Zando laughs. "There's a difference between my business office and my private office. If you want to steal forms, be my guest. I can always get more of them."
He leads you down a winding corridor with other, smaller corridors branching off of it. Most of them that you see lead to dead ends, the others are too long to see where they lead. Finally, he leads you to a small natural cavern. The outer edge of the room is circled by stalagmites and stalactites, but the center of the room and the entrance have been cleared of all such obstructions.
Situated at one end of the cleared area is a fine mahogany desk, behind which is a fine, overstuffed blue chair and a folding wooden screen. Before the desk is a beautiful blue carpet with patterns in different shades of blue and silver embroidery. Behind the desk in one corner, is a bookcase filled with books. As you step on the rug, you head the sound of your footfalls on a hard wooden floor (which also seems to be hollow).
Zando excuses himself and ducks behind the screen. You hear a rustle of cloth and his robe is tossed over the top of the screen. Sounds of water being poured follow, and then water moving and dripping. a few minutes later, Zando, looking much cleaner and in a robe of a slightly darker shade of blue steps out again. "Now, where were we?"
"Ah. Well, you see, adventurers have a sort of … cachet with normal people. They find them fascinating. Crazy, but fascinating. While they would never want to go out and face danger and brave hardships and monsters, they get a vicarious thrill thinking about doing that. This place is built to capitalize on that feeling." He smiled.
"Here they get to see the monsters up close, to experience a real dungeon environment, to feel like they are going on an adventure, but in complete safety. They get to see the kinds of monsters that you and other adventurers deal with and kill every day, and they get to do it without experiencing any actual danger or hardship." He pauses. "Okay, yeah, the Cretin was a mistake, but I thought he was too stupid to get out of that cage. Nothing that shows up on this level is very threatening, so I figured I could handle it."
He sighs. "And now you've probably killed off everything in here and set my plans back by several months, but I want to offer you a chance to become something that could make you real money- investors!"
He smiles widely. "Lend me money, and I'll deal you in to a stake in this place- Once we get up and running, the profit will be tremendous!"
"I paid to get in and I got knocked out by a goblin, I got bitten by a shark and I got knocked unconscious, bitten and almost drowned by a dolphin. I think I'm owed compensation. When you give me that I'll think about investing it."
I see no reason to invest in this theme park either. It seems doomed to not be successful. Without any sunlight, how could you grow turnips? And without turnips, how do you expect to see this place throw off some profit? Obviously, your plans didn't work out in a very good manner and I am sure it has to do with the distinct lack of turnips. So I suggest the following: we create a huge turnip plantage in and around the castle, using this place as the turnip cellars! The business oportunity is hard to ignore. Of course, you would need me and my knowledge about vegetables. I will gladly assume the place of director of our new turnip plantage. Are you willing to invest in it?
"Minsc is right," Aerie chimed in with her hands on her hips and a fierce glare, "it is evil to ask investment from us after already breaking your promise to those who visited here! We were nearly killed ourselves trying to rescue you!"
"All this talk of evil this, and evil that," Jaheira grumbled. "As if nature is that simple." She was far from rich, but saw a possibility to change that. "Besides, we are very much in debt to the priestesses of this place," for (in this case) curing the spore-sickness of their colleagues. Why they should all have a stake in that was beyond her, but it was too late to renege on that agreement.
While the conversation is going on Alora surreptitiously looks around the office. She is intrigued by the wooden floor under her feet and is worried it might be a trap door.
"Do you mind if I look at your books?" she says. "I'm an avid reader."
Alora goes over to look at the books, making sure she gets off the rug and the wooden floor beneath.
Zando ignores everyone else and focuses on Jaheira. "And how much would you like to contribute?" He asks.
Alora finds the bookshelves to be full of tax manuals and books that look like meditations on various sorts of spells. "Divining Truth" and the like (not apellbooks, more like research materials).
"She's not contributing anything!" Aerie blurted out. But upon realizing she just challenged Jaheira, chosen warrior woman of nature, she covered her mouth sheepishly. Clearing her throat, she spoke quieter this time.
