So the party sent me a small list of questions and things they'd like to have brought up with the Butcher and maybe a few instances of how they'd behave or counter anything she might say. Plus there were some CHA rolls made in the beginning and I know how smart and observant her and her gnomes are.
Follows:
ONE HUNDRED FORTY FOUR
(I/C)
(General Friendliness of Butcher <Cha, Red/Black 5 (beat by 7) – friendly and approachable!)
(Lyra (highest wisdom) feeling of truthfulness = White 16 – ok)
(Charisma check comparative rest of the group:
Lannis >Pink (poor, over by 7)
Lyra <White 7 (ok plus, under by 2)
Wyn > Orange 16 (off putting, Over by 5)
Abraxas < Blue 3 (very good, under by 9)
Brendon <Red 12 (ok, Under by 1)
Kovid > Yellow 11 (ok, Over by 1) )
Lyra stepped in front of Lannis and was a bit taken aback by the large bugbear standing there with the very toothsome grin. “Whoa-oh, Hello there!”
“Hello again little girl!”
“Um, Hey!” She coughed into her hand and straightened up. “I’m Lyra. Nice to finally see another woman in this place, especially one who can clearly take care of herself.”
“Thanks Lyra. And who are the rest of your friends?”
“Good day, I’m Brendon, it’s a pleasure to meet one so friendly.”
“Kovid Manslayer XIX, “Pleasure to meet you lady Butcher. It’s nice to see a friendly face.”
Stepping behind Lyra, Lannis struggled to make eye contact and stammered out, “HiImLannis. What's your name?”
“HAHAH!” she laughed easily, “You couldn’t pronounce it properly, Butcher is fine.”
"Hola, Señorita mas bonita. Soy Abraxas Salazar, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Thank you for your... como dices... invitation to your very nice chambers. Gracias."
“Ah! I like your kobold accent! Muy bueno!”
Lyra smiled, “It’s how he talks.”
“Well, he does a fine job of it,” she looked over the party swiftly, noting their weapons, armor, equipment, and state of the health. Abraxas gleaned her interest as he was doing the same watching her body language and his thoughts earlier of her skill were only further compounded.
Taking the bag of meat, Wyn pointed to the cutting block and got a nod from her, placing the large sack of assorted goblin pieces within. “Lovely place you've set up for yourself. How long you been 'ere?”
She looked the elf over quickly, noting the state of his quiver and lack of arrows within. “Myself? 4…5 months, it sort of runs together. The three of us, “she motioned back to the two gnomes, “all came from Jector following Corfard on his plan to bolster the western border.” She paused, nudging the sack open with a long talon, “How about yourself? How long you’ve been here?” She turned her attention to Lyra.
“Oh! Um, Aine bless me, 4 days.”
“Ah! Newbies.”
Giving the floor of the room a scrape with his boot, Brendon asked, “This room is interesting, did you set it up like this? The sand is a good idea I suppose, easier to clean.”
“Nah, it was mostly like this when we moved in,” she replied. “I’ve added a few touches and Standard has his own opinion on how smooth and raked the sand should be,” the gnome in question chuckled, a cackling sinister sounding laugh at best. “But this was the Ispan’s original butchery. They used it for hogs and pigs from what I could see earlier. I just took over the place.”
Wyn nodded his head, “What's the most difficult ting you eva 'ad ta butcha? I was once asked ta clean a pair ov owlbears... I not sure what be worse... de feadders or de musk glands.”
“Nice. They’re a bitch. Older ones worse than the younger ones. Myself, biggest pain in the ass I ever had to do was a rust monster. Forced to use my stone tools so the edges needed to be constantly touched up. Meat tasted like forge droppings but certain lizards like the taste of it.”
“I like your scythe” Lannis blurted, “Can I touch it? I'm a wizard.”
“Hahah!” the Butcher laughed. “Does that line ever work? No, no, little man, you cannot touch it.” She gave it a twirl, “Any fighter worth her salt knows you never let another person touch your tools.” Her gaze softened, “Wizard or not.”
“You must 'ave been blessed by de Morrigan 'erself to be gifted dat glorious scythe,” Wyn commented. “Did de Lady ov Grain gift dat to you or were you lucky enough to come across it in yer travels?”
She sighed. “And there it is.”
“What?” Lyra asked.
