A red sun dawns and stains the waters of the Jeggare blood-red. The black towers of Castle Korvosa stand tall and ominous against the lightening sky. The first signs of spring have begin to show, but the whispered conversations that fly in the markets and taverns are not of the coming renewal. Instead, they speak of curses and illness. The king is dying, and all seem powerless to stop the sickness that has gripped him. The young queen, his wife, is spoken of in spits and crude epithets, and many fear that her rise will spell the misfortune of many. It is the castle's worst-kept secret that Queen Ileosa despise "this backwater colony," and Korvosa returns her hatred ounce for ounce, but there is another who is more despised.
Gaedren Lamm, a king of a worse sort. He rules a tin kingdom built upon the ruin and misfortune of others. Many of Korvosa's lower classes have felt the pain he brings. Some were orphans under his care, but many more are parents or family of those who've gone missing only to be found dead in some alley or those who gave in to the effects of Shiver and other vices the crooked man peddles. Rumors about him show he's in better health, and just as slippery as ever.
As the city awakens, four of her citizen's go about their morning as usual, save a small detail...
I know what Gaedren has done
to you. He has wronged me as
well. I know where he dwells,
yet cannot strike at him. Come
to my home at 3 Lancet Street
at sunset. Others like you will
be there. Gaedren must face his
fate, and justice must be done.
I know what Gaedren has done
to you. He has wronged me as
well. I know where he dwells,
yet cannot strike at him. Come
to my home at 3 Lancet Street
at sunset. Others like you will
be there. Gaedren must face his
fate, and justice must be done.
I know what Gaedren has done
to you. He has wronged me as
well. I know where he dwells,
yet cannot strike at him. Come
to my home at 3 Lancet Street
at sunset. Others like you will
be there. Gaedren must face his
fate, and justice must be done.
I know what Gaedren has done
to you. He has wronged me as
well. I know where he dwells,
yet cannot strike at him. Come
to my home at 3 Lancet Street
at sunset. Others like you will
be there. Gaedren must face his
fate, and justice must be done.
Tusilak wakes well before the dawn. In the final, cold dark hours of the night he seeks a peace hard to find with the presence of the city encroaching on his soul. Casting his thoughts far into the night, at last he finds the place he seeks, a dark, quiet calm for meditation. Is it only imagination or does it take longer every night? Why did Thousand Bones bring me here? Will I ever find her? Tusilak tries to throw the doubts away and center again, but the moment is gone.
Frustrated, he breaks the trance, and stands. He bites back a curse before spotting the card. What the...? His eyes dart around the clearing within the Skaldwood, wondering who would intrude on his preparations for the day ahead, but no one is present. Hesitantly, he reaches for the card. One of those cards the Varisians seem to treat with such reverence. I wonder what it represents? A message? After considering the image, he turns it over and reading the words, the blood seems to chill in his veins. Gaedren? Lamm? Could it be?
With the rays of the sun breaking over the trees, Tusilak leaves the wood. Most of his people still sleep, but he knows the city guards have become all too familiar with him in recent weeks. Best lead I've had. Maybe this will prove to be the one. With a new hope he enters the city to see what he can learn about the location.
Raina groans as the mid-morning sun finally forces her out from underneath the covers, having tossed and turned in bed for the better part of an hour now. Her head pounded like a stampede across the Storval Plains and her mouth tasted like a tomcat had taken a piss in it. The night before had been a celebration (or perhaps a commiseration?) down at the local watering hole; one of the regulars from Old Tusk's had finally pulled his finger out and proposed to his long-term girlfriend, and the rest had shouted him out to send off his final day of true freedom. Raina had enjoyed the night, but the bitter realisation that she would probably never feel that kind of closeness towards another left the night with a sour aftertaste. Much like whatever pigswill she'd been drinking last night, in fact.
Midway through pulling a shirt over her head, Raina does a double-take at the sight of a strange card placed conspicuously on her bedside table, her heartbeat immediately skyrocketing. She spends the next ten minutes creeping around her cramped apartment in her underwear, checking and double-checking for signs of an intruder or break-in. In the end she inspects the mysterious card—and immediately tosses it on the ground, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and distress at the sight of that man's name. "Who the f~%!..." she mutters to herself, nervously running her hands through her hair. "Who in the F$$$..."
