To the witch

[Yoren longshore]

In a large, but ramshackle old building is where the witch is said to be at. The steps in front of the house are polished to a gleam by all those who have entered, and the low doorframe has undoubtedly caused much pain to people with a large build. Although the chimney is smoking, there is no sound emmitting from inside of the house.

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

A witch, eh? Right. I'm sure some people call me a witch - pride can't take a woman being smarter'an them, they get beaten in a battle o' wits an' call it witchcraft.

She gestures to the door and one of her boys goes up and knocks.

'Course she might be deservin' of the local folks wrath an' my scorn if she be sellin' junk cures or the like, love potions or some rubbish.

[Yoren longshore]

From the house Patience can hear a husky voice calling: "
Come in, the door is open."

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience gestures to the door, and Rykk - probably the most trusted of her boys - opens the door.

Entering, Rykk follows her and closes the door behind them. The rest of her boys wait outside, alert for trouble.

"
So you're the one the superstitious louts call a witch, eh? My name's Patience, and I'm new 'round here, but I've got an eye to settlin' down. I happened to see a bad scuffle at the tavern, an' have a preference for quiet. I heard you be the one to talk to 'bout what's been goin' on roun' here lately, an' hoped you might shed some light on the situation."


Patience did not like the other other woman - she didn't like many people - but she kept her tone amicable, falling back on the well-practiced courtesies she mastered working in her shop.

From what the ol' man was sayin', she and he don' get along, an' she might got an axe to grind, an' might be more'n happy to see harm come to Ammet about it. 'Course, it's as like than not that he blames her jus' cause she's a woman he don' like or can't control. He prolly won' like me for long neither, 'cause he sure as hell isn' gonna be controllin' me.

OOC:
[url=Intrigue Intiative][/url]: 4d6k2 10
ID: 11;
12/12 Influence, 0 Frustration
Disposition: Unfriendly [+2 Dec, -4 Pers, 6 DR]
Objective: Tell Patience everything she knows about the recent events

[Yoren longshore]

The plump woman is draped in enough fabric to make tents for the entire royal entourage, but the oven is still emmiting enough heat to make Rykk sweat instantly. She gives a coquettish smile to Rykk as he enters, but at Patience's direct way of speaking she drops the smile, while still staying evasive: "
To shed light is to enlighten. Enlightenment is usually coming from within. To enlighten yourself you must take in the enviroment, and more importantly;
Understand it."
She tells, before tapping a jar, that jingles slightly metallic at her touch.

[url=Status][/url]: 2d6 7
ID: 9
Composure: 12
Frustration 0
Disposition: Neutral
Objective: ???

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

She likes ta play with words, does she? Two can play that game. May as well have some fun with this greedy bitch.

She puts her hand over the opening of the jar.
"
To take in is to possess..."

She slides the jar towards her, just a hair, more a suggestion of taking than anything.
"
...to consume..."

She hooks her fingers on the edge of the jar and tips the opening towards her, so she can gaze upon the contents.
"
...to destroy."

She lifts the jar high, as if ready to smash it to pieces.

"
But I come with no intent to possess, consume, or destroy."

She hands the jar back to the woman.
"
I come with the intent of peace, stability, and prosperity."

She smiles kindly.
"
You wanna prosper, don't you?"


OOC:
Exchange 1
[url=Persuade(Convince)][/url]: 7d6k5 20 vs ID 9, 3 DoS;
4 Infl/Dos = 12, - 4DR = 8 Influence
Note: Adept Negotiator benefit negates disposition penalty

Intrigue Initiative: 10
ID: 11;
12/12 Influence, 0 Frustration
Disposition: Unfriendly [+2 Dec, -4 Pers, 6 DR]
Objective: Tell Patience everything she knows about the recent events

[Yoren longshore]

The jar contains a combination of a few copper coins together with some various scraps of metal, sometimes feigning wealth is the best way to gain wealth.

"
You are trying my patience with your threats. Do you think you are the first to try to threaten a fortune teller?"
She asks, but regardless of her bravado, her eyes darts to a door to her right, and she looks nervous. "
If you want to settle here, you need to avoid threatening those with power."
She turns to Rykk and as she plasters on a smile she adds: "
That goes for you too, darlin'. I'm sure someone younger than her would fancy a man like you in this town, especially if you had some assistance in the matter."


