Middlebrough

Governors Mansion

Jacob threw the robe on, rings, and the necklace, each piece boosted the Charisma stat by either a percentage or hard numbers. The next couple hours his battle would be won or lost with words, although he did hide a wicked looking knife as well in his boot and another one up his sleeve. "This whole plan is idiotic, you are going in there with mercenaries. You should be going in there with the Dawn Guard or your War Party." Cathrine fumed as she studied Jacobs clothing and gaudy jewelry.

"So, do I look like a rich merchant? Someone completely non-threatening just looking to earn his next Gold piece?" Jacob asked her as he checked his status page and smiled as his Charisma had skyrocketed.

"Yes, you look like a rich fool and not who you are. Chalxae or June, talk some sense into him." Both Drow was less than pleased but not because of his part in the plan, but because they were not allowed to go with any of the infiltration teams.

Jacob smiled and hugged her before softly kissing her on the cheek, "I will always come back too you. I promise, nothing can keep us apart." Jacob told her as he left the room and went out to the main hall where his slaves were checking their own gear before slipping it into their inventories.

John looked up and nodded his head in acknowledgment as Jacob entered the main hall, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your last chance to back out now, remember you will not be punished in any way for backing out...Good, tell me your mission again." Jacob told John as he settled the robes over his shoulders once again.

"We will be your 'product' for your high-end customers. We will be going on sale tomorrow and we are going to be held near the Slave Pens. Our job once the distraction begins is to help you and the escort get the main doors open so the rest of the mercenary company can get in. Then we help break out all the slaves and then escape through portals that our team will open. The mercenary team will not be going through our portals, they will have their own. Our top priority is to free as many slaves as we can and get them through the portals." John replied while his other teammates looked on nodding their heads in agreement.

Darren barged into the hall followed by 10 heavily armed and armored figures who looked around and studied everything. The man leading the group looked at Jacob up and down while frowning, "I assume you are the one giving my brother heartburn for the last two weeks. I am Fred and this is my squad, I assume you are some sort of Rogue with the way you keep changing up your gear and style."

Darren coughed trying to hide his laughter while the three females laughed openly, assholes. "Warrior build and leave it at that. This is all Charisma gear to help us smooth things out, believe me, I miss my armor. These people are all here voluntarily on this crazy mission and are playing as the 'slaves' I plan on selling. As far as our contact knows, I sell to high-end clientele, so no one will be allowed to touch or mess with them. If they try, stop them gently the first time before getting brutal. Questions? Has anything changed on your side of the mission?"

Fred shook his head, "Nope, the only thing that has changed was Jax beefed up the number to 300 Myrmidons will be coming, not 200. No, we will not increase the price tag and nothing was disclosed to those who were not coming." Jacob frowned but nodded before turning to Darren and PMing him a couple of last minute instruction and details. He would be leaving soon as well to get in contact with both the Thieves and Assassins guilds. Two dozen Seekers were going on the mission and it was the biggest covert mission yet for the guild, but probably would not be the last.

"Ok thank you, gentlemen, remember everything that happens between now and when you get back to wherever you are going is all covered under the NDA, DO NOT talk about anything you have seen or hear in regards to this mission," Jacob told the Mercenaries who all nodded.

Jacob sent reassuring thoughts toward Cathrine before pulling her into a hug and kiss. Jacob then moved over and slapped Chalxaes ass before pulling June into a hug and kissed her cheek. "I will see you all at home in a few hours, make sure everything is prepared," Jacob told Cathrine who grudgingly nodded. She might have the harder job of corraling and controlling the thousands of former slaves that were about to be dumped into the main square of Eternal Night. Most would be moved within a couple of days, but until then, the Tomb would be stretched to its limits once again. Jacob turned and watched as the infiltration team put the hoods over their heads after putting their 'chains' on and lining up in pairs. Fred's team quickly picked up the hint and lined up on either side as Jacob moved to the head of the group with Fred and a Rogue type who smiled glanced at the three women then gave him a thumbs up. Jacob chuckled as he broke open the seal on the scroll if only he knew the whole truth he thought.