This didn't make sense! She didn't talk to anyone about what happened back then. Not even Haraku knew the whole story, although Raina suspected he knew more than what he let on. "... Sev...? ... No. That's impossible." For all the bitterness she held towards her former friend, she still felt that he would not intrude upon her home like this. "But who...?" After glaring at the card for another few minutes, in the end Raina pockets it and brings it with her when she leaves the house.
The card felt like it could burn a hole right through her pocket or that it weighed a thousand kilograms. Raina spends the rest of the day in a dazed state, nervously fingering the card in her pocket, barely paying attention to what others are saying or doing. After almost knocking out her training partner with her inattentiveness, her Shoanti trainer angrily sends her out of the gym, telling her to get a hold of herself before she dares to step back into the ring. An idle threat for the most part, but Raina nonetheless leaves with her tail between her legs.
Unable to get the card out of her mind, and with no particular need to be anywhere, Raina casually asks around about the address mentioned on it. She is quite surprised by the result, in fact. A Varisian fortune-teller...? That's right, they use those special fortune-telling cards, don't they? She frowns. Can they really tell the future? Or look into the past...?
After fretting about it for another couple of hours, Raina convinces herself to at least check out the address, realising she would have another sleepless night should she ignore the offer. She turns up about an hour before sunset, making herself seem busy in the area and watching for signs of anyone else turning up.
Hakaru opens his eyes just as the first rays of light emerge in the sky. Even though it was his day off, the months of work had left his schedule as such. He turns towards his most valuable possession to double-check himself. Ah, yes. ""Aerodus." . He smiles to himself, a handsome face full of white teeth looks back at him. Too white for a commoner and a guard. Why didn't I notice this before? He continues to look in the mirror and his teeth yellow slightly. Much better. With a day off, that usually meant one thing to the kistune - "shopping" and exploration. Though he had been in the city for some time, there was still much to learn and many people to see....
So lost was he in his thoughts that it took him a few minutes to see it - the card. As he read the message his pulse quickened Finally! Today will be fun. I must prepare myself. And it has been too long since I have seen Raina... Hakaru changes into his normal "street clothes" and then glances in the mirror again - we can't have the city guard stealing on the streets of Korvosa . His appearance changes to a slightly older, out-of-shape, balding man, non-descript in almost even way except for a slightly large nose. He smiles at himself once more and his teeth become more crooked and chipped. Perfect.
An hour before sunset, there is an up-beat knock on Raina's apartment door and she hears a familiar voice, "You really could have hurt that man today, you know...." . The voice sounds oddly excited.
.
Sev awakes in a cold sweat, covered in goose feathers and scraps of linen. He lay there staring at the ceiling of the dodgy inn room and panting heavily, as though he'd been running from his nightmares and only barely escaped their grasp. All around him, the tell-tale signs of his night terrors were evident -- he had torn the bed to shreds with his claws.
Looking out the crack in the wall of this windowless room, he could tell by the golden stream of light that dusk was fast approaching. Just then, a heavy pounding on the flimsy wooden door of the room broke the silence.
"I know you're in there, devil. Pay for another night or get out."
It was the innkeeper. If he saw this mess, things were going to get ugly. There weren't any windows to duck out of this time around. Quietly, he slipped into the space behind where the door would open. A moment later, the burly owner jammed his key into the lock and threw the door open.
, was all the innkeeper managed to get out before the blunt trauma to the back of his skull sent him reeling to the floor and into the murky depths of unconsciousness.
The tiefling who had stepped out from behind the door to deliver the blow pulled his hood up over his head and quietly closed the door. A curious head peeked out of a neighboring room in the hallway, but once they'd caught sight of Sev, the door was abruptly slammed shut.
I need to leave.
As he checked his gear, he noticed something off. What's this?, he thought as he plucked a mysterious card out of his belt. Before he had the time to read it, he could hear the muffled cries of the innkeeper's rotund, loud-mouthed wife. The guards were here -- he could hear their clanking boots. Thinking back to the previous evening, he remembered that the innkeeper's wife was also the cook, and a lousy one at that. If she was out in the common room talking to the guards, she wouldn't notice him slip into the kitchen. He prayed there was a back door.
