Rollplay Solum Episode 16

Purchase of Some Help
Woltroth. The Party inquires with the barkeep about hiring mercenaries and learns that mercenaries like to hang out at brothels. The Party heads to the brothel to find a mercenary and asks one of the ladies to be pointed towards one. The lady tells them to sit and wait until one comes out and Victarian pays her 10 silver for her time. A guy walks down later and the woman points him towards the party, he walks over and Victarian begins to interview him. upon being asked his allegiances he suggests that they go talk somewhere more private, Victarian and the mercenary put it so simply "there's a lot of vaginas and ears here" "and they're both for sale". The party goes down the road and sees the old man from earlier going from person to person asking questions seemingly in vain. The party with the mercenary goes to a more secure location to discuss the deal. Victarian inquires of the mercenary's limits, and asks if he's ok with being at odds with the Voraci Army. They hire the mercenary for 100 gold a month. To test the mercenary's meddle in combat Victarian buys the mercenary and Tariq some blunt sparring swords for 10 gold a piece. Tariq realizes that he is not proficient in normal Swords but he schools the mercenary anyway. Victarian calls off the battle when the mercenary is looking weak and asks his name, he responds Ron.

Royal Interests and a Strange Friend
On the way to their horses the old man confronts the party and asks them "have you seen Fix?" the old man seems very confused. The old man Reveals that his name is Zanzil, he moves on and the party continues on their way. The Party gives Spades Jhakri's old horse and they ride out of Werra towards Fraskka. Ron is concerned about trailing Prince Yorden. Upon arrival in Fraskka The Party sites Prince Yorden walking down the street flanked by two of his guards. The Party gets a room in a tavern named The Piss Bucket. Dana voices concerns about not making progress in securing the safety of the Baby. Victarian tells Dana that they will move on if nothing comes out of the prince scenario. The party splits to gather information. Tariq, Dana, and Spades go to gather information about Prince Yorden and consider attempting to gain audience with him. They go in search of the prince and find a tavern named The Royal Crown. One of Prince Yorden's guards is in the tavern, he has a quick word with the bar keeper and then heads towards the exit, Spades and Dana get up to follow him. Victarian relates his plan to learn from other mercenaries about Prince Yorden's allegiances and Ron says that to get that information it'd be best to "talk to the money" and suggests talking to a tax collector. Victarian likes this plan and they get up to leave when they see Zanzil from the previous town walk in and walk straight towards Victarian.

Zanzil expresses interest in making friends with Victarian which Victarian turns down on the precedence that he is constantly mobile. The old man seems to be slightly crazy and Victarian leaves him in the tavern and heads off to go find the tax collector's office. Dana and Spades follow the knight until he turns down a side road, Upon turning they see a rather large fortified manor, under which Prince Yorden's carriage is parked. Tariq speaks with a gentleman in the lounge, the gentleman tells Tariq that Yorden is a hardcore Voraci Sympathizer. Tariq tells the gentleman of Smee running off with his aquamarines, the man suggests putting a bounty on Smee's head. Dana and Spades Return and Spades makes a ruckus as she is insulted by the gentleman, Tariq takes the ladies out of the gentleman's lounge. Victarian and Ron go to the tax collector's office and seek audience with the tax collector. They meet with a female gnome who invites them inside to speak. Victarian asks if Prince Yorden is a champion of the people or of Voraci, the lady says that she believes he truly despises the occupying forces and would go to war if he had a choice, however he is forced to work with the Voraci army to protect his people. The gnome expresses how the lands of Miklagard are much better than other places, such as where the party originates, where merciless orcs rule over an oppressed populous. Victarian asks of Merrus's fate, to which the lady is unwilling to speak. Victarian then inquires as to how he should get an audience with Prince Yorden, which she suggests openly approach him and say "My Prince, i'd like to ask you a question." Victarian thanks her for her time with 10 gold, she inquires of his name, to which he responds "V", understandably making the gnome suspicious.

