Dungeon 42

Discussions

Chapter 167

After finding out the privy was magic and squirted water up your backside, things did not get less weird for Jarod and the Rusty Daggers. Rather than having recently been discovered it seemed the town had existed alongside the dungeon since its founding, which was an event well beyond living memory.

The situation presented dangers but a robust town guard and several gates at choke points between its entrance and anything important kept things peaceful enough. The call for adventurers had been motivated not by dire need, but an interest in taking advantage of the situation and pulling out what treasure and resources they could from it.

Jarod found he liked the odd mixture of pragmatism and frankly unmatched stones the locals seemed to have in coming up with that kind of plan. Most people would have likely taken off running after hearing a dungeon was nearby, and rightly so.

The baths were magic too, and in a very welcomed way in that they remained clean despite all of the daggers aside from Argent descending to use them at once. Baths weren’t normally free since someone had to heat and haul the water to the tub, but the guild's magic one didn’t require those labors.

They also emphasized that one should bathe frequently, daily even. Jarod found that strange, but given how there were both a warm and cool option he could see it being pleasant in any season.

Everyone dined that evening in the guild hall without incident, Reolus putting in an appearance to explain a few more things to them. When none of them proved able to read the contracts he’d asked if they’d want to learn and Quint had jumped at the chance. He knew a few letters but hadn’t ever really learned.

More importantly Reolus explained how the guild jobs worked. Those who joined got access to a posting board, which they did thankfully have a reader for, and could take them according to their ranking. New members started at copper rank unless they passed a skills test at the training grounds.

Jarod had expected the pay to be bad for new members, but it looked fair for the work. The guild fee’s also weren’t high, particularly since they came with free meals at the guild hall though drinks outside of a first mug of ale were excluded. Nobody would starve trying to make their dues and so long as you weren’t a layabout, money was to be made.

“So, free lodgings here for two weeks, then we start paying?” Jarod asked Reolus.

“Fraid not, new folks only even though we have the room at the moment. Guild policy to avoid people getting touchy about leaving,” Reolus explained.

“Might want to lower it then, I’m already fond of my bed,” Cord offered with a chuckle. Reolus tipped his drink to that.

“The Mayor and the Guild Master already worked out a sort of deal on the point. Town folk who are interested will list rooms for rent with us and there's an inventory of available buildings. A group like yours could fairly easily rent a place together if you work hard and are careful with your coins,” Reolus explained.

“Let's say we join… whats that ranking assessment require exactly?” Jarod asked.

"Tests of combat prowess and teamwork. Also general survival skills - recognizing traps, field medicine, avoiding ambushes. Shouldn't pose much difficulty for experienced blades like yourselves," Reolus explained matter-of-factly. “You're ranked accordingly and any shortfalls explained so you can work on them to reach the next up.”

“I’m shite when it comes to survival and I haven't a team but,” Reolus fished in his shirt and pulled a tag up by a chain. It was glinting and silverish with a gemstone set in it that matched his eyes. “I’m a handy enough bard.”

“Individual and team ranks work a bit differently. Team rankings only really matter for group assignment and the dungeon,” he added.

“Fair,” Jarod offered. It would be good to know where an individual stood as well as a group depending on the work he supposed.

“There's a board over that way that shows our members and their ranks as well as if they're in town or not. Once people get to know you a bit better you can use it to help you find people to fill in skill gaps,” Reolus explained. Jarod nodded, ignoring the now familiar feeling of confusion. Like most things in the town the sheer level of organization such a board implied was surprising.

“Right then… Well think things over and decide what we want to do,” Jarod offered. Reolus simply nodded at that and eventually excused himself to the bar. The halfing drank like he had a hole in his stomach and eventually brought out a mandoline and started playing merrily. Foot traffic also picked up about then and the sparse group of other dinners turned into a much thicker crowd of drinkers.

“Sight more folk than I thought were here,” Jarod muttered.

“Makes sense, they were probably working and don’t live close like we do,” Quint offered. Jarod nodded though it still seemed a little off to him. Others were joining in on the music though and someone bought a round and what concerns he had were quickly forgotten in favor of merriment.

Luck being a fair and just being, Jarod found himself meeting the Guild Master the next morning horrifically hungover but clean. The laundry service was frankly remarkable and he’d chosen to bathe at the receptionist's assurance that it and some cold tea would help with the headache. He’d been surprised to find it was true.

“You look like you tried to keep up with Roleus last night,” Dawn offered when she first sat down.

“I don’t know where he put it all, unless he’s hollow like a keg on the inside,” Jarod had grumbled. He’d been rather embarrassed when she finally introduced herself, mostly because he’d fancied trying to ask her for a walk and a tumble. She was funny in a dry way and good looking but he didn’t mess with his employers. That was a quick way to hard feelings and withheld pay.

