Strife:Immortality of Dust (Camonna Tong)

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Overview
The desert grips our hearts and souls, it's flame within our eyes and ears...
 * Quest Giver: Bobby.
 * Location(s): Vivec City Foreign Quarter.
 * Prerequisite Quest: To offer Je'm'ath.
 * Next Quest: From Under the Beak of the Duneripper.
 * Reward: 88400/(Party size + 3) gold and any bought items, promotion to Hammer rank.
 * Optional Bonus: None.

Quest start
After the events of To offer Je'm'ath, and if it has been a week since Bobby's departure in Sangiin Rawl, the party can enter Ibishammus to find Balz leaving as they enter. He bumps into the person entering first, saying: ''Smiling wide, "Oh, sorry! Didn't see you th- Nevermind, you know Bobby's back yeah? Come with me! We're goin' ta' eat!" He says this whilst still walking past the party, looking back. Balz leads the party up and out of the sewers where Ibishammus is, speed-walking to the busy streets of the Foreign Quarter. On the streets the party sees markets stalls and merchants, with many different goods for sale, mostly from imperial import. Walking round a corner, the party sees Bobby talking to a Dunmer lady, leaning against the wall. Entering earshot, they hear Bobby say: "Hey baby, are you Dagoth Ur? ‘Cos when you’re round I can hear my hearts beat from here." He looks very proud, as the Dunmer lady slaps his face and storms off. Seeing Balz and the party he gets up from the wall, addressing the group: "The women of this land are so... hostile, right?" Balz and Bobby hug. Bobby also offers the party a hug. After any improvisation, he addresses the party again: "I've already met up with J'Krin, she told me everythin' that happened while I was off, I hope Balz remembered to promote y'all, good work. Let's go eat, J'Krin's just round the corner already eyeing up all their smoked meats." Bobby leads the party to an outdoor cooking stall which has seats and tables outside, everyone sits down.''

There are enough seats for all party members, unless as a GM you want to play an impromptu one-off game of musical chairs to the joy of all but one disgruntled party member. I don't know, it's your campaign, not mine.

Reunion
Once the party are seated, everyone picks up menus. The party can order whatever they want. Here's a link about Dunmer cuisine! The waiter comes allowing the party to order. After the party had ordered, the waiter moves onto J'Krin:

J'Krin: "Yes, a plate of meat, any meat."

Waiter: Confused "S-sorry pardon?"

J'Krin: ''"Look" She points at the menu at a meat dish "see this?" she points at another "and this? An' any others like it? Jus' cut out the other things, bring me the meat yeah?"''

Waiter: Visibly sweating, writes the order down and moves onto Bobby "a-and you sir?"

Bobby: "Uhh, d'you still do Soup n' Saltrice? Or outta season?"

Waiter: "No, out of season unfortunately"

Bobby: "Ahh, fair. Kwama Egg Quiche should be fine eh?"

Waiter: ''"Certainly, and you?" Looking at Balz''

Balz: "Y'all do cheesecake?"

Waiter: "W-what?"

Balz: "Ya' know, a cake a' fresh cheese, eggs, and sugar?"

Waiter: "No, no none of that here, sorry."

Balz: ''"Ahh that's fine..." He looks back at the menu "Hound n' Rat?"''

Waiter: ''The waiter writes it down and turns to leave. "Certainly."''

Balz: Looking stunned, he says "A-Oh, I uhh, was asking him what it was..."

''Bobby and J'Krin laugh. J'Krin says: "Look, I'll go talk to 'em."''

''After a while, the food and J'Krim comes, the food's delicious, everyone enjoys their meal, especially Balz who a cheesecake arrived for. He says: "Oh man, if I could 'ave any magical power, it'd jus' be to make cheesecake man I swear." A smiling Bobby addresses the group as he finishes his omelette: "Well, cake ain't what we came here for. I wanted to say that I learnt a lot while I was away, about my priorities. What matters in business is honesty, integrity, hard work, loyalty, and never forgettin' where you came from." He stops looking around the group in a pause, something has caught his eye in the distance. "You are what you are and that's one of two things. You're nothin'... or you're somethin'. Understand what I'm saying?.. I'll be right back." Bobby stands up, picking up his cleaned out omelette bowl, walking forward a few meters before holding his hand out to stop a Dunmer; Eldrar.''

