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Post by Kristofor on May 15, 2021 3:46:16 GMT -6
Dated: 08-08-20 - #16
The Quest Board is quite bare once the crowds get there, and it seems for once there is hardly anything to do in the Labs. However, on the eighth day of the month, a pair of twins steps up to the board, thumb-tacks a couple of slips of paper to the board, and then stands around handing out flyers. Weren't these two supposed to be minding their store? What were the Bukkukipa twins doing out here? One of the brothers (or maybe the other one, it's hard to tell them apart) stops you.
"Salutations!" He hands you a flyer. "We are in need of an excellent sleuth willing to spend a few days around the docks to find an err-" The other brother suddenly speaks up "A lost shipment of books to our shoppe."
At this, the brother that was speaking first clears his throat. "Yes, that. The truth of the matter is that we know our shipment was stolen by a rather strange fellow. The shipment was of a few tomes for our Vai Min Mur display, but it also had a rare first edition book in it that we were hoping to add to our collection." Both brothers look wistful.
"So if you happen to have any creatures suited to the works, would you head down to the docks and apprehend the villain?" He gives you a description that sounds an awful lot like the weird guy from the quest you took in December... Nightmarish? Check. Buzzing otherworldly? Check.
On the Board
In Order to Succeed, roleplay responding to the board, and take a suitable creature down with you 'to the docks' (remember to roleplay in the questing board area, this is not actually down in the Docks area) to locate the creepy individual from the 'Oracle Dice' (#09) quest.
Prize: Maybe the Bukkukipas will give you one of their Vai Min Mur Display Books? Or maybe just gratitude...
Challenge Rating: Medium
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Post by Kristofor on May 19, 2021 15:36:34 GMT -6
The air of the docks is a bit pungent with the shipments of fresh fish and the belching of steamboats as they pull in and out of harbor. However, no matter how smelly, its bad taste to comment. The scribbling of quill on paper is apparent over the jabbering of two unusual brothers of indescribable mammalian species of note who talk over each other repeatedly. Missing book shipment, strange fellow, rare first edition, blah blah blah. The portly harbormaster finally sets the quill down on the scrubbed ship wheel of his desk, his beak flap dragging off the wood over their gut again. Pelicans man. “Noted, now I do have more to see about.” He shoos them out with an annoyed gesture. But as they leave, a foot catches the door. "I said-" the pelican looks up from his paperwork to go a bit rigid. Ducking through the shorter then need be door came a great black avian, his hat tipped forth down a long and sharp hooked beak. "Cap'n, long time no see." The squinted gaze lands on him, and on his paperwork. "Someone is impeding on the shipping business. Figure it out. Sooner then later." They turn and leave just as quickly. Next day, there's a note up not just from the book brothers, but from the docks, looking for help. {Our city thrives on the business of shipping and receiving goods from other parts of the continent, but this recent strain of thefts is impeding business to an unmanageable point. If you catch the thief those bookers are seeking, turn them into the Harbormaster. You will be rewarded. -Boss Pels, New Pethia Harbormaster} - The fox starts when someone slams a notepad on his countertop in the open groomery downstairs, where he's writing up 'things'. "Hey fox, you claim your dog's got an excellent nose. How about a test of his nose?" He looks up at the rather smirking and fully healed up Magpie. She passes him a copy of the flyers from the quest board. 'Tracking down a criminal who has stolen goods? No, too much risk.' Kristofor could defend himself, and possibly Dawson would defend him, but not so much himself. Said houlou was snoozing in his fluffy white bed in the corner of the room, snoring softly. 1
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Post by Kristofor on May 20, 2021 15:01:46 GMT -6
"Risk this, risk that. Hell, having a pet is a risk in and of itself, right?" The info broker exclaimed, tossing her dark furred hands in the air. "Look K. I don't think you get how much this is a problem. It is a PROBLEM. And PROBLEMS are not a good thing." The scratching of his fox-made pencil stops, and sets down on the paper. He looks up at her, and she realizes the fox's eyes are a very clear blue. ...weren't they brown yestertime? 'Dawson is not trained properly as a scenthound. I have intention to do so. But not to track criminals or stolen product.' He folds his lesser wrapped paws under his chin to rest on it. 'Did Raven lose some of his possessions?' "Huh? No no, not Gramps. No, this is something down on the docks." Magpie waves her hands in denial. No, Gramps wasn't stupid enough to try and sell his goods there. 2
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Post by Kristofor on May 20, 2021 15:10:40 GMT -6
LinkThe sound of claws on wood catches Kristofor's ears and he looks past the short little Magpie to see an Avian, tall, white with yellow creeping up from the neck, saunter inside. And when I say saunter, I say saunter. Its a shock on how much the bird-person can do so with webbed feet like a duck. Dawson wakes up from the foreign smell of seawater, fish and perfume? There's a distressed black hat on their head, embedded with a double fishhook, and a few feathers. Wearing nothing else but a cord around their thigh, the ties dangling downwards. {Dear little magpie, it seems your fox friend has less then any interest in trying to help you.} the bird coos in her ear as they go past a frozen raccoon. {Let a professional do their job.} Their long tail feathers brush along the floor like a peacock's would, but much shorter, and less flamboyant. 'Hello, little fox cub. Magpie speaks very highly of you. Saving a damsel in distress, that does take some guts.. I like that in a male.' 3 Credit to the artist, linked. Came from furaffinity
