**Built off the Gilt District, where the Eilen River tumbles off the edge of Ash, a squat building carved into the mountainside sits in contrast to the bright, well-tended shops of the guild vendors and traders. This is the Last Chancer's Club, headquarters of The Boys and home to the displaced, disavowed, and inevitably soon-to-be dismembered sellswords of Bakara.
Inside is equal parts military bunker and social club, with mercenaries of all stripes meeting with potential customers as well as unwinding between jobs. The roped off private club is always stuffed to the rafters with the cream and chafe of Bakaran adventuring society with every imaginable flavor of mercenary represented. Greel madcaps rub shoulders with solemn nzumbe, kindirin swornswords and dwarven lasses toss back Bitter End ale, jakari foresters and oscaran mankillers eye one another with equal parts suspicion and grudging respect, and all other manner of unlikely scenes play out every night as The Boys drink to another day stolen from the greedy mouth of Death.
Above it all, on a strange hill made of a stained yet comfortable Elexian armchair secured to a large pile of broken furniture known as the Mountain, the company captain Makeda Lupin can often be seen holding court, laughing uproariously at some shouted joke while spilling terrible beer everywhere. If Makeda is absent, however, the chair remains empty; there is only one Queen of the Mountain after all.
Every now and then a nervous looking new recruit will emerge from the back room to reveal a Bakaran Map tattoo on the back of his or her hand, prompting roaring cheers from the amassed mercenaries. This map marks the places the bearer has worked and the location a new recruit wishes to be buried, outlining the only two hard rules of mercenary work: You can choose your jobs, and you can choose where they'll throw your bones. Want more assurances than that? Be a banker.
This is the Last Chancer's Club, and this is where The Boys do their bloody business. It's a dangerous job, and no one has to do it. But what the hell. Who wants to be a banker anyway?**
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Goods and Services
The Boys - Currently Available for Hire: The Irregulars, The Muur, The Lasses, The Madcaps, The Misura and The Chasers.
Price - Varies QuickAugs - An alternative to certain imbues, these devices attach to metal weapons quickly and can be easily moved from weapon to weapon. Inserting a topaz or ruby will swathe the item in electricity or scalding steam. Crystals can be switched out easily.
Price - 65 gold
Vivian deBourgh had been walking for a long time and had finally arrived at his destination. The Last Chancer's Club was the home of the only mercenary group he knew and trusted. As he entered the bunker-like building he cast his eye towards the mountain of broken chairs.
**Before he could spoke it, the woman yelled out.**
Makeda - "Pull!"
**At her call, Makeda hurled her javelin just as a plate was chucked across the room. The two collided with a smash, bits of plate flying everywhere as a cheer when up across the room.**
**Makeda raised her hands in faux modesty, graciously accepting the applause as she sunk down in her chair and popped the cork from a bottle of something dark and frothing with her thumb.**
**Makeda nodded, snagging a pair of glasses from a passing table.**
Makeda - "Right, you've got that shop in Sylvan yeah? Last time I was in that place I nearly snapped some du Verre lordling's arm waltzing. Sylvan balls always have prettier boys, but far too fragile for a Wayfarer's Rose like me. Nicer dress shops too, though; of course your place wasn't open yet."
**She poured a glass of the frothy reddish amber liqueur, passing it to Vivian.**
**It smelled like peaches that had been set on fire, which oddly enough smelled rather good.**
Makeda - "Never used his shop myself; used Tissuer's once or twice. Most of your modiste don't know what to do with a woman who's not a twig with hair."
Makeda - "Right, makes sense. Well, that will definitely cost more. It's less dangerous than the usual work, but not all that much safer. Especially with a rival who hates you across the street. And most of our mercenaries like to take advantage of the typical short terms of their jobs to get other work done. But I'm sure we can make something work. What were you thinking for an offer?"
Vivian- 100 Gold for a reasonably extended period. If your boys would like to do other jobs I'd be happy to let them switch out with each other. And my offer to stitch up any of your men if and when they need it still stands.
Inside is equal parts military bunker and social club, with mercenaries of all stripes meeting with potential customers as well as unwinding between jobs. The roped off private club is always stuffed to the rafters with the cream and chafe of Bakaran adventuring society with every imaginable flavor of mercenary represented. Greel madcaps rub shoulders with solemn nzumbe, kindirin swornswords and dwarven lasses toss back Bitter End ale, jakari foresters and oscaran mankillers eye one another with equal parts suspicion and grudging respect, and all other manner of unlikely scenes play out every night as The Boys drink to another day stolen from the greedy mouth of Death.
Above it all, on a strange hill made of a stained yet comfortable Elexian armchair secured to a large pile of broken furniture known as the Mountain, the company captain Makeda Lupin can often be seen holding court, laughing uproariously at some shouted joke while spilling terrible beer everywhere. If Makeda is absent, however, the chair remains empty; there is only one Queen of the Mountain after all.
Every now and then a nervous looking new recruit will emerge from the back room to reveal a Bakaran Map tattoo on the back of his or her hand, prompting roaring cheers from the amassed mercenaries. This map marks the places the bearer has worked and the location a new recruit wishes to be buried, outlining the only two hard rules of mercenary work: You can choose your jobs, and you can choose where they'll throw your bones. Want more assurances than that? Be a banker.
This is the Last Chancer's Club, and this is where The Boys do their bloody business. It's a dangerous job, and no one has to do it. But what the hell. Who wants to be a banker anyway?**
--------------------------------------
Goods and Services
The Boys - Currently Available for Hire: The Irregulars, The Muur, The Lasses, The Madcaps, The Misura and The Chasers.
Price - Varies
QuickAugs - An alternative to certain imbues, these devices attach to metal weapons quickly and can be easily moved from weapon to weapon. Inserting a topaz or ruby will swathe the item in electricity or scalding steam. Crystals can be switched out easily.
Price - 65 gold
Makeda - "Pull!"
**At her call, Makeda hurled her javelin just as a plate was chucked across the room. The two collided with a smash, bits of plate flying everywhere as a cheer when up across the room.**
Vivian- This is a step up from the corner booth at the King of Adventure.
Makeda - "We needed some more elbow room."
**She hopped down from her perch.**
Makeda - "So! Is this a social call or business? The club's always open for past partners, after all."
Makeda - "Right, you've got that shop in Sylvan yeah? Last time I was in that place I nearly snapped some du Verre lordling's arm waltzing. Sylvan balls always have prettier boys, but far too fragile for a Wayfarer's Rose like me. Nicer dress shops too, though; of course your place wasn't open yet."
**She poured a glass of the frothy reddish amber liqueur, passing it to Vivian.**
Vivian- Right. Did you know I set up shop opposite my old employer? You should have seen the old codger's face.
Makeda - "Never used his shop myself; used Tissuer's once or twice. Most of your modiste don't know what to do with a woman who's not a twig with hair."
Vivian- Tissuer is terrible even by Sylvan standards. Far too much focus on fitting the trends instead of following their own personal styles.
Makeda - "I've never been one for the Sylvan styles anyway. They are always cut far too high or far too low."
Vivian- Right. Now, I'd like to discuss hiring on a Muur to protect my shop.
Makeda - "We're talking semi-permanently?"
Makeda - "Right, makes sense. Well, that will definitely cost more. It's less dangerous than the usual work, but not all that much safer. Especially with a rival who hates you across the street. And most of our mercenaries like to take advantage of the typical short terms of their jobs to get other work done. But I'm sure we can make something work. What were you thinking for an offer?"
Vivian- Deal.
Makeda - "Well, that was easy enough."