TRP: Goro, Hansel and Eimenon (Quarry Meeting)

[Setting: Night 271, the quarry outside Calimport.] "Alright, so, listen," Goro said as they made their way back to the cave where he'd left the message. "I don't even know if this guy's gonna wanna talk to someone who ain't a follower of Mask, so I don't know if you wanna pretend, or what. Doesn't seem like you'd be very good at it. Constantly telling gods to fuck off, and all. Just do what Larkin would do, or something, I guess."

Izzy

Hansel snorted. "Sure. Gotcha. I'm gonna just let you do all the talkin', and I'm gonna stand behind you and look fuckin' scary."

Lina

"Don't look too scary, alright? I mean, try not to get too protective, right off the bat. Maybe the guy's an asshole. It's alright. We could have, like, a codeword or some shit. If I think it's getting out of hand."

Izzy

"Yeah, all right. S'a good idea." Wasn't sure how much he could do about not looking that scary, but sure. "You want me step in, call me honey."

Lina

"Will do. It's a deal." They neared the cave, and Goro put a finger to his lips. Hansel was fuckin' quieter than him nowadays, probably 'cause of that charm Goro had given him. Nuts. The loose shale underfoot made it impossible to walk silently, anyway, but Goro still didn't want to go making a ruckus. They approached the entrance to the cave from the side, and Goro peered inside.

Jen

The cave's entrance was moonlit but beyond the few feet of light, there was nothing but darkness. After a moment, a sound echoed all the way at the back, like cloth rasping against stone. Then came the slow grinding of leather against gravel of someone walking slowly, deliberately. The contact, when he emerged into the main hall of the cave, looked like any other Calishami out there. Tan skin, dusty black hair. Black eyes glinting in the moonlight. A fuzz of beard showed on his jaw where it wouldn't quite grow in and a scar split one side of his lip. A face to forget. He smiled and raised his hands, showing they empty. No weapons were visible on him.

Lina

Goro did the same, showing his empty hands. "Evening."

Jen

"Brother," the contact said, lowering his hands. His eyes shifted from Goro to the form of Hansel behind him.

Izzy

Hansel stood silently behind Goro and jerked his chin up in acknowledgement, arms crossed, trident clearly visible on his back.

Lina

"He's mute," Goro offered.

Jen

"Oh." He raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry." He gestured for them to enter the cave and follow him out of the light.

Lina

Goro gave Hansel a look, shrugged, and followed the guy into the cave. He had a hand on his amulet, just in case.

Jen

"My name's Eimenon," the contact said. He led then to the back of the cave, around a short bend, to where a bedroll and a backpack sat on the ground. "I am... pleased someone's come. Finally."

Lina

"Eimenon," Goro repeated. "I'm Goro. What, not getting a lotta bites on the personal ad you put out?"

Jen

Eimenon gave Goro a look, head tilted. Then he smiled again. "No. I'm afraid not. You two weren't the first, but... I need to be picky. If you understand. " He crouched down by the backpack and began rummaging around in it.

Lina

Goro looked at Hansel, and signed in Nighthand. What do you think, chances this guy's just a complete nutjob?

Izzy

Hansel shrugged, slightly.

Jen

If Eimenon had noticed the exchange, he gave no sign of it. Instead he pulled a clay pipe out of his pack with a triumphant "Ha!", followed by a small package of tobacco and matches. He sat down cross-legged on the bedroll, stuffing the pipe while he spoke. "So. You two are from the West, I heard. Or- at least one of you." He eyed Goro.

Lina

"Yeah huh," Goro said. "Skyport region."

Jen

"Hmm." Eimenon lit the pipe and blew out a plume of smoke. "So, why are we here talking then?"

Lina

"Heard a funny rumor," Goro said. "I'm looking for information, and I think you might have it."

Jen

"Might be." Eimenon nodded. "But what I meant was- what's that information to you?"

Izzy

Hansel backhanded Goro's arm lightly to get his attention, and signed, Ask why he wants the dragon dead.

Lina

Goro considered how he could turn that into a more roundabout way of asking. Sound less like the goddamn secret police here to sniff out treason. He shrugged. "We've all got our reasons, don't we? You show me yours, I'll show you mine."

Jen

For a few moments, Eimenon just sat and looked Goro in the eyes while his pipe smouldered in his hand. Then he sighed and broke eye contact. "I suppose... I owe you that as much as you owe me, right?" He said. "That dragon, it's..." He shook his head. "He devours all. Nothing can escape him." He looked back to Goro and Hansel, searching their faces for a reaction. "This city- this kingdom. They live in terror."

