Kroft looks toward Bran, an eye cocked. "I can have one of the pages find you a copy, but it's quite dry reading. I've been through it dozens of times, but most of my men just know the basics, not all the nuances. It'll take some time to find a copy that's not terribly marked up, or out of date, but I'll try to have one for you when you return."
Addressing Giorgio's questioning, she shakes her head. "I don't expect that coin back. What you spend, and how it's spent, is up to you, but you can keep what's left over. I don't want to spook Barvasi either, so I won't give you more to throw around. If he needs more, maybe there'll be something you can do for him." She sits, looking at her papers and then at Laijiri. "Do you? I won't inquire; your methods are your own. Now, Old Korvosa is a good walk from here, perhaps you'd best be off?"
From his place near the door, Vencarlo coughs politely. "Actually, if you don't mind the company, I'm heading that way myself. My fencing school is on the island, and I've got a few pupils in for lessons today. Nothing promising, though. Not in a while... I'd be honored to travel with you."
Kazadarin nods at the swordsman and offers his hand. "Another sword arm would be welcomed in these trying times."
Knowledge, Local: Vencarlo
"I guess that means that we accept the job... But what would be the reward?"
Litsy looked at Laijiri with eyes full of curiosity.
I wonder what's her plan.
Thank you, Field Marshall. That will be greatly appreciated. I consider it an honor and a duty to be, if not truly part of the guard, at least able and willing to help the guard.
"Why, Litsy, I would think just helping the city would be reward enough for you." Kroft smiles, a thin smile with tired eyes. "We'll discuss that once you've dealt with Barvasi."
On the long walk north toward Old Korvosa, Vencarlo Orisini proves to be quite knowledgeable about what's been going on in the city. He mentions a few guardsmen besides Vancaskerkin who didn't show up, including one Grau Soldado. "Poor kid, too. He used to be one of mine, a student, until he got in a foolish duel and I had to expel him. If you should see him, do your best to help him out. I'd appreciate it, he's a big man with a sad-looking face and dark hair. Probably drunk too." Changing the subject, he looks at the group. "I must say I approve of how you handled Vancaskerkin's boys. Not killing them shows a lot of control and restraint. You've all been in the city a while, I take it? Did you enjoy it before...well, before this most recent trouble?" The swordsman stops on a bridge between the city proper and Old Korvosa, pointing down the narrow, bridge-choked waterway toward a cluster of ships strewn haphazardly around a pier. "That's your destination. Eels End. A haven for debauchery and entertainment, and much else besides, rumor has it."
Gio falls back with Laijiri as Vencarlo professes on what he's knowledgable on. "Just so I'm not unawares, is your plan to charm the guard and swarm Barvasi? It's not a bad plan - it certainly worked last time. But I don't want to get in the way if that's what you've got in mind."
Bran answers respectfully
Sorry to contradict you, Sir, but I have been in this town only for a few weeks. I was, if not born, at last raised, in a dwarf mine a few miles away.As for not killing these men, I am here to uphold the law, not to behave recklessly. If force must be used, it should be done with measure.
To Kroft:
"Sounds like a deal."
An honest job always need its salary.
Litsy took her time to think about Osirini's question. Kroft's voice also echoed in her mind-
I would think just helping the city would be reward enough for you.
It was disturbing, actually. She had never really thought about how much she liked Korvosa exactly.
She thought -obviously- of that night, when her parents were killed.
She thought of her childhood spent on the paved streets.
She thought of the thieves who had seen her growing up, like another family -Laerien, Mikael, and even that ol'Horsk the Headcrusher. The complicity. The arguments. The laughters.
She also remembered that one time when Fang got sick when she was seven years old and refused to swallow medicine ('Can't trust those things!'). She remembered the cold, the wait, the hunger.
The hours she had passed, wandering around the city.
The storms, when Korvosa's sewers were so flooded they released in the streets all the living spiders they were infested with.
The nights on a roof, looking up at the stars.
"I was born, and grew up here," she finally and slowly answered.
That was harsh.
"And I think that's my home."
'Cause that's the only place where I live.
When Laijiri mentionned her plan once again, she raised her head, already focusing on something else.
"Haven for debauchery and entertainment... Fang would have loved it.
Vencarlo laughs, shooting a wink at Laijiri. "One of my 'classrooms'? I teach fencing. The classrooms are strips of packed earth in the yard. I'll certainly loan you my study, though. If you'll follow me; the streets can be a bit dangerous in Old Korvosa, and it's not heavily patrolled. I know the locals, and they seem to leave me alone for the most part."
He begins walking, taking a circuitous route through the streets and alleys of Old Korvosa. As he goes, he talks to Litsy. "Home, eh? I can understand that, and I can understand wanting to help your home out when it's in need, too. Time was I'd be out there too, doing my bit. *sigh*...But I'm getting too old for that. The knees aren't what they used to be. These days, some of my students are actually faster than me, can you believe that? Hah!" His laughter carries a hint of nostalgia but none of bitterness.
