Chapter 1: There is No Honour
Corentyn, the City of Nine Forts. There are actually considerably more than nine forts, but the nine referred to are the most prominent. Fifty-foot-high, grey-brown limestone walls surround the city with only a few breaks along the waterside to allow ships passage. The city's numerous forts dot the city, mostly along the outer walls, but a few within the walls as well, along the remains of older walls displaced as the city has grown over the years. One of the most prominent forts is Dhoffram Keep, once the abode of the city's lord in the days before the rise of the House of Thrune, now a stronghold of the Church of Asmodeus. Dhoffram Keep sits almost dead-centre in the city, partway up the hillside that rises from the shore.
But while Dhoffram Keep is an imposing sight, far more imposing and spectacular is the Arch of Aroden, the massive bridge that connects Avistan to Garund. Standing on top of it at the Corentyn end is the castle Obrand's Stand, the largest, most heavily fortified building in Corentyn. No invader has ever breached this fort.
Despite its imposing exterior, Corentyn is a quiet, taciturn city. People go about their business without saying any more than is necessary to accomplish their tasks. Even the markets are quiet compared to other large cities--and the sprawling docks. The people work with efficiency, but often dourly with only a rare bit of laughter to be heard.
And the docks truly are sprawling, stretching from the Jut in the east to the West Drenches in the west. Most of the city districts have at least a little land along the seaside and a hand in the mass of sea trade that passes through the city. Even the Slave Quarters in the far west are technically by the sea, albeit along a cliff edge with no piers to walk along.
It's a warm day today, the 3rd of Desnus, 4713. A warm, salty breeze is blowing over the docks of Mercanto district near the West Drenches. The docks to the south are jammed with ships of all kinds. While most of the ships are Chelish, there are also numerous ships from places all across the Inner Sea, from Rahadoum to Taldor to Qadira and beyond. Sailors go about their business, loading or off-loading, with the typical efficiency of Corentyn. It seems that even non-natives quickly adopt the Corentyner style while in the city. To the north, the waterfront shops of Mercanto advertise gems and jewellery, fine clothes and furniture, and all kinds of rich luxuries.
It is in this area of the city that each of you has found yourself, each for your own reasons, either passing through or on specific business. A squad of Hellknights has chosen this moment to pass through as well and the locals swiftly move aside to let them pass, falling almost silent in the process. The clanking of their armour can still be heard for several moments after they've vanished from sight, heading east in the direction of the slave markets and the East Drenches. As soon as the Hellknights are out of sight, everyone returns right back to what they were doing, and the noise level of the area returns to the quiet roar it was before the Hellknights passed.
It is only a minute or so after the Hellknights' passing that the sound of raised, angry voices comes from the one of the nearby ships. It's hard to make out exactly what is being said, but one of the voices seems to be that of a girl and the other a much, deeper, heavier male voice. A moment later, several people appear at the edge of the boarding ramp of the ship (the name painted on the side of the ship is Blue Nixie). One is a teenage girl, about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in a rich noble's dress and clutching a pile of papers to her chest. She is backing away from the others, a group of sailors lead by a tall, tanned man with a shaved head. The girl is protesting, but the sailors are laughing. As she backs onto the boarding ramp, the man with the shaved head shoves her roughly and she stumbles off the side and splashes into the water, her bundle of papers spraying out from her grasp and landing scattered in the water with her. "And don't come back until you have the money!" the man who shoved her yells after her. Then with a laugh, he and his fellow sailors turn aside.
Some distance away, a city guard looks over to see what the commotion is, but evidently decides it's all over as she continues on her way. Alas, despite the rigid efficiency of the Hellknights in maintaining law and order in the city, minor disturbances and petty crimes tend to be overlooked as the Hellknights consider them beneath their notice and the city guard is just plain lazy.
The girl in the water, however, begins to splash around and call for help.
A half-elf, dressed in considerably more extravagant fashion than the sheep of Corentyn, runs to the end of the pier, uncoiling a whip from her belt. "Hold still!" she shouts to the girl. "Stop panicking!"
"Hey!" she calls to the watching crowd in a pure Taldan accent. "Someone help me pull her in!"
Quickly shinnying down a drain pipe from a nearby sunny roof, a lithe feline humanoid with a bow strapped to his back comes up next to the half-elf and puts a paw on the whip's handle.
"Good idea," he purrs to her. "Together, we can deny Gozreh this prize."
Once the whip is secure to the girl (or girl to the whip), he pulls gently but firmly.
Strength:
A handsome man with a limp step-thumps his way over to help pull her in or jumps into the water if the girl in the water does not catch the whip.
Str this dice roller seems to want that NPC to drown.
