>>6109675“OKAY! OKAY! The <span class="mu-i">REAL</span> truth! I… I be havin’ a contact in Crossroads!” Explains Salty Suutz with renewed fear in his tone, “I deliver the people, they give me bells an’ be tellin’ me ta’ scram!”
“Who’s the contact?” Growls Volka as she and TT lean in, the former to look menacing, the latter to be a nuisance.
“I cannae be tellin’ ye!” Stammers Salty Suutz with renewed resolve! “They’re wit’.... They be high up, they be!”
“<span class="mu-i">HOW</span> high?” Volka snaps, her pupils shrinking into slits!
“Th-th-TH-the <span class="mu-b">SPICE CARTEL!</span>” Moans Salty Suutz as viscous globs of foul-smelling gook ooze from his eyes! “Y-ye cannae say no to them! Everybody knows that!”
You don’t, you reply, clearing your throat when you realize it was a dumb thing to say. Err, and what about his mage friend, huh? Is he on their spicy payroll, or something?
“Nae, nae! Oti’s a good lad!” Counters Salty Suutz with a shake of his head! “A bit of a short fuse, aye, but he be havin’ nothin’ ta do with this charade!”
“I owed the old bag a few bells from back when he had a boat.” Adds the bored-sounding Chytree over by the caravan. “Imagine my <span class="mu-i">excitement</span> when I found out <span class="mu-i">this</span> was how he wanted to settle the debt…”
A boat?
“Aye!” Nods the Mzz'goe'virr emphatically, “Used tae take her out on the Black on treasure hunts fer the Mox! Caught some mighty fine seafood too, I did!” The ex-sailor’s eyes darken a bit. “But when it was lost, well… all I had was this wagon…”
And his first thought is to go into trafficking? Why not just be, like, a Caravan Master or something? Or a driver?
“I was approached by the Cartel! I be sayin’ it again: ye don’t say NAE to them!”
“Or ‘<span class="mu-i">no</span>’, for that matter…” TT adds with a knowing nod. “They can be… pushy.”
Jesus Christ, you groan, is there <span class="mu-i">anyone</span> out here who likes her? The Durher responds by smiling and shooting you her best puppy dog eyes.
Great…
>CONTD. 