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Post by Kristofor on May 20, 2021 15:23:11 GMT -6
Whatever retort Kristofor had, died before it exited his brain to get to being verbal. He couldn't stop staring at the graceful bird-person standing at the counter, leaning over it. "Dammit Gannet, I had everything under control." Magpie hisses at the bird, her tail bristling. "Back off." {But you are taking too long} the bird tells her flippantly, their blue rimmed eye glancing sideways. {Landfolk are just too slow when the wind carries messages so much faster.} They pay attention back to the dumbfounded mammal of a male. 'My apology, cub. I've seen your pretty face in the paper. That you have a very smart houlou there.' Talk about me? The hound's ears perk up, he's laying at attention, watching the bird with intent. Fox has no reaction? 'Such a smart puppy could use a puzzle to solve, for the two of you.' Something in a plastic baggie is plopped on the counter before them. 4
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Post by Kristofor on May 20, 2021 22:49:46 GMT -6
'Magpie says you were warned of a slick individual of note who was previously peddling around your city's quest board. Yes?' His head nods almost mechanically. 'Good. Well, they're causing some problems down on the docks for my captain.' 'Wait, are you part of the Triad?!' the fox is broken of the verbal hooks, staring in shock. The bird's long beak cracks apart in a chatter of laughter, slapping a wing against the corded thigh. Shock went through both houlou and fox. 'Part of the ...ha. ah. haha. Ahm. No, I'm not part of them. Divided loyalties breaks a crew apart.' the bird responds, once they regain themselves. The fox looks away with a slight heat to either side of his muzzle. Aww, how sweet. Such youth. 'I...I was told, yes.' he inspected his toes, hidden by the counter. The corner of the long beak quirked in a smile. Was it his imagination or did the edge of this bird person's beak have a serrated edge like a steak knife? 5
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Post by Kristofor on May 22, 2021 10:28:27 GMT -6
{The amount of information you're offering for free to this fox worries me, little broker.} the bird turns away from the blushing fox, fixing Magpie with a sharp gaze. {Have you mentioned us?} Magpie, despite the obvious threat, stands up tall against the bird. No, she was not a traitor. "Why would I bother mentioning a flock of birds who don't even fly." the raccoon retorted, confident. The bird, Gannet, bowed their head down so she was being examined down the long gray hooked beak. "Of course not. I'm a professional." Going into this sort of business really allowed the raccoon to turn up her sarcasm meter quite high. Making a scoff of disgust, the seabird pays attention to the fox again. Until they feel some cold nose inspecting their tail. Spinning around, the houlou is curiously inspecting the bird's tail with a keen nose, looking up with big brown eyes. Woof! Nobody moves. 6
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Post by Kristofor on May 22, 2021 11:22:42 GMT -6
Chase? His tail wags back and forth a few times, eyes bright with desire. Bird smelled chasey, could he chase bird? He likes chasing. Chasing is fun. No. No chase. Bird guest. No chase guest. The fox made his emotional feelings as clear as he could. Stern. No. Behave. Dawson's tail droops and he goes back to the cloud bed to flump down with a 'hmph'. No fun. Kristofor made to apologize to the stranger, but the bird waved a feathered wing in his face absently. 'No no, do not bother child. Hounds are just that; rude and in your face, regardless of how well you attempt to teach them.' Magpie tries to hide her giggling in a cough, but fails badly. 'If you do feel like making a coin or two, find the Destroyer on the docks. Ask for the Cap'n.' The bird tosses him a flirtatious wink before sauntering out of the open door. 7
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Post by Kristofor on May 22, 2021 11:28:42 GMT -6
"I do not like that crew." Magpie grumbles once the seabird avian was completely out of earshot. "They make my fur stand on end." The fox sits down on his stool again, rubbing a less wrapped up paw down his long muzzle with a sigh. 'I am not in such need of money to take a random job someone drops on me. I am attempting to make a living on my own.' he tells the raccoon, though not sure if she's listening. 'They are not wanting me, but Dawson. Dawson's nose in specific. He is not a trained scenthound. Not yet.' She crosses her dark furred arms across her jacket, glancing sideways at him with a puffed cheek pout. "It never hurts to go down and ask a few questions." she tries to seed the suggestion in his mind, but unlike the seabird, she doesn't have that sort of draw to her words. 8
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Post by Kristofor on May 22, 2021 12:34:04 GMT -6