Lina

"They sure do. What's with that, anyway? Whole kingdom full of people, and you're the only one deciding to step up and say 'no more'?"

Jen

"Oh, there's others, sure. You just happened to find this one here. What, do you not like what you see?" He spread out his arms, presenting himself with a tired looking smile.

Lina

"I'm... skeptical," Goro admitted.

Jen

"Makes two of us," Eimenon said, but his smile widened. He shifted in his seat and gestured at the bed roll. "Come on. Why don't you sit?"

Izzy

Hansel made absolutely no move to sit.

Lina

Goro eyed the bed roll doubtfully. Seemed like a good way to get lice, or some shit. Instead, he squatted, arms resting on his knees. "You live here, huh?"

Jen

"Sometimes. I move a lot."

Lina

"Playing the long game?"

Jen

Eimenon chuckled. "That's the only game you got, playing against a dragon."

Izzy

Hansel snorted.

Lina

"So, uh." Goro gestured at himself and Hansel. "Tell us how we can help. I'm a cleric, he stabs shit."

Jen

"I will, but first I think you owe me your part of the deal."

Lina

"Oh, psh." Goro pretended to swat himself on the side of the head. "Short term memory loss. Anyway. Sure. Long-term, that dragon's got it in for a member of my family. Short-term, a different member of my family got kidnapped and dragged off to be part of his clergy. So, you can see, it's real personal, on multiple levels."

Jen

"Oh." Eimenon nodded and looked down. "I'm sorry to hear that. Hm." He chewed on his pipe for a bit, then exhaled the sweet smoke. "You think the three of us are going to be enough?"

Lina

Goro's eyes widened. "To kill the dragon? Nah, pal. I'm putting together a coalition, alright? Need some more time. First things first, I wanna know your plan, and I wanna know where I can find the damn lizard in the first place so I can rescue that family member I was talking about."

Jen

"A coalition?" Eimenon's head tilted. Then he grinned and made a gesture as if patting Goro on the shoulder, but not touching him. "Ha! See, that's what I was looking for. No, you can't kill Rexarius with three people. That's why I was waiting for someone with-" he snapped his fingers, "connections. And a cause. Great. This is great."

Lina

"So... you don't have a plan, then?"

Jen

He shook his head. "Oh, no, no. I have a plan. I have a lot of plans. Just need to know what I'm going to be working with, you know? So, tell me more about this coalition."

Lina

Goro looked to Hansel, then back at Eimenon. "Now, hold the fuck up. I'd like to know a little bit more about you before I go spilling all my secrets. Where the hell'd you come from? What's your story?"

Jen

"My story." Eimenon tilted his head from side to side for a moment, looking torn on whether to tell Goro or not. Finally, he settled. "I grew up in the palace. I've seen it all. The fear, the deaths. It's...worse there, than in the city. Everyone is afraid of getting killed at any moment, from the staff to the ministers. It happens, you know." He paused, glancing aside. Then his eyes fixed on Goro again. "I can show you any spot in the royal palace you want, even where Rexarius resides."

Lina

"Mm." Goro nodded, pleased. "Do you still go there regularly?"

Jen

"I work there."

Lina

Goro smiled. "Doing what?"

Jen

"I'm kitchen staff."

Lina

Like hell he was. Maybe that was a euphemism for the executioner, or something. But he didn't quite look the part. In any case, Goro decided not to call him out on it. "You seen a half-orc -- mm, maybe more like quarter-orc -- coming through recently, a big gaggle of clerics with him?"

Jen

Eimenon drew on his pipe, holding in the breath for a a moment and nodding. "Your family member with them?" He exhaled.

Lina

"Well, I wouldn't know, would I? Haven't been there to see for myself. What do you suppose are my chances of getting in for a peek, and getting back out unscathed? Possibly with a fugitive in tow."

Jen

Eimenon made a humming noise, looking aside and blowing out more smoke. "Hard to say. Depends." He looked Goro up and down, then appraised Hansel. "One of you... easier. More... harder."

Izzy

Hansel grunted and shifted closer to Goro.

Lina

Eh, that wasn't what Goro wanted to hear. "I'm gonna need more details than that, if I'm gonna make a plan."

Jen

"Alright, so here's the thing." Eimenon took one last drag of the pipe, then tapped it out. He ground a fingertip into the ashes, then marked a dot on the limestone wall. "This is where Rexarius' inner temple is. Inside the mountain. I'm assuming if they're clergy, then that's where they are going. This-" he used the ashes to draw a few crude lines around the dot. "This is where Rexarius private chambers are. And here-" another smudged rectangle, fairly fair away from the other marks. "Is where the public part of the palace ends." Eimenon settled back on his bed roll, looking over the markings. "Even there it's heavily guarded. And it gets more secure the further you get inside the mountain. I could get you in as staff... a day worker maybe. But to get past all those guards and back out, we need a really good plan. "

Izzy

Hansel nudged Goro, and signed, Invisible. Rex got people with truesight?

