Best laid plans… pt1.

Tannas awakens from his restless slumber. The cage he sits in is old, and creaks whenever he moves. It hangs by a rusty chain held from the ceiling, and is about four feet from the floor. There’s still a faint buzzing in his ears from the head wound he sustained a few days ago… at least he thinks it was a few days ago. It’s difficult to tell the time of day when you’ve been underground for almost a month. For the past few days or so, his only company has been a few lingering rats and a flickering torch of orange and yellow light down the walk way, just out of his line of sight. This is not how his trip was supposed to go. Then again, not much goes to plan when someone else calls the shots.

It all started a month ago… give or take a day or two. Tannas was sitting in a tavern booth, still dirty from the days work of clearing a thieves den by an outlying hamlet. Every few months or so, some “new” group of folks think they’d make a good deal of money stealing from others, so they take up residence in the same smelly hovel as the previous group. The locals would send a pigeon with a simple message of new tenants, and someone from the Consortium would go clear it out. It doesn’t take long to earn the simple coin or a warm meal in return.

Tannas had ordered a plate of meat and potatoes, his usual. It’s never wise to ask what kind of meat it is. It’s always better to try it before you drown it in some sort of mystery sauce. His plate arrived with a distinctive, yet pleasant, smell. Today’s mystery sauce is made with mashed tomato, garlic butter and dill. He thanked the staff and got to work on his warm food.

Not long into it, he was lost in the thoughts of the day when he was approached by some dandy of a man. He hadn’t seen someone with that much jewelry before who was not a noble of some sort.

“Excuse my intrusion, good sir. Are you, by chance, Tannas? I was told he may be here and was given a brief description that you fit. ”

Tannas looked at him with a questioning eye while chewing. He was minimally armed and clean with his many shiny bits here and there. His long brim hat even had shiny bits on it. A dandy, indeed. Tannas then wiped his hands with a rag as he finished what was in his mouth. “I am he. What business have you for me?”

The dandy took off his hat and sat opposite Tannas at the table. Using one hand, he fished in a pouch at his hip. He was clean shaven, and had well kept shoulder length curly brown hair. When he was done fishing, he pulled out a silver debt token. Tannas’ silver debt token. He then laid it on the table between them as they looked at each other. “I won this in a game of chance and was told you’d have to work to get it back. Is that true?”

Tannas nodded to him and tried to explain. “It’s not as easy as me just doing whatever you want of me. There are stipulations in place of purchase for one such as that.” He told him how it works and asked who he got it from. Tannas didn’t know the name. Curious. The dandy seemed to get excited at the thought of free labor. He said his name was Curtis, and he was a treasure hunter of sorts. He gave Tannas an intense look while waiting for some kind of approval. Maybe he thought everyone else is motivated by treasure like he was, maybe he was going for dramatic. Who knows? After a pause he began to tell Tannas his plan and what part he was destined to play in it.

While the story was getting longer, Tannas continued to eat. By then the food had cooled down considerably. Warm food always tastes better. But on an empty stomach, any food tastes good. Curtis finished his plan and got to what Tannas would have to do. Since it was going to be over an extended period of time, they negotiated additional compensation after the fact. Which Curtis agreed to and they both shook on it. They would leave the next morning.