Part 18: Wherein a new force is mustered

[Normally I'd remove spaces between lines of dialogue but I've gota run. See you guys later!]



: Hopefully Sa'sani will still want to work with us if we're down to just two.

: We could always find new people. It's the sword coast - swing a cat and it'll hit a few out-of-work adventurers.

: The cat might be an Awakened druid too. Check first, don't want to make that mistake again.



: Oh. Oh wow. Look at this place!

: Don't steal anything!

: I wasn't going to!

: Pick wasn't going to steal anything? Some thief.



: At least we know we're in the right place.



: So… I guess we're traders now?

: Agda hasn't been merchant before, could be fun. Sell goods instead of loot goods, interesting idea.





: Should probably find out what happened to the last people who had the job, too.

: Honestly, it doesn't have to be a conspiracy. They could have gone ten steps out of sight and been killed by wandering bugbears.



: Portals!

: I guess this is where we were supposed to end up.



: That'd be pretty useful… if only we weren't forbidden to return.



: Least they've got a really nice bar!

: Yeah, this is actually quite- hold on.



: Right… I suppose he did come over with the merchants.



: Nice to see familiar faces, even if they are Volo.

: You want to turn in for the night now, then? Or-

: Nah, night time's best recruiting time for adventurers. Traditional.



: Always find adventurers in the tavern! Traditional!



: Hold on… look at that guy. He looks a bit strange.

: Yeah, tall and thin even for a human, what about it?

: Well, odd-looking strangers are often adventurers too, right? Maybe he can help us, or knows someone who can.

: Dunno, kind of sick of humans. But let's see.







: Huh. That was…

: Convenient?

: I… guess?



: Ooooh, not bad! Crammed with adventurers too!

: Is this traditional? Adventurer clubs?

: Oh yeah, totally. Might even be a union. We should sign up, don't want to have to cross a picket wall of fire.



: So how does this work, we just put up like a want ad or-

: Is that… it is! Aka!



: Great job that last one turned out to be.

: The ad said we could keep everything we found!

: In a bear's den.

: The bears, at least, were worth something.

: Pity the druids confiscated them then, aye?

: Aka! Hey, Aka! Over here!



: Agda? It is! Wow, it's been forever! What're you doing on the Sword Coast again? I thought you went to Chult?

: Went, saw, got banished, back.

: In record time! New one for the clan books.

: I'm sorry, I take it you two know each other?

: Agda and I joined the same barbarian clan. Timber dogs!

: Give me a tree! Give me a Pug! Go Timber Dogs!

: You joined a barbarian clan?

: Took a correspondence course.

: These are my adventuring buddies, Calanire Windheart and Haalgrad.

: Haalgrad the unclean!. I earn my titles fair and square.



: Well, it's nice to meet you all. I'm Pick Fairyfingers.

: If you're looking for work, we've got a job working for a merchant company and could use some help.

: Hm… pickins have been mighty slim the last few weeks, and we could use the pay sure enough.

: Let's do it! Agda's smart, she always picked the best jobs.

: _{You were the smart one?}

: _{Agda did her barbarian training by mail. It wasn't hard to be the brains.}



: I confess, this partnership was beginning to wear on me… but I can't bring myself to say no to so many little ones. I too accept.

: Calanire doesn't have to join because of us, we're little but we're not kids!

: I'm sure you're physically capable, but it is only my mild wind mastery that wafts out the smell from Haalgrad. Without me I fear those near ground level would be the first to pass out.

: Oh she's a kidder sure enough. Two baths a year is enough for anybody, I say!



: Wow, swank! You guys got the plum deal, our last job had us sleeping in the ditch.

: We had to take a pay-cut to upgrade to the ditch, if I recall.

: Five of us and only four beds, hur hur hur. Wonder who'll be doubling up?

: You'll be sleeping on the couch, Dwarf.



: We'll need to buy some new gear.

: Yeah, thankfully our split of the party funds was pretty sweet.

: Normally I'd feel bad taking charity.

: It's not charity! It's…

: Investment.



: Well, I admit this isn't quite as planned, but we're ready to go.

: Things'll be better than ever, Pick'll see! Our new party'll beat the crap outta the old one.

: You're not expectin' us to do that literally, right?

: What? No!

: We wouldn't ask, but…

: Some of our previous contracts have been especially poor.

: Well, I'm feeling better about this already.