The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

[dragoon93041]

The town's streets were busy. It was situated at the meeting point of three nations: Andur, Crolia, and Badaria. Technically it was under the control of one of the minor nobles of Badaria but all he got was some lip service. It was the Merchant Guild that made policies and policed the town. And, luckily for a certain cat-girl thief, high merchant involvement made for a nice place to carve a niche. Unfortunately, for that very same reason, there was quite a lot of security. Currently, two "officers" (really just mercenaries) were chasing down a young woman. She was clutching a leather purse, the coins jingling inside. One of the two men leapt forward and almost grabbed her pink tail but he failed and fell sprawling into the dirt where he was then trampled on by a goat someone was herding down the street. That left one left for Ariyana to get rid of. There were a few side streets she could duck down but if there was a block, she might be stuck and the space would give the guard a chance to get up to full speed.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Getting caught doing a routine pickpocket? Man, she was rusty after fleeing across the country. Pilfering the occasional traveler or hamlet was nothing like robbing the big cities. The guards were much more attentive, and usually unforgiving about such things. Thankfully, these two were just mercenaries, and as such their loyalty was only to coin.

And so, Ariyana decided to cut her losses. She could share a bit of her haul. She turned to run into a thick group of shoppers, merchants and general people, and reached into the stolen pouch, pulling out a handful of gleaming coins. Her agility helped her to duck and weave through the crowd, until she threw the handful of coins into the street stones, hard. The sharp sounds of metal on stone would hopefully steal the attention of the peasants long enough to block the road, and perhaps the mercenary long enough to make him go right for the easier payday.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana's quick thinking proved enough. The 'guard' stopped at the sound of coins. She saw him watch her go, then collect the money. A few people had attempted to grab the coins but by then the other mercenary had caught up and they managed to gather up most of the coins. Meanwhile, the thief had escaped cleanly. There were only 7 denarii left in the bag but that was enough for a day's work. Then she got a feeling and noticed that she was being followed. It wasn't obvious so it probably wasn't any of the mercenaries. Most likely it was another thief. There were plenty of poachers out there, ready to come after a person who had done a good day's work and take their spoils from them.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana's ears perked up as she heard the sounds of footfalls behind her. Of course, that wasn't unusual for a big city, but she didn't survive as long as she had by being unaware. These steps were different from the casual pacing of those around her, this person moved with a purpose.

That purpose was likely tailing her. Someone being this subtle was unlikely to be law enforcement. There were two options, either another novice thief trying to get the jump on her, or a member of the local thieves guild come to collect 'taxes' for her work.

She wasn't sure which one she found less appetizing. Never the less, she couldn't risk leading this tail back to anyplace she intended to stay. She'd have to confront him sooner, rather than later.

She turned down an empty alley when she could, looking to gain some elevation and get a better view of her pursuer. If she could remove herself from direct line of sight, she would be able to get the jump on him, if she so wished. Still, she didn't feel like fighting here. Her weapon made a lot of noise, and she'd just ditched the guards. Last thing she wanted to do was call more, and this time for murder. They wouldn't give up as easily if she went that path.

So instead, she tried to climb up to a suitable perch before her pursuer arrived in the alley.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Arianna: HP = 57, PP = 46 EP = 45

Soon enough, a man passed through the area. He was flanked by a dog. He was soon joined by two other dogs, which came from different directions. Apparently he had attempted to cut her off. All four of them passed by Arianna but none of them bothered to look up. Unfortunately, they all came together right below her. "Sit." The dogs obeyed the command. Arianna recognized the man. John "Hellhound" Johnson. He had a minor magical ability to enhance the physical abilities of animals, usually his pets. He had a number of them but usually only traveled with his dogs, hence the nickname. He wasn't the smartest but his animals provided more than enough muscle to deal with anyone who got in his way. "Dammit, where'd she go? Can she teleport? Nah... people would know about that by now. Seek!" The dogs leapt into action and split up, leaving John alone.


Rolls

Spoiler

Stealth 28 + 19 vs 6 + 20 ARIANNA WINS
Stealth 28 + 14 vs 8 + 27 ARIANNA WINS
Stealth 28 + 12 vs 7 + 27 ARIANNA WINS
Stealth 28 + 17 vs 7 + 27 ARIANNA WINS

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana watched the scene below her with a decent amount of amusement. A tracker like him on her tail? Huh, she didn't think she'd caused that much trouble in her stay here. More to the point, he seemed to know of her, which caused a good deal more concern. She could stay hidden, but one of those dogs would eventually find her, or John would just look up.

She should strike while the iron was hot, metaphorically speaking. Be that as it may, she didn't want to just kill him. That would be such a waste of information, and it would make far too much noise for a big city. But he didn't know that she didn't want to kill him.

