The Black Diamond, Part 1

Log Info

• Title: The Black Diamond, part 1
• Emitter: Delilah
• Characters: Merek, Ashes, Elyanna
• Place: A18: Alexandrian Docks - The Black Diamond
• Time: Monday, January 04, 2021, 8:31 PM
• Summary: A human male and two hobgoblin women go to the Black Diamond. It's not a joke. It's an investigation by Merek and friends. They are greeted by a naked Mul'niessa who is leaving nothing to the imagination and offering quite a lot, which includes other people, games, food and drink. Merek heads off to distract everyone by being a High-Roller, while Ash and Ely find a corner of the brothel and try to make themselves invisible; having forgotten the part of the plan where they start off invisible. Things are going... with Merek dumping the metaphysical equivalent of a bucket of water on all the patrons by casting a Calm Emotions spell, as Ashlee and Elyanna work out who will engage the professional approaching them.

-=--=--=--=--=--=-<* A18: Port Alexandria, The Inmost Sea *>-=--=--=--=--=--=-

Alexandria possesses a port of international envy. Ships aplenty fill its waters, along with the Alexandrian Navy. Weekly, the fishing fleet sets out to bring back a catch that is also internationally renown, and the fish fry on Friday is not to be missed. The Sea walls of Alexandria are a Wonder of the World, rising on both sides of the might Tornmawer River, where it feeds into the Port and Inner Sea. To the south and on all sides, the Inmost Sea stretches, glittering and inviting.

Overhead flies the fiery flag of the Phoenix Rising, while atop the wall, massive artifice-lights shine out into the waters from the light towers.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Merek        5'10"    215 Lb     Human             Male      A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face
Elyanna      5'11"    153 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Delilah      5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A golden haired human girl in white robes.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The Black Diamond, an establishment down by the docks of... repute, wether ill or not depends on your social standing and your opinions on... well.

The front of house appears, at first glance, to be your ordinary sort of pub setting; there's a bar serving drinks, there's food, a bard in one corner is singing loudly with a couple of minstrels playing an accompaniment, and there are multiple gambling tables in operation. It's just, what sets this place apart from a number of others is that mingling among the crowd are a few people, mostly but not entirely women, who are either partly or completely naked.

In the latter category is a mul'niessa woman with a pleasant smile, standing by the door as Merek, Ashes, and Elyanna enter. "Hello," she greets, pleasantly. "Is this your first time to the Black Diamond? Anything I can help you with?"

Merek takes time to put the normal dark attire on, from the beltcape to the potion belt, as well as the scarf which he wears, then he takes a moment to make that hair of his messy. Then he nods to the mul'neissa, "Yes, me and my friends wish to visit the fine establishment, see what it's all about." He feels that his friends know what to do, while he takes the time to incline, "I would like to speak with you first if that is alright. You know, take a stock," he notes then as well.

Ash is transfixed. She stares. This is something she's very good at. She has of course seen naked bodies before, she prepares the dead. She's even seen some move, having been to Ma Rosie's. She's not expecting to be greeted at the door by one; although Merek completely ignoring the woman's state of dress does fall within expectations.

Thus the world remains orderly. No need to panic. She was asked some questions, quickly recalling them she answers, "Yes," then, "no," followed by, "do I have to take off my clothes," and "what's your name."

Elyanna is, likewise, familiar with the dress code, though there's less a proliferation of lash marks here. The Hobkin spares the flesh greeting them a brief appraisal, "A few things, I suspect." she answers in a low, measured purr between the points of her teeth. There's, then a sweep of both Welcomed and Wares, then flickers a glance to Ashes as she goes down the checklist and, despite her... there is the hint of amusement in the corner of her lips.

The mul'niessa gestures towards the open area. "Food, draink, entertainment and games," she replies, "Is what the Black Diamond is all about. Well, and more... intimate forms of entertainment, but that's only in the back rooms, of course." She smiles, clasping her hands behind her back. "And no," she laughs, smiling at Ashes, "You don't have to take off your clothes. This," she gestures to her body, "Is dress code for those of us who work here; you're a guest. Of course," she adds, "You don't have to take them off, but you don't have to keep them on, either."

She meets Elyanna's gaze, perking an eyebrow upwards and giving herself a mischievous appearance -- probably on purpose.

"My name is Astelle," she adds. "And, of course we can speak." She returns to Merek's gaze. "What makes you curious?"

Aside from hormones.

