[15:40] <@Ebiris> The next day everyone reconvenes early in the morning and heads towards Shadowshore, finding the evidence of the festival they passed in Cudgel District the other day mostly cleaned up, just a few loose threads of bunting remaining behind still to be removed. Shadowshore is thankfully quiet early on, most of its denizens preferring to sleep late aside from the few trying to scrape a miserably honest existence by. Certainly no one impedes your way, however, and the den of the Cobra Fangs is found without incident. Within are Lucie's friends Chekick and Dawley, apparently engaged in some sort of manly tall-tale telling exercise liberally intersperesed with aspersions to their respective mothers.
[15:41] <@Henrietta> "Who should we be asking?" Henrietta asks Lucie quietly.
[15:42] <@Rudy> Today, Rudy looks as though he barely managed to climb out of bed, and far from joining in what appears to be an exciting conversation, he merely leans against whatever solid surface seems to be nearby. If he isn't sleeping standing up, he's doing a remarkably good impression of it.
[15:44] <@Lucie> "Hey, you two," Lucie says, walking up to the table. "The boss in?"
[15:45] <Miranda_Altair> Miranda, who looks chipper in spite of her usually disarrayed look, eyes Rudy with concern. "You ok there?"
[15:45] <@Ebiris> "Oh, hey Lucie," Chekick gives her a grin. "Hermann's fishing out back," he proceeds to kick the overweight figure of Dawley in the shin, "Go'an get him, will ye?" Squinting his beady eyes in betrayal and seemingly determined to get the last word in, he retorts with "That's what your ma' said," before ambling off to the rear of the distillery and through a door.
[15:46] <@Ebiris> "Dumbass," Checkick snorts as his friend departs. "So, having fun playing with the flower dragons or whatever?" he asks Lucie pleasantly.
[15:46] <@Rudy> "Bad night. Not enough alcohol," replies Rudy, rubbing his eyes. "Burns hurt."
[15:47] * Miranda_Altair nods, gently patting Rudy on the shoulder.
[15:47] <@Lucie> "All sorts of fun. Turns out they keep lizards in the backroom too." Lucie glances at Rudy. "Need more to drink, we got plenty here."
[15:49] <@Rudy> "Yeah, I wouldn't mind. Gimme something strongish," replies Rudy, shaking his head.
[15:49] <@Henrietta> "They did not seem to be lizards," Henrietta volunteers. "But they were very eager and violent."
[15:49] * @Lucie nods. "Hey Chekick, set Rudy here up with something? Something with some kick."
[15:51] <@Ebiris> Strong is about all the rum brewery offers here, and with her standing Lucie doesn't even need to pay to fortify Rudy with all the spirits he wants. Chekick whistles to the older man at the back amidst all the vats and pipes, and soon a mug of eye-watering clear rotgut is foisted into Rudy's trembling hands. Meanwhile the door opens, Dawley returning closely followed by Hermann's imposing presence and the innocently vacant stare of Maya who's riding on the back of her giant snake today.
[15:52] <@Rudy> Rudy shudders for a moment, and then turns his attention entirely to drinking the powerful concoction before him.
[15:52] <@Ebiris> It burns! Dear god it burns! Rudy's head swims and throbs as the powerful alcohol slams into his young body with the kick of a dragon!
[15:53] * @Henrietta studiously looks away from both snake and its vacant-eyed mistress, choosing to focus on Hermann.
[15:53] <@Ebiris> "Wondering when you'd get back," Hermann nods curtly to Lucie, only then looking over the others present. "So, got word on when those assholes are gonna come try and take over our 'hood?"
[15:55] <@Henrietta> "They were more interested in trying to kill us all, I'm afraid," Henrietta responds. "I suppose we are not that good at convincing people after all."
[15:55] <@Lucie> "They didn't take well to negotiation, no. We were thinking maybe there's another way of finding out, one that'd attract less attention."
[15:56] <@Rudy> Rudy's cup hits the table with a clunk, and he winces in pain!
[15:57] <@Ebiris> "So, what?" Hermann frowns, "You don't know when they're gonna come here?"
[15:58] * @Lucie hears the sound, looks over with a mean grin. "Hey, man up over there, Rudy." Back to the boss: "Not yet, so better we find out as soon as we can, right? Thought maybe we could borrow Mort, let him sneak in and see what he can find his way."
[15:58] <@Henrietta> "Well, I suppose not," Henrietta admits. "But-- but, we can just take the fight to them!" she adds right after. "We already know where two of the exits to their tunnels are, and if we learned more about them, we could just block the rest of them off."
[15:59] <@Rudy> "Lemme drink in peace!" complains Rudy, reaching to finish off the cup.
