[Day 6, MN] Blood for gold (Closed)

[Dunstan Tullison]

Seeing how his previous attempt at doing a bit of subterfuge by paying silver for information turned out to be somewhat troublesome, Dunstan changed his tactics this time. He dressed in the most common clothing available, and put on his hood before walking into the Inn. He was not actively trying to disguise himself, but rather just wanted to attract as little attention as he could. He did bring a pouch full of gold however, which hanged from his belt underneath the cloak.

Instead of yelling and buying rounds for everyone like he usually does, the young Lord simply walked in and sat in the corner, checking to see if Brandon Hill and his archers are here tonight.

[Reader]

Brandon Hill and a few of his men are here, seemingly in high spirits. The archer-captain's blond hair catches the light from the inn's fire as he and his men discuss plans with makeshift troops markers on one of the tables.

[Dunstan Tullison]

Dunstan approaches the table carefully, buying a fresh pitcher of ale in the meantime. Removing his hood he sits down next to the archers and pours himself a cup, offering them one too.

"
Brandon Hill, if I am not mistaken"
he says"
I am Lord Dunstan Tullison, and I bring forth a opportunity to earn quick gold for you and your man. Interested?"

[Reader]

Brandon shakes his head, misunderstanding the nature of the job.

"
You honour us Lord Tully, but we're contracted to House Marsten already for a campaign against the mountain clans. Edmund Lyras himself hired us but a day ago."

[Dunstan Tullison]

Dunstan takes a deep breath

"
What I am offering is quick work, I'll need your bows only for tonight and tomorrow morning. And I am Lord Tullison, of Mountain's Reach, not Lord Tully"
he chuckles.

"
The nature of the job I'm offering is this - you are to be hidden in the forests around the tree known as Harren's Justice tommorow at dawn, and simply watch out on me and several other knights. If you hear a command from me - you are to shoot down the brigands we will be fighting. I will be wearing dark blue and crimson full plate armor, with a mountain sigil on the chest."
Dunstan let'\s the information sink in and takes a sip

"
I need 10 men. 3 gold dragons to each of you, so that's 30 dragons for one night. Is that agreeable?"

[Reader]

"
Ah, my apologies, the niceties of noble families elude me. As long as their coin spends, the reasons behind a Tullison not being a Tully are none of my concern."


"
Harren's justice sits on a high plateau, they'll see us coming my lord. Me and the lads will be lightly armoured, so at a horn blast we can come running."


"
What is our quarry? I'll not wrong Lord Tully on his own land, whether he's your father or not."


Thirty gold dragons - this must be bloody work, and bloody dangerous work at that.

[Dunstan Tullison]

"
Lionel Darry and more of his men. But fear not, my uncle.."
Dunstan stops there in order not to confuse the man any further with family ties and relations,

"
one of my knights will speak with Lord Tully. We don't intend to wrong him. Besides, we will bring some famous Coldbrook cavalry with us, and more of my own men-at-arms. I would prefer if my own Ser Matther Warrens, you might know him from the archery tournament, would come with you, with some scouts he commands as well. We will have numbers on our side."


Dunstan looks him straight in the eye

"
What say you? Up for some adventure? I will pay 10 dragons now and twenty after we come back."

[Reader]

"
Ser Lionel's a terror, but the price is right my lord, we'll be there."

[Dunstan Tullison]

"
That's the spirit! My Ser Matther will meet you with some scouts at the Water Gate at 5am this morning. Be there. That you will proceed to station yourselves around the tree discreetly, and wait for my call, if needed."
Dunstan counts ten golden coins discreetly and wraps puts them in another, smaller purse.
"

Here are ten coins. Be certain that if you do not honor our agreement, there will be consequences. I rely on your word Brandon, let us shake hands now."
he says and shakes hand with the bastard archer.

After buying them another tour of drinks, the young Lord urges them to go and start with their preparations. Looking around to see where did Wrecker Jon dissapear, Dunstan puts his hood back on.

[Jon Cobb]

Following Dunstan to the Drunken Huntsman, Jon peels off from his noble companion when they enter the inn. Like Dunstan, he has dressed down for the occasion, and his silvered maul is noticeably absent.

Passing a few coins to the bartender gets him a name - Eddrick Goodwater, a local hunter - and a face to go with it. Wasting no time, Jon crosses the taproom to where Eddrick sits alone in a corner, nursing a beer. Just in case, he brings a pitcher with him to top up the hunter's tankard.