Merek takes up what looks to be a whole pack of coin, while he nods a bit, "Well, I'm up for drinking and games, if you would like while we talk. I am interested in an interesting kind of woman," he notes. He figures while they look for information, he can look for it as well, subtly. He just needs to describe Ella without noting he came to know about the woman. He nods then to Ashlee and Elyanna, "They interest these friends of mine, possibly. I will pay for food upon the house for them, and alcohol if they want it." He clearly doesn't expect anyone to drink beyond limit, with that task of their own to look in as well.

The man's plan is to distract patrons and workers by spending large amounts of money on games and drinking to the edge of distraction.

"Ok," Ash answers, keeping her clothes on and her tremendous ugliness hidden. One day she'll grow a wart, one day. This also preserves the hiding places for her familiar and pets which would become confused if there was only her to crawl over. Her hand remains fixed tightly around her satchel strap. She looks all business, which as a Mourner, tends to dampen moods around her.

"Yes," she says after Merek indicates he will cover the tab, and starts forward into the room. Perhaps there are some dark corners she can find. Hopefully she won't surprise and scare anyone to death. Then it would turn into a work visit.

Elyanna meets the mischievous look with a speculative one of her own, she gives the Mul another slow lookover, "I will remember that, Atelle." she replies, then she considers Merek as he puts up for their entertainment. She looks to Ash on her assent, and, as the Mourner moves forward, the Keeper moves in pace if not lockstep with her friend. Now to find the proverbial needle in the candy store.

"Let's look like we're enjoying ourselves." Ash says quietly to Elyanna, still staring at the forms of flesh moving around her. Very... educational. Her loose, threadbare clothes conceal her adequately. She makes note of what is on offer and can't believe the tastes of various people.

Elyanna is as much interested in Ashlee's reaction to this place as the place, itself, "I wonder if they have anything spicy." spirits will be bad now, spicy is free to be bad, later.

Astelle looks, if anything, a little bit confused at first. Possibly she is wondering how it is that three people willingly walk through the door of a brothel, are greeted by an attractive woman who isn't wearing anything past a little bit of gold jewelry, and aren't talking about... well, y'know.

"The chef is half-orc," she offers, "And you should taste his curry. Yes, certainly, there are spicey options on the menu, that I think would satisfy one of your esteemed ancestry," she offers to Elyanna. She perks an eyebrow at the whisper from Ashes. "But, enough standing here at the doorway, yes?" She gestures towards the room at large. "Would you like to join a game, perhaps? Or is food more to your liking?"

Merek nods a bit to Astelle, while he takes a moment to think about it, "I think a nice little game would be wonderful," he notes, while he then adjusts the beltcape to along his pack, then he finds a place to gently begin to relax. There's a look to the man, then to Ashlee as well as Elyanna in the corner, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Astelle. Would you mind if these two tour your establishment a little bit? They know what we are looking for," he notes, smiling. "You see, a man like me, well. I am refined."

Ash has many questions which she is sure she shouldn't ask, even if her Vardama guide-pamphlet assures her that hairstyles are perfectly safe topics. She is also a big fan of piercings, evidenced by the ones on her face and possibly elsewhere. This does not encourage her to be as revealing of them as Astelle is in general, and so Ash eliminates another possible conversation topic.

She's getting desperate enough to hang Carbuncle off her nose. That usually drives people off. As her scratches on her satchel strap turn into lizard code for 'come here', she carefully answers. "Yes. Spicy Food. Then a game."

Elyanna hasn't ruled anything out. Besides, she wasn't 'not interested', just someone else claimed the time.

Meanwhile, as the Mul'niessa assures her of the culinary qualifications, she purrs a husky, "Excellent, surprise us."

She turns to Ashes, momentarily puzzled by her surveying of the area, then, "Who is the flavor of the month?" she wonders, letting her Bludgunni accent free.

"Right this way. And, feel free to ask anyone for food when you are ready." Astelle smiles, and winks at Merek, before she turns and saunters, hips purposefully swaying, through the crowd. "Of course your companions can tour the place. Just, the Mistress's chambers upstairs are off limits when she's not there; not that it'll be a problem, she keeps the door locked, just in case anyone goes up there drunk."

She takes Merek to a table, where games with dice are being played; fairly simple, though the game (and the rules) seems to change from time to time, with appropriate announcement. "A game, you wished?" Astelle inquires, to confirm. "Would you like me to stay, and provide some good luck?"

The two hobs head in a different direction.

Someplace out of the way, at the end of a bar, where they can get a drink, and Ash can avoid looking in a mirror and snoop on a game to see who might be cheating is exactly what she's after. "I see a spot."