[15:59] * Miranda_Altair looks at Rudy with sympathy. "Perhaps you should see a healer instead of getting drunk?"
[16:00] <@Rudy> "One drink isn't getting drunk!"
[16:00] <@Ebiris> Hermann crosses his arms and looks down for a moment. "Shit, you want us to go marching over town to fight these guys for you? Are they really coming for us, Lucie?" he looks at the oracle dead on, "No fooling?"
[16:01] <@Lucie> "I haven't got any doubt they'll kill anyone who tries to get in their way. Unless you want to turn the neighborhood over to 'em, well...only one way it could go when us and them butt heads, right?"
[16:02] <Miranda_Altair> "Then why are you yelling?"
[16:03] <@Rudy> "'cos I always yell at pushy women," mutters Rudy, turning away to sulk.
[16:04] <Miranda_Altair> "Pushy? Hey! I'm not pushy!" Miranda grumps.
[16:05] <@Ebiris> "Dammit..." Hermann runs a hand over his bald scalp, turning and pacing for a moment. "Well, you ain't often wrong, Lucie," he takes a deep, defeated breath. "Guess we got no choice - like hell I'd be putting our asses on the line for these jokers otherwise," he gives a dismissive gesture towards Lavinia's employees. "So how are we gonna crack down on these dragons so they ain't no threat?"
[16:06] <@Henrietta> "The problem... well, the biggest problem, I think, that is..." Henrietta responds to him, "is that if we have enough to strike at them, the Lotus Dragons would just escape through one of their tunnels. And they have traps in place, so even if we pursued them it might, ahh, be a bad idea. If we knew more about their lair, however...."
[16:07] <@Rudy> "I guess you ain't," admits Rudy. "It's simple. We're gonna figure out the way these champs get in and out of their little warrens. Then we block some of 'em off, go in through others, and make 'em all run through their stupid cistern drowning chamber thing. That'll turn the tables on 'em."
[16:08] <@Ebiris> "What about the ones who aren't in their hideout?" Chekick asks, "I mean, they gotta have people out and about, doing jobs and keeping their eyes and ears open, right? Otherwise nobody would give a shit about them."
[16:09] <@Rudy> "Well, they got a boss, see, the Lady of the Lotus," replies Rudy. "I figure, we get the head of the dragon, we're good and set."
[16:09] <@Glenn> "Take out a snake's head, and it just flops around uselessly, doesn't it?" Glenn chips in.
[16:10] <@Ebiris> "Hey!" Maya pouts over at Glenn, cuddling up protectively to her cobra which flares its featureless ebony hood and hisses angrily.
[16:10] <@Henrietta> "Except the immortal snakes that cannot be killed," Henrietta mutters to herself.
[16:10] <Miranda_Altair> Poor choice of words I think, Glenn." Miranda whispers.
[16:11] <@Lucie> "Don't worry, Maya. He doesn't mean our snake, he's just not thinkin' before he talks."
[16:12] * @Henrietta coughs. "The Lotus Dragons and the Lady of the Lotus have amassed quite a treasure in their lair. Not that it would be a motive to act or anything of the sort."
[16:12] * @Glenn shrugs. It wasn't like he was being personal about it!
[16:13] <@Ebiris> The little girl grumbles but relents. "Okay," Hermann nods cagily, "We'll get Mort to sneak around their hideout and have a look... fuck, I'd pity their Lady of the Lotus if he catches her alone..." he almost looks queasy for a moment. "So where is the place and what entrances have you found?"
[16:13] <@Rudy> "We know about.. three, right? Taxidermist, waterfront, and that goddamn well."
[16:14] <@Henrietta> "Two of which, we can connect for certain," Henrietta agrees. "The waterfront is trickier."
[16:14] <@Lucie> "I don't much what Mort does with her when we storm the place, but for now tell him to get in and out quiet like. No risks he doesn't need to take. We need to know what's what down there, he can have his fun later."
[16:15] <@Rudy> Rudy shakes his head. "I got us a map," he confides, producing a notebook. "Gonna be making some annotations to it today, see if we can't complete a picture. If they drained the cistern after we got out, though, that'd be an easy way in and out, 'slong as he can climb a rope."
[16:15] <@Rudy> "'sall in Sunset, far as we can tell."
[16:15] <@Henrietta> "Which is hard!" Henrietta adds.
[16:15] <@Ebiris> "Yeah, 'cause Mort's always so reliable about doing what he's told," Chekick laughs unpleasantly.
[16:18] <@Rudy> "So how 'bout you send in your guy while we get some notes together, and we'll meet up t'night and put together a real plan of attack?" Rudy rubs his head. "It's like we're generals or something, geez.."
