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The building was surprising large with three stories and a front porch full with lounging chairs. The field around the obvious hidden inn was well cared for with flowery plants and bushes. There was another building with sounds of beast of burdens and other farm animals coming from it. You walked up where the path turn toward the barn in front of the inn’s main porch and coming up the five stairs to the main entrance noticing that the door was open you started listening to the voices inside that sound like they was mumbling under one other voice, which was clearer and talking quickly.

 “I knew I put it here, oh, here it is. I can’t believe I actually going have to pay for him and his brother. You only knew how long we known each other.”

As you stopped at the doorway you saw a young woman with white full hair hanging just below her shoulder turning toward your direction, holding a beautiful gleaming large jewelry box by the two handled on its side and of a size of a small bed foot box.

When she saw you at the door she only paused momentarily to look at your gear and after taking measure of you by that she said to you, “Hello, hello, please, do come in! You might be too late unless you well rest. If you are then your timing is perfect."

You would make six and the others was just about to leave after I've paid them and you a partial payment. I will tell you everything as I divvy the gold portions.”

Krist walked to and behind the counter that was on the side along the wall across to the left inside in front of the main entrance. Once behind the counter she placed the heavy looking jewelry box on top of the counter then walked back around the counter to a table on the far left of the main entrance. She picked up some sort of wildcat skin hide that was folded up on  it and moved back to the other side of the counter and placed it nexxt to the jewelry box while she kept talking to you and the other adventurers that were sitting in the comfortable padded chairs odf the reception area immediately to the left of the entrance.

“My name’s  Krist Breeze, I owned this inn, also own an office in the local fort which also the local town. I owned the land around here and some more land by the new pier includiing a couple of docks there yet I'm only around occasionally in the area to supervised the traffic because I run an import/export service from here to Xen'drix and other places even farther.

When I came in a few days ago for the end of the seasons store checks, I found some of my workers wandering around outside on this land and near the coastline area around the dock area aimlessly with most of them in bad shape. All of them was suffering from sort of memory loss in which I've managed to soothe it out of them and had to sent them inland, most of them home with others who live at the docks or near here.

This memory loss was no simple ailment either. It is some sort of evil influence placed on them, an influence you, now six of you, also must prepared to fight off if you going take on this job."

Krist then given all the adventures present an "one moment, please" sign and as she touched the box's doorlid on top of it with both of her hands along its opening crease then she start mumbling some strange sounding words. The box suddenly open as if it opened unassisted as Krist's hands never left the box's lower section while the hinged on top flip up on over in a steady rate. 

With the box opened Krist continued on addresing her guest. "The government supposed to protect us from this type of problem but since I trade nearly exclusively with the local goblins and bearbugs inland and up-country, this concern is seen as a bugbear/goblin's matter and isn't covered by the agreements that the non-goblins of this area are paying the military to protect them from.
Well, all that old news, but what's new is after I found my workers wandering about I went immediately down to the docks and found the regulars known to congregate and lived in the bunkhouses next to the dock area as well as the pirates..." 

Then Krist faked astoundishment by saying "Oh! Kyber!"

Then she looked at the adventurers slyly hiding a smile and with a soft but firm voice that everybody in the large room can hear her clearly.

"OK, the dock isn't on any map and it does caters to pirates frequently."

Krist without turning from watching the adventurers facial expressions turned the box up and over less than a half rotation. At first the box looks as to be empty then with a shift of her grip on the upper edge of the lower section of the box, a great amount of gold coins came pouring out omto the the animal skin.

Seeing all the adventurers affixed on the sight of the gold coins she placed the box backe to the side of the hide and hands turned their attention to the coins while she was saying, "...the pirates as well as everyone esle there was in no better shape than my workers around here and the area's along the Thundering Sea beach  around there."

"I knew right away then that this was the work of my dock's overseer, a human named Artis. The only one at the docks that is that bold and secured about himself in this area to turned on that kind of dock crowd like that, challenge my influence with the local government and disrupted my business interests without fear.

I'm also certain that he has made some sort of deal with one of the bearbug factors in the area in order to get this far with this foolishness. I knew how ambitious he was when I bought him from the Mockery Cult but I thought he knew and understood that I was his only chance to earned respect somehow with the human's society in this area who wanted him killed.

The trouble is, now is he has somehow earned the title od the Dock's Overseer with the dock's workers and the pirates that frequent the piers, well that would be thanks to me.