Magpie's behavior reminded him of his ex girlfriend from back home. She hoped that acting put out would change his mind and tries to press her opinion. But he's not that much of a woodland bumpkin. Closing the book of 'things' he'd been writing in, the fox bows his head with another sigh and stands. He's definitely got at least a foot and a half, including ears on the information scavenger. 'Your act will not change my mind. I am thankful for you saving my life, but wrapping me up in your business is not something I want part of.' he explains, keeping his tone patient, understanding, but firm. Kristofor wasn't going to change his mind. Not even for a puffy cheeked female. "You're such a shut-in. Live a little!" To the raccoon, her line of work was fun. It din't always draw in money constantly, because not every customer paid for her work in money... 9
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Post by Kristofor on May 22, 2021 12:41:50 GMT -6
Grrrr.... Magpie stood straighter then normal, glancing around backwards slowly. Dawson was still in the bed, but his ears were flatter and one paw extended out of the bed territory. He growled again, his posture tense and threatened. She wasn't friend anymore, not to the hound. She tried to reason with him in her head. To convince him to take the job. But he was such a normal! A shutin fox who didn't seem to get what fun is. "No." the word is simple, clear and final. Waving him off with irritation, the raccoon tries one more time to open her mouth and speak, but the hound barks. A sharp, loud bark of not friend. Of go away. "Just steer clear of the Triad then, I don't want to see it in the papers of you being found dead in an alleyway." and with that, Magpie finally, finally left the not-open shop. 10
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Post by Kristofor on May 23, 2021 6:33:55 GMT -6
Once the raccoon's smell no longer darkened the doorway, Dawson got out of his bed, shook himself out, plodding over to his friend fox and putting his weight against the fox's leg. The wrapped paw drops down and scratches a bit of an itchy patch on his scruff. Aaaah, good scratch good scratch. His foot almost did the bunny rabbit thumping motion, instead his tail wagging harder. Glancing at the door, he snorted at it. Rude. Not friend. Fox not happy. 'You shouldn't try to drive out anyone who happens to make me not happy...' Kristofor tells the hound as he scratches his nails into the skin a bit. Fox not happy, yes. But fox polite. Polite to all. Good to all. He watches the outside of the shop windows for a few minutes, just letting the sound of thumping tail and audible bumps upstairs of rambunctious puppies go on. Finally going upstairs to see what the hubbub was about. 11
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Post by Kristofor on May 23, 2021 6:39:47 GMT -6
While the fox hasn't taken the bait of coming down to the docks, he isn't forgotten either. There aren't that many foxfolk in the city after all, and the only other one who has had his mug in the paper is the grizzled old tod who ran the specialty animal import shop. Who definitely has no black market connections. Clean as a whistle. yep. There's a seedy bar for seedy folk down on the docks, more meant for the less fortunate folk of the city; non-animal tamers, low income, down on your luck, or a place where you just want to have a conversation without being heard. The tavern closed down in the wake of the pandemic of dying lab animals, the rumor was the barista had an estharne who had died who was literally her other half of business. As such, this bar is BOOMING with business. Doesn't help either that some of these drinks legitly explode. 12
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Post by Kristofor on May 23, 2021 6:46:49 GMT -6
Far away from the fox and the hound, there is a bar. Its run by a trio of dragonoid sisters who actually are about kapper sized, the Kobold clan. Tiny yet loud, they decided to make a bar for the docket folk who are working very hard for the little pay some of them get. Its incredible how little the citizenry get paid from not being with animals. If you don't have at least six animals, then most people don't even recognize you? Whatever. Pets aren't allowed in this establishment. Please leave your fire breathing dragons, horses, dogs, etc. all outside, where they BELONG. It's small, crowded with boat wheel tables, the gaps filled with plastic resin. No, not glass. Glass breaks. Glass is for glasses. Which also break. Angry drunks throw glasses. So the glasses are all plastics. However its Kapper-brand plastic that can withstand impact very nicely. Expensive too, but at least can be bought in much bulk, saving some funds. Its here, that the harbormaster also goes for a pick-me-up. 13
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Post by Kristofor on May 23, 2021 6:55:20 GMT -6
Ever since he put up the request on the inner city notice(read: quest) board and the docks bulletin board, all sorts of unusual people have been cropping up, seeking information on the bookers' missing shipment, a supposed ghost ship and maybe even the seedy thief. The pelican sighs, his feathered fingers curled around the handle of his tankard that is topped with a tilapia. Does alcohol with fish taste bad? To anyone who isn't a pelican, yes. The thunk of a tankard almost as big rattles his table, and the pelican finds himself looking at the gannet avian, taking one of the little stools to avoid sitting on their tail feathers. {Down on your luck there a bit, I'd figure, Pels?} they toss a flirtatious wink, before taking a deep swig of a murky looking liquid. {Your captain's request is going to give me gray feathers.} the harbormaster groans, taking a deep drink. The alcohol swigs around in his beak pouch bfore he swallows. 14
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