Weretiger's Curse - The Journey Down the Mine

[Xavier]

"Hail Guildmaster," the Rogue answered. "No thanks to your senseless orders, we have nonetheless prevailed...the mine is cleared...the monsters defeated, and the silver rescued...near 1,000 pounds of it. Follow me to the square, and bring your strongbox...we will keep only enough silver to meet our needs in Tethil, the rest I am sure my companions will agree to sell back to you.

And while we walk, tell me, is there a weaponsmith in this town?"

[Nathan]

"There's no weaponsmith here, I'm afraid. Old Gerald runs an adventuring shop, there's a baker and a butcher, but that's about it I'm afraid. Weaselville exists solely for mining. I'll be back in a moment, wait here while I fetch some money."

Roland goes back into the back room.

[Xavier]

Shrugging, the Rogue nodded, then lounged casually against one of the roof supports, while he waited for the guildmaster to return.

He'd try for a good composite shortbow back in Tethis. He glanced out the window at the sun, wondering if they could make it back tonight, instead of spending another evening in the small mining village...

[Vargon]

"you little bug!" he yelled to the boy
"come here with our silver! Caamora help me catch the child!" then he started to run trying to catch the child.

[Nathan]

Because of his quick reactions, Vargon manages to catch the guy before he can get too far. Vargon successfully grapples him and then pins him to the floor.

Vargon wrests the silver from the teen's hands but keeps him pinned to the floor.

[Irian]

"Vargon, keep ahold of him, but let him up! You're squishing him..."

[Vargon]

"Milady... this silver is very important for us... and i don't want that a little flea steals it!"! he said without release the boy.

"now, about you!" with a free hand Vargon pointed a finger to the nose of the child
"Why you tryed to steal the silver?"

[Nathan]

The teen looks terrified and his face quickly turns from pain to sorrow, he begins snivelling and suddenly looks much younger. He could possibly be as young as 13 or 14.

"I can't afford to eat since me grandma died! I can't get a job for food so I have to steal what I can to survive! I didn't think you'd mind if I took a little bit of your silver! You have so much, after all!"

After getting through his little speech he starts bawling.

[Brother Charn]

Charn stands up from where he is sitting, and tries to look much older than his own late-teen years allow him to. "Pelor's grace! Stealing be a good way to lose a hand in these parts. I know not whether the Guild be a fair employer or not, but I be sure they tolerate no thievery but their own." Charn hands the boy a gold piece. "Take this to feed yourself. As for honest work, I will speak to the innkeep. But if you be found stealing again..." He leaves the threat unspecified.

[Vargon]

Vargon's eyes turned gentle...

"Oh, you are a young boy... and it is so unfair you have to steal to survive! Anyway what you did isn't good and you must stop to steal! You should ask us for some goods or gold..."

Vargon toke a pair of gold coins from his pouch.

"here they are!" he said throwing the coins to the boy.

"Now you have a chance: Stay as you are, and continue to live as an outlaw... or follow me to the town of Tethil and find a good job to live with."

Vargon looked sincerely in the eyes of the boy

[Xavier]

Back in the Guildhall, the Rogue tapped his fingers impatiently against the pillar...what was taking the Guildmaster so long?

[Vargon]

[ooc] with my gold and the gold from Charn this guy was so lucky! Probably the best robbery of his life! [/ooc]

[Nathan]

The boy stops crying and takes the gold.

"Thank you, sirs! I'd love to come with you to tethil and find a job! There's nothing for me here any more! I'd have to get my things first, though! I'll be back as soon, wait for me!"

The boy runs off in the direction of the shanty-town of mining huts.

Meanwhile...

Guildmaster Roland emerges from the back of the guildhall carrying the largest money pouch you've ever seen. It clinks as he swings it idly.

"Let's see what you've got then."

Roland goes outside with Xavier and, once you've taken the silver you need for the weapons, Roland has a look at what's left and says "I'll give you 4000 Gold pieces for that much silver. Do we have a deal?"

[Xavier]

Xavier glances at the rest of the party...

"Sounds acceptable to me...the sooner we get back to Tethil the better...any objections?"

[Brother Charn]

"I be no appraiser of metals. It sounds fair to me."

[Xavier]

"Just a moment," the Rogue muttered, wandering back over to the carts.

Casting a jaundiced eye over the contents, he performed his own appraisal of the silver...

[Nathan]

Xavier has a good long look at the silver. You can see Roland becoming impatient. Thirty seconds pass, Xavier is humming and hawing. A minute passes, Roland looks like he'll explode with rage. Finally Xavier appears to have reached an opinion on what the silver is actually worth.

[Xavier]

"On second thoughts Guildmaster, it seems your estimate is a little low...you did say current market value afterall...I believe it's worth at least 4,750 gold pieces...it is near a ton afterall."

He looks up at the Guildmaster, noting the anger on his face. "But I am a fair man...we'll offer you the lot for 4,500 gold pieces," and pitching his voice low, adds, "and say nothing of the walking skeletons, the zombies, or the hideous corpse-monster."

"What say you?" he continued in a normal tone of voice.

[Vargon]

"I never seen such amount of gold, my friend... i think we better take the last offer..."

[Xavier]

"It was a dangerous mission my friend...I am certain the master will not bind the mouths of the kine who tread the grain."