Initiative: 7
ID:9
Composure 4/12
Frustration 0
Objective: ???
[url=Lying about her status to intimidate.][/url]: 6d6k4+3 22

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

So thin skinned. Or she has something to hide.

"
Oh! Oh dear, I didn't mean for you to take that as a threat. No no no. I'm not the subtle sort, I mean what I say and say what I mean. If you tell me what you know, it will help me bring peace and prosperity. You'll make more money when people have more to spend, right? So helping me helps you."


OOC:
Let's see, I'm assuming she has will 4 to get that 12 composure, so:
22 vs ID 11 is 3 DoS, 12 - 6 DR is 6 influence.

Exchange 2
[url=Persuade(Convince)][/url]: 7d6k5 19 vs ID 9, 3 DoS, 12 - 4DR = 8 Influence. She must take 2 frustration or be defeated.
Note: Adept Negotiator benefit negates disposition penalty

Intrigue Initiative: 10
ID: 11;
6/12 Influence, 0 Frustration
Disposition: Unfriendly [+2 Dec, -4 Pers, 6 DR]
Objective: Tell Patience everything she knows about the recent events

[Yoren longshore]

"
I guess I can give you what I know..."
The draped witch drops most of the pretense as she explains: "
When I arrived this wave of newcomers had yet to appear. It was a lot calmer back then. That boy that got stabbed in the brawl used to do a lot of work for me. After a week of learning from me, he could collect more herbs in a day than I could do in five. Then his father told me to leave, and Ammet has not been able to help me since then. I can do less work now, and with the diseases spreading like wildfire, I am more needed than ever. Though the demand grows larger I can barely leave without fear that someone will break in and destroy this place, so I can't gather the herbs that I need."



You may roll an awareness

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

"
What'd Ammet's papa get a bee in his britches for?"
She asks innocently, while at the same time her surprisingly sharp mind - as sharp as any Maester's, though she's never had any real schooling - churns the information she's gathered over and over, fitting pieces together like a carpenter's joins.

The ol' man needs medicine but they won' get it from 'er, an don' like 'er in gen'ral. Ammet's papa tells 'er ta leave. Very suspicious... someone's makin' somethin' other than medicines, that's fer damn sure. Ammet's papa didn' like it... but why not force 'er out at that point? Why just threaten? P'rhaps he didn' wan' ta attract too much attention? But to what? Pr'haps he's the one with somethin' to hide, an she was on the verge o' findin' out? Ammet seems 'bout as sharp as soggy bread, but he learned to gather herbs in a week? Mayhap he'd already been trained, an' just had to learn a new set of herbs? An' if she sees too many cases o' folk out o' their pumpkins on some concoction or other, she'd be bound to notice. Assumin' she weren't a part of the operation an' Ammet's papa jus' didn' like the competition. Might be she's even th'one tha' taught 'im how to make the stuff. Too much supposin' though - a talk with Ammet would prolly answer a few things. Maybe have 'im show the Maester what herbs he's been collectin' an' for who.

"
Oh, and if'n you write up a list o' the herbs ya need, I can see 'bout gettin' some o' my people ta gather some up fer ya. Surely a half doz' er so oughtta mor'n make up fer losin' Ammet's services."


OOC:
[url=Awareness][/url]: 5d6k4 18
If Empathy based, Haughty provides a -1D for an adjusted total of 15

[Yoren longshore]

"
He dislikes all of us that are arriving, just look at all the fights he has started already. When he came to my door, I already knew what he wanted."
She explains.

"
It's something that takes much time to learn, because many plants share similarities... If you could set someone to watch my shop I'd be very grateful for that!"
She tells Patience.

Very close, but still not enough.

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

"
Surely you mus' be worried 'bout being attacked while alone in the woods? I should send someone with you, too."

[Yoren longshore]

The witch shrugs: "
They don't seem to have the guts to attack me themselves, however, I'd be a fool to not accept help, when it's so kindly offered."
She smiles amiably to Patience as she grabs a small collection of tools, together with a large basket: "
There is a lot of herbs that needs to be gathered, I'll be lucky if I can gather it all before the day is over."
She confides to Patience.

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

"
I'd surely go meself, but I'd only slow ya down."
She taps her walking staff on the floor for emphasis.

Stepping outside but leaving the door open, she calls out to two of her boys.
"
Micah, Eddry."


