The hooded man puts on the brakes as he sees a ravage bear of a well armed man outside the tavern door. He takes two steps back then turns about-face back into the pub.

When he turns you can see a strange reflection in the dim light of the tavern cast from his right eye. His dirty cloak fails to belie his stocky build and smaller than average height. He takes a step toward the barkeep then pauses upon seeing the lot of you between him and the bar.

"Mother of a margr," he mutters, then after a beat, "You all ain't from around here..." You aren't certain, but the man might have seemed to relax a tad bit in that moment. "What do you want with Mardrough?"

Talk of these folks reminds Esperon of his home. He tells the others of his family: His father’s motto was always “Live and die by the hand.” His family foreswore use of numenera or fancy tricks to fish by hand and were relatively successful. They are also clever salespeople who parlayed the notion of “hand-caught” into something premium. "Maybe I can teach these folks a trick or to, time allowing," he muses to Hurley as the group heads to the small town.



The burly Esperon is actually enjoying his drink of water from a clean glass when the fellow attempts to leave. He turns to the bartender and fixes his eye on the man. "Think you're clever, eh?"



Esperon chuckles and looks back at the barkeep. "Don't forget that there are other clever people about. And they have friends."



Esperon stands and saunters casually over toward the man. "My friend Kaelan here has business with you. Do you want to talk more privately? It's about something Tal Masuu told Kaelan about." He flashes a reassuring smile.

Trained skill for the day would be Watching & Listening.

If a roll is applicable, I'm trying to use my Intellect to Persuade Others. I am Trained in that skill. Roll is 9.

13:11, Today: Esperon rolled 9 using 1d20.  Persuading Others (Trained).

After Esperon engages the supposed Mardrough, Hurley just adds some additional encouragement. When the front door closes, the view of the mirage-man is blocked from view. However, the man's voice continues to boom from the street behind the door.

"Was that him?!? Where'd he go?!?"

The bartender looks at Esperon with a rather blank expression. "Don't forget who's establishment you happen to be in, mister." He goes back to sorting the glasses behind the bar.



The disheveled hooded man studies Esperon for a moment, but makes no motion to either sit or to leave. "Well I have no business with your friend, nor do I know anyone by the name of Tal Masuu..." He pauses, scratching the rough week's worth of hair growth on his jaw. "Unless you're referring to that trader that passed through here several days back. I don't know what he told you, but I don't have nothin' to offer you. Now if you don't mind, I'll be on my way."

The man goes to step toward the exit of the pub when he hears the large man bellowing from outside the door:
He sighs and gestures the group to the table he was sitting at when they entered, then gives a cryptic hand signal to the proprietor behind the bar.

"Okay, I suppose I have a minute to burn. What did the trader tell you that had you all seek me out?"

Esperon grins broadly and nods to Hurley and Kaelan. "Friends, please explain to the gentleman, if you would." He stood off to the side by the door, being in a position to block it if needs be.

<Before heading into town>

Laughing at Esperon's suggestion, Kaelan looks over at the newcomer, "Forced me into? Hardly, I assure you. He simply has glommed on to the opportunity to explore what we can only hope is an unspoiled ruin. However... I'm going to ask that any oddities we find be given consideration to be added to my stores, since this whole adventure is being considered so I can build my business back up again. That said, I welcome any muscle willing to come along without promise of pay."

Tha done, he worked with the two to determine what their expectations would be, and enjoyed the bazaar as a whole.

<At the bar in the city>

Letting the two larger men work the strange man a bit before finally standing and walking over to the man, "Kelan Drell, at your service." Before they had entered the town, he'd dressed out of his travel clothing, and instead replaced it with his 'about town' outfit -- perhaps a bit more dressy for this town than might otherwise be... but there is a method to all of it.

His eyes sparkle just a bit, a slight sheen crossing them as he pours on the charm.