She slipped her gun off of her side, lowering it to point at him before speaking. "Good morning, Johnny boy," she called from her perch. "So, what's got a guy like you tracking me down with such... dedication, hmm? I'm normally not one to pry, but today I'm just dying to find out."

She cocked the gun with a smile, keeping her aim on him and not on his dogs. They couldn't easily get up to where she was, unless their strength enhancements were a lot bigger than she thought. "I know dogs have a habit of chasing cats, but I don't think this is purely for pleasure," she teased.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

John's head snapped up as soon as he heard Ariyana's voice. His mouth opened, probably to call for the dogs, but as soon as he saw the gun, he snapped it shut. He listened to her, then seemed to weigh his choices. Finally he spoke. "Anyone working here gives a cut to whoever claims the territory. This area is mine. So let's see what you managed to pick up. And put the gun away. You fire at me and my boys will follow you until you need to rest. And if you miss, it'll be much worse." He acted like he had the situation under control.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana laughed at his claim. A city like this, and he claimed that someone like him owned the area? How pathetic!

"Oooh, is that so? Well, if I kill you, doesn't that make you unfit to lead? I think your underlings would be more interested in their own grab for power then 'avenging' their poor boss. Unless you are telling me that there is some honor among thieves, more than the kind you gain by brute force."

She kept the gun trained on him as she spoke. "Give it up, Johnny-boy. We both know you're only a bit player for the real underworld power in this city. And if that's true, then surely you know who is really calling the shots around here. I'm not some clueless pickpocket who doesn't know how to play the game, so spare me the bravado. Who are you working for, and tell me where to find them so we can deal like professionals. A dog like you isn't worth my time."

She had the advantage here, in both positioning and knowledge, so she thought. No way somebody like John would be calling the shots and then doing the legwork. He was the middle manager of crime syndicates, and Ariyana didn't deal with small fry. Besides, no way to know if he really was in with the local syndicate, or some thug trying to con new thieves. She doubted the latter, since such people didn't tend to live long once the crime lords got wind of someone cutting into their profit, but there could be an underworld civil war going on here that she didn't know about.

Politics were dull, but omnipresent.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

He gritted his teeth. He spat and said "Fine, I was trying to avoid this but you want to meet the boss? I'll lead you right to her. But I'm warning you, just back down and hand me a cut. It'll be a lot better for you. If she decides she doesn't like you, you'll have a lot more to deal with than my dogs. I've seen some of the people that displeased her. They're barely able to perform manual labor." The dogs, by this time, had gathered around John once more. They weren't growling at Ariyana but they looked like they wanted to. Their fur was standing on edge and their lips twitched, as if wishing to bare their teeth.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Convinced she now had the upper hand, Ariyana hopped down from her perch, landing a few feet away from John. "Sorry, I'm not so easy to fool. Besides, I'd like to meet the one I'm paying coin to, anyway. Make sure some uppity underling isn't skimming off the top," she said with a grin.

She gestured out of the alley way, lowering but not holstering her gun. "Lead on, then. We mustn't keep a murderous crime boss waiting."

She still doubted John was going to play fair, so she kept her eyes peeled for signs of an ambush. This seemed almost too easy.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

John marched ahead, his dogs never leaving his side. Ariyana noted that one was following behind her but she didn't think John would do anything when she had the gun. He lead her through back alleys, keeping them out of sight of the general populace, though for whose benefit this was she wasn't sure. He made a clicking sound with his tongue and the dogs left them. Eventually he led Ariyana to the walls of a manor, where the buildings hedged them into a dead end. She had seen this place from the street. The manor was made of blocks of stone so white they seemed to shine. It was huge too and contained three layers, each smaller than the one below. The top one had a kind of ornament in the shape of a bird, a hawk. John touched the ground in front of him and made a symbol in the debris. There was a groan, then the ground in front of him simply disappeared to reveal a set of stairs. He stopped. "You really, really don't want to do this."

If pushed, he would continue down the steps. When they got a little deeper, the stone above them abruptly reappeared with another groan. With the sunlight gone, Ariyana could see they were in a basement. There was a tunnel leading off somewhere and a wooden door. Then she saw something stir. There was a figure covered in black. That wasn't important though. What was important was that he had a rifle trained on Ariyana. "I told you you shouldn't have made me bring you here." He jerked his head at the thief "She wants to see the boss." The figure seemed to think. He threw a set of handcuffs at the base of the stairs, then said "Drop the gun. Put those on. I'll take you to see the boss if you want to so badly."

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana followed John closely, but not close enough for him to be able to spin around and strike at her. When the dogs ran off, she holstered her gun, figuring it unnecessary now. She scowled at John's warning, getting tired of all of the games. "I wouldn't have followed you all the way here if I wasn't serious. Let's get this over with." After all, presenting yourself to a new 'employer' was important. Always good to be professional.

