Ganner will support Bardigan's vote of 20 gp.
As Bardigan works with the Fushi sisters on what types of things they need to build up their treasury, Aula and Larenti go about working on bringing in more people to both support and work for their causes.
Both Bardigan and Jinx are successful in working with the Tengu, finding money in places that doesn't hurt the citizenry. They manage to bring back a decent number of funds, that is just over enough to make up for the money subtly passed around by Aula in getting a larger following of supporters.
Even though Larenti's reputation still seems to precede him, at least it isn't turning them away as bad as before. It seems he might be making some headway. Despite all this, he hasn't been able to smooth it over enough to convince any group to join them in their efforts.
While the others work on the Rebellion, Rexus continues his focus into the research. He eagerly tells the group what more he's discovered. "So, I've figured out that the woman who founded the Silver Ravens was a mysterious elf known only as 'Jackdaw', a figure who, before the advent of the Age of Lost Omens, built herself into a sort of Kintargan folk hero who fought for the rights of the city's downtrodden."
He is pleased by the information, but suddenly becomes melancholy, "I realize most of this information doesn't help us yet, but I'm working to get what I can from this. I was wondering..." he pauses, "If you guys would be willing, maybe there could be something found among the remains of the three buildings that burned down during the Night of Ashes. One of them was my family home," he bites his lip as he looks distant, "the Victocora Estate, which I have searched myself a few times, but fresh eyes couldn't hurt. The other two were the Thrashing Badger, a tavern, and the Silver Star, a music store. I know my parents were members of the Secret Order of Archivists. The other two are suspected of being targeted by Barzillai as dens of sedition. Maybe there is something to that, and there could be some clues left behind."
Ganner is familiar with the two locations for their religious connections. The Silver Star was not only owned by Shensen, herself an outspoken critic of Thrune, but the chambers below the music store served as a shrine to Sarenrae. The Thrashing Badger was reputed to be a favorite watering hole for the rebellious cult of Milani.
Ganner shares this information with the others.
Knowing Ganner's connection with the archivists, Bardigan shoots him a look as Rexus makes his request. With a nod, the lesser noble rises. "Of course, Rexus, we'd be happy to. We'll make our plans presently."
Later, as the group discusses their upcoming forays, Bardigan offers, "I think we should check out the Victocora estate first. Rexus has done much for us already, and I'd like to show him the respect of looking into his mother's death first and foremost."
"I agree. I'm looking forward to learning more of the Archivists."
Bardigan nods, happy for the agreement. "Right! Let's get ourselves ready then." Beaming and eager for some more excitement like they'd had several weeks before, the charming young noble claps Ganner and Dawnilea jovially on the shoulder after hefting his equipment into place on his back. "Let's go see what we can find out!"
Dawnilea smiles, "I'm more of a 'discovery' than 'learning' sort of girl, myself... but a bit of urban exploration does sound like it could be fun... though I suppose we shouldn't be looting Rexus' ancestral home," saying the last with a wry grin and an affected tone of disappointment.
The choice of the Victocora estate is more than just a favor to Rexus, it also is coincidentally the closest of the three sites, followed by the Thrashing Badger in the Yolubilis Harbor district, and lastly the Silver Star across the river in Jarvis End.
The trip to the Estate is uneventful, and arrival reveals a poor sight. The once expansive estate has been burned and reduced to a rough pile of burnt tinder, collapsed stone, and lots of ash.
"We have our work cut out for us sifting through this mess." Ganner sighs. "Perhaps a cellar or underground room survived?" He moves forward and starts checking about for hatches or entries to anything below grade.
"That's my hope too, Ganner." Bardigan then sets himself to walking the perimeter of the ruin, looking for anything that might be obscuring or covering access to a path downward.
Dawnilea chuckles, "If not, it shouldn't take too long to search, Ganner."
The three of you search the ruins of the estate, but after time poring over what remains, nothing turns up. Any valuables remaining have likely already been picked out by looters, any clues by the Dottari, and who knows what happened to any bodies.
Dawnilea looks up from the ash and rubble with a sigh, "Nothing. Did your friend Rexus give you any clues as to where to look? Is there maybe another building on the property, like a stable, that they might have missed in their destructive zeal?"
