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Dieter - Mage

Yes, we need to speak to Herr Gruber, we should be off soon. He will take 5 of the 14 lizard arm bands out and hand them to the priest (500gp value). Let's be off then.

OCC: 5 of the 14 arm bands removed from sheet. Spells updated from previous night 2x sleep and 2x continual light.

Grimes - Fighter

Grimes thanks the priest and says "Yes, let's see ol' Gruber and get this business finished. He may be pleased to learn that ol' Bars is no longer going to plague him either." He smirks then remembers the unreadable words on the parchments and says to Dieter and the others "Perahps its best if we don't mention the documents we found, at least until we translate them, eh?"

OOC: Grimes is anxious to get moving to Gruber and to get these items cashed in or converted to more portable loot.

Father is quite pleased with the donation. He blesses the party as you all leave.

You move across the town to the home of Master Grüber. Jayson opens the door at your knock. He looks shocked at your arrival. He calls a town guard to stand watch over the wagon (along with the henchmen) while you are lead inside. He seats you in a waiting room while he announces your arrival.

He returns after a few minutes. Master Grüber will see you now, he announces. He leads you to the office of the senschal.

Actions?

Grimes - Fighter

Grimes will play strong silent guy and let Dieter or someone else tell the tale. If someone needs to have a limb or noggin detached, he'll draw his sword of dismemberment and do it. Otherwise, he'll take it easy.

Master Grüber

You are lead into the same room in the Alderhall where you've met with the senschal in the past. Master Grüber sits at the same huge desk/table, his eyes watching you as you enter. Scrolls and sheets of vellum and parchment are stacked before him, and his inkwell and quill have seen recent use. He looks both portlier and yet less stressed than the first time you met him, simultaneously. The candle flames dance, making shadows move behind him. The thoughts behind those heavily browed eyes are masked by his poker face.

Once all are in, he motions to Jayson who claps twice, loudly. A side door opens and food and drink are brought to the table. The Master continues watching you, eyes dancing, as the feast is brought in. A hearty stew of some fowl and vegetables is laid out with manchet and some fruit: pears and apples, mostly. The rich spices of the stew fill the air. Goblets are filled with heavily spiced wine, mead and water.

The senschal waits.

Once all is laid out, Jayson motions to the servants who disappear as quickly and quietly as they came. He walks over and leans in, whispering something in Grüber's ear. Then he walks across the room and quietly closes the door behind himself.

Master Grüber does not rise. He reaches over to the goblet that was already within his reach, having been refilled by the servants. He drinks deeply. He looks at the remaining members of the party. His eyes dance from face to face: Furuk, Grimes, Dandy and Dieter. He huffs and replaces the cup on the table.

It seems every time you enter my rooms, you have fewer among you. No Elf among you. Your paladin gone. The sickly thief missing along with your tree-hugger. Yet last time you came bearing Aiden along with terrible news. In the days that have passed, I have wondered what might have befallen you.

My man tells me that you have visited Father Dobrun already this morning. By the gift you made to the Church, I can only assume you've done well for yourselves, although in visiting the good father I can assume that one or more of your party has been poisoned, cursed or killed. My man also tells me that you have a heavily loaded wagon attended to by some young men who are strangers to these parts. I can only assume that you have somehow hired porters to carry your load, which means that you are either fools with the money you won in rescuing Aiden or that they are in some other way indebted to you.

Sir Taris arrives soon, if the messengers are correct. Please let me know what you have done about that scourge in that volcano. Please, eat and tell me of what you have discovered.

He reaches over to take another drink from his goblet and sits back, waiting for your news.

Actions?

Dieter - Mage

Ya, we have been deep into the skull.... killed many a lizard man... many, many. He will skip the food and drink for now. We traveled down and down and down. Creating carnage for the lizard folk on our descent. Finally we ended up at an underground lake with an island in the center... it was also the center of what passed for a religion for these heathens. Fighting our way onto and then into the center of the island we came eye to eye with their lord. A black dragon of all things.... explains the darklings.... I guess. The thing nearly killed all of us, in point of fact it did take two of our number but in the end we did bring it down. Dieter will say with a sigh looking at the scars along his arms, I'm sure his hair is still singed also.

Thinking back Dieter will remember what Gruber said:

Similarly, Sir Taris holds land that can be deeded to you. It will still be land of the kingdom and under Sir Taris' purview but deeded to you, no different from any landholder in the realm.

Of course, if you finished the job in that damnable Skull, you can have that without the ... tax implications that deeded land would have," he says with crooked eyebrow as to suggest that this is his preferred course of action.

.....

"This is an order for five hundred gold pieces to be transferred to you, either to an account of your choosing or to take with you. However," he says, his hand still on the paper, "I will increase that tenfold if you complete your work and find the heart of the Obsidian Heart and destroy them once and for all. With the boy's life no longer at stake, I can increase patrols here and across the land while you strike deep within the mountain. Then gold and a fortress of your own will be secure, with a very grateful neighbor in Sir Taris. What say you?"

From our agreement you owe us the equivalent of 5000 in empire gold and perhaps a parcel of land without tax repercussions for putting our lives on the spit as they say. I'm thinking gems and title to a small fort would work fine, Herr Gruber. By the way, is Aiden about? It would be nice to see him again.

