Decima was everything that a city could be: most of all busy, noisy and showful. Here one could see, hear, buy, sell and even smoke anything. The Imperial Palace belonging to the Orator family stood in the center of this biggest city known to people. At the edges of the city there were more peaceful and thus even rather shady areas. Even then one had to stay away from the city entrances and slummish areas to avoid the endless business (or in the case of slums, thievery).

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Part 1: Party Nº4 1057 áß¡¦Gathering and briefing
Part 2: Party Nº4 1166 áß¡¦Inn action
Part 3: Party Nº4 1456 áß¡¦Fights and deals
Part 4: Party Nº4 1581 áß¡¦Sewer and cellar
Part 4: Party Nº4 1679 áß¡¦Night at the noble

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In the morning, Faustus was gone. The party was waken by some servant that served them water and juice and soon enough took them back to the entrance hall. In the entrance hall were the noble, his familiar clerk and a slender human-planetarii half-breed. When everyone was in the entrance hall, the noble went: "Ah, good, you're all here. Your friend Faustus left early in the morning in a hurry, but it is of no concern. This person here is his replacement." The noble waved at Cassith. "Now, do you have any questions before I'll explain about this bigger mission?"

Cassith said nothing, as he slowly looked over each and every person in the group that had entered the room, maintaining a carefree look while wondering what they were like. As his ears caught sound of being mentioned, a soft smile grew upon his face, before bowing slightly to the group.

"Uh, yeah" said Unah. "Can we go to the inn to get the stuff we left there before going into this new mission?" she asked, still not forgetting about her voulge. The terran payed some attention to Cassith, as he was part of her kind, in a way, even when he was a halfbreed. She eyed him suspicious, and waited for the noble's answer.

Alexandro stepped forward to Cassith, looked at him with a slight frown, and then returned his bow. Looking at the halfbreed, he asked: "I am Alexandro Miuchi! Pleased to meet you. Does 'this person here' have a name, other than 'replacement'? 'Replacement' seems rather unpersonal to me, especially for one as striking as you. Did we meet before?"
Alexandro looked at the charming man, and recognised him as someone he'd consider competition in a bar. he also noticed this guy looked rather stunning in his cloak and with his amulet and all that, and he considered the man to be quite vain. Yet, he had to admit he was a tad jealous.

Still plagued by fatigue and early morning grumpiness, Toxir leaned against the nearest wall with her arms folded. Her gaze swept over Cassith with disinterest as he bowed. As Alexandro enthusiastically greeted the newcomer, Toxir's lip curled. "Shut up," she grumped through a wide yawn.

A slight chuckle escaped Cassith's mouth, making a mental note not to upset the blonde with a similar energetic pace as Alexandro. "You can call me Cassith... I hope that is sufficient information for now?" He spoke with a soft and pleasant tone, trying not to seem rude with the hesitation of giving out too much from the start.

Alexandro turned around to Toxir, and replied to her not so pleasant remark in his usual manner. "Now don't do that, my love, such harsh words don't suit you. A charming lass like you shouldn't go around telling people to shut up so early in the morning."
Turning back to the not-so-informative Cassith, he eyed the half-human, and shrugged. "I suppose it is. Depends on what we're doing. Or going to be doing... What are we going to be doing, if I may inquire?" He turned to the nobleman, and frowned.

"Certainly", replied the noble to Nal'Unah's question about their equipment. "I'll just explain the mission, after which you can go shopping, if need be. The mission doesn't have a strict timeline, but I expect you to get it done in a week at the latest." The noble paused and continued after the warriors were done with their talking. "I own a mine just outside the city, and it was recently invaded by some dah'kin and their undead minions or whatever they really are. Needless to say, I am unhappy about it and I want control of my mine back. I was told the dah'kin claimed that they really owned the place, but that is ridiculous, for I and my family have owned it for as long as I can remember, and we certainly have the papers proving this. Therefore, those dah'kin have very much illegally confiscated my property. The pay for completing this little job shall be 900 gold pieces for each of you." The noble gestured at the clerk, who gave Geeileq some papers that looked like maps. "These documents here are the maps to and of the mine. Be sure to not lose them."