With seconds to spare, he managed to duck around the far corner of the hallway and into the kitchen. There's no door...
"He was just here, I'm telling you! OH! My Rupert!", the fat hag screamed from the hallway as she found her husband laying unconscious in a room that looked like a wild animal had been caged inside.
The sounds of heavy boots on the old wooden floor began to clatter urgently in the direction of the kitchen. The tiefling had to think fast. He didn't have any weapons on him, but he knew he could tear out the throat of a guard if he had to.. but there were at least four.. no -- five. Just then, he noticed a grate on the floor beneath the suspended cauldron in the center of the kitchen. It must have been there to catch the runoff. He pushed the pot aside temporarily and yanked the grate by the bars. It was stiff, but he managed to get it open. The smell of rot nearly knocked him unconscious, and he reeled for a moment before tumbling into the narrow opening. He didn't have enough time to replace the grate, and the cauldron slowly swung back and forth over the hole... they were going to find him. It was then that he realized where he was.
This is the sewer.
He'd never been more happy to be in such filth, and immediately began crawling through the dark tunnels where he knew the guards wouldn't easily follow.
A few minutes later, he could hear some familiar voices on the street above that gave him a good idea of where he was. He discreetly exited the sewer as the sun began to set.
Damnit. I was supposed to meet Nirala to talk hours ago. She'll be livid if I show up now.
He flicked the mysterious card out of his belt once more, and the relief of escaping the guards turned into a bitter teeth-grinding anger.
Is this some kind of joke? It's probably Lamm himself trying to lure me into a trap. I'll show him.
Sev made his way towards the location on the card, but stopped a few streets away to climb onto the rooftops. Carefully and quietly, he crept past dark windows and between many a chimney on his way to the vantage point he desired. Finally, he could see the street and the location where he was supposed to be arriving. A familiar figure seemed to be loitering outside.
Raina?
He almost lost his footing. His back was pressed against the brick column of a chimney on the roof of a row house across the street from where Raina stood. He slid down to a seated position and watched; waited.
A couple of shingles fall from the roof where he almost slipped. They clatter noisily as they impact the street below.
Damnit.
Mid-way through getting ready to leave, a knock on the door causes Raina to almost jump ten feet into the air in shock. I'm too on-edge about this thing... Get a grip, Raina! Gritting her teeth, she answers the door with trepidation, and arches a brow at the familiar (albeit mysterious) figure beyond.
"This isn't some sick joke you're playing, is it?" she demands of Aerodus in lieu of a greeting, pulling the card out of her pocket and shoving it in his face. "Because it's not funny. At all." Of course, Aerodus is as none-the-wiser as to the reason behind the missive as she is, and indeed has one of his own. Eventually the two acquaintances agree to head to the address together, although Raina is visibly reluctant. "I don't like this one bit," she admits to Aerodus en route. "It's creepy as all f!!$. How do we know... he hasn't found out our addresses or something?"
Loitering somewhat inconspicuously outside of the home at 3 Lancet Street, Raina doesn't even blink as a couple of shingles clatter to the ground nearby. She's too busy trying to see if this was a trap or not.
A slight smile never seems to leave Aerodus' face even in the face of Raina's rage. It was almost as if the handsome man expected this reaction. "I brought you a gift," he states pulling out the card. When the warrior pulls out her own card he is genuinely surprised, even though he tries to hide it. "Well, not so much a gift then." He sits down and puts his feet up even though it is clear from her stance that Raina has no intention of talking casually. "I knew this day would come! It's our opportunity to wipe out this scourge on our city. I picked up some trinkets along the way." He opens the side of his cloak to reveal his spoils of the day and winks at her.
Raina's continued glare lets him know that she really has no patience for this - not on this day. He stands up just as Raina nearly pushes him out the door.
When he arrives at 3 Lancet Street, Tusilak takes a moment to looks up and down the street, seeing the night's shadows beginning to envelope the area and scanning for trouble. He reaches his hand forward and knocks on the scarred wooden door, "Hello?"