"Well, friend," he starts in, pulling over a stool opposite the man, "he wasn't specific. More... hinted. He had a suspicion you knew of some excellent opportunities in this town, and my friends and I came here hoping to aid you in said opportunities, should they exist. See," and again that smile flashes, "I recently find myself in need of replenishing my wares in my little shop over in Kaparin, and Tal said you would be the best option for it. Tal has always done well by me, and I respect his honesty, and so I decided to make the trip out here... surely you can help me?"

As Kaelan pulls up the stool and begins speaking, the man moves in a bit closer. His mouth is ever so slightly agape, and he listens very intently to him.

"Yes, yes..." the man replies as he pulls back his hood. The non-augmented eye has a somewhat glazed look to it and he addresses Kaelan with alacrity. "Mardrough can indeed help," he says, indicating himself. "There are indeed opportunities I know of for those who seek interesting wares of the previous worlds. I myself recovered a wonderful piece of numenera, which I would be glad to show you but it is not on my person. It is my contention that there are many more wonders where I found that piece that have laid hidden for a great deal of time."

He leans it a bit closer to the party, particularly Kaelan. "However, it is not here in this town. It is just over a day's travel from here. In fact-"

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
OOC: This is where the critical fail roll kicks in

---

Suddenly, Mardrough stops addressing the men. The glazed look in his eye vanishes, and he appears a bit more startled, lucid. He pulls away from Kaelan and sits straight up, then looks to each of the party members warily, his eye in a squint.

"Wait a minute... you're one of those folk. You're trying to put the whammy on Mardrough!" He shoves his stool in forcefully and rises from the table. "I've got nothing more to say to the lot of you! Trying to bilk me out of my discovery! Good day to you, and good luck!"

Mardrough nods toward the barkeep and walks toward the bar he stands behind. Just then the door to the tavern swings open and two men and a woman storm in.  The three are dressed in jerkins and boot and are armed with light weapons. They do not appear to be military by any means, more like village folk who have been trained as militia.

"Yrgan! We're looking for Mardrough! Is he-" The man stops as he sees Mardrough walking toward Yrgan. "Mardrough You need to come with us!" The three walk right past Esperon, paying him no mind, and move in on Mardrough.

Hurley is confused by the turn of events. "What just?!?" he begins to ask before being interrupted by the new arrivals.

Deciding that he isn't ok with losing this opportunity, Harley steps between the men and their quarry. "Hold on, Bub, we have hired this man to guide us. You can have him after we are done with him."


17:37, Today: Hurley Kosson rolled 15 using 1d20.  Stretching the truth and buying time (trained).
Obviously 15 is my number :)
This message was last edited by the player at 01:53, Wed 27 Sept 2017.

Esperon nods sagely and studies the man's face, curious to see what kind of reaction this would engender. He had some suspicions about this suspicious character, but only time and observation would tell.



Esperon sighs. And the shin in the air dropped. He prepares to move, when....



Esperon's eyebrow shoots up. An interesting development and useful.



Esperon steps next to Harley, half intentionally and half out of instinct. He beams at the newcomers. "Yep. Let us know where to bring him when we're done and we'll think about it, if you're smart about it." He folds his two meaty arms and looks expectantly at the three men...

Using Intellect to persuade them; I am Trained, reducing the difficulty by a step.

21:02, Today: Esperon rolled 14 using 1d20.  Persuading Others (Trained).

The three makeshift constables pause as the men step between you and Mardrough. They look quizzically over these strangers blocking their path, not sure who you are or where you hail from.

The woman takes a step in front of the two men in her group. She produces two connected loops of synth- presumably wrist restraints- and begins twirling them around her index finger.

"I don't know who you are or what you want with him, but you need to understand... this man is responsible for some serious crimes against our town. We are under orders from the mayor to apprehend him."

Something in your words, however, your words or tone or presence... gives her pause. She purses her lips and nods slowly. "You appear to be honorable men. We will remand him to your custody. You have one week though. Bring him to the mayor's office in one week's time. Make haste before we change our minds." The three step aside, giving you egress to the tavern door.