[16:20] <@Ebiris> "We'll send Mort in tonight. He prefers the dark, and the place'll probably be quieter at night, too," Hermann nods at length.
[16:21] <@Rudy> "Sounds like he'd get on swell with these guys."
[16:22] <@Ebiris> "He's a little fucking maniac," Chekick laughs, "But he's our little fucking maniac."
[16:22] <@Henrietta> "Speaking of getting along well with others, maybe we could pay Rabbani a visit, since we are already here?" Henrietta proposes. "Anything he could have that knocks a few of the Dragons out would tip the scales in our favor."
[16:26] * Quits: @Henrietta (corwin@2.54.111.120) (Ping timeout)
[16:28] <@Rudy> "I guess that's something for you, eh?" notes Rudy, peeking up at Lucie.
[16:29] <@Lucie> "Can ask him. He'll want to be paid for it, mind. Not like he works for us out of friendship."
[16:30] * Ui is now known as Henrietta
[16:30] <@Ebiris> And so the group troops over to Rabbani's shop, finding the decrepit old dwarf hunched over and counting coins as a middle aged man in a blood-stained leather apron departs hefting a small clay jug. He looks up and squints. "Lucie?! But I already pay yesterday!" he blurts out abruptly, before he takes in her companions and frowns, "Nice new friends... unexpected surprise, for sure."
[16:31] <@Henrietta> "Life is filled with them, or so I heard," Henrietta voices timidly. "We are here on business, as it happens. As customers."
[16:31] <@Lucie> "Nah, we're here to place an order, if you've got something like what we're looking for." Lucie glances at Henrietta. "You have anything special in mind?"
[16:32] <@Ebiris> "Have rats to kill? Rabbani sell best poison, is so. No better deals here," he glares spitefully at Glenn for a moment. "What kind you need?"
[16:33] <@Lucie> "Huh, rats, yeah. Damn big ones."
[16:33] <@Henrietta> "Something to disorient... very large rats," Henrietta says, repeating Lucie's euphemism. "Or incapacitate. Anything to make fighting the large rats not necessary and sparing both ourselves and the rats."
[16:36] <@Rudy> "I wouldn't mind if the rats were reduced to squirming in the most terrible pain," adds Rudy. "Their little rat screams will fill me with happiness."
[16:36] <@Ebiris> "Hmmm..." he scratches his scraggly white beard, wincing as he apparently catches his nails in a tangle and taking a moment to free himself. "Have poison from urchins, distilled, strong. Poke even with little needle and rats get dizzy, sick. Big mess, too ill to fight back after that. Only thirty five gold pieces, good deal, none better."
[16:36] <Miranda_Altair> "That's pretty sick, Rudy." Miranda says.
[16:36] <@Glenn> "Definitely no better deals here..." Glenn mutters under his breath, making sure he's quiet enough so Rabanni does't start a fight again. He certainly looks like he wants one.
[16:37] <@Henrietta> "Is there anything that works without the, ah, poking?" Henrietta inquires.
[16:38] <@Rudy> "Not as sick as getting drowned in a sewer. They're lucky we're at least a bit civil."
[16:39] <@Henrietta> "That was terribly rude," Henrietta agrees with Rudy firmly. "My memento was all but destroyed!"
[16:39] <Miranda_Altair> "There is that, yes."
[16:41] <@Ebiris> "Like put on rat's dinner plate, or smoke bomb?" Rabbani asks, looking thoughtful for a moment before brightening. "Is so! Have scent-gland of Underworld Stink Musk, very rare! Got in good trade," he nods his head up and down. "Make rats go crazy!" he tosses his hands up in the air, "Go be sick everywhere, bite each other, run around in circles! Very nasty, but very expensive, too. Seven hundred gold coins, is rarest of poisons."
[16:42] <@Rudy> "I like that one." Rudy pauses. "Glenn, how much you got?"
[16:44] <@Lucie> "Seven hundred. Really, Rabbani, no regular customer discount? And I should tell you, if this works as good as you say it does, well, those outsiders that've been leaning on you lately? You won't see them again."""
[16:44] * Miranda_Altair goggles in spite of herself at the price.
[16:46] <@Ebiris> "Bah! Is because of you squeezing honest merchant that make for price markups!" Rabbani scowls at Lucie. "You lucky I not charge even more, young missy."
[16:46] <@Rudy> "How much are we getting for seven hundred?"
[16:46] * @Lucie snorts, but leaves it be. She looks at the others here, not having access to anywhere that much money.
[16:47] * @Glenn starts coughing a bit at that price. "I...don't have -near- that much money, Rudy. Look for something cheaper, alright?"
[16:48] <@Henrietta> "I have somewhere near that much money," Henrietta voices. "But, well, is there anything close to a smoke bomb that costs less? Father always lectured me to be prudent with my money."