There is already someone in the creep corner. The ashen Arvec approaches this like she does all things, moving up on the man and staring silently at him until he decides there are better places to be. Success! She moves onto the stool. It's still warm. It feels so intimate, risque.

Elyanna accompanies her friend, acknowledging her advice with a husky goblin, "Sure thing." that comes naturally enough to her lips to sound casual to most outside observers. There's a glance after the man as he leaves, in case he gets to feeling froggy, then settles in, herself,

No sooner are Ashes and Elyanna alone, of course, than someone else is already eyeing them; awoman of human descent, wearing a dress with a corset that doesn't quite come as high as what would be suitable in public, though at least she hasn't approached to proposition anything yet.

Merek trusts along with the two and believes that they will manage the woman. He tries to keep his attention upon the game to make sure that he doesn't draw attention to the two. "That would be wonderful," he notes to Astelle. There's a bit of coin placed upon the table. There is a lot of money which he can use, he doesn't though. He would try to keep the game interesting. "Tell me, can you share with me anything you know about some of the women?" he asks.

Ashlee nods. She is careful when she walks to minimize her hip sway, not that they don't, but she works at it. She takes a seat, turns to look at Elyanna. She turns her head a little more, her expressionless skull-face aimed at the woman in interesting corset. Slowly, her head rotates back to Elyanna's. "Someone's watching us."

She squirms a little on her seat, looking at the bar, for her food, then back at Elyanna. She blinks once, "We might have to ask to go upstairs with her."

Elyanna, on the other hand, has her cloak for that. Other times, she's too busy looking like the woman you don't want to have taking a direct interest in the disposition of your nerve endings. She settles into her seat, though, cloak parted to bare a leather sheathed stretch of leg that crosses it's twin at the knee, the shimmer of fine chain at her torso, the butt of a whip. Ok, whips. And the red woman laces her fingers around her upraised knee, considering the corsetted woman with an appraising eye. "I see her." she murmurs in Goblin, "Do you know how it's done here?"

"We're new. She'll explain." Ash says in her flat monotone. She looks down at Elyanna's leather-clad knee, her laced fingers and the nobility showing in her skin. Also, the whips. "She won't think you're new."

Astelle leans over Merek and rests against his back as she plays, so she can watch without looming. Just, y'know, being extremely close. She makes sure to feel sorry when he loses, and be appropriately triumphant on his behlf when he wins, too, naturally. "The other girls?" she asks, clearly confused as to the question. "Well... I mean, it depends. Are you asking about who likes to do what in bed? Or... something else?"

The woman watching Ashes and Elyanna, meanwhile, doesn't seem to be watching them specifically; just their area of the brothel where they're currently seated. But, being as how they're the only ones currently... unoccupied, she saunters over towards them nonetheless. "Good evening," she greats, hands on hips. "Just couldn't help but notice you've neither food nor drink nor someone to squeeze," she adds. "Can I help you with any of those, hmm? Or if you'd prefer some time, I can let you have that, too."

"You should squeeze her." Ashlee says immediately with no intonation to her words. She points at Elyanna, so the 'her' isn't misunderstood. She shows no remorse for throwing her friend on this particular grenade. "I have food coming."

GAME: Merek casts Calm Emotions. Caster Level: 13 DC: 16

Merek seems to think about it, while he takes a cigarette to place into his mouth, lighting that. He then states a thing in Draconic, while he nods to the woman, fingers dancing about with a nice wave, to mask that he's casting the spell, "Kind of like that. I mean more do you have any women that do home calls? We have quite the setup at home, you know." He tries to keep the Calm Emotions away when it comes to Ashlee as well as Elyanna. He doesn't seem to actually have any interest in any of the women.

The man looks to Ashlee, it's a subtle look, perhaps the fact that his favorite ex was about keeps the man from that interest. Well, maybe. One can only think about why he has little interest.

Elyanna lifts her chin a touch, an almost imperious little arch of her eyebrow to follow as the local color brings herself around. A lookover, top(s) to bottom and finally to her face on her offer and, "You may, at that." She doesn't give Ashes the sidelong glance her proxy volunteering would otherwise warrant, but instead, "A plate of gah'gen if you have it, with a flute of something...." she rolls her wrist, splaying her fingers a moment as she fishes for, "Myrrish." Her hands encapsulate her knee once more and she ammends a touch huskily, "The rest depends on what you bring to the table, darling."

To be continued...

OOC other

Merek's Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlE75w2JRxQ