They slowly descended into the earth, and she could feel John's apprehension. He honestly did not want to be here, so just how terrifying was this 'boss' of his? Her eyes caught the glint of the rifle as it was trained on her, and she nodded in response to the orders, drawing the gun slowly and deliberately, before laying it down on the ground at her feet. While she leaned over, she picked up the cuffs, slipping them over her wrists. Of course, she cuffed her hands in front of her, mainly because doing it behind her back would have been too difficult.

As she slipped the cuffs on, she deftly pulled a single pick from the hem of her sleeve, palming it without being noticed, hopefully. She had no reason to start a fight here, but she didn't feel like being without any recourse if things went south.

Spoiler

Stealth roll to try and conceal the pick she palmed, I guess?

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

The guard nodded. John left via the tunnel. The guard changed out his rifle for a short sword and pulled out a ring of keys on his belt. He flipped through them, then stuck one in the wooden door. He unlocked it and said "You may want to take a deep breath. Stinks to high heavens in there." He slipped on a mask and opened the door. The door must have had some kind of enchantment because as soon as it was opened, screams terror, rage, and lust filled the air and the smell of sweat and other bodily fluids came out in a kind of mist. It was much hotter in the room than it was in the tunnel. The guard escorted her in, keeping her in front of him. The room was dimly lit but her eyes were able to adjust to the gloom extremely well. The room's walls had been divided into stalls, each holding a different kind of monster. She could see a chimera, a minotaur, and a nightmare, just to name a few. Each were chained to the walls. All were male. Soon Ariyana learned why.

She found a few of the stalls 'occupied'. As she passed, she counted two humans and an elf. All were being violated by different monsters. There was an additional guard at each section. As Ariyana watched, one of them leapt forward. The spear he held touched the neck of the creature, a troll. The creature's skin was covered in growths, including its penis. She could see that the creature was fucking a female night elf and semen spilled out on the ground. There was a flash and the sound of thunder filled the air. The troll fell to the ground and the guard dragged the night elf out from its embrace. The guard looked at Ariyana "A new one?" The guard leading Ariyana shook his head "Not sure yet."

When they left the room, the guard said "And that's why John was so reluctant. For your sake, I hope you make a good impression." He led her up a staircase and into a pleasant room that was clearly inside the manor. She was guided through rooms that contained fine art and exquisite jewelry. It was almost enough to make her mouth water. Finally they reached a wooden door made out of more of the stone that was used to build the manor. He knocked, there was a response, and Ariyana was led in.

The room was extremely tidy but covered in books and papers. She could see diagrams of different races, including her own, in various stages of pregnancy and growth. "She's new in town. She wanted to meet you, boss." The woman behind a huge oak desk was stunning. She had bright red lips, silky blonde hair, pale skin, and piercing blue eyes. She wore a kind of white cloak covered in pockets. She was writing something when Ariyana and the guard had entered but stopped and put the papers away. "So, you wanted to meet me." She smiled sweetly. "I always make sure the new blood sees my project so they know what they are getting into. So, what makes you so special that I shouldn't add you in?"

Spoiler

We'll just say you did so.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

This was not Ariyana's first exposure to a 'breeding pit', though the placement of it sent a very clear message.

Power.

She didn't doubt that whomever this boss was did this for a reason, but the reason she sent all visitors through it was no mystery. Without seeing her, without knowing what she looked like, this woman had established herself as someone who would take control. Who would use anyone, regardless of who they were, as she wanted to, and to hell with what you thought. This woman was one worth respecting, because she understood how power works. People were terrified of her simply by reputation.

She walked through the dungeon with her guard, making note of the layout in case she needed it. Right now, though, she was convinced that she had the knowledge and wit to stay out of these cells. They climbed the stairs into the actual manor house, where real guests would enter, she supposed. When, at last, they came to the tall wooden door, Ariyana was more than ready to meet her new boss, and to size her up in person.

Power, wealth, control. What else could a girl ask for?

When addressed, Ariyana kept her face serious. Play it safe, for now. "Because someone wouldn't get to your position if they didn't know how to best utilize their... assets. This city has no shortage of females it won't miss, but 'problem solvers' are always useful for those occasional... issues."

She stood up straight. Not threatening, but not cowering either. "I knew there was a power here, someone pulling all the strings further back than most realized. There was no way someone like 'Hellhound' was running an operation in a city like this. I just like to know who I'm working for, since I'm one of your pieces now."

That was an unspoken rule of thievery. If you were in another city, you played nice with the local underworld boss. Those who didn't tended to have very short careers.

