine shopper. She takes a measure of pity upon his revelation on his association with the seven churches and offers to help him as best as she can. She warns him to be careful at the Continental, and that he needs to accept her help.

Lex as Atemis states he is looking for a dwarf named Malox; interestingly she knows the area where he frequents and the Brown-Shoe, a quaint and diminutive pub where he visits, but it will cost Atemis dinner at Loafers. The conversation is pleasant but short with the promise of dinner later.

The rest of us experience feelings of being watched during at breakfast, the feeling makes Carlo very uncomfortable.

After breakfast and while in the city we notice a difference between the city guard and the Egyptian security teams present when our characters entered the city. While in Hagar Qim our characters observe a busy city where everyone, more or less, keeps to their own business, seemingly in fear as Lete points out. Our first order of business is to have Evagara lead us to Malox and coincidentally the Brown-Shoe Pub nearish to the dock area. Eventually Lex mentions Loshe to the rest of the characters and his plan to disguise himself disassociating himself from the group.

Lete comes to smallish Brown-Shoe Pub to offer his skills ahead of the group, but without any luck (sans a disguised Lex/Atemis and Evagara who would later arrive to the Pub)- we obviously are newcomers to the regulars at the Brown-Shoe. Carlo and Lete do not stay however leaving Marco and Jabari to blend in. Eventually a dwarf ‘regular’ enters the Brown-Shoe and finds his normal stool where the owner quickly makes friendly contact.

Eventually Lex/Atemis in full disguise arrive at Loafers to get the lay of the restaurant.

(Atemis) Eva Las Vegas!

Jabari, whilst at the Brown-Shoe makes quick conversation with the dwarf who identifies himself as Malox where soon talk wanes to business. Jabari mentions Osso, (recruits Evagara into the conversation to learn the password is Garamaldi) and that we are here for what he had stored with the fine dwarf who politely asks for mere moments.

Meanwhile Carlo and Lete head to the docks where Lete hopes to make some cursory observations about the nefarious docks and the business that occurs there, while Carlo hopes to get training for his next character level from Lete. Here the two find busy wharfs and the buying and selling of lots being off loaded from ships. We happen across a barred wagon with obvious slave boys. This gives Carlo pause and opens a dialog with a likely slaver.

Nearby a half-orc 'not paying attention' to Carlo and this slaver; Lete approaches the dullard and asks if there is a place out of the way to spar with Carlo, However the request is misinterpreted and a fight breaks out.

Meanwhile back at the Brown-Shoe Jabari retrieves the gem needed to gain the journal from Lex who carred the gem and is enjoying eats and fresh bread across the street at Loafers. A Man in Black enters about ten minutes before Malox returns with an ornate box. Jabari offers the gem for the box which Jabari can see now is covered in dwarven runes along with the codeword to open the box. Eventually the box is opened and the journal is revealed including 6 Egyptian 100 gp gold bars and a silver or mithril ring with a wolf’s head, one completed masterwork badge and 3 sample badges. Marco identifies the wolf head as a unit (gang) ring and magical. Marco observes Evagara seemed surprised at the bars and the ring.

The woman Loshe walks in and looks around asking for Atemis (early) giving a description of Lex. She identifies Malox and admits to looking for the dwarf. The Man in Black gets up and leaves when Loshe begins speaking with the group. Jabari finds a reason to walk outside and sees the Man in Black reattach the business end to the plolearm he had; he reaches into his vest and quietness pervades the area and the man throws the coin into the bar and a fight breaks out the Man in Black seems to wish to attack Evagara.

When the battle comes to a close the Man in Black is killed as the wolf’s head ring that begins to admit an acidic mist destroying his body, soon we see the ring and the coat he wears vanish. Recovered: Masterwork halberd, masterwork composite longbow (Str +3) 20 arrows (Lete), masterwork short sword (Lex) also with a wolf-head on the pomel and zero funds and small 20gp ruby gold earring (Marco).

Loche looks to us and asks who we are: no one to be trifled with was the answer she received; to that she says our goals align. She asks how long we are staying at the Continental. Jabari expresses we do not intend to stay; Loche offers Jabari a promise of future business.

Malox laments that the Man in Black was one of Davos’ men and he will not react kindly to a death of one of his ‘wolves’. Reasons abound between us as to why Davos would be interested in Evagara but we agree that leaving town immediately is our next course of action.

We encounter no difficulties returning with Evagara to the Seven Churches and Garamaldi’s half-tower abode around 6 in the evening (still the 6^th day).

Garmaldi seems glad to see us and invites us into his half-tower where we present him with the journal and the badges whereby he rewards us with a second level potion of our choice. We advise Garamaldi of Davos’ interest in the journal. He says we are welcome to stay and to advise his servants of Garamaldi’s middle name, should he be gone if there is anything we may require. We ask to cash the gold bars (eight total) and he does so for free into Carthaginian coin. We agree to stay in the half-tower.

We tithe and received healing.

Garamaldi asks what our next course of action will be, we intend to head north (Fungus Rock) and plan on returning soon.

We rest until day (7^th day), Lete begins to train Carlo in the fighting style; Marco stars to work on his martial disciplines (writing shit down); Jabari and Lex travels to Wassier’s ranch house to accept his offer. A woman (his woman) approaches the characters to facilitate the job offer with information; if we return the ship to a specific dock we can keep what’s in the hold. A boat we need to get there (the White Lightening) is at the dock next to the dock where The Gleeful Skipper is to be docked.

We end around noon at Garamaldi’s half-tower.