“I won’t bother you much since you haven’t actually joined yet, but if you do I’ll be the one appraising you on the dungeon and we have a foraging party planned for the end of the week. If you want in on that, you have two days to join and get assessed,” Dawn explained.

“You go in yourself?” Jarod asked, genuinely surprised. With a fancy title like Guild Master he’d thought she mostly did paper work and collected money.

“I’m qualified and it's my job to make sure we keep the other guilds supplied with materials. There are more skilled adventurers than myself, but they have other roles in the dungeon,” Dawn said, drawing out a steel tag with a gold symbol embedded in it. They went Copper, Brass, Iron, Steel for the basic ranks. Silver, Gold, and Gilnar, whatever that was, make up the higher ones.

“Your… not the strongest in the guild?” Jarod asked, genuinely confused. He’d thought the higher ranks were for show given that qualifying for iron required a heroic class. Few enough people had those, let alone many ranks in them.

“No, I’m the strongest of those willing to do paperwork and settle pay disputes,” Dawn said with a flash of a grin.

“Ah, so the requirement is mental fortitude,” Jarod said with a chuckle. They shared a laugh and Dawn was on her way again shortly. Jarod spent the rest of the day looking around the town and getting a feel for things.

The equipment offerings were normally priced, which was astonishingly low given the quality. Particularly when it came to arms and armor. Why though presented itself in the pitying looks he got from the folks fronting those shops. The best short sword he ever owned didn’t even qualify as a failed blade of Dwarven make.

Existing beside long lived folks like that, even the human craftsmen had picked up a greater skill than he was accustomed to seeing. There also wasn’t much of a market for the goods. The town had a small existing population but it had been dwindling as people grew fearful of the dungeon since it was more active of late according to what he was able to gather from the shop keepers.

It was also why they were quite happy to see a group of adventurers come into the town so soon after sending out their notices. Nobody was in trouble, but they weren’t exactly doing well with such a small population and no trade yet established.

As mid day came around Jarod returned to rouse the rest of the Daggers out of their hangover slump and get them to try the tea fix and a bath. It worked well enough for them too and they all took lunch together in the town. Kord had thankfully put his laundry out the prior night to be done and it was ready by then. His reticence apparently not about coin but rather not having a spare set. His remaining one was a bit threadbare too.

“Alright, this place is… different, but we're lucky it is. These people are happy to see us because they need folks to start trading with and the prices are low for the same reason. I vote we stay, join the guild, and get in on the gathering party this week,” Jarod explained as they took lunch on the green. They’d actually bought their food this time and ate more sparingly as they weren’t presently starving.

“Fine by me,” Cord said, as usual. He’d almost always agree to anything that might make them money.

“I want to stay either way, Reolus is introducing me to the school come the start of the week,” Quint said simply.

“And the rest?” Jarod asked, staying wasn’t the main point.

“I’ll go along with it for now, we hardly know anything yet and we might all be changing our minds,” Quint said with a shrug. Jarod mirrored it, not able to argue with that.

“Fine, Pip?” Jarod asked.

“What Quint said,” Pip replied, which was unusual. The rogue was usually contrary for its own sake when it came to Quint. Jarod wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth though.

“I’m in too,” came another voice. The group startled as a humanoid figure dropped out of the tree they’d been eating under.

“Argent, you fuckin-” Cord was already on his feet, trying to give the other man a shove.

“Scared us ya bastard,” Jarod summarized.

“Oh, sorry. I thought you came over because I was here,” Argent replied, as if it were entirely normal for them to check the tree’s for party members.

“You’ve mislaid your pants again,” Pip added. Argent was a beast folk with some kind of dog or other such creature ancestry since he had particular features but wasn’t a wolf by his own dedication. He wasn’t wearing anything but a kilt, putting his ears, tail, and rather heavily furred body openly on display. A display nobody wouldn’t appreciated seeing at random in a village even if he was human.

“I haven't actually,” Argent said, pointing up to where most of his other clothes were hanging in the tree.

“Right, but being in town means you're to wear them and your shirt, remember?” Jarod asked. Argent wasn’t exactly stupid, but certain ideas just never seemed to take in his brain for reasons nobody had ever been able to explain. Jarod expected it was simply disinterest combined with his low attention span.

“Oh, right… sorry… There are other beast folk here too so I just thought…” Argent trailed off, likely not having thought the idea through enough to make an argument.

“Look… just the shirt is probably fine. I’ve seen some other people in kilts around,” Jarod offered.

“Okay, and like I said, I’m in,” Argent replied with a grin. With that he scaled the tree to retrieve his things while everyone else just looked away. He really was only wearing the kilt, the bastard.