“The interest in my Scythe.” She spun it once, taking half a step back. “Always the newbies show up and think to come here and try to take it. Thinking because of the cock in their pants they can best me.” The two gnomes stopped their tasks and stood where they were, hand down by their waist the other casually held at an angle in front of them (Lannis and Wyn, no roll – spellcasting readiness). “I’ll tell you like I told Corfard three damned months ago, it’s MY Scythe. No one else wanted to dare go and get it, “she pointed to the door at the east that the cold was coming from and the gnome had now closed, “and I risked getting SHOCKED by the damned key to take this damned Scythe.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Lyra said, hands up, “We are NOT those people, or whatever you think.”
“Si, Senorita,” Abraxas joined her, hands held up in supplication, the corner of his eye seeing Lannis cowering tightly behind Lyra, knees shaking, “there is no reason for you to get all upset. It’s yours and it’s a beautiful weapon. We had no conversation with anyone about your weapons, promise.”
Kovid also spoke up, “It’s true. We came because Jowass told us about you.”
She looked at the dwarf, “Jowass? You know him?” Her eyes traveled across the dwarf’s weapons and narrowed. “I see you also have his hammer.”
“Yes, well, actually it was my hammer first.”
Her stance eased up a fraction. “Hmm, I told him that would happen. People don’t throw away weapons in a fight. Owner might want it back.” Her brows lowered. “Did you beat it out of him, kill him, or pay that ridiculous Nurgle kisser to have him give it up?”
Kovid kept his expression neutral. “Honestly, he just let us take it, Right Lyra?”
The Cleric nodded. “It’s true. I had some words with him, talked about Aine a bit, he then talked to us for a while, and presto, Kovid got his hammer back.”
“Yep,” Kovid continued, pulling out a scrap of paper the kobold had drawn for him the other day, “said you chopped up meat for him, drew us this small map,” he held it up. “I will say though, that he didn’t tell us that your hair would be so VOLUMINOUS and BOUNCY.” He smiled, “Let me tell you, we dwarves love hair.”
Her stance had eased more and she was now relaxed again. “Probably right, kobolds aren’t known for noticing hair,” the gnomes also seemed to relax but were watching the group with caution. She looked at Lyra, “I guess I can believe you. You know how it is, being…frustrated,” her eyes were wide as she talked to the Cleric who also noted the bristling of the bugbear’s fur and the way she was twisting her thighs together…which made her uncomfortable. “I mean, I’m all for taking matters into my own hands, but this is the longest I’ve gone without since I turned 11.” She grit her teeth, “Another thing that worm Corfard bullshitted me about.”
“What about?”
“You know, the standard it’s for the best speech. Come out, do your part, better for all of Jector if you sacrifice a little now.” She scowled. “Said there’d be other clanmates out here, but that was bullshit, I’m the only bugbear. Said we’d be here a week tops to open the vault and then move on. That was bullshit.” She spun her scythe again, trailing a silver line in the air, “I find this and the Jailor finds the flail and Corfard looses his shit and wants us to destroy them and keep them away from him. Elf Goddess weapons or some such shit and I’m like,..er, nah. I’ll just keep it.”
“What a bastard!” Lyra said.
“I know. I get it, under his I’m a god worship me, he’s no better than a worm with dick size concerns. Biggest cock of the walk.”
Abraxas cleared his throat. “So, Senorita, why don’t you just leave?”
“Ha! As if I can.”
“Why not? Jowass did.”
Her brows shot up. “Seriously?”
“Si,” Abraxas said. “Not two days ago, food, water, even a nice silver weapon to help him out, we walked him to the door and wished him the best.” The Fighter had a wistful look in his eye, “I’m hoping to visit him in Jector sometime in the future. We got on very well in the short time we got to know each other.”
The two gnomes stepped closer to the Butcher and muttered something to her in their own language, “Yef aets rue, huy yar re shyl leyr?” (Kovid, you speak gnome and were able to tell he said, “If it’s true, why are we still here?!?”)
She waved them back and looked the group over with a shrewd glance. “I am honestly, surprised. Corfard for all his talk of duty and freedom isn’t big on anyone leaving or getting the hell out.” She tapped her fingers across the scythe’s shaft. “Although, it’s been months since he’s left the second floor.” She looked at her weapon, “Almost as long as it’s been that the Jailor and I dug these out.”
“He does have an orc patrol that goes out,” Lyra offered, “Maybe that’s why? Plus we did see two strong looking women as well. One looked like a…wizard maybe? And the other had a bag on her head. I think they called her Moira?”
“Hmmph, Mirabellis. Corfard’s personal magic user. I swear she polished every coin Corfard has so he can wipe his ass with it, cheap bastard.” She grunted, “You’ll get paid when the job is done and we’re on the way home! Ha! Hypocrite bastard.” She snapped her fingers, “The other is Moira, Jailor found her in the Ispan’s jails, tattooed like the others. Snake haired floozy, she has no problem sleeping with anyone who wants to plow her fields as long as the lights are off.”