You do know that Varisians revere the Harrow, even though it seems this age has a multitude of unfulfilled prophecies and divinations. You also know that those that practice the art legitimately are among the most respected in Varisian culture.
Strange, has something happened...or could this be a trap set for me by this Lamm? Tusilak knocks again, a little louder and more urgently. "Hello, you send me a message this morning. I have come to see what you have to tell. Is anyone home?"
For a moment, Tusilak considers reaching for the door, but caution halts his hand. Too many tales of prejudice in the city cause him to worry that this could be a setup. Instead he steps just to the side of the door and with his back to the door, looks up and down the street for the return of the occupant.
As Raina and Aerodus approach the residence on Lancet Street, she quietly thinks back on the scene she caused earlier that day at Old Tusk's Gym. Both of them were worried about her now--they worried too much, really--but she now had the sinking feeling that perhaps they were right. Maybe she was getting herself caught up in something dangerous...
Never mind them. I'm not so stupid as to get caught up in anything again, Raina convinces herself, unconsciously clenching her fists. I'm not so weak anymore either.
When they get close enough, Raina catches sight of a Shoanti man lurking just outside of the address. Leaving Aerodus behind, she grits her teeth and stomps on up to him, her eyes flashing with irritation.
"Was it you?!" she demands angrily, apparently expecting him to have more of a clue than she did. Of course, the fact that he was quite taller than herself didn't really aid in her attempts to seem threatening. "What is going on here?!"
He took his time climbing down the latticework on the side of the row house and down to the street where the three of them stood.
"You think this is funny?", he harshly yells in the direction of the trio.
He holds up the card from across the street, directing his stern question towards Raina.
"Who are these two clowns? Some hired muscle?"
Sev approaches with calculated steps and looks both Tusilak and Aerodus over appraisingly.
"You should get your money back."
Before she can pester Tusalik too much, Raina is surprised out of the blue by a familiar face, albeit a not too welcome one. She stares, dumbfounded, at Sev for a few moments, her face a whirlwind of emotion; shock, confusion, fright, anger, hopefulness, suspicion, hurt, curiosity...
Only a few moments, mind you. Once she gathers her wits again, the stern glare is back, this time focused on the tiefling. The coincidence of now TWO people she knew--and one of them whom she really didn't want to see, especially considering the circumstances--getting this ridiculous calling card was getting on her nerves something fierce. It was all too suspicious for words. "What are YOU doing here?" she grumbles, watching Sev warily. "Is this your doing? You didn't throw me to the dogs yet again, did you?"
"And, no. Unlike some people, I actually do honest work myself. I definitely don't need to hire people. I don't know that one," she jerks her head towards Tusalik, "but this guy is... an acquaintance. Not that it's your business, really."
Assuming nobody has any clear answers for her as to what is going on, Raina will curse loudly and promptly bang on the door before opening it. If the door is locked, she'll attempt to bust it open with a shoulder charge into it.
Tusilak turns to regard the woman as she moves to assault the door, "You might consider patience sister. I smell baking bread inside. If the resident is not at home, he or she will probably return shortly. I am Tusilak Stalks Twilight and I am here because of a promise I would learn more about a man I seek. The one called Gaedren Lamm."
Aerodus opens his mouth to introduce himself to the Shoanti. This IS getting interesting. Let your charm lead the way. Before he gets a word out, however, Raina is accosting the man. He smirks to himself. I should have expected that. She's not really afraid of anything, is she?
When the... odd looking one appears Aerodus does not look the least bit surprised. "If you insist on skulking on the rooftops, you may want to do so more quietly, friend." Only half turning back he states, "I am Aerodus, an acquaintance of Raina's. And we both have a mutual interest in being here tonight." He calmly produces his own Harrow card as he walks non-threateningly towards the man. "May I?" he asks, gesturing towards he card and indicating he would like a better look.
He compares the two cards and sees that they are indeed from the deck. He offers the card back to the man and turns towards Tusilak. Using the customary greeting of the Shoanti people, Aerodus introduces himself. "It seems fate brings us all together to face that cur Gaedren Lamm."