Slowly standing to stand behind the two larger men, Kaelan evidences no frustration at having been found out by their quarry. It was certainly going to be more difficult now, with him in an adversarial mood... but that hopefully could be smoothed over after preventing his capture. Putting a hand on either of his companion's shoulders, he smiled winningly at the woman, "Thank you. We assure you, we will make certain justice is done here. That said, we should be off, no?" The last bit asked to his comrades with a glance toward the door.

Esperon nods to the townsfolk and turns to Mardrough, putting his hand on the apparent criminal's shoulder. "So, my dear guide--let's be away from here before more of your fans decide to arrive." He shoots the barkeep a warning look before starting to direct Mardrough toward the door, his big hand still on the fellow's shoulder.

Having finally secured your quarry you guide him through the tavern door with hands securely and tightly held fast to him.

In the time you had spent inside Yrgan's pub the sun had finally set. You walk out into the cool night air, the only discernible lights being the stars above and a light shining through a home's window here and there. The darkness is thickened by the absence of the moon in the night sky. You begin to stroll down the small street, navigating by the feel of the road. Even for a small village it seems a little too quiet.

!! GM INTRUSION !! Normally you can accept the intrusion and earn 2 XP, 1 of which you’d give to another PC…

However, since you have no XP, you unfortunately have no choice but to accept the intrusion. On the upside, I’ll award each of you 2 XP for this one.

Here you’d thought the little town was rolling itself up and getting ready to tuck itself into bed. Instead, a myriad of glow globes suddenly chase away the dark in front and on either side of you. A couple dozen of the townsfolk step from the shadows, each with some weapon, or an implement that can serve as a weapon. You look behind you to the tavern’s entrance to see the three town patrol persons blocking the door.

Two men step forward and yank Mardrough from your grasp. A third man with an air of self importance steps forward and faces him. “Mardrough,” the man bellows, “you are being charged with the cause of the disappearance of 27 good citizens of Groshdou. You are to be hanged at midday in Raglish town hall square.”

The self-important man spins Mardrough around and places the synth fashioned restraints on his wrists. They draw him into the crowd and the accompanying folk wrap themselves around the prisoner, your query disappearing into the throng as they move away down the street.

Esperon considers making these individuals stop for a half a moment, but he restrains himself. Their complaint with this man is probably legitimate. The interesting question is whether there will be another opportunity to extract the desired information from him, given the circumstances.

He turns to the others. "Let's follow the crowd, quiet-like. If we're respectful, maybe we can find a way to get in to talk with him more."

"Something smells foul here," Kaelan mutters to his two companions... "If they succeed in killing him, we likely lose our lead. I question the legitimacy of what they are claiming... considering how..." He pauses, searching for the words, "...completely off the townfolk are. They may just be mistrusting of strangers due to the disappearances, but frankly I think we're looking at a scapegoat situation."

"That said, I don't see an alternative at the moment," he begrudingly offers, following at the rear.

You follow the small throng through the town, as you hear them growling and murmuring their vitriol for Mardrough. The street eventually opens up to a town square, and standing at the far side of the square is a strange building constructed entirely of black metal, a non sequitur amidst the rustic hand built homes and other buildings. The building appears to be a large metal cube topped with a smaller metal one, the larger roughly seven meters on each side respectively. There are various openings in its exterior which could serve as windows or doors save for their random placement along the surface. The openings do not reveal what is inside, only blackness shows beyond. Clearly a structure from a previous world that the small town was built around.

A tall thin woman, well dressed for the class of residents of the village but by no means opulent, awaits the crowd before one of the larger openings of the cubed structure. The crowd stops before her and the two men escorting Mardrough bring him before the woman.

"Thank you all for helping to apprehend this man," she states to the crowd. "You have all done well. Now return to your homes and families this evening, and know that justice will be served tomorrow." She nods to the two captors and they step up to the metal building and pass through the larger opening where the darkness swallows them. The crowd gradually disperses in various directions, congratulating each other and taking pride in their accomplishment.

