Prelude: A Good Man is Hard to Find

[Grimbold]

Melvan Ferny has been carrying around crates for his master, Brano Buckingsworth, an important Bree merchant, all morning. Melvan is Brano's brawns and does a lot of odd jobs for him.

This summer has been really hot, and Melvan is sweating hard. As always, he keeps his short swords close to him.

Just then, Melina, a hobbit maid, runs up to him: "Melvan, the master wants to see you!"

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Welcome Melvyst to the game! Post away!

[Melvyst]

OOC

Let's see if i get into it

Wondering what his masters wants from him, Melvan puts down the last crate. As he wipes of the sweat on his forehead he asks Melina: " What does he want ?"
Not expecting a real answer Melvan gets ready to go back to Brano.

OOC

ok, first post... It still takes me a lot of time to actually translate the things I mean to do from german into english, but I hope it's understandable. I guess after the 500th post I'll start to think in english and no longer in german

[Grimbold]

Display

A good online dictionary is:
http://dict.leo.org/

Melina shrugs. "I don't know. Sorry, I have to go and prepare lunch." Mostly, the likeable brown haired hobbit, Melina Mistlestick, works in the kitchen. Melvan has often chatted with her in the evenings and they have shared many a joke.

Of course, as many strangers and sinister people have come to or through Bree in the last year, the merry times have been shorter and shorter. Strange times, indeed.

Rumor has it that groups of dark, stooped men meet in Bill Ferny's house.

Melvan is happy that he no longer lives there and looks at the back entrance of Brano's house. His office is on the second floor.

[Melvyst]

As Melina turns around Melvan sadly looks after here until she's out of sight. "We used to have a lot of fun together, now we barely see each other..."
Focusing on Brano's call, he looks up to the window.

OOC

must i implicitly perform a perception action or would i automatically seen any suspicious situation trough the window? (assuming there is one )

Wondering if the call has something to do with the latest rumors about Bill, Melvan steps into the entrance and makes his way up to Brano's Buro.

[Grimbold]

Melina, the hobbit, walks off, leaving Melvan to his thoughts. Melvan peers up to the office but cannot see a lot. He exits the courtyard and climbs up the stairs.
Melvan knocks on Brano's office door and soon hears a "Come in" so he enters.
The office is a mess, as always, papers, pens, ink, books, and samples of goods all strewn about the room and the desk.

Brano Buckingsworth is a middle aged human, about 50, with balding grey hair and expensive clothes. He is a merchant of different goods, pipeweed from the Shire, steel and weapons from the dwarf mines of the Blue Mountains, arts and crafts from Dunland and some more exotic things from further south, even from Gondor. Some deliveries of pipeweed have also gone south.
Melvan knows this is a tough man, bargaining hard and mostly interested in financial gain, but he is also fair and keeps his word. He has his sense of honor and expects a lot from his employees but treats them well and pays them fairly. He will try to profit from each and everyone but keeps his dealings honest.

Brano looks up at Melvan. He is sitting at his desk. Obviously, he is angry.

"Sit down!" he says.

[Melvyst]

"Why is he so angry? It wouldn't be because I drop one of the crates this morning?" Expecting a rebuke Melvan feels that it would be the best to quietly sit down and listen to what Brano has to say.

[Grimbold]

After a few seconds, Brano starts talking: "It's the third attack in a month. Those bloody bandits have taken my wares. Two weeks ago, a shipment of steel, last week, a wagon full of dwarven longswords and axes, and now, a shipment of the best pipeweed from the Shire bound south. And this time, they killed my driver and two guards! Bloody muggers! They cannot be seen, they cannot be tracked, they attack and disappear again like ghosts. Alas, they have also attacked travellers, other merchants, last week they even killed a hobbit hunter."He leans toward Melvan. "You need to help me. You are a strong and healthy chap, you might be able to do it."

[Melvyst]

Agitated about the heard news Melvan stands up, "Listen Brano, you'll always have been like a father to me. Of course I will help you and do anything to stop those bloddy muggers!"

Excited about an upcoming adventure Melvan quickly agrees to the proposition.
Uncertain about how things may become he adds " Would you like me to guard the next shipment? ... eh .. alone?"

[Grimbold]

"No, first of all we need information. I can tell you what I know. But you must keep it to yourself. Agreed?"

[Melvyst]

Melvan eagerly nods in agreement.