While Aerodus is making introductions, he sees Raina force her way into the residence. He looks at Tusilak and just shrugs his shoulders before following her in. He clears his throat as he says, "Right behind you Raina...."
The cozy chamber within this small home is filled with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice. The haze comes from several sticks of incense smouldering in wall-mounted burners that look like butterfly-winged elves. The smoke itself seems to soften edges and gives the room a dream-like feel. The walls are draped with brocaded tapestries, one showing a black-skulled beast juggling men’s hearts, another showing a pair of angels dancing atop a snow-blasted mountain. A third tapestry on the far wall depicts a tall hooded figure shrouded in mist, a flaming sword held in a skeletal hand. Several brightly-colored rugs cover the floor, but the room’s only furnishings are a wooden table covered by a bright red throwcloth and several elegant tall-backed chairs. A basket covered by blue cloth sits under the table. On top of the basket is a note.
Thank you for coming. I had to step out for a bit, but shall return shortly. Please, have a seat while you wait. The basket under the table contains bread and drink for you.
Tusilak nods at Aerodus's greeting, "Be received...stranger. Indeed, by blood it be sworn that I will find him." The shamsn's eyes widen slightly as Raina forces her way into the domicile. "Is she always like this? We have a saying when anger overcomes us that our blood ignites. It would seem she may always be on fire."
Sev scoffs.
"A mutual interest?"
Is this your new , Raina?, he thought.
He spits on the street at the thought, like the very idea had filled his mouth with venom. Before he can get a real grasp on the situation, the two of them have already forced their way into the house. When Tusilak mentions Raina's behavior, he stops mid-step and jerks his neck to the side so hard it's a wonder his spine doesn't snap.
"Do you always talk about people when they're not around? Keep your mouth shut unless you want a fat lip."
Sev takes a deep breath, and with a pronounced exhale he seems to relax slightly. He's obviously extremely on edge in this situation, and seems to be a bit touchy when it comes to Raina. After taking a moment to calm himself, he addresses the Shoanti man again.
"Sorry. Just.. ignore me. Let's get off the street before the watch shows up."
Without another word, he hurries into the domicile behind Raina and Aerodus.
Upon seeing the note and the food:
"Don't eat or drink anything. Don't touch anything.", he harshly whispers as he glances around the room.
Either unaware of or pointedly ignoring Tusalik's suggestion to not just rudely barge into some unknown person's house and stomp around looking for someone to take out her frustration on, Raina makes her way inside. She coughs a little at the sudden overpowering scent of incense, covering her nose with one arm until she adjusts to the smell. Her previously furious pace slows dramatically as her eyes glide over the strange (and somewhat disturbing) tapestries until finally she pauses entirely upon discovering the basket. Taking the note in hand, she skims it, flips the card over to check if anything else was noted, and lets out a loud sigh of frustration.
"They're late to their own meeting?!" Raina asks no-one in particular, incredulous. "I can't believe this..."
Though hungrily eyeing the basket of bread, Raina nonetheless heeds Sev's warning to not touch the food. She takes a seat on one of the tall-backed chairs near the table, impatiently tapping her fingers on the table and watching for any sign of their host's return. She pointedly does not look at Sev the entire time.
"... by the way," she says out of nowhere after a couple of minutes, turning her attention to Tusalik, "I'm sorry for rough-handling you there. Honestly." She smiles weakly, although it's more of a grimace than a smile. "I'm just a little... tense."
She then says a few more words in a language unfamiliar to the other two men in the room.
Aerodus steps in the room and his reaction is the near opposite of Raina's. He takes a deep breath trying to take in as much of the smell as possible. His eyes shine with excitement as he looks around the room. He takes a look at the note after Raina is done with it, pulls back the blue cloth and picks out a _______ (insert food item), holding it in two fingers as (Sev) gives his warning. "Given this person knows where we live and who we are, if they wanted to harm us they could have done so already.... and, who are you?" He takes a bite as he walks around the room, inspecting the tapestries. He peers at certain scenes, and runs the cloth between his fingers, trying to figure out the quality.
