I have an issue with 2 characters. One is a gnome thief, forced into becoming a spy, posing as a traveling salesman. The other is a Half ogre. What plausible reason could the gnome come up with, given his cover, to have the Half Ogre with him. The only thing I have come up with so far is part of the gnomes job this trip was to recruit guards for the company's shipment. Be that doesn't feel like it would be a good explanation, and maintain the cover. I welcome any creative suggestion, especially those with a touch of the stainless steel rat. Thanks
Hiring muscle was my first thought. But how about, the half ogre is there to carry/cart the goods that the gnome has for sale?
A bit more context here. The equipment being sold is large, think 1800s horse drawn farming equipment. So the sales routine is more off sketches and plans. For smaller items that would have been a logical approach. Thanks for giving it some thought
What is the half-ogres actual reason for being there? The best cover would probably still have aspects of the real job to it. Is the half-ogre another spy, and thus on equal footing to the gnome? In that case just have them be business partners. Or is there a reason that a gnome and a half-ogre can't be business partners?
They characters met after the half orge was driven from his tribe, and isn't the sharpest crayon in the box. I would post the meeting scene, but that might be a policy violation in this thread.
After reviewing the forum rules, I don't see anything that would prohibit posting the scene, to give context to my question. If a moderator feels there is an issue, feel free to delete this post, and let me know the exact issue. That said here is the meeting scene, that will hopefully clarify the situation I am requesting some assistance with. Note, Og can't say the letter R. The knee deep snow did little to slow OG as he trudged across the tundra. The big man shivered as he moved through the storm and the deep snow it left in his path. “Gampa dead, tibe say OG look to much like enemy to live with them. They not have to throw stones at OG.” He moaned into the wind. Standing over 7’ tall, he was a huge brute of a man. He stumbled falling into the snow drifts. He slowly pushed himself back to his feet, with an obvious effort, and continued to trudge forward. He didn’t seem to have a direction or a goal for his travel, other than away from what was behind him. “Why everyone hate OG.” He moaned with a deep misery in his voice. “OG only help tibe.” OG stumbled again, falling next to a boulder. It was difficult to tell if his arms were trembling from exhaustion or shivering violently with cold during his effort to get back on his feet, then they collapsed on him. The effort too much for even his great strength. As he lay there, strength spent, the wind blown snow slowly covering him, he wept, tears of pain and frustration flowing freely, and freezing to his face. Some time later, a cursing gnome on a pony came into view. He was moving slowly his pony and the pack animal following him struggling through the snow. He looked around in the dim light, and spied a boulder sticking up from the snow, and headed that way. He began to move snow from the lee of the boulder, and as he did he began to uncover a huge body. He quickened his pace, uncovering the body, and clearing a space for his tent. He got his tent setup, as quickly as his numb fingers would allow, then got a small brazier and firewood from his pack animal, and got a fire going inside the tent. He was just able to get the big man’s face inside the door of the tent, the rest of him was just to heavy for the gnome to move. As the tent warmed, Elawn could see the ice melting from the man’s face, and a twitch in his cheek. Once his hands had warmed enough, Elawn went back outside and set up a trap to break the wind for his animals, and cover the big man a bit more, piling snow around the area to help break the wind even more. Reentering the tent, he tied the flap back, allowing the fire’s warmth to spread under the trap. The big man’s eyes fluttered open. And in a cracked voice he said,” Who you?” The deep sound startled the Elawn. “I’m called Elawn, rest now friend, you were half frozen when I found you.” “Fend?” the deep voice rumbled, and the eyes slowly closed. By morning the big man had recovered enough, and he tried to rise. “Don’t,” Elawn called. “The tent isn’t big enough.” The big man stopped and blinked then turned his head to look up, His face brushing the tent canvas as he did. “Sowy,” he rumbled in his deep bass baritone. “fend?” Elawn was visibly surprised by the question in the word. “Is there a reason we can’t be friends, big guy?” the mental wheels turning in the gnome’s eyes, his face was a poker mask. “OG not have fends. Tibe hate OG.” This statement made Elawn stop, and a puzzled look crossed his face, the speech was odd, but he puzzled it out. Then he continued grabbing a pot and some food, starting breakfast. When the porridge with chucks of sausage was done, Elawn filled his bowl, and another for OG. Elawn blinked in surprise as OG, tipped the bowl into his mouth, emptying it. “Moe please, OG hungy.” Elawn watched visibly amazed and OG emptied the pot, and used his fingers to get every last scrap from it.
