KHAZUUL

Finding his back starting to redden from all the slaps it had borne the brunt of today, Cutwell fixes himself, steadying his razor as it wafts above the head of Freki.

"Careful, careful! It’s calibrated for steadiness and balance, ain’t it? But even it’s got limits, mind!" he comments, seeing the others eyeing his arm once again, now that the keeper had drawn attention to it.

"But don’t stare though! Makes me nervous, don’t it?" he says, acting up having the shakes, as the razor descends upon Freki. He hums as he goes about his work, before piping up a moment later:

"Anything here with honey in it?" he asks, pointing the blade in Sow’s direction. "Honeys good for the throat, ain’t it? And this one sounds like hers’s been cut."

Sow dips her chin a bit as Cutwell gets to work, and as he comments on her voice and throat. Cut? No. But she remembers the noose. The noose 'round her neck because they all thought she were to blame for the bad crops, for the harvest that weren't no harvest.

"Aw, shuddup and cut," she says with a slight smile, enjoying watching Frecki's long locks hit the floor. "Your job's to barber, not jabber, and ye've got your job cut out for ye with his tangle."

Emir helps you with the tray, and as he sets it up, he answers Sow's question.

"Yes, the gangs take care of their own. The bigger ones even have their own camps in Khazuul where you can shelter under guard. But, don't expect much in wages compared to the treasures you hand over to the gang leaders. In time, you may rise, though."

"Take that man over there - Dario Gallo."

He points to the Styrian man who is busy doing sums in a journal. He is the same man who was arguing with the noble when you arrived.

"He runs a gang that specializes in harvesting rare plants of, how would you say, a medicinal variety if you take my meaning. He has built a compound a few miles into the jungle, so at least you can sleep behind a wall. And he has a good reputation for bringing his Hunters back. But, he takes that security out of your wages."
"Alas, there are no bees in Khazuul! We must learn to live with what bounties the jungle does provide."
"Ah, your ambition is without parallel, friend. However, if anyone has ever seen the people in charge, I have not heard of it. If you have business with the Expeditionary House, you'll never see beyond their clerks."

As Cutwell gets ready to cut big Freki's wild, untamed hair, you start to gather onlookers from the other patrons, amused by the idea of cutting someone's hair in a tea shop. Cutwell's mechanical arm draws comments, too.

"Oh, you mean to cut his hair in here? Oh, dear!"

"You hear that Kiddo? You're a plant lover too, do you think you'd be able to recognize that if we come across some?" Freki asks Sow. He was about to say, Might even help your sore throat but let's her come to her own conclusion after her reaction to Cutwell's comment about her voice.

Animals are Freki's specialty, but he knows a decent amount about plants, especially ones that affect or influence animals, such as the wolfsbane wreath that hangs off his pack, so he takes a mental note about the Starlight Blossom for when they get down to the jungle.

---

Freki eyes widen seeing Cutwell's hand tremors, "Me, Careful?!? You're the one with the razor!" He laughs and then tries to hold as still as he can, hoping he isn't going to be talking like Sow after Cutwell is done. Luckily, the tea has made him feel very relaxed, so it isn't too hard.

He feels oddly sad and excited seeing his hair falling to the floor, marking the end of a previous life and the beginning of a new chapter ... Khazuul! But he immediately feels the cooling benefit of air flow past the newly bare skin. He smiles for the onlookers, enjoying the attention.

Thorn, ever curious was glad when Cutwell mentioned Sow's throat, but alas he got no closer to the reason for her strange voice. Then Thorn's questions to the proprietor only led to more questions. Some of his answers were not unexpected. He didn't think the powers that be would be interested in adding a common man to their ranks.

"Plants, huh? You would make us each a brew of this potion to take with us then if we found the plant, which I'm sure we would. That would be our reward?"

While he waits for the proprietor to enlighten them on the topic of payment, he watches Cutwell with a skeptical yet playful eye. The man was funny even if he embellished his talents and instruments a bit.

Sow makes eye contact with Freki when he mentions the starlight blossom; the girl merely gives him an acknowledging look, then returns to her tea... which she quite likes. She is quiet through the rest of the hair-cutting caper, though perhaps gives a wide-eyed smirk to Thorn when Cutswell takes things right down to the skin. She does not answer the question of how the freshly-shorn man looks, but she rises at the mention of going to see Dario.