Toxir did not look at Alexandro again even as he was speaking to her, for she was busy rolling a supply of cigarettes that she hoped would last her through morning. "With this lot they won't last me until midday." Tobacco and papers were simple enough to find in the city but she was running low and was opposed to buying tobacco when she was accustomed to plucking it from the plants around her house.
Listening to the nobleman, Toxir's gaze turned suddenly glacial as she heard how he regarded the Dah'kin. Fingering the scar her late father had left on her temple, Toxir regarded the Dah'kin with respect, unlike most people under the sun. Half her blood and half her life belonged with them and she was silently skeptical about whether or not the nobleman's paperwork proved ownership. Storing her smokes in her pocket, she folded her arms over her chest, deep in thought though appearing to be paying ill attention.

The noble noticed the slight change with Toxir and spoke to her: "Bear no grudge, lady. I have nothing against Dah'kin. It's just that these specific ones did invade a mine that does belong to me. I would rather work with them than against them."

Cassith thought for a moment and turned to the noble, having a slight suggestion that may please some of the others within the group he was soon to journey with.
"This is just a suggestion of course, but if the mine is as important to you as it seems, I might have an idea to increase things to go in your favor even more so. Perhaps it would aid the group in better preparing for this, to have a small spending bonus beforehand for new equipment or provisions, if they felt they needed it that is. The better equipped your workers are, the more profitable your results may be so to speak. For someone as rich and as powerful as you, surely it would not be an inconvenience to add an extra guarantee towards claiming your prize." Cassith whispered his words in a pleasant and seemingly helpful manner in hopes he could persuade the noble, as well as aiding himself while possibly gaining the favor of a few of his new co-workers. (Diplomacy)

"Why yes of course", said the noble and thought for a moment. "The mission is very important for its completion. I can give you each 150 gold now. Do you think you will make do with that?" He gestured at the clerk, who went upstairs and returned with gold for the party.

Unah smiled at Cassith's move. She decided she liked better this guy now. She nodded as a sign of agreement, waiting for someone else to asume the spokesman role of the party.

"That'll be just fine, I think." Alexandro said, with some reluctance. He didn't like begging before the job, but he wouldn't start a fuss about it in front of the noble, if at all. The rest of the group seemed happy enough about it. "Anything else we need to know about this mine? And you mentioned you'd rather work with them than against them... That meaning it's a 'job well done' if we get them to cooperate with you?"

"Hmm, yes, it would be. However, I have mostly given up on that since the Dah'kin who took the mine were so downright hostile and no attempts to negotiate worked", said the noble. "Besides the maps, there isn't really anything relevant that you would have to know. A small group of miners are keeping watch near the entrance to the cave. I'd of course appreciate if you didn't harm them. You can ask more about the Dah'kin from them if you like."

"Alright then, let's get going", said Nal'unah, eager to leave the fancy mansion. Now they had some coins in their pockets, it'd be nice to check out the markets to see if they could find something worthy before leaving. She didn't like the fact that they'd have to convince Dah'kin to cooperate on something. She figured that wouldn't be possible to do - for her at least, it'd be much easier to just get rid of them. But those details would be discussed later, she thought.

Alexandro figured that the noble meant they had the right to shoot everything in sight. Figuring he'd have enough bullets, he wondered what he should do with the money. He probably couldn't buy anything fancy from it, but perhaps he could get his hands on some healing potions. He didn't know how much of a fight the Dah'kin would give, but it was best to be on the safe side. He didn't think anybody in this group was a healer.
Then, agreeing with Nal'unah that they'd been here far too long, he gestured towards the door. "After you then, m'lady."

Unah smiled and headed outside. "We'll see you later, then", she said to the noble before leaving.

Geeileq, having been quiet while the others were talking, still had nothing to say and therefore exited after Nal'Unah.

Toxir followed shortly thereafter, on the hunt for a tobacconist.

Cassith let out a slight sigh of releif with his fairly good start, or so it seemed to him, before quickly following the rest.

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[Veltzeh] (GM) áß¡¦Geeileq Machaiktev
[Roma] áß¡¦Toxir Necis Brutus
[Sturmi] áß¡¦Nal'unah Obaraan
[Blood Raven] áß¡¦Alexandro Miuchi
[Magus Ferox] áß¡¦Tabaxi Waughroon
[raikou] áß¡¦Cassith Hir'edaik

The previous versions of this party can be seen at Party Nº4 970 and Party Nº4 693.
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