A look passes among the two of them. They are instantly on alert. Normally Patience calls her boys by the nicknames they give each other - except for Rykk, because she absolutely refuses to call him 'Righty'. He might be her right-hand man in many situations, but to acknowledge it would be to imply the rest of her boys had lesser value to her, which was simply not the case. She loved them all as if they were her own sons - even Stinky with his terrible breath and excessive flatulence.

'Eyes' Micah and 'Bull' Eddry step forward. Neither of them look all that unusual, but that's the case with most of her boys. However, what can't be seen is why she picked these two in particular. Like all her boys, they know their way around in a fight and are fiercely loyal to her - but Eyes is the most observant man she has ever met, and Bull can drink any three of her other boys under he table - sequentially. If the witch decides to try something, Eyes should pick up on it fast, and Bull can tough it out.

"
Go wit' the woman an' keep her outta trouble. Make sure she comes back in one piece, yeh? An' don' be late for dinner or ye'll get nothin' but scraps."


The subtext of course was to expect trouble, not to let her out of their sight, and to make sure she came back promptly.

[Yoren longshore]

"
Thank you, and I hope you find what you are looking for here, in our community."

The witch gets up surprisingly sprily as she walks out of the door with Patiences two boys.

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

Watching the woman go, Patience speaks up when she's out of sight.

"
Hotfoot, go find tha' Maester was with us. This's our best chance to figger out wha' she's brewin' up here."

[Ser Jorah Holt]

Brant arrived following Hotfoot. He looked at Patience impatiently. He had no time for supposed magic.

"
You wished for my assistance with something?"

[Baelon Drakeson]

Patience

What an irritating man.

"
Th'one they call the witch 'as gone collectin' herbs. I was thinkin' that with yer fancy learnin' you could maybe figger out what she been makin'. Got a feelin' that either she or Ammet's father are makin' somethin' other than medicine. Poison, drugs, something - I don' buy inta all that magic or witchery nonsense though. Heh, she said the boy was helpin' 'er pick herbs, and learned quick which to pick an' which not. He didn' seem the sort to pick up on anythin' quick, if ya know what I mean."

[Yoren longshore]

A knowledge (education) may be used on what the witch has made. DC 12

and a cunning (logic) may be used to find anything she wishes to hide. DC 12

[Ser Jorah Holt]

Brant's expression changed upon hearing her words, a wry smile on his face

"
A woman after my own heart. There is no longer such a thing as magic. Merely subterfuge and superstition."


He entered the hut and looked around at the ingredients available, before taking a small sample and placing it in a pestle, adding a few small liquids from about his person.

ooc
[url=knowledge check to figure out potion][/url]: 6d6k5+4 20
[url=extra bonus dice][/url]: 1d6 6 - replace the one - so 25 - 3 DOS

[Yoren longshore]

Brant searches what is out in the open, but without seeing much of interest, but then, why would she leave dangerous things out in the open?

[Brant needs to make the Cunning test too, but with DC reduced by 3 due to his intimate knowledge on the womans materials.]

[Ser Jorah Holt]

ooc whoops, read it as or, not and

Now where would be the best places to hide materials he wondered,feeling under the table and tapping his foot on the floor and checking a few more obvious (at least to him) hiding places.

[url=cunning logic][/url]: 5d6k4 16

[Yoren longshore]

As the maester knocks on a wall, he finds a section that gives in. Here he finds several small containers with nonsensical words written on them, not the names of any herbs Brant has ever heard of. However, the content speaks a different story.
The first jar he carefully opens is filled with a liquid often referred to as "
Poor mans poppy"
. It is a lot easier to make properly, however it has it's drawbacks: prolonged use will numb extremities, and if used over an extended period it might lead to complete los of controll in arms and legs, along with other drawbacks it might cause.

Much of the remaining content is different drugs and herbs, not poison, but certainly not harmless. In addition, Brant finds a nice pouch with money.

[Ser Jorah Holt]

Brant picked up the pouch and handed it to Patience

“Would you check the pouch please? The pouch might represent savings or it might represent payments for something. You would be better placed with local knowledge to know the coinage generally used in the area and if there are any oddities that may aid our investigation.”

He checked for any ledgers that might be around before returning to examine the mixture?

[Baelon Drakeson]

Mebbe this one don' 'ave 'is 'ead up in 'is arse as much as I thought.
Patience nods to the robe and chain wearing man and takes the pouch. Taking a bowl from the kitchen, she carefully pours the contents of the pouch into it.

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