Bobby: Smiling "Eldrar, what's up, I was just thinkin' 'bout you. Was lookin' at this bowl here and you know what? I don't really see nothin' in it."

Eldrar: "Ah, J'Krin, getting your security to do the work?"

J'Krin stands up, Bobby putting his hand backwards to stop her advance.

Bobby: "There's no security here, we don't need no security, what can anyone do to us?"

Eldrar: "The fuck you want, Bobby-"

''During Eldrar's response, Bobby reaches into his pants, pulling out a metal and wooden object, that looks like a hand crossbow except the top is closed and it doesn't have wings. Bobby presses it's end against the forehead of Eldrar.

Bobby: "Give us our money, or J'Krin's threat is going to become true, right now."

Eldrar: Laughing "Heard 'bout these, a gun. Made like a smaller cannon yeah? Get that when you went back from where you came from, S'wit? I don't care how down you are, Redguard. The skooma's mine now, you're not gettin' your money. I bet that thing don't even work, and if it does what're you going to do, boy? Shoot me in broad daylight? In front of everyone?"

''Bobby pulls the gun's trigger blowing Eldrar's head off in smoke. With the bowl in hand, Bobby crouches over to the body of Eldrar in the screaming crowd. He takes a large sack of gold and gems from his body, counts it, and puts a small share back into the bowl for the late Eldrar. Bobby looks down at the body: "You don't know how the fuck it feel to be this fuckin' rich, Dunmer." He spits on the body, and sits back at the table. A stunned Balz still sits there and a hungry J'Krin still eating. Bobby wipes his hands, and addresses the group: "So what was I saying? Oh, yeah. We have some work to do. There's treasuries 'round this island I have my eye on, and plenty a' money in it for all us." While Bobby is speaking, behind him, the party see Ordinators run up to the body with the on duty captain: Tarer Braryn. Tarer stops other Ordinators from approaching the table where the group sits, picking up the gem filled late Eldrar's share in the Omelette bowl. He commands his Ordinators, and they start dragging the body off. Tarer purses his lips at the back of Bobby's head, shakes his head, and walks off. All the while, Bobby is talking: "We're gonna start off small, yeah? Nothin' too inaccessible; the Ald'ruhn Fighers Guild. I've heard they have a basement-" J'krin gasps. Bobby continues: "Yeah, and that's not all. Percius Mercius, the old guild-master has collected himself a mighty fine collection, and I just think it's gettin' a bit too dusty sittin there... We'll scope it out when we get there, for now let me lay some rules. We're ALL in on this; I'll sell the loot. I've got connections and I can get it what it's worth, we'll then split it even. BUT, if we happen find anythin' one of us wants that comes outta your cut, and if its over your cut you gotta pay us the overdraft to compensate for the item; easy, yeah? Agreed?" J'Krin and Balz nod, Bobby looks at the party: "Any questions?" After any answered questions, Bobby then addresses the party: "Good, so we'll all meet in Ald'ruhn. Me, Balz, and J'Krin'll do a little scoutin', then I'll grab a private room in the Ald Skar and we'll plan, okay?" After reply from the party, Bobby stands up, followed by J'Krin and then Balz; the trio walk off.''

The party now must head to Ald'ruhn's Ald Skar Inn.

Ald'ruhn Fighters Guild
Upon arrival to the Ald Skar in, ''the party find the trio in the inn's basement sitting at a table. Balz is talking as the party walks in: "All, I'm sayin' is, imagin' how suspicious it'd be if three people JOINED the guild, then stuff went missin' and they never returned!" Bobby and J'Krin lean back in their chairs, thinking. Bobby sees and addresses the party: "Are y'all fighters guild?"''

