[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Betimi]

Not knowing really what either beer nor ale is Betimi just shrugs and sticks to her initial order. 

She is overjoyed to be able to recognize distinguishable body parts in the stew so she knows what animal the meat comes from. She was worried that it might be some less domesticated animal.

She sips the beer with some trepidation, not knowing what to expect.

"Oh.. it tickles the nose. Like our fermented mushroom ales, not as hot as fire lichen draught though"

[GM Marvel]

While everyone stares at Betimi's curiously enjoying the stew the nasty looking stew, the door opens and a man steps inside.  While surveying the room's patrons, Agloval calls out to him to draw his attention to the back of the room.  He smiles and after picking up a mug of Kingpin, he joins your group.

"Welcome, Simon," Agloval says to the man.  He then explains about the language barrier and that he would be glad to translate.

Simon holds up a hand, replying, "No need."  Opening his jacket's lapel, he pulls out a long cylindrical object with various lenses, cones and gears visible on the outside.  "You mentioned they came through a rift so I thought their might be a communication issue.  If you don't mind," he states to Selina while making adjustments on the rod.  If she allows him too, Simon places the cone at one end against her forehead.  He makes a few more adjustments and suddenly Selina feels suddenly lightheaded.  The rod clicks and clanks and when he pulls it way from her, everyone sees a thin wisp of smoke be pulled from her forehead and be sucked up into the strange object.  Simon makes a few more adjustments to the rod's gears and buttons, then place the other end to his forehead.  A moment later he blinks his eyes like he was startled and begins to speak common. 

"Can you understand me," he asks?  When told the device worked he says, "EXCELLENT!  Thank you, my dear.  I hope you weren't too bothered.  The device can sometimes be a bit jarring."  Motioning to a chair beside Selina he asks, "May I have a seat?"  If there isn't any objection, he takes out a large handkerchief and lays it upon the seat of the chair and sits down.  "Germs..." he states before whispering, "So I hear you have something of interest to sell me..."

[Betimi]

Betimi slurps the end of a pig's curled tail into her mouth and chew a moment before replying.

"Indeed we do, sir Simon. My name is Betimi, this is our leader, Selina."  She gestures with her spoon "Nacesh, Gilley, Forge, and Jonath."

"We slew a large sentient, spell wielding arachnid...  We had thought the foul creatures corpse may be of use, aside from the possibility of chitinous armour."

[Diplomacy [1d20+5] = 4+5 = 9

[GM Marvel]

[Diplomacy [1d20+5] = 4+5 = 9]

[OoC: With that roll you're lucky he doesn't try to buy you for dissection.    ]

"Yes it's true," Simon replies while sipping on his beer.  "I have special interest in a variety of studies.  One which is the study of magical, planar and extra-dimensional creatures and races.  I would be delighted to take a look at your specimen.  But I should warn you, I have a formula I use when determining payment and I usually do not negotiate [which is a good thing after that roll   ] unless the creature in question is especially magnificent!  Negotiation leads to greed, which leads to hard feelings or worse.  I'm a fair man though, and I have rarely had any complaints about my offers."

[Betimi]

Betimi nods as she spits a small piece of bone back into her spoon and sets the bone aside before  scooping up a large piece of ham hock [that's the hoof] into her mouth. she chews on that cringe worthy mouthful a moment before spitting out another small bone, then eplies.

"Since y friends here do not appear hungry, maybe we should just take you to the specimen. We had not wanted to drag it through the streets so we left it under guard. Are you adverse to the sewers?"

[Nacesh]

((OOC - sorry for the hiatus, concentrated on the games I DM until my daughter's birthday party which shall be tonight. Most things settled though so here we go))
((OOC2 - by smooth talk I meant something like reading between the lines, using code words and such, maybe the proper phrase is fast talk? also getting body language into the picture but that's more like sense motive, right?))

Nacesh didn't really know what to think of the Remade, Joshua and all. On one part, he observed them with mild interest; most looked like constructs or half-constructs for him, a branch of arcana that he's never been interested in too much. Death at a range and charms were more his thing. On the other part, he scorned at the thought of how malicious these penalties were, some of them having absolutely no apparent use to the society, regardless of how Agloval explained the purpose.

The stew sounded like an unsafe choice in any lowly place, even in familiar surroundings, but more so in New Crobuzon, gods know how far away from home. Dried meat was something that he still had in his bag, so if he ordered something it was just an act of policy. He was almost distracted by the wax shade of Selina's face and for a moment he thought she was indeed so unfocused that she drank the local water until she retrieved her own waterskin. This made Nacesh relieved. If something then alcohol may make any drink safer in festering pits of pandemonium like this.

He watched silently as Simon arrived and observed with mild amusement how he was afraid of germs but not afraid of touching some magic wielding arachnid's day-old carcass. He couldn't help but allowing himself a half-smirk at the thought. Still, as much as the many uncertainties around here were distracting, he tried to keep his focus, holding tightly on the shaft of his spear to remind him that he should jump at the first sign of threat.

[GM Marvel]

Jumping to the Sewers...

With a silvery wand like instrument Simon pokes and lifts various parts of Unreth's body with extreme care.  Each passing moment his smile grows wider and wider while the wand grows darker and darker.  After about ten minutes he pulls a small box from his belt and from it a wet handkerchief.  He then thoroughly wipes the silver instrument with the handkerchief until the wand once again sparkles.  

"I'm impressed," Simon finally says while tucking both the box and wand away into his belt and jacket.  "I'm willing to offer 6000 Shekels [equal to GP's] for this body.  What do you say?"

[Selina Parcellus]

Surprisingly, Selina actually looks mildly more comfortable to be in the stinking confines of the sewers once more.  Compared to what she had seen outside, this was 'normal.'  Almost all sewers were, more or less, the same, after all.  That didn't prevent it from still being a thoroughly undesirable place for her to be.  She wanted to go home already!  Clearly, she wasn't very well adapted to planar travel.  At least not yet.  She steps forward...

"Mr. Simon, I pray that I am able to speak for the others with me when I say that this...thing caused no end of troubles for a large number of sentients on our home plane.  So long as your experiments do not involve the creation of others of its kind, or a vile undying specimen, both things which I will personally not countenance, I believe we can agree to selling the corpse.  I ask if that is the going rate in this...place is for such...things."

[GM Marvel]

"I'm no Necromancer, my lady," Simon replies with no hint of offence.  "I also do not practice any of the other magix like Somaturgy (Golem maker) or Elementarii (Who can produce Flesh Elementals) that might be interested in procuring such a corpse.  I also do not know what the price of such a body would fetch upon the Dark Market.  The offer I gave was simply what I was willing to pay which I think is quite generous.  However, if after accepting my offer you are still in need of coin I may have some work for you that would be to our mutual benefit.  It may also provide you a way home."

[Betimi]

"You said you do not haggle, good sir. So we are faced with the choice of take it or leave it. I agree with Selina's concerns, and if that is what would happen if we were to pursue a buyer on the Dark Market, then i think you have made a generous offer." She looks at Selina for confirmation. "I will abide Selina's decision, we accept."

When she has a moment to speak to Simon privately after the transaction, she will draw Agloval with her to translate her request:

"Once you have completed your vivisection, or dissection of the specimen, I wonder if you might allow me to purchase back a suit of chitinous armour? or if you have not the skill, allow me to purchase enough chitin back to have an armourer make a set? And point me to anarmourer that has the skill."