The party reconvenes at the Piss Bucket and shares information, while expressing plans to gain audience with Prince Yorden. Dana expresses concerns about the party's plan to assassinate Prince Yorden if he is vehemently pro-voraci and states that they would be no better than the occupying forces if they stooped to assassination. A ruckus is started next to the party as a man gets surprised as he attempts to sit in a seat and Zanzil's voice an be heard apologizing from nowhere, the man pushes over the chair somehow without making contact. The Party goes up to Victarian's room to be more private and is tailed by an invisible Zanzil. After being shut out of the room Zanzil becomes visible and knocks on the door. Victarian opens the door and Zanzil says "I can talk to him for you." Victarian throws Zanzil into the room and inquires about how Zanzil knows that the party was talking about Prince Yorden. Zanzil Reveals that he has magic and is completely clueless as to why it is forbidden and does not seem to know who Voraci is. Spades seems to be wary of magic and not very trusting of Zanzil. Zanzil reveals that he is a planes walker and reveals that he is from the world of Ehbon. Ron brings up the point that Zanzil being an old man can help add cover and that magic is a very powerful ally. Zanzil joins the party with little other opposition by the party. The party comes together in the common room after a night's sleep and Zanzil asks in a normal voice, "What's with the Baby" which draws looks from the other patrons. Victarian explains that the baby is to be kept secret. Tariq acts offended as though Zanzil called him a baby to draw away the onlookers' attention. Victarian attempts to threaten the patrons to keep their silence.

A Formal Encounter
They walk out of the bar and Zanzil sets a code word for when the party wants to split as "Macguffin". The Party moseys out into the town hoping to encounter the prince on the road. The party approaches the fortified manor and Victarian goes to talk to the guards. Victarian is offered the option of either meeting the prince alone inside or meeting him together outside. Victarian thinks that the prince will be more forthcoming with only one armed man instead of 7 and decides to go inside. he asks Zanzil to go invisible and go in with him which Zanzil does behind Victarian's Back. Victarian and Zanzil enter the manor and the guard that was left behind asks "where's the purple guy". The party shrugs pretending ignorance, the guard moves to approach the party. The guard asks again, Tariq just gives a simple i don't know excuse, the guard is suspicious and walks towards the manor. Victarian and Zanzil enter the manor and see some impressive sights such as armor and metal banisters, they are taken to a room and told to wait. The room contains some spirits and a leather armored guard.

Victarian and Zanzil wait in the room for about 15-20 minutes. Prince Yorden enters with two of his guards and sits down about 30 feet Away from Victarian. Victarian speaks with Prince Yorden about his dislike of the Voraci Army, Prince Yorden gets suspicious when Victarian mentions the death of Oris. Victarian acknowledges that he could be a Voraci double agent and tells Zanzil to show himself as assurance that he is not aligned with the occupying forces. Victarian explains to Prince Yorden that he desires aid in destabilizing Voraci while they are weakened. Prince Yorden is confused as to how Victarian desires this aid. Prince Yorden recommends killing one of Voraci's generals, he tells Victarian Lord Ferrus lies to the northeast and is the most dangerous of Voraci's generals. Due east Lord Kelbourne lies who is grievously wounded and easily replaced, and to the south is Lady Vivek. Prince Yorden lists Lady Felicity as the second most dangerous general and describes her as Oris's previous master of questioning, he says killing any of these four generals would do "their side" a huge favor. Prince Yorden asks Victarian why he is so ready to risk his life to destroy the Voraci Army, which Victarian responds with "I seek a land where everyone is free to live".

Victarian expresses interest in Lord Kelborne and asks for any aid Prince Yorden can provide. Prince Yorden inquires Victarian's planned route east, whether it be through the plains and the hill folk or down south and through the cursed elven woods. Zanzil suggests to Victarian that they could fly and Victarian asks for the better path. Prince Yorden says either works but he can provide passage on a boat downriver. Victarian thanks Prince Yorden for his time and asks if he could provide any equipment which he says he has no enchanted weapons nor perfectly shaped plate mail on hand. Victarian asks for gold or valuables which Prince Yorden provides 1000 gold, Victarian and Zanzil exit and that ends this week.

Battle Stats
Tariq     -   8 Damage sustained -  18 Damage inflicted -  2 hit -  1 miss - 1 crit - 0 crit miss - 0 crits sustained - 0 kills

Ron       -  18 Damage sustained -   8 Damage inflicted -  2 hit -  1 miss - 0 crit - 0 crit miss - 0 crits sustained - 0 kills