Grimes - Fighter

Grimes listens quietly until Gruber mentions the "Tree Hugger" and "sickly thief" at which Grimes bristles somewhat ove the casual manner he regards them in. He maintains his composure, but his dislike of ol' fatty grows exponentially. He won't eat or drink the man's food, he just sits and waits to let cooler heads speak. Or at least until Gruber says something that pushes his halfling sized buttons.

Master Grüber listens to your story. He nods. Noting that no one appears to be eating his feast, he grabs a piece of bread and tears off a hunk. He chews it and follows with another drink from his goblet.

I take it then that the caves once used by thieves in Skull Mountain are cleared out? I'm not sure about this dragon you claim to have slain, but it is an interesting story.

He pulls a sheet of vellum from the stack. Regards it. Puts it back and leafs through the stack. He finds what he is searching for and pulls out another sheet. It is prepared already.

He rises and walks around his desk/table and hands it to Dieter. This is the deed we discussed. It covers a parcel of land between the road and Skull Mountain, including the entrance to the caves within. We don't have a "small fort" -- as you put it -- to hand out like this, only land. As I recall, you fellows were discussing using it as a fortress or base of operations, although it seems to me that you might want to either block off entrances to the deeper areas or something. Anyway, this is why I filled this deed for you, as I thought you were going to use that area for your operations. The land is mostly wooded, although part of it is prairie and should be suitable for farming if you decide to take that as your profession. There is a nice river that edges the property. It borders on mostly undeeded land held by Sir Taris, but there is a shared border with the old Erdea holdings. We need to fill out some paperwork but, as I mentioned before, this is Sir Taris' land and deeded to you. There will be taxes, of course, but that's true throughout the realm, he says with a smile.



As to gems of that value, we can have the banker make the trade with the central banks at the Capital. We have the amounts we discussed in gold or platinum, but most gem trading happens quite a way from here, in Sir Belvin's land. There's a clan of gnomes who produce excellent work: the gems on Lady Taris' coronet has a few of value up to 1500 in gold. However, sourcing gems of such value for 5000 would be quite difficult on such short notice. I had not realized you were so keen for stones, or we could have sent word with the traders that head to the capital earlier. You can take your gold now or wait a few weeks -- give or take depending on availability -- for gems instead. And your other holdings are still at our bank, as I recall.

He leaves you with the paper: the deed to the holdings. He heads back to the table, spiking a piece of fowl from the stew with a two-tined fork, and eating it. He turns back to you, still chewing and smiles. After swallowing, he continues.

As for Aiden, he is likely at The Manor, that stately mansion in the center of town, not far from here. He was quite shaken up but after the resurrection ceremony, or whatever Father Dobrun calls it, he began hanging out with your tree-hugging friend and that sickly one, Maeglin or something? Anyway, the boy likes to call them his saviors and considers them his finest friends. It's driving his tutor Alexander quite crazy. Apparently he's trying to dissuade the boy from following the footsteps of the two: thievery is no profession for a Lord's child and Elves, even mixed bloods like Alexander, can't stand druids, at least in my experience. As he says, "It's a fine thing for humans to pursue if they fear the gods, but no Law-loving boy like Aiden should be caught up in their neutrality." Whatever, I suppose. I get enough religion when we meet at the Shrine of Saint Garth, I care not for the squabbles of belief systems. Far too much to do for that nonsense.

He spears another bit of meat, this time with what looks like a turnip on the second tine, and eats it, partaking directly from the chafing dish.

Well, I'm glad that this affair is over. Sir Taris will be pleased as well. I'm sure he will appreciate more of the land being used and no more of the Black Heart fellows. We do have some extra work that might need doing, if you're so inclined, but I suppose you should rest.

He takes another drink, from a different, closer goblet this time. Jayson will arrange for a few nights stay at The Rat and Pig, or, if you somehow hate high living, The Pikeman. Hell, Rosco or Lucas might pay us for you to stay, local heros and all. You might be asked to tell a few stories, though I'd leave out that bit about a dragon. I'm not sure anyone would believe that part.

He leans back on the table, and regards you. Is there anything else you'd wish to talk about?

Actions?

Dieter - Mage

Dieter will take the deed for the property. We will take the gold now I think, if you could write us a cheque for the local bank we would appreciate it. A few nights in the Pikeman would be just what were looking for, if you could also arrange that would be great. I would be most interested in hearing what else you might have on you plate in a few days Herr Gruber, it seems our relationship is just starting.

After departing:

To his comrades: I say we give the henchmen 100 gold each and tell them we may need more of their services in the next few days, what do you think? We may also want to hire some henchmen while were in town... let's go find our friends and retire to the Pikeman.

OCC: Updated character sheet with land title and 5000 gold bank cheque.

OCC: Does the bank have a safety deposit box? Is there anywhere in town to identify the magic goods or can we figure it out ourselves with time?

OOC: The bank does have the equivalent of a safety deposit box. Further, because the deed was granted by Sir Taris (via his senschal), it is in the official records as being owned by you. The realm would need to be overtaken or destroyed for those records to be lost. The land is yours.

As to magical items, there is a sage in the market. He lacks the skills to manufacture anything of magical value but could certainly identify "normal" magical items. Anything too exotic, like intelligent swords or things from far away lands, might stump him.