Swim
The girl looks up as the half-elf arrives at the pier edge, but her panicked splashing subsides only a little. She reaches out as the half-elf uncoils her whip, only to cough a moment later as water splashes into her open mouth.
The whip wraps neatly around the girl's wrist. The nearby locals stand back at the call for help, many of them sheepishly turning away, looks of shame on their faces, but nonetheless still not coming to help. Luckily a catfolk comes running in to help and after him, the limping man.
The three of you begin to pull, but the pier is slick with water, making it hard to keep a firm footing and the water doesn't seem to want to give up its prize. Still, you're able to pull her towards the pier, even though you don't manage to pull her out of the water. As the pier comes into reach, the girl reaches with her free hand for one of the thick wooden stands holding the pier up. She manages to grab onto it, but her grip is feeble and you can't be sure how long she'll be able to hold on. It is keeping her above the water though, giving her a chance to cough up the water she's swallowed.
On the deck of the Blue Nixie, there are several people at the rail laughing.
Felos sets his lower paws against the edge of the pier, preparing to haul up the young woman. He turns his gaze up at the laughing sailors, lays his ears back, and hisses.
"For shame on you, men of the sea. May the burning shame of your deeds turn your hearts to repentance. Any honest sailor should know to fear the waves, as Gozreh's watery embrace awaits too many men of the ships. To find mirth in another person floundering in the waters only invites the same fate to befall himself. Repent yourself, sailors, lest Lord Gybrael cast you into the sea as a placating sacrifice to stay Gozreh's wrath!"
Diplomacy:
Strength:
The sailors seem perplexed by Felos's words at first, and for a moment, they almost seem to consider what he's saying. Then one flashes Felos a rude gesture. The others laugh and they all turn away from the edge of the ship.
From below, the girl calls out, referring to the post she's clinging to, "It's too slick to climb!" Luckily, that slickness actually helps with pulling her up, even though it's a bit of an awkward angle. Felos's sudden burst of strength is able to bring her sliding up the side of the post just enough that somebody could quickly reach out and grab her arm to pull her in.
Jacinth wraps his cloak around the young woman. "This does not seem an area friendly to you, miss. Perhaps I or we could escort you to someplace safer?"
The girl clutches at Jacinth as he pulls her up and onto the pier. Despite the warm air, she's shivering. Large water droplets fall from her hair and soaked dress. She's clearly of Chelaxian lineage, with pale skin and dark hair. An earring dangles from one ear; the other must have fallen out in the water.
"Thank you," she manages to say amidst coughing. She looks back over the peer and at the now-ruined sheets of paper, scattered and floating over the water's surface. She brushes away water dripping down her face and frowns. "I suppose we can go back to my place. Kora can make you a nice dinner as thanks. My name's Lavinia by the way. Lavinia Vanderboren."
"My condolences on your recent loss, Lady," Xanthippe offers, recoiling her whip at her belt. "I must say the locals seem to have a strange way of dealing with their social betters. Are all Chelish sailors thieves and ruffians? I am a visitor to your ... lovely town," it seems to pain her to describe it thus. "My name is Xanthippe, of Taldor."
A man of unremarkable presence voices himself. He is a bit unkempt, thuggish, albeit the hair on his scalp is shaved short. Wiry muscles on his arms appear fast and efficient - he could very well be a slave, if not for his unsupervised presence here. "If I may ask, what did you need from these men? You appear hardly lacking."
"I am Jacinth called The Bright by some." He smiles at her. "I am devotee of Sarenrae. If you are injured I try to heal your injuries."
A man of unremarkable presence voices himself. He is a bit unkempt, thuggish, albeit the hair on his scalp is shaved short. Wiry muscles on his arms appear fast and efficient - he could very well be a slave, if not for his unsupervised presence here. "If I may ask, what did you need from these men? You appear hardly lacking."
1d20 + 6
"I need the ship," Lavinia says. "It's mine. Well, my parents', but they left it to me. And I already paid the mooring fees. He's lying when he says I didn't, but I have to..." She stops suddenly and stands up straight. "I probably shouldn't talk about this here. I'll tell you back at the manor. It's the least I can do since you helped me. Edunel said I should get help any way." She pauses for a moment, looking at each of you in turn.
"I know we don't really know each other, and saving a person who's about to drown is a different kind of situation to agreeing to...um...longer-term help I guess you could call it. But anyway, do you think you'd be willing to help me with something else? I could pay you."
A man of unremarkable presence voices himself. He is a bit unkempt, thuggish, albeit the hair on his scalp is shaved short. Wiry muscles on his arms appear fast and efficient - he could very well be a slave, if not for his unsupervised presence here. "If I may ask, what did you need from these men? You appear hardly lacking."
