You're Not Just Choosing A Job, You're Choosing A Career

While Greyfell's Gryffons were discussing their employment options (And party rank and who should lead, and the question of entangling alliances with noble houses. Dytwin has a little experience with mercenary work, and stated that guarding trade caravans was a little boring, but a lot less likely to get you killed on a battlefield than working for a Duke) at the Drunk Monk, Melian Darkmoon offered the party some advice. He said that the Drunk Monk was not really the type of place normally frequented by adventurers and mercenaries. He then told the party that three taverns known for being frequented by that sort, and those who wish to employ them are the Oak and Fiddle, the Hanging Jester, and the Cask and Crown.

The company first stopped at the Oak and Fiddle. Vherio Magalas, from Azerad, a retired adventurer, is the barkeep. While there, Tolden was approached by one Cidran, a rogue acting as a broker for an anonymous lord. It seems this lord wants an artifact returned to him, which was stolen from him. The thing that complicates this, is that the artifact was stolen by his lord to begin with. This artifact, a large golden globe, is held in a collection of art objects by one Athmar Eliazar in Edelburg, a very wealthy merchant with a questionable reputation. It seems to be a part of some larger magical mechanism, possibly of Southron origin. Cidran offered the party 2500 gold crowns to recover this object.

Then Badai was approached by one Malaioc Tharamas, a minor noble from Ereston province. It seems that his lands have been infested with a nest of goblins, with unusual weapons, that several of his men have died, and Lord Eldred seems rather unhelpful. Lord Tharamas is only offering 500 gold crowns, but of course, all of the goblin heads would belong to the party, to do with as they wish. The goblins have infested a heavily wooded hilly area, and are quite entrenched. They seem to be armed with the alchemical staves that the party has previously encountered, as well as large staves that erupt with thunder, and glass flasks of an acidic substance.

The party then went to the Aasimfel Bank (run by the Aasimfel Trading House) and set it up so that the party has a joint account, with sign/countersigns required in order to withdraw money from the bank. It requires two members of the party in order to withdraw money.

Next, the party went to the Hanging Jester. Javan Redhill is the barkeep. While there, Badai met one Thol Tholangard, who runs an armory in Landskhar. Tholangard has agreed that if Badai can bring back some starmetal from Skhar province (some was rumored to have fallen there last year), then Badai can exchange 2 days of work in Tholangard's forges for 2 nights use of said forge.

Badai was then approached by one Belmatar, an old greybearded mage. He requires some troll blood for some magical uses, and has heard rumors that there are trolls in the Straeon hills. He will pay 1800 gold crowns for four pints of troll blood. Belmatar has a house and shop in the Old City Wall District, recognisable by the Elven glyph sigil that hangs out front, spelling out his name.

Then Tolden was approached by one Lord Astaras Throckmount. (Throckmount is what remains of the old House Carroc, which betrayed House Bareth to the Khan 200 years ago, and when the King returned to power, were destroyed. The remnants of House Carroc, essentially Throckmont Carroc and his household, a distant cousin of Duke Carroc, were offered a minor house status if they would change their name and disavow any Carroc holdings or loyalties. They, of course, agreed.) It seems that one of Lord Throckmount's ancestors, one Pol Throckmount, was a mage who, in the end, went quite thoroughly mad, trapping and enchanting his Keep on the ancestral lands in Cymorth, near the town of Foley. Lord Throckmount says that according to family lore, there is a large supply of ghost amber in the haunted keep. Ghost amber is magically charged amber that exists both on the material and ethereal planes at once, useful for all manner of magical uses. He stated that two previous parties had already been sent in, to no avail. What he offers is that if the party will return with the ghost amber, the party may take as booty anything that they can carry on their person from the haunted keep.

Merrick was speaking with Javan Redhill at the Hanging Jester when a young man interrupted him, slammed a large gold coin upon the bar and said that he would buy drinks for everyone in the house. The gold coin was quite large, with a dragon symbol embossed upon it. The young man is Darven Stonewell, and he was quite excited. It seems that his cousin, one Straven Stonewell, gave it to Darven for some work. Straven got it from his employer, one Jerroc Ninestones, a halfling from far Elyria. They are usually at the Dancing Pony. Darven then told Merrick that it was dwarven gold, that the elves of long ago had hired the dwarves to mine the hills to the south and west, and that, eventually, contact was lost with them. Then, quite in his cups, Darven blurted out that it was called "Doomhaven... dwarf writing!" Then he collapsed in a drunken stupor. Javan then had his serving girl, Pansy, take Darven up to a room to sleep it off. Doomhaven is not unknown to lore. However, no one really seems to know where it is (except for Jerroc Ninestones, of course).

The party then went to the Cask and Crown, where in addition to adventurers and those who wish to be, there were a nontrivial amount of King's Guard. There, one Zuryn Telgaros, a merchant, was looking for guards for a caravan of goods leaving for Meadham in 3 days. The caravan is carrying some Westervalen cider, some Azeri spices, and some Velen firewine brandy. He has 5 house guards that will be going, but he has heard that there are bandits on the road to Meadham, lately, and so would like to hire the company. He offers 300 gold crowns upon the safe delivery of his goods to Meadham. Room and board are of course included, and the trip should take about 6 days.

Also, while at the Cask and Crown, one of the King's Guard had some information about Jerroc Ninestones. His luck has been better, as of late, it seems. He seems to keep his nose clean of the more insidious aspects of Thieves Guild business, though. He actually called him harmless.

The party then went to the Dancing Pony, run by one Varal Fatehound, of Pindarien. He discussed being a foreigner in a strange country with Merrick, and lamented the destruction of the Pindarien airships (there is an enormous mural of a Pindarien airship upon one wall) by the Dominar Aregos when he invaded his country. He also claimed to be a retired adventurer, who made his fortune by delving into one of the dungeons built by one of the Mage Kings of yore. He said that the Mage Kings were quite mad, and would go to extraordinary lengths to protect their wealth and artifacts of power.

Merrick then bought a 12 gp glass of Pindarien blossombrandy (with party treasury money) for Jerroc Ninestones, who happened to be sitting in the corner with five of his men, by way of introduction. Merrick then offered Jerroc some information in the spirit of friendship, that one Darven Stonewell had been quite stupidly spreading gold about and using Jerroc's name in the process. Jerroc then turned to Straven, Darven's cousin, and told him to take care of the problem, now. Straven then left to deal with his cousin and teach him a lesson.

Merrick then brought up Doomhaven. Jerroc said that his last expedition had run into some problems, and that the gold haul was not quite as much as he would have liked. He then stated that his party had found a map on the last expedition, though. He then hinted that he might be willing to work with the party in the future, that essentially Greyfell's Gryffons might be useful. But, of course, discretion is required.

What I need from everyone is for sometime in the next two days to leave a comment stating what contract you want to vote for, so that I can prepare the proper adventure/adventures. There was some discussion of taking the caravan job to get closer to the haunted keep, but Wes seemed to want to take on the goblin blight. And, of course, there's Doomhaven.

I'm also going to publish the Elven glyph sigil of Belmatar, just so you can see what the Elven writing looked like. It's quite different from the Elven of the northern continent, in that the letters are crunched together to form little glyphs. You'll see.