I learned he was going to a problem too late after buying him out of slavery because I knew his growing up with bugbears made him into something different then what to expected from a human but I didn't know it was one of the cannibals tribes that allowed him to "contend" as one of their own in his childhood. Well learning this I knew saw that there isn't a civilized human society that will ever respect him or trust him. Since he has also earned and honored loyalty from the Mockery Cult in this region I grew feeling safe with him working for me at the docks. Especially after realizing that he was never going to turned on my business interest because when I tried to sent away or set him free but he kept coming back to work like his job at the docks was his place in this region."

Krist hands start systematically started separating and counting the gold coins instinctively while talking.

"I guess I must pay for this account now for he's did became my, well,... was my dock's supervisor who I've was trusting to handled the tough crowd at the docks with my personal guards assitstance, which is Bret, his brother and those archers Artis hired from off one of the ship that passed thru here a couple of harvest seasons ago.

To see Bret, my best friend and his brother, both carrying spearing axes (Halberds) have allowed themselves to get so messed up by Artis dumb mind persausive abilities that they actually attacked me on sight "

The Krist stopped counting the gold pieces and looked upwardly at the space above the adventurers' head saying in a restraint strong tone, "Me of all people; the one who hid them and brought them to safety here from Xen'drik when they was in too deep there."

Her eyes then turned looking at the adventurers saying "They been living here at this inn but from the looks of it they hasn't came in in a couple of days or maybe a week"

Then caught herself by suppressing an emotional breathed creating a moment pause in her words. After regaining her composure she continued on explaining "When I was forced to retreat from them is when I knew its time to deal with The Artisct."

Now Krist made a small quiet laughter to herself and explained "That is what Artis is known as among The Mockery's members and why I thought he may did have something of a honorable future in this region."

Krist's eyes jumped up suddenly to glanced back and fro at the adventurers' faces while her hands slowed in their counting and her voice's tone lowered, "But now I see that future can be my biggest problem here in Darguun. He's a madman and look's to be the monster I was warned he is."

Then Krist tone changed as her hands start counting the gold coins faster "Listen while I was at the dock that day I did see how he was doing this."

Krist announced ths in a matter that inspired the group listening to her. "There is a strange ship there, one of a likes of any I ever saw there before. This ship made an imposing figure on my dock and it felt as if it was a life itself but the feeling I was recieving from it was different than any type of power I ever felt on the Thundering Sea."

Krist Breeze tone became thougthful explaining "Artis might be good at what he does but what I saw was obvious a case in which he found something on or with that ship that given him a little too much boost and influence over the locals there."

She suddenly turned her eyes to assist in counting the gold while talking like she knew the adventurers was listening to every word.

"He's there now, with my stupefy friends and a couple of Mockiezz bugs guarding the ship like its their new master or something which was the strangest sight I ever seen in my life. This proud warmonger, Artis with his Mockery's buddies looking as if they alreadied conquered all of the high planes, and Khyber too because they have a ship!" 

Then Krist started making piles with the gold coins while her words taking on an outward pondering pace. "As foolish as they might seem then, now looking at what is becomong of that I really can't sit here and laugh about it or at them..."

Then suddenly sounding angry "...because that's my dock, those are my guards and since the whole dock area is suffering from one of Artis' spells including those alreadied weak-minded pirates, I can't find the humor in this! That ship has to go and so do Artis!!!

She then paused for a second and then her voice tone became softer. "Since my guards in which I can at least humorously say are acting in a debilitated state and may be besides themselves...," Krist looked up at the adventurers again while continuously saying, "...but are never to be underestimated...,"

Krist shift her stance showing the six piles of coins she finished making while addressing the adventurers, "...which why I been so generous about this with you."
and after another paused this time with a capitulating look toward the adventurers, she ordered "I want them here, in this inn, upstairs and in bed, alive under my care when all of this is done."

The gold piles suddenly taken a displaying shimmer to the adventuers catching a couple of the witnesses fascinationsyet to the adventurers who are acquainted the simple prestidigitatizing art it only moved the anticipation of carrying one of the piles' weight on one's possesion more unheeding. 

Krist seeing that the adventurers do understand what this job is, then taking on an instructor's tone.

"That ship only giving Artist a boost but without that boost he can't combat you and control my guards at the same time so cutting the ship's ties and letting ship float adrift while Artis is on land would snap my guards out of his spell.

Try to do this while taking them on in a way you find easier for your abilities. This isn't going to be easy you taking on a couple of the strongest bugbear warrior types known in EDarguun or anywhere in this case so be careful and always try to cut those ropes.
I know Artis, he a good enough to probably foreseen this weakness in his bid and will have my friends protecting the ropes just in case I find someone and come back. This way he can entertainment himself and make sure my guards are the ones who has fallen if the ropes do get cut ."