“So…medusa?”
“Yep. Supposedly her sister escaped during the Ispan’s failed ward spell and never returned to spring her. So she’s bitter, cold, and biding her time for Corfard as thanks for being freed. He’ll let her go at Autumn’s ending, another 3 months. After being stuck here for 30 plus years, it’s not surprising.”
“Are they upstairs?”
“Yep,” she answered, blinking slowly and letting her breath out. “Ok. I think I’ve figured it all out. You’re the intruders I’ve heard about, not newbies. This bag has dead goblins in it, which I know sounds delicious, but isn’t something any of you would eat if given half a chance. Not even you, elf,” she said pointed gaze at Wyn. “You look like you’ve been through the ringer, your armor is beaten up, weapons are a mess, and you dwarf, that isn’t dwarven made platemail so unless you’re actually Travis under all that hair, I’m going to assume the skulking deviant is also killed.”
She pointed at Abraxas, “You are wearing Grilljax’ headpiece over your dick, which incidentally is also where Grilljax wore it when it was above his neck, HAHAH!” She smiled, “You’re about out of arrows, you have the stink of dead zombies on your clothes, and look like half of you can use a good night’s sleep where you aren’t going to be stabbed by a travelling band of Hobgoblins.” She burrowed her gaze at Lyra’s. “So, am I right?”
The Cleric tried to hold her own but withered under the Butcher’s gaze. “Dead on.”
“Terrific!” She clapped her hands. “Ok then, I’d like to go home. And I have no intention of asking Corfard for 5 months of pay for me, Standard, and Typical. I doubt the worm would be inclined to cough it up. It’s 30 miles to Jector and I have enough food in the freezer, “she thumbed to the door to the east, “to load up and get gone. I doubt you are going to stop me and I also doubt you are going to tell Corfard about this, right?”
Lyra nodded, “Right again.”
“Ok then.” She looked at Lannis, “Wizard!”
“Y-y-yes? I, I-im Lannis.”
“Great! Yes, the scythe is magic. Found it there in the freezer. It’s one of the Ispan’s champion’s weapons. There are four of them, one for each goddess. And Corfard is damned afraid of it. So if I’m leaving, the weapon does no good as a deterrent to Corfard, Correct?”
“Y-y-yes.”
“Great! Then here’s my deal. Since I’m not going to get paid, and Standard isn’t going to get paid, and Typical isn’t going to get paid, I’d be willing to sell this fine weapon for the right price.” Her eyes narrowed. “Who would be the best to use it?”
“Not me, I mean, I’m not..nope. You’d have to be real big to use it. Like you,” his gaze took on a horrified expression, “Not because you eat too much, ha! No, you’re just big and strong and healthy looking, and hahah, and, and ,and, uh, Hi! I’m Lannis?”
Abraxas held his hand out, calming the wizard down. “Perhaps me, Senorita?”
She looked the fighter from head to toe. “You’ll do.” She pointed to his shield. “You’ll have to ditch that,” she said. “Gets in the way. Fighting with this baby takes your whole body. What’s nice though is that the butt end is counter-weighted and still accounts for a block should you let yourself go while fighting.” (Using the Scythe of Morrigaan counts as having a shield for 1 attack during combat situations).
“What do you want?”
“Me? I want to get paid. Corfard owed me 5 months pay. I want that. And double. 30 silver per month, 5 months, 150 silver. Double that, 300 silver.” She smiled, “Chances are any coin you picked up here came from Corfard’s goons, so it’s not your per se.”
The two gnomes tapped on her side and she looked down and smiled, “Oh! And I want them paid as well. 15 coppers per month, 2 gnomes, 5 months. 150 coppers.”
“We pay you, Senorita, you go and we can have the Scythe?”
“Nope, you have paid me for my time…” she paused, eyes intense. “Not my toy.” She cocked her head. “You have gold on you?”
“A…a bit.”
“I’m not a greedy bitch. Weapon like this, knowing that it’ll give that bastard an ulcer, how about 100 gold pieces.”
The two gnomes coughed, eyes wide. “Eh?” She looked down. “It’s fair.”
“Sym shi,” they said in gnomish (“Seems high,” Kovid heard.)
She looked them over. “They can afford it, I’m sure. One of a kind weapon. Your call,” she shrugged. “I can get used to my old Battle Axe again.”
“So, what’s your thoughts?”
Time now is: Day 4, 12:38 PM
(OOC)
Ok, got what I could from everyone. That’s her terms, yes, no?
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