Zachary hopes Joseph doesn’t think he didn’t notice the bracketing together of “alchemists” and “deviants”, but keeps mum. A payday is a payday, after all!
“As you gentlemen did most of the work, I shall allow you to divide the gold amongst yourselves, while i content myself with these nearly worthless baubles.”
Bluff Check here.
“The basis of a healthy company is a fair split of the proceeds, my friend,” says Joseph evenly. “We can certainly have the gems appraised to ensure that no one of us is being unduly burdened by these… worthless baubles.”
IIRC Harald has decent Sense Motive. Plus, come on, you’d have to be dead to believe a diamond is a “worthless bauble”
“Mate, after all we’ve been through, do you really think you can dwarf us out ? Do you think it *safe *?”
The Brute just smiles at Giacomo.
Well, shows his teeth, anyway.
Ok, Ok, can’t blame a guy for trying…
“On closer inspection, these are clearly much more valuable than I first surmised. If we wish to exchange them tonight, I know where we could get 2500 for them. Possibly we could get more, but not if we want to sell the gems tonight. Hmm, a genuine diamond. I could have sworn it was cubic zirconium?”
I try my best diplomacy check on the group.
so apple cider may want to weigh in on this, but the way I’ve always played is that social skills aren’t really applicable on other players. If you want to decide us, you’ve got to actually deceive us (maybe in the future our kindly DM could pm you with information that is sensitive if that’s a route you want to take.) Likewise you don’t need to make a diplomacy check to apologize - every player has the agency to decide on his own whether he forgives you. Just my two cents.
I’ve been in a real world game where our INT and WIS scores would determine our reactions, but I know that might not be appropriate for a Message board game. Either way is fine by me.
Whichever. Attempts to rook one’s fellow party members can lead to ill-feeling, although possibly not to the extent of the campaign that died on the second session when the half-orc assassin (“I’ve got 12 charisma, your character can’t tell I’m a half-orc”) decided to rat the entire party out to the orcs they’d just met so he could get the pick of their gear. He got what he was after… and unfortunately the rest of them (“us” if I had not been absent for the session) didn’t feel like rolling up new characters after the TPK.
Gicaomo senses some hostility.
“Gentlemen, Gentlemen! Why so serious, this was a mere regrettable jest on my part! Clearly, I thought the value of these gems obvious to all, and was merely attempting some levity. A poor attempt on my part I suppose, but I intended no harm! Apologies for any offense caused. So I pu it to you fine fellows, 2500 gold now, or do we wait till we have more time, and try to get a better return?”
yeesh.
[Out of game] I’m going away till the 7th, and will have spotty internet. If I don’t check in, I’ll go along with the group. If appleciders can NPC me for the next few days, that would be fine. I’ll try to check in via phone.[OOG]
Personally, I’m not a fan of the Diplomacy and related skills in D&D in general, even with NPCs; I think that a talker should actually, you know, talk, not roll, if he’s trying to persuade anyone of anything, and that goes double if he’s trying to persuade PCs. To that end, I don’t allow Bluff or similar checks against party members for things that are out-of-character knowledge and I tend to be rather harsh with circumstance penalties even when a PC has some secret knowledge that the other PCs don’t even know out-of-character. This medium is really great for preserving the bright, harsh line between in-character and out-of-character knowledge, which I do love about forum play, so I’m critical of any attempt to lie to party members about things like that, especially when any fool could see that these are real gems, not glass or paste imitations.
In short, Larry, no one buys your attempt to devalue the gems.
Marco squints quizzically at this party interaction, then shrugs and nods. “Very well, then. I’ll see you tomorrow for a second job offer.”
If any of you have plans for how to spend your earnings (that’s about 850 in easily divisible gold, plus the value of the gems) in the meantime, this would be the time. It’s early afternoon and you’ve got the rest of this day (Wednesday, if it matters), this evening and tonight, plus Thursday morning to act before Marco expects an audience.
I’m going to hoard my share for now, minus the cost of a large feast plus a night at a good local house of ill repute - nothing much useful I can buy for myself with 1.200 gp and change, since I already have a de-facto +1 weapon and wouldn’t benefit from upgrading my chainmail to a breastplate.
I guess I could splurge on a +1 chainmail but eh 
The actual cash will be divided into smaller sums and hidden in safe locations - bootsoles, underwear, chainmail padding, bedroll lining etc. Always with the trust issues ! 
Joseph divides the gold between the party members and leaves the gems with Giacomo to sell at his best discretion. He’ll have a meal at the tavern with whomever else wants to partake and then make his way to the city’s Jewish Quarter to make contact with the Jewry and tithe a hundred gold to the local synagogue.
I will sell the gems as quickly as possible, even though it might mean getting less than I might.
[brokencomputerbackfromtheshop]I’d like to have my bird follow Marco (surrepetitiously-hopefully she won’t get mobbed by any other birds…).
Glad you guys didn’t leave without me, been out of town for a few. Regarding the jewels/money split, I’m good with what you all decided. I do want to say, I don’t have an issue with PCs doing a little backstabbing. We’re big boys (and girls?)and games with everyone being goody-goody are boring as all heck.
If it’s not too late… Taye approaches Giacomo and whispers
“Friend, during your ‘duties’ this evening do you think you can find out where the Marionis’ are being held? It may be all well to continue in service to the Doge, but… having an alternate source of income is always desirable. Yes?”
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
I will do gather information and local knowledge checks as I try to sell the jewels. Also, appleciders, check your pms
Taye will join Joseph for dinner, mainly to get his ideas on where the party is heading. When he heads to the synagogue Taye will do a bit of tavern hopping searching for a Portuguese interpreter. Drinking NO alcohol, well watered-down wine at the most.
Taye successfully finds a Portuguese wine merchant, here in Genoa to peddle his excellent wines and brandies. Over a sampling of such, he agrees to do a thorough translation for 50 gold pieces.
Checked, and responded to tonight, I promise.
This being your hometown, you easily manage to sell the gems for 2750 gold bezants and florins, a well-known and highly valued Byzantine gold coin and an Italian coin of approximately equal value respectively, to one Jewish, one Italian, and one Elvish gem dealer.
Check the following…
Your falcon sees that Marco remains in the Doge’s palace for the rest of the evening and night, meeting with the Doge himself, with the Captain Achilles, and with Signore Alessio, whatever his title is. Marco and the Doge poring over maps of the Western Mediterranean, the Balearic Islands, Tunis, and Barcelona.
See above.
Sorry for the delay, folks; my life got busy and has stabilized. We’re at the end of the first adventure and transitioning into the second. If you’d like to continue playing, please post in this thread in the next few days. Don’t feel obligated to continue; I feel like waiting for seven players slows the game a little, and if anyone wants to bow out gracefully, this is a great opportunity. That said, I will certainly not kick anyone out, and if everyone would like to stay, you’re all welcome. Thanks for bearing with me through this last month.
Whoops, Taye specified no alcohol consumption. Consider those drinks feigned through sleight of hand and minor magic.