Balz produces some scrolls, smiling.

J'Krin: "Hmph, ain't trustin' those again. Maybe a distraction could work?"

Bobby: "Really all that matters is I'm in," he looks at the party "an' at least one person to help. Once we're in, doubt anyone'll look two ways about us, but then it's a matter a' findin' a way into the room."

Balz: "If you find me a good lockpick I should find a way in; the better the better, it's good to be sure."

Bobby: Turning to the party "What d'you think?"

This mission is in the players hands to create a plan, therefore is improvised by the GM. The door to the room is an 80 lock and can also be opened with Percius' key, which is on his person. Once into the room, Bobby closes the door, and starts to look around, skipping over some basic items like linens and ink holders in the desk. While this is happening the party can find in an unlocked chest a Glass Cuirass, a Glass Helm, Glass Greaves, and Glass Boots. There is also an unlocked chest the party needs opening. This can be done if the party gave Balz a lockpick suitable to unlock an 100 lock or by using Percius' key. Inside this chest is an Orcish Cuirass, an Orcish Left Pauldron, an Orcish Right Pauldron, an Orcish Left Bracer, and an Orcish Right Bracer. ''At the find Bobby sort of scowls, maybe disappointed at the find. "That's some good gold, now, let's get out of here."''

Once outside, Bobby will tell the party to "meet us back at the hall."

Finishing the quest
Back in Ibishammus, ''The trio have the haul laid out on a table in the office. Bobby addresses the party smiling: "Fantastic haul guys, any guesses to what this's worth?" After any guesses, J'Krin after some thought guesses "60,000", Balz guesses "Like... 2,000?" Bobby and J'Krin look at him confused, Bobby saying: "N- no, Balz, no-where near my friend, 88,400... That's a share of 88400/(Party size + 3) for the each of us! Does anyone wanna buy any of the items?"''

After this is finished, ''Bobby takes the gold amount out of the safe, sharing it amongst the group, replacing the gold taken from the safe with the armour he intends to sell to replenish the gold. He also hands over any bought items. He continues: "I'm also promotin' ya' all to Hammer rank, congratulations. Now, onto the next hi-" Balz interrupts: "S- sorry Bobby, but now we're back, and all together, what was that thing, you know?" Balz looks down "Eldrar said it was a gun..? What is that?" Bobby smiles: "Well, who wants to demonstrate?" After a party volunteer Bobby ushers everyone, including a skeptical J'Krin and a nervous Balz behind him and the party member. He hands the party member the gun, getting behind them, helping them aim it at the body chute. First loading the gun, he fills it with a black powder, ball bearing, and loads the top with a stone which is recognised as flint. He says looking back at Balz: "It's like a hand crossbow, 'cept your sacrificin' it's lack of noise for much, much more power... Now, cock the hammer back... Just touch the trigger, the sight falls into place, just put the dot where you want the bullet to go. You can't miss..." When the party member pulls back the trigger, a loud bang emanates throughout the room so much so that their ears ring, black smoke blasts back onto their hands and forwards, and they hear the ball bearing ping loudly down the body chute, leaving a large crack in the stonework in it's wake. Paying no mind to a shocked J'Krin and Balz, Bobby reaches his hand out to take back the gun After being given it, he then sits back down. "There's a lot of people after me," gesturing at his axes "and when the time comes, these might not be enough. I'm no mage, so this is my choice. I can be arrested for it, for a long, long time, but when it comes down to it, I'd rather get caught with it than without it..." After a pause of silence he continues: "Anyways, as I was sayin' the next chapter. We're hittin' Divayth Fyr; there's little to no guards, but this one... He's gonna make this volatile. I'm gonna take a day to sell this stuff, but after that's done we'll meet across the water north of Tel Fyr... Any questions?"

The party now has completed this quest and has now moved onto quest From Under the Beak of the Duneripper.