After everyone has cleared the square, the woman notices your party has remained. "Out of towners, I see. I am Shthila Voo, the mayor of this town. If you seek an audience with me, I will gladly speak to you in the morning. It has been a long day and I would like to retire. So if you'll excuse me..." She gives a smile, albeit a bit insincerely, and takes a step away from you toward wherever she happens to reside in the town.

Esperon steps in front of her, his face stern. "Madam, you have SEVERELY inconvenienced my companions and me. We would have a word with you. Now." There is something in his demeanor that is polite, but he is also very, very serious. He has the air of someone who has himself had a very long day and will not tolerate being brushed off. He is also rather large and imposing.

Spending 2 points of Intellect to use Effort to reduce difficulty in addition to being Trained. He is not messing. Roll of 14.

22:45, Today: Esperon rolled 14 using 1d20.  Persuading Others (Trained) with Effort.

"Yes, severely," Hurley echoes.

What the dirt is going on here? he wonders. This entire town is crazy, and it gets stranger by the moment. On top of that, Drell seems like even more of a wildcard than he realized.

He simply watches until he knows a bit more.

At first Shthila gives Esperon that look of authoritarianism, the look of a person who is not accustomed to having demands made on her. She takes into account just how serious he is, in addition to the fact that she does not know these men and what they are capable of, nor do they know her. The look changes from irritation to one of congenial aplomb.

"My sincerest apologies for however I may have inconvenienced you. Perhaps you can enlighten me on that? Not to mention you helped assist in apprehending that miscreant, so I suppose I owe you a moment of my time. Now how can I help you gentlemen?"

At this, Kaelan steps around from behind Esperon, to look at Shthila squarely, the look of passive annoyance clear on his face, his habitual smile gone as he plays the part, "To put it succinctly, we already had, as you say, apprehended this gentleman, when your deputies accosted us, stole our quarry under implied threat of violence, and absconded with him. We have been tracking him for quite some time, found him here in your town, only to have weapons put to us to take him. You are not the only party with a claim on him, and now we find ourselves in a spot of duress. So you can see the difficulty here."

Esperon nods. "At minimum, we need to talk with the man again to secure the information we needed from him. This gentleman here," he says, pointing to Kaelan, "has his livelihood riding on that information. We're happy to have guards with us the whole time to keep us honest, and we'd owe you a favor, which from us means something.

"If you don't, then we're holding you responsible to help my friend Kaelan in the same way that this man could have."

He folds his big arms and looks at the woman with stolid determination.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:47, Fri 29 Sept 2017.

Shthila listens intently to their words, then contemplatively looks to each of the men after they speak. After a moment, she nods.

"I believe we seek the same information. When we realized the disappearances started happening around the time that man arrived here, we did question him about it, but he was not in the least forthcoming. We had hoped to question him further upon his arrest, but he slipped into hiding. Why would an innocent man hide?"

She looks over the sizable man before her. "You do appear to have the means to be more intimidating than anyone in this town. Perhaps you can convince him to divulge what has happened to our people- my husband-" she says, then breathes in slowly to keep her emotions in check, "and whoever you have lost, of course."

She turns back toward the metal building behind her. "I will let you speak with the prisoner. Whatever means you decide to use to get information from him is none of my concern. In the remote chance you glean any information as to what happened to my husband and our other residents that have gone missing, please share it with me. However," she says, turning back to face you again, "you have until just before noon tomorrow. You understand I cannot extradite him to you. He is to be executed here. His death is the only way we can be sure the disappearances stop."


The mayor beckons you to follow and she passes through the darkened opening of the building. You follow her through the opening to find yourself in a brightly lit room with no discernible light source. If you were to look back you would see the same darkness through the opening instead of what lay beyond outside. The interior walls are fashioned of the same metal as the exterior. Rather than the floors, walls and ceilings being flat planes there are cube shaped protrusions and recesses throughout. You see the two guards that had escorted Mardrough into the building seated at either side of a cube playing a game fashioned out of circles drawn in a layer of drit and some small colored stones. The two rise when they see the mayor approach them.