Krist paused again to look around at the adventurers and again adjust her stance to say deliberated and clear.

"If that ship wasn't there amplifying his mindtricks and he wasn't with his bugbear friends, I would freeze him in a manner that his cold heart would finally provide warmth for him. I'm just outnumber and can't cut all the ropes while fighting off Artis and my boys at the same time."

Then a sadder look just appeared on her face as she pause to catch her breath to ask,"Yeah, one more thing?"

Krist asked this as if she was asking a question but her physical mannerism indicated she was slowing down her speech for something other reserved reason.

“I also have to ask of you guys, two favors. First is don’t kill any of the my guards and second don’t hold back when you have to put them in their place. Those are more than my personal guards guarding that pier they are my friends and they are as dangerous as those two bearbugs and the pirates combined. Yeah, I need real tough humans around me when I must fight because...”

Suddenly a strong wind appeared inside the room blowing everything that wasn’t heavy either over or moving it into the air for a couple of feet causing the adventurers to duck from a couple of the objects here and there or to stiffened as they felt their bones become chilled through their skins by the wind's touch passing by them.

As sudden as the wind appeared and passed thru everyone, it quickly condensed itself into a man-sized gust to fly around the bodies budging them to quickly recheck their balances and their footings while now knocking over the heavier objects until it settled surrounding Krist Breeze's body. As the wind calmed downed Krist continued talking.

“That spell Artist is using peeved me bad but those guys, my friends allowing that to happened to them just take me beyond anger.”

Now even more slowly the wild young woman said as the wind-gust settled into her clothes she was wearing, ”I want Bret and his brother alive for a personal reasons. I'm giving each of you 700 gps now and 1500 gps when you returned my personal guards to me here alive in any healable condition. Understand?”

After looking over the adventurers, Krist felt they understood their mission, then suggested, "You can take Artis to that drow who was foolish enough to take the job as the area constable at the Fort Pordown near here but he will recognized the goblins' possession laws and turn him over to them as soon as The Mockery meet the price that will be placed for him or he will remained there until someone esle there do.
Trust me when I say this; when the Mockery have something esle for him to do they will retrieve him even without paying for him."

Then that sly smile came back to Krist's face as she added on the next comment.

"So. I will leave it to you guys to decide what to do about him, his bugbear friends and his archers even though none of those ever will allowed themslves to be taken alive because they are or all, elusive, dumb and too much to the death. So all you have to do for this gold is don't kill my personal guards, get Artis, that creepy ship and those mockery duo off my property. 

Don't worry about that enchantment over the area, I have already examined you here and found you all just as strong as some those pirates around my docks faking an impaired state to avoid having a direct confrontation with Artis which means losing such a conflict would definitely end the faking of been under The Artisct's whims.

The adventurers whom just met Krist now can recognized her anger building up again and braced themselves for another gusting storm yet the wind gust only risen just outside her clothes boundary as she finished the debriefiing with her honor's distinctive peculium. 

"...Which I saw as the last insult because while those few pirates has managed to fight off Artis' influence where my guards couldn't simply infuriates me more, especially with Artis believing and proving I can't do anything about his plans without my guards and as of this been the final insult it became a natural injury that my gold has to be the only and the always warchief, warmarshal and chieftain ever on my docks! So warriors, all I'm asking is for you to cut all four ropes to adrift one ship and earned 2200gps total each.


After explaining this she adjusted her appearance saying,
"When you cut all ropes, my guards should regain themselves realizing what happening, they will know immediatly this means a fight and they're no push overs.

NOW YOU CAN JOINED IN FOR ITS TIME TO PLAY SOME PbP DnD!!

I have no taste for politics.  Perhaps the Bugbear could play that game, to infiltrate the ship's workers and destroy them from within.  He has a bow, they have bows.  Perhaps they could use another archer.  Since they do not know who we are or what we've been hired to do, perhaps some subterfuge would be to our benefit.

Ruin's flail retracts into his arm and his hand twists, then opens again.  He stands at ease, for now.

Ruin's voice sounds in each of his comrades' heads, a slightly high pitched monotone with a Cyran accent:
As long as you stay relatively close to me, I will keep us all in contact.  This is just one of the powers bestowed upon me by my Lord and creator. 


(Ruin's voice sounds a lot like Bane's from The Dark Knight Rises)