Eventually, he leads the party through a narrow arch and into a door, behind which is a long, narrow courtyard with several stone-lined strips of packed dirt. A raised platform at the end, the same size as the earth strips, stands over the training ground, while a pair of small doors exit into the attached building. A larger door stands to the left of the two small ones, and it's into this one Vencarlo leads you. The room at the end of the hall opens to a good view of Jeggare Bay, while the walls are covered in bookshelves and hung sabers, rapiers, and other blades, all of impressive make. A few comfortable chairs sit on the soft rug, while a more businesslike wooden one occupies a place behind a wide oak desk.
"I trust this will be suitable? My student should be arriving shortly, so I must prepare myself. Feel free to leave when you've finished with a plan. It was a pleasure to meet you, and I do hope we'll cross paths again."
Giorgio offers a polite bow to the older gentleman as he leaves the study, having been far more interested in watching the interactions between the fencer and his companions than in actually engaging the man. He rests his hands on the back of a large, overstuffed chair as he addresses the group.
"So, the Field Marshal has given us some funding for bribes, and told us that, in essence, our pay will be whatever is left over. So, that's one option for dealing with Barvasi. Another is trying to sneak into his place of business or home and locate those letters and steal them. A third option is putting him out of business in a permanent fashion. The Guard can't touch him, but we're not the guard. While is his abiding by the specific letter of the law, his actions are harming the community on multiple levels, as I understand things."
"If anyone has any other information, or sees any additional options, please bring them forward. I'd love to have multiple perspectives on this issue."
So what is your plan, Lajiri? i'm curious to hear it.
" I agree with you for the most part Giorgio, if we remove him some one else will move in and take his place. Maybe some one who doesn't follow "the law" like this one. This is Korvosa. The spider has provided people with ...entertainment, at least he is not like Lamm and hurting people."
The half-elf frowns, looking almost...angry? It's an expression his face doesn't seem to be used to making. "I appreciate the logic of that sentiment, Kaz. However, if he's been making or pushing drugs...I've seen what addiction can do, to individuals and communities. I'm not sure it's something I would be able to sit by and idly let happen. Lamm...drugs are how he took both my parents." Giorgio is silent for a few moments, then takes a deep breath. "Which has no bearing on our current situation, I realize. But I at least wanted to let everyone know where I stand."
Litsy shrugged.
"As long as we're convincing, and the payment is good enough, we might just as well avoid questions..."
"It seems like a fair amount depends on how paranoid the Spider King is. On the one hand, you don't get a name like that by being a pushover. On the other, I have very little solid information on the man. If we want to run a con, I'd love more solid information. If we're doing a grab and go..." Gio breaks off, lost in thought for a moment. "Isn't his establishment on an anchored ship? Might there be a way in from below? I'm more used to thinking of rooftops as access points, but on the water, a lot of things get turned upside-down."
Bran scratches his beard
I'm sorry, Lajiri, I'm afraid I don't understand you well, probably because you are way smarter than I am.. What do you mean by ""a line of explanation at least three steps back from the direct inquiry?"
Kazadarin stands with his arms crossed as he watches the Varisian pace and explain her plan."Your plan has merit but if we are separated I can not guarantee your safety."
The sounds of swordplay come from the courtyard. It seems that Vencarlo's student is a young lass of perhaps eight. Dressed in simple, but well-made clothes, she holds her practice rapier awkwardly, struggling to parry and riposte against Vencarlo. Though it's difficult to make out his words, Vencarlo seems almost grandfatherly between bouts, gently correcting her grip and showing her the right form. From the edge of the courtyard, a half-Varisian/half-Chelaxian woman stands, watching both nervously and eagerly. The sun makes its way slowly toward its high point, shining a meager bit of heat on the Pharast morning.
Bran has visibly an hard time understanding Lajiri
I think it's better if I don't answer, or let you do the talking. I'm not confortable with lying and deception, and even less proficient in it.
Litsy nodded.
"I think Giorgio is right. Some thieves are quite paranoid. But money can convince him to help us."
She pondered a bit.
"Laijiri, you're good at obtaining informations... Do you think they could reveal some informations about the man? We'll then see if we need a plan before approaching him."
"One of us can also check out the Eel's establishment under the guise of a 'letigtimate' patron," the half-elf added. "Too, we may be overcomplicating things a bit. We don't want to let Barvasi know who our backers are, since we don't want him overcharging. But at the end of the day, he'll be lining his pockets with gold for a relatively trivial task. If that's his primary motivator, he may not be inclined to look too far or too hard."
With some shadow of a plan in place, the party begins looking for information in Old Korvosa. It's not hard for Laijiri to find her Cerulean Circle contacts; beggers and other empties litter the streets, and after a couple hours of asking around, she finds a beggar willing to lead them to someone who might know.
The party's brought to a small shack in the Bridgefront neighborhood of Old Korvosa. The riots don't seem to have touched this area at all, but that could simply have been because there wasn't anything worth touching. The 'houses' are simply boards propped or nailed crudely together, and let the wind howl through them. In some cases, these improvised structures lean over the channel precariously, or totter ominously on top of each other two or three layers tall. Thankfully, the beggar takes the party into a single-story hovel.