"I had the same thought," she offers quietly, that scratch edging her words. "We need to understand this place before we simply rush for the ruins. Put some coins in our pockets. Improve our equipment."

"Jabberings half the craft!"
Cutwell retorts with a smile, before returning to his humming. "Though it’s a bit like being a coachman, ain't it? Meaning that we take or leave the jabbering depending on what the man in the chair decides!"

Finishing up, he stands by as the work is examined:

"Never looked younger, have you? Your mother would think of the day you were born if she saw you now, wouldn’t she?"

Then, as talk of taking up employment is made, Cutwell tries to do quick maths in his head:

"Well, how many leaves would we need before we’re allowed to keep enough for our brews and six for yourself?" he asks, trying to count up the share for Dario on top of it all!

Approaching as Cutwell starts to clean up, a little smirk marks Sow’s face as she reaches out to touch the top of Freki’s now shaved head, rubbing it briefly. "It will — will be cooler," she says softly, amused by the whole affair.

Thorn, quite pleased with his bargaining prowess becomes slightly deflated when Cutwell gets right down to the economics of the tea leaf deal.

"Hmph," is all he deigns to say on that subject, while turning his attention to the freshly shorn Freki. "You look different, Freki. Marginally better, I'd say," he retorts with a wink.

"All joking aside, after further reflection I think Freki and Sow are right. Get the lay of the land and then strike out on our own. But we need to know how much Dario will pay. If it's peanuts, then we will have to rethink our plans. "

"A little rub for good luck, eh" he winks at Sow with a smile.

Freki laughs at Thron's jibe and replies, "Marginally better than you, I'll take it!"

"Alright, I'll go introduce us and see what he's willing to offer."

Freki makes his way over to the man that Emir called Dario Gallo and says with a smile, "Hello there, the name's Freki," he nods in greeting and then continues, "I couldn't help but over hear earlier that you are in need of good workers. My companions and I may be able to help you." Freki gestures back to the rest of the party and then asks, "What exactly would the work entail and what do you pay? Are there any other benefits of working with you other than gold?"

Freki notices the skepticism in Dario's eyes when they pass over Sow. "Don't worry about the kid ... Her looks are deceiving, she's a tough little rodent and probably has the best knowledge and eye for plants out of all of us. I wouldn't be surprised if you're paying her 30 gold a day by the end of the week!"

Freki's eye brows had raised when he hears 3 gold per day, knowing that's not a great rate. It comes with a promise of increasing based on merit, which seems fair and the level of protection does sound good, but he's not sure the rest of the party will be sold on it.

"That seems pretty reasonable to me, but I'm going to be honest, that's a bit lower than my friends will be expecting. We haven't come this far to risk our lives for a wage that we could have made back home for easier work. We aren't just an extra set of hands, we bring genuine skills."

"I've already told you about the girl, Sow, but the tall guy with the metal arm is a doctor, Dr. Cutwell. If you have any injured, he'll be able to fix them up good."

"The good looking fellow on the otherside is Thorn. He was a soldier and well I don't know how many fighters you've met, but you don't keep those looks if your skills in combat don't exceed them."

"And I was the gamekeeper at the University of ... well, it's no more so don't matter, but I know how to handle animals and from the rumors I've heard, there's some strange ones down in that jungle, so I might be helpful too."

"So if you can give us each 5 gold a day to start, then I think I can convince them to help you out. Of course, if you're not desperate, we'll take some time to consider the 3 gold as explore what other options are around Vanguard."

Cutwell stands by, blade hovering about as he watches on:

"Alright, anyone else for a cut? Our man is busy with the broom, and the knife is out! Little bit off the top for you, Sow? Caught you admiring my work, didn’t I?"

As the conversation rattles on across the way, Cutwell’s face scrunches up as a hand is waved his way:

"He’s talking about me, ain’t he? Ears are burning!"

Freki waves over the others and explains the deal that he's made.

"Don't you touch a single hair on my head, Cutwell or you'll never cut another head again." Thorn winks at the barber, but he sort of means it. He was forced to endure living with a shaved head during his time as a convict, so his locks were as precious as gold to him now.

When Freki returns and starts explaining the deal he hashed out, Thorn's eyebrows waggle along stopping short at the meager wage.

"That's still stingy by all accounts, but I suppose since we are unknown to the man it's an investment in our future. Well done in at least getting him to raise the amount."