"Th-That is to say... Not with the party's funds. I-If she wants to offer her own personal coins into your attraction, th-that is...her...choice."
Her last few words were an effort to get out, and as much as she dearly wished no one had noticed her disdain, she knew too well that they did.
"Jaheira won't contribute anything. She didn't even pay to get in." mutters Alora. " Zando has your dungeon got more levels than this one? It's just the floor seems hollow so I was wondering what is down there?"
I find it strange that one such in tune with nature would want to invest in a place that rips creatures from their natural habitat, expose them to magics that twist them into abominations all for the amusement of some peasants sold on a falsehood of safety.
I find it strange that one such in tune with nature would want to invest in a place that rips creatures from their natural habitat, expose them to magics that twist them into abominations all for the amusement of some peasants sold on a falsehood of safety.
"Do not presume to speak for me, or my intentions, braggart." Jaheira did not much appreciate his condescension, and tired of his narrow-minded nature. She was trying to work out a way to profit from this dungeon, without all of its perversions. Investors surely had some leverage, and could change how the business worked. At least, that was what she hoped; the problem was the lack of anything to invest, although she was fairly certain that Alora had pinched more than enough for a start.
Comments
She narrowed her eyes at the last moment, a warning look for both of them.
"But only if you get caught," she whispers to Jan.
If anything else is missing, I suggest searching the girl first.
We also happened to come across some strange looking tall dwarves in this place. They are surely still around down here.
OOC: Alora appears to have got over her hero worship of Anomen.
I wouldn't put it past either of you to plant your ill gotten goods on the Priest of Torm.
OOC: Thrown under the bus, then put it in reverse.
He leads you down a winding corridor with other, smaller corridors branching off of it. Most of them that you see lead to dead ends, the others are too long to see where they lead. Finally, he leads you to a small natural cavern. The outer edge of the room is circled by stalagmites and stalactites, but the center of the room and the entrance have been cleared of all such obstructions.
Situated at one end of the cleared area is a fine mahogany desk, behind which is a fine, overstuffed blue chair and a folding wooden screen. Before the desk is a beautiful blue carpet with patterns in different shades of blue and silver embroidery. Behind the desk in one corner, is a bookcase filled with books. As you step on the rug, you head the sound of your footfalls on a hard wooden floor (which also seems to be hollow).
Zando excuses himself and ducks behind the screen. You hear a rustle of cloth and his robe is tossed over the top of the screen. Sounds of water being poured follow, and then water moving and dripping. a few minutes later, Zando, looking much cleaner and in a robe of a slightly darker shade of blue steps out again.
"Now, where were we?"
*crosses his arms*
"Here they get to see the monsters up close, to experience a real dungeon environment, to feel like they are going on an adventure, but in complete safety. They get to see the kinds of monsters that you and other adventurers deal with and kill every day, and they get to do it without experiencing any actual danger or hardship." He pauses. "Okay, yeah, the Cretin was a mistake, but I thought he was too stupid to get out of that cage. Nothing that shows up on this level is very threatening, so I figured I could handle it."
He sighs. "And now you've probably killed off everything in here and set my plans back by several months, but I want to offer you a chance to become something that could make you real money- investors!"
He smiles widely. "Lend me money, and I'll deal you in to a stake in this place- Once we get up and running, the profit will be tremendous!"
No danger? And where are your paying customers now? Who is to answer to their families after you promised them complete safety in this place?
Squeak! Squeak squeak Squeak! Squeak Squeak!
Ohhhh... now I understand. Minsc's boots will meet evil soon then. As soon as we find the evil little one!
"Do you mind if I look at your books?" she says. "I'm an avid reader."
Alora goes over to look at the books, making sure she gets off the rug and the wooden floor beneath.
Alora finds the bookshelves to be full of tax manuals and books that look like meditations on various sorts of spells. "Divining Truth" and the like (not apellbooks, more like research materials).
"Th-That is to say... Not with the party's funds. I-If she wants to offer her own personal coins into your attraction, th-that is...her...choice."
Her last few words were an effort to get out, and as much as she dearly wished no one had noticed her disdain, she knew too well that they did.