Xanthippe gives the newcomer a rather unwelcoming look. "Your strength could have been useful a moment ago when we were trying to pull her out of the drink," she says rather pointedly. If there is to be a reward, she doesn't care to share it with someone who took no part in the rescue.
"I know we don't really know each other, and saving a person who's about to drown is a different kind of situation to agreeing to...um...longer-term help I guess you could call it. But anyway, do you think you'd be willing to help me with something else? I could pay you."
Her eyes light up at the possibility of payment, but she is reticent. "You could pay us but not them?" she asks a bit skeptically, nodding to the men on her parents' ship.
"I did pay them!" Lavinia protests. "I paid Soller not an hour ago at the harbourmaster's office. Then I came here and he'd come ahead of me. I thought he'd come to tell his people to turn the ship over to my custody, but he claimed I never paid him and now he wants me to pay him again. And..." She pauses and looks at the floor of the peer, continuing more quietly and somewhat sheepishly, "And if I pay him twice, then I really will be nearly out of money. I gave him a hundred platinum coins. It's many months of outstanding mooring fees that my parents never paid."
"Let us get you home before we discuss this any more. One never knows just who is listening and we did attract a bit of attention."
"And you got no receipt, I presume?" A hundred platinum! I could make do with a fifth of that ... but not if onlookers keep muscling in on the action, she thinks, with an unfriendly glance at the newcomer. "I agree; you should get home and get out of those wet things before you catch your death, dear."
Festa regards the half-breed curiously, before saying: "What makes you think that I have any less than Miss Vanderboren's best interests at heart? I am Festa. Festa Fire. Representative of the Everbloom." The last part directed to the presented group.
"Oh, I'm sure pretty much everyone here has Miss Vanderboren's best interests at heart now that she's offering gainful employment," she says, looking pointedly at the crowd that had no reaction to the girl's plight. "The question is, where was your tender heart -- and, more to the point, your brawny arms -- when she needed pulling out of the sea?"
Felos' fur bristles as he hears her story.
"That's piracy!" he growls. "Do you have any proof of your payment at all. The Hellknights may not care if a woman falls into the water, but they won't sit idly by while some corrupt bureaucrat bilks noble ladies of hundreds of platinum."
"Actually, I think I saw him on his way when we started pulling her out, but we got her out too quickly."
Festa nods, "When I saw that you two had attended to her successfully, I switched my attention to the sailors instead; they may have wanted to cause more trouble. Anyway, I've no interest in a reward for saving her, you're welcome to it - but you should have an interest in having able help at hand at whatever task she needs done after. If it involves that ship and all its seamen then I wager more is better."
"And you got no receipt, I presume?"
Lavinia shakes her head sheepishly in response and then again to Felos's question if she has any proof that she paid. Her cheeks redden in embarrassment.
In response to the discussion regarding Festa Fire's level of assistance in the crisis, she says, "I'm grateful to everyone who gave me assistance, and I'm grateful to those who wanted to assist but couldn't get here in time." She looks about at other people in the area, all of whom have gone back to their business and are not paying any more attention. She turns back to Festa Fire. "At least you're showing an interest. Honestly, I don't know how to handle this sort of thing. My parents used to hire adventurers all the time. They had a regular group that did many tasks for them, but I've already sent them to take a message to my uncle in Egorian. That was mainly to get them out of the way for a while. I don't really trust them very much, especially Tolin. So I wouldn't want their help for this task anyway. And I'm rambling. Sorry, I do that when I'm nervous. Anyway, my point is my parents would sometimes hire people they'd never met before and it seemed to work out for them. Kind of. I guess. Anyway, you all helped me, or wanted to help me, and that's a reason to trust you, right? And there's strength in numbers, so four of you is better than three, right? Can we go back to the manor now? I need to change my clothes."
"Yes, your fur is quite sodden. We should get you to your home, where you can stretch out in front of a warm fire."
Felos heads off, leading the way...for about five steps.
"Ummm...which way?"
Lavinia leads the four of you east through Mercanto and past the Open Slave Market, which sits at the base of the road leading up to Dhoffram Keep. She then heads around the north end of the East Drenches and then into the southern of the Nobles Quarters. (An old city wall divides the Nobles Quarters into two distinct districts. The older, more powerful families live in the north, while the younger families live in the south. Nonetheless, the Archheathen's (the mayor) manor is in the south.) The north-south roads here are steep as they climb the cliff up from the water, so Lavinia sticks to east-west roads as much as possible.
