A Stony Venture - RPLOG
Participants
Date
1/6/480
Log
Amar Widestripe is seated in a large, canvas chair, more like a private hammock for his expansive derriere, but no one is arguing semantics with the enormously fat, purple tiger. His man, Gavin, stands behind him, waving a long palm frond to keep his employer cool.
"You DID post that we were meeting them here at the tea house, didn't you?" the tiger asks his grizzly bear manservant, "And you mentioned the reward? I really expected a more enthusiastic turnout."
Cassidy adjusts her hat, crossing through the tea house door without so much as a wave! Maybe she wasn't here for the job. At least at first. Instead, she approaches the owner, handing over a steel flask. "Some of the tea to go today, if you would. I have a feeling it might be a bit of a trip to reach it." She was used to the heat by now, though. It comes with living just around the side of the mountain from the camp.
Trekking up the mountain comes a lone maned wolf, half dressed in plate armor for the time being, a grand poleaxe in his right hand while a sack of gear in the other. Stepping up the tea house, he looks around with slight disinterest. "Looking for a Wildestripe." The canine says offhand while leaning his axe against a wall carefully, stopping to adjust the gauntlets over his arms.
"WIDEstripe!" Amar calls out, "Widestripe! Yes, over here! It is about time someone came!" The fat tiger fans himself with a large, painted fan, "I expected more from the Freeswords. If I had offered this kind of bounty in Shralesta I would have a dozen mercenaries already heading into the wilds!"
"Hm?" Cassidy looks over her shoulder at Amar and Theo, ears flicking as she removes her top hat. "Oh, are you here for a job? I thought you were just taking a leisure visit. What's this about a bounty?" She asks, turning to face the two. "Some kind of bandit fleeing for the hills? Or are you here for a different kind of bounty?"
"Sorry to disappoint, Mister... Widestripe," The canine pauses for a moment, as if to clarify that he got it correct this time. "I am no Freesword, but one of my cousins heard of this venture and to make sure he does not get himself killed, I have come instead." The wolf stretches his arms back for a bit, taking a better look at him would show that his armored from the waist down and is wearing his gauntlets. "I would prefer bandits." He makes this comment towards Cassidy.
"No, no," Amar says, "Nothing like that, nothing like that, Lady Solacious." The purple feline takes on an unctious tone as he addresses the noblewoman. "I don't suppose you saw the shower of shooting stars last night?" he asks, "I believe that one of them actually managed to strike the ground not too far from here. I only need someone, or several someones to find it and retrieve it. Preferably BEFORE anyone else." He sighs and continues to fan himself, "But it seems that only this. . . " he considers Theo, "Northerner is interested."
"Ah, yes. That. I was actually about to go in search of it," Cassidy says, collecting her flask of tea and tucking it away in her jacket. Theo gets a polite nod as she resettles her tophat on her head. "I mean, I had QUITE the view of it from my balcony at Cinderglow. It was impressive! And I heard it, too. I should very much like to find it, but more of a matter of curiosity." She glances around for a moment then leans forward. "Perhaps we can talk business, though. You want people to retrieve it, I can help. I'll waive payment, but in return I'd like a portion of it for my studies."
"Northerner, eh?" It was a true remark but the canine couldn't help but feel that their may have been some contempt behind how the tiger said it. "Well I've been called worse." Slowly the wolf finds a seat and well sits in it, propping his gear next to him, listening to their conversation but more so waiting to go. "If I may add, my cousin insisted that the addition of our name be added to the discovery."
The purple fat cat puts on a large, completely insincere smile for Cassidy. Why can't anyone just let him have his damn star rock!? "I imagine that. . . something. . . could be arranged," he says through gritted teeth, "But the only way that any of this matters is if you reach it first. I am sure that the Cliffsiders and the Underhill contingent already have a sizeable lead on you. I have mapped out a likely area for the meteor to strike. The good news, is that I think I can get you there first. The bad news is. . . well, you will have to pass through the Green Valley."
Cassidy fixes Amar with a cool gaze and shrugs, "Well. I would hope something could be arranged. I mean, unless you'd rather have another competitor instead of help, and I know these mountains pretty well. But you're right, we shouldn't linger. Green Valley is a bit of a hassle, but not impossible to traverse."
The canine just softly sighs in his seat, letting the two discuss what they need to discuss, if it really was that important. If he hadn't been in Sweetwater for the Fair, there might've been a chance he would be helping the Underhill with this.
If Amar had looked unhappy before, now he looks like he has swallowed an entire wagon full of lemons. "Yes, yes," he says, waving his paper fan toward Gavin who produces a map and lays it on a small side table, "Here is my route and my calculations. If you can reach it before any of our competitors and hold it until I can arrive with a cart, I will see to it that you get what you want."
The map is fairly straightforward, showing a narrow pass at the far end of the Green Valley, leading to another small valley with a lake. The only other routes in would be to fly, or to take another pass that winds around from Firmament proper.
"I'll admit, I had been intending to fly myself there, but..." Cassidy brushes her fingers through her hair and shrugs. "This'll do." She nods at Theo and reaches out to claim the map, in case they needed to reference it later. "Best not to linger. Shall we? I do not want to have to scuffle with others, should they reach it first." And with that, she starts for the door.
The maned wolf huffs slighty as he rises from his seat, grabbing his pack and his poleaxe. "I personally don't want any piece of this rock." He begins to say to Amar as he walks to the door as well. "But when you start showing it off, make sure to include the fact that a Dacha helped you secure it." The canine spoke as if it was guaranteed that they would return with the price.
The trek down Firebough and to the edge of the Green Valley is uneventful, if swelteringly hot. It is not long before Cassidy and Theo find themselves looking down the gentle slopes of the Valley, long, green grass waving placidly in a pleasant breeze. In the distance, the old, mysterious observatory is visible, and beyond it, the pass that they are heading toward.
"Of course, though I probably won't be doing much showing," Cassidy says, rubbing her chin as she eyes the distance. "I'm intending to study it. After that, I might donate it to the Academy or something. We shall see." She draws her rapier, starting forward through the grass. "Just be on the lookout for anything."