The basket is full of loaves of bread and a few wineskins.
Sev's face contorts into a sickening and literally devilish grin as he ponders something known only to himself.
When asked who he is, the smile drops from his face.
"It doesn't matter."
The tiefling turns with a sharp twist of the hips, the force of which whips his black, scaly tail through the air with an audible whoosh. He makes his way over to the wall next to the door and leans against it, as if he were waiting to pounce on anyone who entered the house.
Satisfied with his tour of the room and the bread, Aerodus sits down across from Raina. He glances at her face for a few moments. She's taking this hard, and I think the presence of that miserable creature is making her more on edge. After a few minutes Aerodus begins to get a little bored, he turns to Tusilak and says, "What is your connection to Gaedren Lamm, Tusilak Stalks Twilight? Your people are usually wise enough to keep away from the messes us city folk create for ourselves."
Tusilak scans the room once the door is opened. Hesitantly, he follows everyone else into the room, scanning it for any sign of someone present.
When Aerodus addresses him, his head swivels to face the man and he replies, "Three weeks ago a young girl of the Sklar-Quah living in the Skaldwood went missing. As you may know, our people live in a tenuous peace with those in Korvosa. My clan, the Skoan-Quah, seek to improve our relationship between Shoanti and city-dwellers. This girls disappearance has caused great distress in the Sklar-Quah. They believe she has fallen victim to some violence or prejudice in the city. My mentor asked that I help investigate her disappearance. At first, it was difficult to find any information, but at last I learned a name...Lamm. Since that time, I have been tracking him in hopes of finding her. He has proven to be very elusive. This card..." He produces the card with the image of a stern women wearing the regalia of royalty common to the southern and eastern kingdoms and the message on the other side. "...has been my first solid lead. I am not familiar with these cards, though I believe them to be of special significance to the People of the Road. Do any of you know what it means? Perhaps it is another clue to this Lamm."
The last red rays of the sun fade as Korvosa falls fully into night.
Raina visibly twitches at the sudden references to that man. She seems almost about to say something when Tusilak mentions a little girl gone missing, but apparently reconsiders, closing her mouth and averting her eyes.
"... this is mine," she says quietly shortly thereafter, withdrawing the card from her pocket and tossing it on the table. The image on the card depicts a clear, wide-open sky over a vast plain.
Aerodus nods as Tusilak tells his story. He picks up the card that Raina tosses on the table and then pulls out his own which shows a unicorn rearing in a forest glade.
"These are the Harrow cards of the Varisian people. They can reveal the future to those with the gift..." Aerodus continues giving Tusilak information regarding what the figures mean and also the history of Harrow. He certainly seems to know many details about the deck, even though he does not know how it applies to them. His style is educational and informative, rather than pedantic.
Sev flicks his card, which depicts a grisly-looking "peacock", onto the table.
"Bunch of nonsense."
"Ah, sounds as if you've had a run in with one of the fake harrowers the Sczarni have a habit of using."
A brief burst of chilly air fills the room as an attractive middle-aged woman enters through the door.
"Thank you for coming, even though my methods are... unusual. I am Zellara, and I believe we have a mutual enemy. Tell, what does the name Gaedren Lamm mean to you?"
Raina frowns deeply, her expression darkening as if a cover of storm clouds had abruptly drifted by. She does not get up to meet Zellara, and instead glares at her with an obvious scowl.
"How did you find out about our connections with Lamm?" she says flatly, apparently unwilling to entertain small-talk with anyone here and now. "How can we trust that you're not allied with him?"
Aerodus looks to the door as Zellara walks in. His eyes glance up and down as he assesses the woman. He seems to flinch as Raina's immediate and somewhat antagonistic response to her entry.
Aerodus gives a slight bow of respect before he begins to speak, "Certainly you know who I am, so there is no need to introduce myself. We mean no disrespect but I believe we are all eager to settle our scores with this man. Is is right to assume you left the cards for us?" He holds up all 4 cards which he now has in his hands. He pauses for a minute as he wipes a crumb away from his lip, "And thank you for the food."
Sev flinches, bearing his fanged teeth as the door suddenly opens.