Once there, it's obvious that the building only looks like it belongs in Bridgefront. It's well-braced inside and the walls are plastered. Inside, a scruffy-looking gnome sits, smoking a large cigar and holding a small glass of clear liquid. When she speaks, her voice is gravelly and slurred, but she rattles off information in response to Laijiri's questions.
"So he likes being flattered and in a position of strength?"
Litsy shook her head.
"I don't like the idea of 'keeping him happy', but at least we could manage to negotiate something."
Gio frowned. "Sometimes, with the very rich, it's not necessarily money that they want. They've got enough of that. They want something that money can't buy...which we may or may not be able to supply."
Litsy frowned.
Uuum... Weren't they killing people at 'All the World's Meat'?... 'Cause that was pretty sick."
The gnome looks over her glass, first at Laijiri and then at Litsy. "The Circle could use a new front in Northgate, but if it's under investigation by the Guard, it's not likely to be available for some time. I'll have my people keep an eye on the property, though. Now, if there's nothing else... like the ocean, like the sky, sister." She drinks from her glass and her eyes quickly become unfocused. It's clear that whatever was in the glass is stronger than your average alcohol.
Yup
As the party makes its way closer to Eels End, the sounds of reveling and good times grow louder and louder until, as they round the last bend, the place itself comes into view. At the end of the dock, a large platform perhaps thirty feet to a side has been strung between the five ships. On it, a handful of obviously well-to-do people meander from ship to ship.
The first of these , an old Chelish single-mast sailor, hangs low in the water, its hull patched and boarded over, but a number of ropes and chains secure it to the dock, and it looks stable enough. A sign hangs from the mast by two chains, proclaiming it to be the Goldenhawk, and the ship seems remarkably quiet compared to the others. Behind it sits a vessel whose mast juts up from a single long structure and holds a folded, Tien=style sail. Several scantily clad men and women sit on the deck, waving to passers-by, while painted on the side of the vessel is a name; the House of Clouds. The largest of the five ships, the Eel's End itself towers over the others. A warship with the figurehead of an eel with a woman's face, the large foredeck is packed with drinkers and revelers, while the upper aft-deck is clear of all but a couple off-duty guards.
The fourth ship is a gaudy red, and there's little in the way of movement aboard it. A sign at the aft entrance simply reads "Pass into the dreams of the dragon." The final vessel has a pair of huts over each of the stairs into the hold, and it's from this ship that the loudest sounds can be heard. The groans of defeat mingle with shouts of victory, and as you watch, a pair of guards (equipped much like the ex-Guards) emerge from one of the huts with a struggling patron, heaving him over the side of the ship and into the water below.
A pair of rough-looking guards stand where the streets of Old Korvosa meet the pier of Eel's End, and it seems the locals give them a respectful distance. Despite that, they don't look too tense, and it's obvious this is just routine guard-duty for them.
"I will go with Laijiri."
"Me too!"
Wow... This place's pretty big!"
The inquisitor casts his gaze over the boats, his nose wrinkling at a few distinct smells. "It's probably better if we all stay together. Bad things can happen to those with no-one to watch their backs," he finishes, casting a meaningful glance at the ripples in the water. "Laijiri, are our stories and whatnot fairly airtight? I know we went over them on the way over here, but I just wanted to double-check before we got started."
[ooc]Do you want me to do the talking, or does Laijiri? Gio has the better Bluff and Diplomacy, but you may have the better connections to make up for the two point die roll difference.
Bran keeps on his guards, and seems uneasy, trying to keep in mind that even if these people do unlawful things, they are to be left unmolested, as long as they pay their "vices taxes", whatever that might be.
I don't like that. It's not how it should be. Crime should be fought.Yet it's not up to me to decide. I got orders, and must obey them.
As Laijiri and the party approaches the Eel's End, the scene aboard becomes more clear. Though perhaps a dozen men and women pack the fore-deck, each attempting to be closer to the little bar there, a bubble of empty space has formed near a bulky, well-armored guard. He stands in front of a double door with a stylized spider painted on it and glowers out at the crowd. While the party's scoping out the deck, a reveler accidentally enters the circle. The guard's hand lunges out, and there's a bit of conversation, at the end of which the guard lets the drunken woman go and she stumbles down the gangplank toward the party.
"Are you okay there?"
Litsy tried to release Laijiri from the grip of the woman.
"There, there! First the door, now my friend! No wonder why the guard tried to calm you down... Maybe you should take some rest?"
She warned Laijiri (as discreetly as possible) that she doesn't understand her plan, and what she wants her to do.
The woman looks up at Laijiri, eyes jerking back and forth between Litsy and the sorceress. "Calistria'sh boots nofing! Gotta leave, the guard said only people wif an appointment get inshide. I told 'im I had one, and he shaid I wash lying, and it wash time for me t'leave." She pauses to retch over the side of the gangplank. "Guard shaid there wash a meeting inshide, but mebbe you could talk shense into him. You don' like look you're here for a drink."
What is so special with Calistria boots? Is that a code?
Bran tries to remember anything pertaining to said boots.
Humans are quite strange.
"Ah, this is too bad... What kind of meeting?"