Lina

Ooh, nice point. Goro nodded at Eimenon. "They got anyone with truesight in there? We got people who can turn invisible."

Jen

"I don't know of any, no." He tapped his fingers on his legs, excited. "Good. That is good. What else have you got?"(edited)

Izzy

Hansel rattled his shield and tridents on his back. He was fuckin' impatient with this mute shit. He swatted Goro again, and signed, The fuck does he have to offer?

Lina

Hang on, hang on, Goro signed back, waving him off. "Eimenon. You wanna tell us why the fuck you keep lying?"

Jen

Eimenon's eyes went narrow and he scowled. "What do you think I'm lying about?"

Lina

"Well, I can't give you an exhaustive list, or anything. I ain't that good. But once I hear a person tell one lie, if they're good, everything else they say is suspect. You get what I'm saying?"

Jen

He shrugged. "Sure. I get it. I'm just asking you to remember we're not planning to give out candy to children here. I don't know where you come from, or who your associates are. You're not very forthcoming with information either," he said. "I need to protect myself."

Izzy

Hansel sighed in annoyance and glared at him.

Jen

Eimenon tensed but he kept sitting where he was. Eyes fixed on Hansel, he said, "Listen. I get it. You're looking for help and here I am, with all the information you need to get what you want and live to take it home." His look flickered to Goro, then back at Hansel. "Too good to be true, yeah? But now consider my situation. It's just the same. I'm looking for people to help me kill Rexarius, and here you are, with your... ominous coalition and your invisible allies. I need to..." He sighed and finally broke eye contact. "I need to be careful. Yeah? I want to help you but you'll have to live with me holding back. For a while at least."(edited)

Izzy

Hansel signed, Full of shit.

Lina

Goro nodded. "Here's the thing. If you're not gonna be forthright, I'm still gonna need some kind of insurance. A way to be sure you're not just gonna sell us out when we're balls deep in whatever plan we come up with."

Jen

"And what do you have in mind?"

Lina

"Dunno. What have you got to offer?"

Jen

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "Only my life and my word. What insurance do I have you're not one of Rexarius' spies?"

Lina

Goro rolled his eyes. "Oh, there we go, the ol' I'm not a spy, maybe you're a spy. Let me try this. You a Maskarran?"

Jen

"I could point out that's just what you're doing here."

Lina

"Answer the goddamn question, buddy."

Jen

"I am."

Lina

Goro glanced at Hansel. "Hey, plug your ears a second, love."

Izzy

Hansel narrowed his eyes. His jaw tightened, but he did it.

Lina

"How do you make roses grow?" Goro asked Eimenon.

Jen

"In the light of a cold lantern."

Lina

Goro grabbed at Hansel's arm to make him unplug his ears. He scowled at Eimenon. "The fuck. Quit fucking around. What's your deal?"(edited)

Jen

Eimenon looked Goro over, then to Hansel, and back to Goro. Slowly, he tucked his pipe and the pack of tobacco into his shirt, then grabbed the strap of his backpack and got up. "You know, I think we started off wrong." He smiled at Goro. "You and me, I think we have a lot in common. We could work together well, if we only could find it in us to extend a little trust." He tilted his head again, then cracked his neck. "Tell you what. Meet me back here in two days, and I'll have something for you." He pointed at the wall. "A map."

Lina

"A map that'll lead us straight to our doom?"

Jen

He sighed and shook his head with a sad smile. "That is my offer. Take it or leave it, I can't force you." He took a step back to where the path led deeper into the cave. "I'll be here."

Lina

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks." Goro shook his head, scowling, and gave Hansel a look. "If you need to get in touch with us any sooner, we're staying at the Blue Barnacle, down by the docks. Leave a message at the third window on the south wall."

Izzy

Hansel growled and whacked Goro on the shoulder, glaring at him.

Lina

"What?" Goro muttered, giving him another look. Then he gave Eimenon a pained fake smile, and went back to scowling. "See you 'round, maybe."

Jen

"I hope so."

[END] Title: Quarry Meeting. Summary: Goro and Hansel meet with Eimenon, who supposedly is working to take down Rexarius. He lies about being kitchen staff and a Maskarran, but may be sincere about killing the dragon. They make plans to meet with him again.