"I could ask you the same question, and I want to hear your answer first. ", he replies to Zellara.
The tiefling looks tense, as if he could erupt in a storm of claws at any moment, but something seems to be tempering his anger at the situation.
"Fair enough." she says as she looks Sev in the eye. "One of the orphans under his care pocketed my Harrow Deck. It is not only my source of income, but a priceless heirloom as well. My son managed to track it down, and found it in the possession of Gaedren Lamm. In return, Gaedren murdered my son."
A pained look crosses her face as she recounts her tale, but only for a moment.
"Lamm may have stolen my son's life, and he may have been able to worm his way out of trouble so far, but you can bring him to justice. My cards tell me more than most. They whispered to me the location of his hideout, and they told me that the four of you are the ones that can bring his downfall." She grins conspiratorially at the four of you.
"He's squatting at an abandoned fishery north of here at Westpier 17. He trains his 'Lambs' there to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasure there. I need your help to bring him down. The guard moves too slowly, and it's far from guaranteed that he'd face justice if they did catch him. I'm afraid that this opportunity is all I can offer, my friends. Will you make him pay?"
A look of sadness crosses his face as Aerodus hears the story - entirely plausible and all to common where this man is involved. However, everything regarding Gaedren Lamm involves some sort of deception...
"Are we to bring him to justice or are we to exact our own justice?"
"What is the reward?"
"What else do you know about this fishery - guards, traps?"
"How much time do we have? Can we carry this out tonight?"
"I would find Lamm. Most of all, I would find my charge. But pardon my skepticism. While we share this land with you Varisians, your Harrow is strange and unknown. How is it that cards can share so much with you?"
"I do not know when he'll move, but it seems he's been there for a while and is content to stay. There is no reward for his capture, since many in power consider him a myth. I'm afraid that while my cards tell me many things, the dangers that lurk within were not among them. If you succeed, and I do not doubt that you will, what Lamm's fate is will rest upon your shoulders. Though, I wish you'd repay him the 'kindness' he showed my son."
She looks at Tusilak, a gleam in her eye, when he asks about the Harrow.
"I could tell you, but perhaps I should show you. Before you leave, perhaps you would be willing to have me do a reading, free of charge, of course."
Zellara's matter-of-fact explanation of her circumstances hits Raina like a tonne of bricks, and she flinches a little, deflating back from her previously fiery state to little more than embers. The pain of a child used and abused by Lamm was hard enough to ignore, let alone the feelings of a mother who lost her one and only to the cruel bastard...
Raina remains quiet for some time, staring at her hands and distantly listening to everything the fortune-teller said to them, only half taking it all in. Eventually, though, she looks up, her eyes shining with determination - or, possibly, unshed tears.
"I still don't know if I can trust you," she says quietly, looking directly at Zellara, "but if this really is a chance to get back at Lamm, I am not going to let it go to waste. Better than living forever in fear and torment from one corrupt old man."
"I want to go and investigate the fishery right away," she says to the rest of those gathered here this evening. "Under the cover of night, he won't see us coming... and we won't have to worry about the Korvosan Guards getting involved either. That and he won't have the chance to slip away again like the slime-ball he is. ... I'll do it myself if I have to. But I won't say no to help."
Raina seems curious about Zellara's offered readings. "Would you be able to do mine, too?"
"Of course the reading is for all of you."
"I agree with Raina. We end it tonight."
Sev checks his gear (what little he carries, anyway) and adds:
"Get on with your little hoodoo witch ceremony and then let's get going."
The tone of his voice makes it clear that he doesn't subscribe to the belief in whatever magical card readings Zellara is offering.
"Be nice, Sev!" Raina chides the tiefling in an almost practiced and friendly manner before realising her slip and hurriedly adding, more gruffly this time, "Don't be an a**hole to someone that's helping us."
He's not the same person that he was back then, Raina, she angrily reminds herself, lightly biting her lip. Don't make the mistake of being friendly to him again.
"We share this land. It would serve me well to learn more of your ways. I will see what the reading reveals." Tusilak's eyes darken before he speaks again, "And then I will join the rest of you to find Lamm. I will bring the night itself to help our hunt."