Throughout most of the rest of Corentyn, the buildings are packed close together for added structural support along the steep inclines. However, the buildings here have more space between them with flattened out areas of land around them serving as the grounds. Vanderboren Manor turns out to be one of the smaller manors in this district, but still quite impressive compared to buildings in other parts of the city. The three-storey building is surrounded by a small expanse of yard, which in turn is surrounded by a low wall.
Lavinia heads through the front gates and hurries up to the main doors. She opens them and lets you into a large great hall with smooth, white stonework. Two oak stairwells ascend to an open first-floor landing. Tapestries depicting a beautiful and savage frontier of sprawling jungle landscapes and an eerie shoreline hang from the upper landing. A glass chandelier hangs from the atrium's ceiling.
As Lavinia closes the front doors, an elderly halfling woman hurries down the stairs towards your group. "Lady Lavinia," the wizened halfling says, hurrying over to the girl. "You look terrible. What's happened?"
"I nearly drowned and these people saved me," Lavinia replies. "This is Xanthippe and...um...Jacinth...and..." She looks at Felos. "Felix?" she says uncertainly. She turns to Festa Fire. "And...uh...this one didn't actually save me, but was going to and his name is...err...sorry. I can't remember your name."
At first Jacinth sets the pace for the group as they are lead by the Lady Lavinia Vanderboren, but soon her pace outstrips his ability to keep up and maintain a casual air. He falls to the rear of the group and muddles on without complaint. She eventually realizes his situation and slows her pace and in a short time the group reaches a point of compromise where they are walking slower than they want and he his forced to hustle a bit to keep up.
"Felos," he corrects, "Sailor of Lord Gybrael, may His sails ever be full."
"And...uh...this one didn't actually save me, but was going to and his name is...err...sorry. I can't remember your name."
"Yes, he 'was going to,'" Xanthippe puts in, pulling off her gloves and looking around the hall, "but what hope does someone in his physical condition have to outrun a woman and a man with a bad leg? I understand he dished out quite a glaring to the hecklers while we were calling for someone strong to help us pull your employer out of the water so one can't say he did nothing at all. Festa Fire was the name given, I believe. This is Kora, I presume? I've heard marvelous things about your cooking. So, tell me, Lady Lavinia, how terribly impolitic would it be to inquire about your brother?"
"Hopefully not very, since you just did," Felos quips.
"I inquired about inquiring," she corrects the felinoid with a smile, "so the worst I can be accused of is bringing up a sore subject in my ignorance. Considering I did just help save the lady's life, I'm hoping that's forgiveable."
"My brother?" Lavinia lowers her head. "He's...uh...not here right now. He won't be back this evening. I don't think." She turns to the halfling. "Kora, can you prepare a nice meal for these people as thanks for saving me?"
Kora bows her head. "Of course, my lady."
Xanthippe raises her eyebrows and, as Lavinia turns away to speak to Kora, mouths to Felos, Sore subject.
Sense Motive
"Why don't you take some time to compose yourself, Lady Vanderboren. The rest of us can get to know one another better while we wait for dinner to be prepared." Jacinth offers her a chance to excuse herself.
Lavinia nods. "Yes, of course. I'll...um...just show you where you can wait." She goes over to a door on the north side of the hall, just before the staircase and opens it. "You can wait in here. I'll try not to be too long."
The room beyond is filled with rows of bookshelves, all filled with books. A hearth, currently unlit, sits against the north wall. A reading table sits near the fireplace.
"Either Kora or I will come to get you," Lavinia says. "Or maybe Edunel. She's my tutor. All the other servants left not too long ago when my parents died. Well, some of them were slaves, but I let them go. I've never really felt comfortable with slaves. Anyway, I'll try not to be too long." She then hurries up the stairs.
"Yes, you definitely stepped on her tail there," Felos says to Tippi once the young lady has left.
"No fire. What a waste of a perfectly good hearth. There's nothing more depressing than stretching out in front of a cold fireplace!"
Instead, Felos makes his way over to the window. If there's a window seat, he curls up in it; otherwise, he drags a large chair over to the sun and curls up in that.
"On a warm day like today? I should think you'd already be sweltering in that fur coat," Tippi remarks, strolling over to a library shelf at random and glancing at the titles to see if there's any overarching theme to the collection. "Both parents died in a freak accident, possibly due to the brilliant habit of hiring strangers to work for them; there's an older brother; and yet young Lavinia is the sole inheritor. There's a great deal untold there."
Jacinth finds a comfortable place to sit. "Really? Are you sure about that because that would be tragic. And now to have some greedy, uncouth, scoundrel try to take advantage of her like that. Well I will help her. I don't know how yet, but I will help her."