"Mern, Brekkur... these gentlemen are here to speak with the prisoner. Please accommodate them, but they are not to leave with the prisoner under any circumstances." She bids your party goodnight and hastily leaves the building. The two men wordlessly rise and navigate around the cubes that protrude from the floor. You follow them down a hall that is more like a path through a series of cubes which opens into a chamber roughly 4 meters by 6. On the opposite side of the room, pacing like a caged broken hound is Mardrough. He stops pacing when he sees you, then walks a few steps toward you. The two guards simply turn and leave you to your devices without a word.

"Oh, it's you lot!"  he hisses. "Come to wring some info from Mardrough? Get the location of my find? A dead man ain't got no use for it anyhow, you're thinkin'. Right?" He spits in your direction, but it travels half a meter when it reverses and falls at his own feet, as if something in the middle of the room pushed it back.

Hurley doesn't like this man - and Hurley likes everyone. He steps forward and says nothing for a moment. Instead, he reaches into his pack and pulls out a ceramic pot. He sets the pot next to Mardrough's restrained form. He stares at the pot as if expecting an answer from it.

Eventually it issues a single puff of blue smoke issues from the pot. Hurley nods at it gravely as if it has confirmed some suspicion. He seems to consider the information the device has provided him. Then he turns his attention to Mardrough.

"You're going to die - that seems obvious to me. But the pot says that ain't so. I don't know how it knows, but it's never wrong. It says you know more than you're saying. A lot more, actually. It is also telling me that what you know will save your life." He motions to the mysterious little pot that now issues no more smoke. "Start by telling us what happened to those people."

08:55, Today: Hurley Kosson rolled 17 using 1d20.  Bluffing that the pot knows something. Trained.

Mardrough stands with his arms crossed and watches the smoke dance and dissipate just on the other side of the invisible barrier. He does his utmost to appear disinterested but his demeanor is belied by the slight sparkle of hope in his eyes.

"The pot says I'm going to live," he says in a low tone, half as a statement and half as a question. "Based on what I know..."

His words trail off as he looks up at Hurley. That sparkle that was in his eyes moments ago has since vanished. "But I don't know what happened to those people! You gotta believe me!"

The prisoner begins pacing again. "I'm a scapegoat, you know that! I had nothing to do with those people disappearing! What am I going to kidnap people for? What use do I have in making people disappear? I'm just an explorer, a seeker. I'm not about causing trouble, I just want to discover wondrous items such as that!" He thrusts a finger to indicate the little pot Hurley had produced.

He finally stops pacing, sighs, then sits on a cube protruding from one of the walls. "It says what I know will save my life? I don't know what it thinks I know. Yes, the people started vanishing soon after I got here, but..."

Mardrough ponders his last statement for a moment, then stands and addresses your party. "I suppose it might have something to do with the numenera device I found. I found it amongst a copse of strange trees out by the bluffs of Hitcher's Firth. It was up in one of those trees. It had all sorts of odd patterns on it... I could feel the energy just radiating from it." He holds his hands as if the device were actually in them, his eyes get a faraway look for a moment. "I brought it back here and had Yrgan hide it for me. Maybe something it's doing is making people disappear, but I doubt it. Cuz the folks vanish when they go out on their hunts. They go out out of town and don't come back.

"Or maybe it's from whatever's back at that copse. When I was leaving the copse, I looked back and I swear I saw something... I don't know what... something in that copse that wasn't there before. I couldn't tell what it was. Maybe that's my doing. Maybe this really is all my doing. But that doesn't mean I should die! I don't want to die!"

He gets as close to the invisible divider as he can. "That's all I know. You said what I know would keep me alive. I'm holding you to that, guy!" He stands staring intently at Hurley.