Ariyana waited now, trying to see how her new boss would respond. Some liked a little back bone, others feared it. She wasn't sure how this one would respond, but she'd be ready to act if the need appeared.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

The woman considered this. She was silent for several moments, then spoke "Alright, you've proven yourself brave... or foolish. You caught John off his guard though I'm a little disappointed that you didn't kill him. This is the third time so far. Honestly, his dogs are probably more intelligent than him." She smiled slightly. "If you want to operate in my town, you'll find out my name eventually. I am Lady Jane Cera. Now, I will need some of your blood and your hair." She nodded at the guard who turned and pulled a painting aside to reveal a niche. He retrieved a silver chalice and a curved knife. They were placed on the desk and Cera gestured. "Kor here will be your contact. Unless otherwise instructed, you will not attempt to return here.."

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana nodded at the instructions. When the chalice and knife were presented, she arched an eyebrow, before the cuffs on her wrists fell away from her deft lockpicking. Without missing a beat, she strode over to the knife, pricked her thumb and let a small amount of blood drip into the chalice. It was only a minute more to cut a few strands of hair free as well.

"I'm a bit curious what you need that for, but I don't suppose I want to find out, so I'll leave you to it," she commented, turning to Kor. "Well then, Kor, lead on. By your leave, Lady Cear," she said with a bow to the crime boss.

Her point had been made, she had established herself and it seemed she survived the process. Now, where would the next step take her?

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

She was led out the way she came. Kor pointed down the tunnel. "That way leads to the docks. Generally you come through that way to get here. John only brought you through the grave because he was in a rush. Only emergencies. Bring me a 25% cut of whatever you earn and anytime you learn of news that you think is of interest, you bring it to me. If you do good, we'll take less of a cut. Bring interesting news, you get a reward. Get caught, you don't know us. Try to betray us and you'll end up in the basement. Understood?"

Kor was telling the truth. The tunnel was long but by following the scent of fresh air, Ariyana was able to get out. With the cut they took, Ariyana managed to make 15 denarii. Pretty good for a day's haul. She wouldn't be that lucky from now on and they'd be looking for her so she'd have to get creative.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

All business, that sounded about right. Still, things could have gone a lot worse. Picking up and holstering her gun, she walked out towards the docks, enjoying the feel of the fresh, sea air.

Ariyana had never been much for the water, a racial quirk she supposed, but even she could appreciate a breath of fresh air after an experience like that. She'd gotten her haul for today, but there was never a bad time to stake out for future prospects. As she walked down the piers, she kept her ears and eyes open, taking in the sights around her. Cargo being loaded and offloaded, ships preparing to depart and pulling in, along with their crews, happy to be on solid land for however long they had. The docks were a picture of chaos.

And where there was chaos, people like her thrived. She managed to spy a small tavern that most of the sailors seemed to go to. The quickest way for them to get drunk after getting off the boat, she supposed. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere and then getting a moment to relax tended to give them loose tongues, especially around women they wanted to impress, or seduce as the case may be. Grinning to herself, she pushed the door to the crowded tavern open, seeing what future prospects she could gather information on, if any.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

It took several days to get any usable information. Many of the things that were talked about were of no use to Ariyana and she could only gather so much information each night before her presence became suspicious. However, she did eventually get a few pieces of news. The first was that a circus troupe was in town. They were set up in the city and, while not huge, the group was bringing in large crowds. Second was that a mage had developed a cup that could duplicate anything small that was placed in it. He had made it to duplicate rare reagents but someone might be able to think of other things to do with it. Lastly, there were always some nobles, showing off their wealth. A Lord Farswal had had his wall replaced by a fence made of iron but with a bit of gold on top of every post. It was extremely tacky but taking the gold had been attempted and had failed. Apparently he wasn't that big of an idiot. There was an enchantment laid on the fence but there wasn't much information on that.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Pickpocketing a circus promised chump change, at best. It was safe work, since there were plenty of crowds to vanish into, but it was unlikely to bring in any good money. On the other side of the spectrum, robbing a noble, and one whom someone else had failed to rob recently, was just foolish. His ostentatious decorations were just too obvious a trap, and there was no quicker way to get bad attention than pissing off a noble with too much money.

That left her with robbing a new relic from a local spellcaster who probably had no idea how valuable of a discovery he'd made. An item like that was one of a kind, meaning it would be difficult to sell. She could keep it, but she doubted that she could use it for much herself. Besides, no way to know if the enchantment would deplete over time. No, the better idea would be to have the item delivered to the Lady, who would likely have use for it, or contacts to someone who would want it. Items like that tended to be valuable to all the right people.

Something simple like copying a key or a signet ring or the like could change fortunes very quickly, if used by the right person in the right place.

And so, she gathered her tools and set out for the location of the rumored mage. Dealing with magic had never been her forte, so she was on high alert. She'd probably have to slip past all manner of traps designed to protect her prize. Not an easy job, but easily the highest risk-to-reward ratio.