"
Evening friend, mind if I join you?"

[Reader]

"
Any man with a tanker can share my table,"
says the bushy bearded hunter, although he does not offer a smile to go with his words.

"
Ain't you Wrecker Jon? Fuck me."


He looks Ser Jon up and down.

"
Thought you'd be taller."

[Dunstan Tullison]

Dunstan spots Ser Jon talking to the bearded man and approaches the table, spilling a bit of ale as he maneuvers through the crowds.

"
Greetings"
he says and takes a seat, bringing yet another pitcher of ale.

OOC: For assist reasons.

[Jon Cobb]

"
Any man with a tanker can share my table,"
says the bushy bearded hunter, although he does not offer a smile to go with his words.

"
Ain't you Wrecker Jon? Fuck me."


He looks Ser Jon up and down.

"
Thought you'd be taller."

"
I am taller. I'm just in disguise,"
Jon replies with a grin.

"
Now then, just to be certain I'm not wasting this perfectly good pitcher of ale on a useless sot, that fellow over there in the bar swore that you're Eddrick Goodwater, and that no one knows the terrain around Riverrun as well as you do. Does that sound about right?"


"
Oh, and this intrusive young man is a friend of mine,"
Jon gestures towards Dunstan. "
In fact, he's the one paying for the ale tonight."

[Reader]

Eddrick laughs at the jest, half due to its quality, but he's had enough of a drink to find most jests funny. His curly red hair bounces around his face as his body rocks with laughter.

"
No man would want to be an enemy of the wrecker's friends, and if he's buying I guess that makes him my friend to."


"
I reckon I'm that Eddrick Goodwater. I grew up here. I hunt here. Nobody knows the land better."

[Jon Cobb]

"
I reckon I'm that Eddrick Goodwater. I grew up here. I hunt here. Nobody knows the land better."

"
I'm glad to hear that, Master Eddrick,"
Jon replies, topping up Eddrick's tankard as he speaks. "
You see, my generous friend and I have an appointment in the morning at Harren's Justice, and we're looking for someone who can guide us safely there and back again. Would you be interested in taking on the job?"

[Reader]

"
Fuck me, it's ill business that gets done at that accursed tree."


He mumbles a prayer to the Seven.

"
What business does Ser have there?"
he asks with barely masked trepidation.

[Awareness (empathy) blind TN]

[Jon Cobb]

"
Fuck me, it's ill business that gets done at that accursed tree."


He mumbles a prayer to the Seven.

"
What business does Ser have there?"
he asks with barely masked trepidation.

Jon gives Eddrick a mirthless smile and answers, "
Exactly as you guessed - the ill kind, though not through any fault of myself or my friend here. But if you take the job, it's guaranteed to pay good coin, and all you need do is to make certain that we make it to our appointment safe and sound. In fact, if you have a few trustworthy and skilled friends you'd like to bring along, there'll be a nice bit of silver in it for them as well."


[url=Awareness][/url]: 3d6k2 7+1 for assist = 8

OOC: Now would probably be a good time for Dunstan to assist...which nets Jon a +1 on the roll above.

[Dunstan Tullison]

Dunstan buys another pitcher of ale and observes the hunter studiously..

OOC: Assist for +1 on Jon's roll.

[Reader]

He spits.

"
A pox on other men. I do my best work alone. The others would only impede me."


"
Any ill work on this errand, any conduct more befitting a Westerman than a Riverlander and Lord Tully will know of it."


"
Subject to that, I'm your man for a gold dragon. A steep price, but this sounds dangerous work."


He offers a hand.

[Jon Cobb]

"
If there's any ill conduct on this errand, it won't be on our part, friend Eddrick. A gold dragon it is,"
Jon replies, shaking the hunter's hand.

OOC: Any result on the Awareness (Empathy) test?

[Dunstan Tullison]

"
I will pay Ser Jon, it is because of me we need him after all"
Dunstan says with a tone of sadness in his voice and hands the hunter a handful of silver.

"
You will get the rest afterwards."
he says looses his gaze in the merry crowd of inn dwellers.

[Reader]

"
Done then."


Eddrick seems pleased with his self restraint at merely shaking Jon's hand, rather than spitting in to his own again beforehand.

Better to tell people you shook hand with the Wrecker than for people to ask why the Wrecker punched your teeth out for ill-manners.

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