"Well I for one am not one to turn my sails from a favourable breeze," Felos says. "I am heading south on Lord Gybrael's holy mission, and have run out of money. I just hope this job she requires does not take us too far from the sea."
"Lord Gybrael?" she asks. "Your patron? I don't particularly care where she needs us to go, as long as we can handle the business fairly quickly. I have a deal to close for my employer and ... have lost the coin with which I was to do it." She flinches a little with embarrassment at the admission.
"Well I am from here and I would help the young lady for free. However, since she offered, I am not too proud to accept a reward for assisting her nor payment for being in her service."
The books on the shelves cover a variety of subjects, but are mostly books on geography and archeology. They range from academic treatises to travel journals and accounts. A significant number of the volumes focus on the Mwangi, although a few of them cover other lands as far flung as Tian Xia or Arcadia.
Of the non-geographical books, there is a small selection of fiction, a few tomes on seafaring, and even a book or two on magic.
There is, unfortunately, no window seat for Felix to curl up in. The only window in the room is located over one of bookshelves. However, he can find a place to curl up in the sunlight.
If there's a pool of sunlight, he's in it, even if that means curling up on the floor.
Lavinia arrives back a little over half an hour later, having changed into a light, casual dress. "Kora is in the process of preparing dinner, but it will be a little while yet," she says. "Trust me though, she's an excellent cook. While we wait for dinner, I suppose I should tell you what's going on."
She walks over to the reading table and leans on it for a moment, then turns to face the rest of you. "As you probably know, my parents died last month. They had just bought a new ship and were taking it out on its maiden voyage. There was a terrible fire and everyone on board was killed." She pauses for a moment again to wipe away a tear. She takes a deep breath before continuing.
"I inherited their entire estate. Except I've learnt that my parents had a lot of debts. Apparently, for all their success as explorers, they were not very good at managing their finances. So now I'm trying to repay the debts, but my funds here in the manor are running dry. However, underneath Zelkie Park outside of Dhoffram Keep, there are a series of vaults where the noble families of Corentyn store their fortunes. The Vanderboren family has a vault there too. Unfortunately, to get into it, as well as being a Vanderboren, you have to have a special ring. There are only two of them. My parents had one each. My mother lost hers months ago. She was never able to find out what happened to it. But my father kept his hidden on board his ship, the Blue Nixie. That's why I have to get the ship back. But of course, the ship is one of the other debts. Apparently, my parents hadn't paid the mooring fees in nearly ten months, so the harbourmaster seized the ship and put in the control of man called Soller Vark. He's the one who pushed my off the gangplank. Anyway, it was a thousand gold pieces total that was owed. I gathered a hundred platinums earlier today and went to the harbourmaster's office. Soller was there, but..." She reddens in embarrassment. "The harbourmaster wasn't. Soller said he'd make sure the harbourmaster got the payment and I could go claim the ship. It was stupid of me to believe him, I know. I just... I don't know. I guess I'm as bad with money as my parents are. Edunel said before that I should get help. She said I'd spent my life isolated from the world and that I wasn't ready to take on these responsibilities yet, but..."
She pauses again. "Anyway, you know what happened next. I got to the ship and Soller denied that I had given him the money. But I have to get that ship back. If I don't, I won't be able to pay off my parents' debts. Soller Vark and his people are up to no good, I'm sure of it! Will you help me? Like I said, I'll pay you. What's a good price? Um...a hundred gold each? A hundred and fifty?"
Felos smiles, uncurling from his nap. "First lesson in business...know what you're willing to pay for something before you offer a price, then offer a lower price, but not one so low as to he unfair to the other party should they accept it out of hand."
He stands up and continues, as if by rote, "An inexperienced customer is like a child, and exploiting him is akin to theft, and brings shame to all your dealings."
He pauses, then concern fills his features as he remembers the current situation with the mooring fees. His tail and ears droop slightly in what looks like embarrassment.
Jacinth stands. "What those wicked men did was not right. They need to be shown the light. I will help you, Lady Vanderboren, and I will accept whatever you will pay. "
Tippi slides the book she's perusing back onto the shelf. "Slow down a little. Second lesson of business... know what you're being hired for before accepting a commission. What precisely is it you're asking us to do, Lady Lavinia? Commandeer the ship? Under the Hellknights' noses? With absolutely no evidence other than your word that we have even the moral right to do so?"
"I thought that was the third...or was it the sixth..." Felos comments, trailing off in a puzzled manner.
"Third rule of business... Never admit you don't know the rules," she murmurs to the catfolk with a smile while waiting for Lavinia to clarify.
"It matters not to me. The ship is hers and I will help her get ownership back."