[16:48] <@Rudy> "Where's your vindictive spirit?!"
[16:49] <@Henrietta> "I don't have one," Henrietta admits. "I don't strictly need one, do I?"
[16:49] <@Lucie> "Yeah, they tried to kill you and you're worrying about money? They're not gonna just stop if they find out you're still alive, you know. Money's no good to you dead."
[16:49] <@Ebiris> "Depends how you use. As bomb, small room in one go. Could maybe use dispenser to squirt little bit in person's face, couple of goes maybe... loses potency on exposure, is so," Rabbani shrugs. "For less, have Eye-Scream Special. One fifty gold, burns eyes, very sore, can't see at all after that."
[16:49] <@Glenn> "My vindictive spirit is frugal," Glenn comments.
[16:50] <@Rudy> "I can't believe you're not even really upset!"
[16:50] <@Henrietta> "This reminds me of that old saying, an eye for an eye!" Henrietta perks up. "That is vindictive, is it not?"
[16:51] <@Rudy> "That's more like it!"
[16:51] <@Lucie> "Whatever leaves 'em so's they can't take your other eye works for me."
[16:52] <@Rudy> "So we should clearly pool our funds together and buy this potent, excellent drug," continues Rudy, nodding.
[16:53] <@Henrietta> "Certainly!" Henrietta agrees. "I suppose I am a little upset over my first-ever present for my parents being ruined before I could send it. That is certainly worth thirty gold."
[16:53] <@Rudy> "Wait, what?"
[16:53] <@Rudy> "I can't cover six-seventy..."
[16:54] <@Henrietta> "I am not upset enough to purchase the scent-gland."
[16:55] <@Lucie> "She's talking about the cheaper one. Which I guess we split five ways. There goes my first month's pay."
[16:56] <@Rudy> "It's better than nothing," mutters Rudy.
[16:56] <Miranda_Altair> "And if we screw it up, we're not out seven hundred gold."
[16:57] <@Ebiris> Rabbani turns and rummages around in the cabinet behind him, turning and depositing a small and narrow glass vial filled with a cloudy liquid. "Evaporates in an instant, fwooosh! So don't open until ready," he warns. "Want buy antitoxin, too? Useful in case of accidents."
[16:58] <@Henrietta> "How, umm, far do you need to be to avoid the accident?"
[16:58] <@Rudy> "We'll take some."
[16:59] <@Ebiris> "Hmm, depends on wind? Not that far, maybe ten or fifteen feet?" Rabbani shrugs, pulling out another vial of green tar-like liquid. "Just drink and all your body gets stronger from poisons. Fifty gold pieces."
[17:00] * @Rudy is certainly willing to spend cash on useful things as well as frivolous methods of getting revenge.
[17:01] * @Henrietta is confident that accidents involving her can be avoided.
[17:01] <@Lucie> "So this'll keep us strong against any poison, not just this one?"
[17:02] <@Ebiris> "Special blend, yes. You be like dwarf with constitution of ox!" he thumps his chest towards Lucie, prompting a pained wheeze.
[17:02] <@Lucie> "Could be a good idea to bring that along anyway, with this lot. I'll chip in for that, sure."
[17:03] <@Henrietta> "My constitution is just fine," Henrietta insists.
[17:03] <@Rudy> "How do you know? Have you been poisoned before?"
[17:04] <@Henrietta> "My mother never gets poisoned," Henrietta responds firmly. "I'm certain I inherited that trait."
[17:05] <@Rudy> "That's got more to do with nurture than nature, surely!"
[17:05] <@Henrietta> "I will be fine," Henrietta says stubbornly.
[17:06] <@Lucie> "Alright, well, when the assassins break out the poison-tipped daggers, don't say we didn't warn you."
[17:06] <@Glenn> "Maybe her mother fed her low quantities of poison when she was young to grow an immunity in her, and that's why she never gets poisoned," Glenn suggests. "That's how most people develop an immunity."
[17:06] <@Rudy> "Are you saying her mother poisoned her? That's horrible..."
[17:06] <@Ebiris> "Is fine dwarven tradition!" Rabbani buts in.
[17:06] <@Henrietta> "Mother would never do that!"
[17:07] <@Lucie> "Maybe you don't know her as well as you think you do," Lucie prods. "I'm sure she meant it for the best."
[17:08] <@Glenn> "It really would explain a lot too," Glenn says with a solemn nod.
[17:09] <@Henrietta> "You are horrible for even suggesting this!" Henrietta exclaims. She storms off, calling over her shoulder, "I'll wait outside!"
[17:10] * @Lucie laughs under her breath as she watches Henri flounce off.