Thaka Around Town, Part 2 After working for a day, Huygens gives you all some clothes to change into, so you look a bit more proper.

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THAKA

Thak, if you want some sewing done, you've got some choice in terms of the quality. Of course, it'll all take money, which you currently don't have, but you could get it done for 1 sp. Or 1 gp, or 3, or 10. Really, anything starting at 1 sp and higher, the price determines the quality.

Thak, there's a sign outside the temple of Plutus



Yum!

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Just kidding. In other temples of Plutus, the Holy Warriors wear masks of silver or gold. Here, the masks are ceramic. Regardless, the priests are still among the wealthiest of the citizens of Twilos. Thick purple robes, and guarded by a contingent of four or five Holy Warriors.

The temple is in Zent, and you have to take a winding path to get down to it... it's located in a fissure. Hot gasses come up from the earth, and the priests use these to commune with the God of the Underworld. The Thief Lords pay the temple well, and it's one of the most secure places in all of Twilos.

You can enter as a guest; at any given time, there are some worshippers asking for fortune or giving thanks, or even some cursing their ill luck at being in Twilos.

Nothing seems amiss.

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Wooden armor. As you continue your survey of your unfortunate new home, you come across a sign:



The sign is outside a puppet shop with an external theatre. A giant, lifesize knight marionette, made from stout wood, hangs near the sign. Outside, some dirty children laugh while a puppet dog chases a puppet squirrel. I mention this, because the 'knight' is basically a giant suit of wooden platemail, with articulated joints. You see some scrapes on the wood that look like weapon blows.

Aside from that, you do see someone wearing some sturdy armor underneath their jerkin. Watching, the guy gets to work as a bouncer at the Red Rocket, a Zentre pub. You manage to inquire about it with the owner, who tells you that there's a little shop in Piccolo, run by the madhouse lepers, that make bone armor.

Aside from that, there is woodcarving shop. Looks like most people wear leather or no armor, but you could order a suit of clunky wooden scale for 10 gp. Wooden scale would be AC:8 and cut your movement by two classes (from 15" to 9"). Not a great deal, but it's armor.

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The temples don't seem to be run by prisoners, but prisoners do seem to be working at the temples. You ask around, but it seems that the only people who come and go are the guards and the priests of Zelba. Some of the mad priests of Piccolo might get out too, but that could just be a folk tale. The high priests might be able to leave, but the affairs of Twilos keep them pretty busy, or at least that's what an acolyte spells out to you.

However, a priest of Mercury slyly indicates otherwise. Delivering messages seems to not be a problem... it's 1 gp if you want it by boat, 50 gp if you want it sent 'instantly'. Well, you don't have any money, so you leave the temple...

And promptly run into a rape in progress.

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You posted three rounds of combat, vs. the two opponents. Without much thought to the matter, you start testing out your new wooden weapons. A human and an orc. In your two rounds, you drop the orc; you critical fumble and the human doesn't even bother... he's too busy running away. You're fast, but the guy knows the caves better than you, and he's slippery. Plus, there's a damsel in distress you can't really leave in her state.

You're hurt- you take 9 hp in the two rounds of fighting; mainly one good smack from the orc right before you drop him. You help the girl up, and she thanks you, but is freaked out, refuses more help, and tries to get away as soon as she can.

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You'll later come to realize that she was Ms. Daphne Crosswords, a runner for the temple of Mercury. Turns out word gets around, and after paying a short visit to the Sacred Daughters of Venus, they call you back the next day, and want to hire you after all. They'll even give you a sword, an iron one damn it. You and a rather dumb ogre named Lars Ulrich. It's your job to escort the escorts, collect payment when it's reticent, and make sure the 'fucking with' stays on one side of the expression.

Lars Ulrich actually works for House Chordhelle, one of the great Zent manors that the Good Sisters have an arrangement with. Lars basically has Downs syndrome, so you're the brains of the operation. Holy Mother Brittany asks you first though, do you want to work through the temple directly (in which case you'll need to be sworn in as a Daughter of Venus), or through House Chordhelle (in which case you'll sign a contract with the House for a one month period, to be re-negotiated at the end of one month)? It'll be daily part-time work, and they'll pay your room and board at a flophouse of your choosing (or you can stay at the temple, but it might be better to stay with your fellow PCs). Plus, 5 sp each day in wages. Plus, the damn sword. (Or if you prefer, an iron weapon of some other kind.)

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The priests of Zelba are due to arrive in two weeks. They generally come after the largest event at Bloodkeep, the 'Carnival of Blood', sponsored by Taco Bell and House Gauntre.

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Finally, the Arena. Looks like a 1-1 fight would be with a 2nd level thief or fighter, to get Rank 1. No, anyone can watch for free, and the place stinks of piss and cheap alcohol. It's obvious as to why, the stands are full of comatose, bloody drunks. Many of 'em work at Bloodkeep, as the foes for people doing the 2-1 odds fights. In reality, as you watch, the odds are more like 100-1 as a soldier who obviously has had lots of training beats the snot out of a hobo who can barely stand.

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Thaka: +200 xp.  ¶ 11:41 PM