Anchorhead

Lower City- Slavers District

"As you can see, our security is top notch my friend, we have thousands of slaves waiting to be sold yet none have ever escaped. We employee a little over 800 Mercenaries at this location and could easily double that number quickly if I contact the right people. We even have our own docks for drop off and pick up if necessary. My friends in the Union speak very highly of you and your private auctions my friend, but I have never heard of you before." Yolmde said as they walked past the Slave Pens, each one packed to the maximum, sometimes more than.

Jacob smiled disarmingly while inside he was trying to control his anger, "That's because all the right people get paid, my friend. Everyone gets a cut of the profits, just like you will if this auction goes off without a hitch tomorrow. My clientele is...very careful about their purchases. Certain powers in the north had heard rumors, so I thought better to change the venue of where I sold my products and this city was the most commonly accepted among my buyers. That is why I contacted you a month ago, to see if you would be willing to play host to such a function, at a cost of course." Jacob smiled at the man who chuckled.

"Of course my friend, everything costs money. Anchorhead although strategic in our trade is hardly invaluable. My brethren consider this a backwater, but because I run it so well they refuse to let me go anywhere else." Yolmde lamented.

Jacob smiled, "Well if everything goes well tomorrow and my customers leave happy, perhaps I will whisper in the right ears and get you a new assignment. I will, of course, expect an introduction to your successor before you leave." Jacob stated. A constant cascade of Alerts about his Charisma check succeeding had happened since they had arrived, the latest one was no surprise.

"If I had only met you months ago, this place is turning into a worse shit hole then it used to be." Yolmde softly said conspiracy.

Jacob smiled and leaned in closer, "What is wrong my friend, perhaps I can help."

"The local Lord has become too greedy, he has demanded more profits otherwise he threatened to revoke our license to use this city. Lord Eadwin Saltrake has the people convinced he is considering the matter because 'his heart has been touched by the suffering of the slaves,' more like he thinks his purse strings are suffering. It is no matter, my friend. The Union is tired of him causing trouble and information about the true business between him and us has already been released to certain people and we will be dealing with him shortly." The last Yolmde stated with all the venom the rancid man could muster.

"Good, the man should learn the permanent lesson that the most basic principles of this world, Gold and Greed, can drive a man to do almost anything. I am sure his successor will take the lesson to heart.' Jacob replied, 'Now if you do not mind I need to settle my products down for the night before I rest myself."

"Your product should know discipline and know what to do when they are told." A nearby guard said causing Yolmde to wince but before the Union representative could say anything Jacob signaled him to stop while he walked over to the guard and put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close.

"My customers by my premium stock because we do not use the same methods you do to discipline them. Our lessons are far more effective and longer lasting, but it also requires more investment in time and patience. This results in a better product long term. You see those locals behind me, they will fetch anywhere between 200,000 and 500,000 Gold each, the Immortal will start at 1,000,000 Gold each. So when I say if you touch any of my products and soil them, I will pay your friends to spend time skinning you then cutting you into tiny pieces. I will then have your skull mounted on that cabin as a warning to any other guard who thinks they know how to discipline my products, is that understood?" Jacob asked the guard pleasantly.

The guard stuttered out an apology for offending Jacob which caused him to smile even wider, "If I was offended my friend, I would not have given you the warning. My people will take care of any discipline or security of my products and myself. Thank you for your concern." Jacob told the guard before walking toward the oversized cage.

It was larger than normal Slave Pens, housed a dozen bunk beds and even had an enclosed bathroom offering privacy to those contained within. "This pen is designed to hold Gladiators that are being held here before travel or sale. It is a notch above our other regular pens" Yolmde stated as Jacob inspected it.

"Yes, this will do nicely my friend, thank you for giving me your best, I will not forget it you have my word." Jacob told him in clear dismissal as he waved the line of 'slaves' forward. In a few hours, Yolmde would be dead and all these slaves would be gone.