Ganner shakes his head. "He didn't mention anything that I recall, but it would make sense to verify." He starts doing a look around the property to see if any buildings, no matter how insignificant, survived.
Bardigan sighs in defeat. "I don't know, you two," he gestures around the whole of the grounds and all the ash-choked ruin, "it looks like the dottari were pretty thorough." He rakes his hand back through his now sweaty hair, leaving a muddy, ashen streak as he does so. "I don't think there's anything left here to find for Rexus. I wish I thought differently, but I just don't think there's anything here. Thrune's flames did their job all too well."
Dawnilea nods, "You may be right, Bardigan. Still, it's likely to be a somewhat devastating bit of news for him. Finding something might have softened the blow."
With nothing to be found at the Victocora estate, the group moves on to check into what's left of the Thrashing Badger. It was once a very popular bar among the district's rowdier laborers and sailors, but since its destruction, word on the street is that the that rowdy crowd has moved over to a nearby bar known as Clenchjaw's. Arriving at where the Thrashing Badger once stood reveals that there's hardly anything to even search. It appears the building burned through the boardwalk and collapsed into the water below.
Bardigan stands at the edge of the boardwalk, looking down into the waters and scratches the back of his head as he considers the scene. "Well. Points to the dottari for thoroughness yet again. Do we even bother going into the water?"
Ganner looks forlornly at the ruins. "Guys, I'm beginning to think we might be in over our heads." Still, he dives into the water to check below.
The water along the banks is a little dirtier than the fished waters wider out into the river, but Ganner can still see at least a little. Jumping in, he manages to just avoid some of the debris resting slightly under the surface. His jump and swimming stirs up some of the ash and smaller debris from the fire, but there's nothing to be found within the newly soiled water.
Dawnilea winces, "Given how erratic his Lordship has been, this is rather surprising."
Ganner emerges, dripping. "Nothing of worth that I can see. Last place?"
Bardigan leans down, extending a hand, and helps haul Ganner back up out of the water. "I suppose so, Ganner." He shakes his head, hoping inwardly that between the dottari and time, there's at least something of note at the third ruin.
As they walk, he brings Dawnilea's statement back up. "I don't know how intentional burning through the boardwalk was for Barzillai's men, Dawnilea. It was a tavern, after all. One errant torch in the store room and you'd have a fire that'd be quick to get out of hand. Could have been an accident, or just an over zealous thug." He glances back over his shoulder at the hole the Badger used to occupy. "Still, intentional or not, it makes a powerful point."
Thus far, the search has been a fruitless effort, and a large waste of time. It appears that the job was indeed done rather thoroughly, leaving neither trace nor clue of the former groups behind. All that's left is to move on to the next destination, at this point.
Last on the list is The Silver Star, a music store once popular primarily by the fact that it was owned by none other than the famed local performer at the Kintargo Opera House, Shensen. After the walk across the Bleakbridge, and into Jarvis End, it still comes as no surprise that the building is as the others, appearing to be nothing more than burnt timber, brick, and ashes. All of which looks to have been pulled down into a sinkhole of scorched rubble.
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"Blazes! Still, it's worth a search, I suppose." Ganner mutters.
"Let me give you a hand there, Ganner. We're already wet and dirty, a little more ash can't hurt."
Ganner doesn't end up needing Bardigan's help, as his eyes are keen in picking through this last site. Most of the rubble has fallen into the depths of the sinkhole caused from what looks like it may have been a large basement. Among the scattered timbers, Ganner is able to spot an iron coffer then managed to get covered by timbers in just such a way, that it was protected from any further damage beyond being a little dinged up. It may take a little shifting of debris, or some digging, to uncover. Being the only thing you found for the day's efforts, it might just be worth the effort.
"See that? Help me move this rubble at bit so I can get it out!" Ganner hops to work!
Bardigan grunts as he squats down low, bracing his shoulder beneath a fallen beam. "Ok. Ready? On three." On the third count, he stands, levering the beam up little more than an inch, but it gives Ganner the room he needs to wiggle the strongbox free from the rubble. "Quick! Grab it! This is a lot heavier than it looks!"
Bardigan is able to lever up enough of the timbers to create a gap big enough for Ganner to pull the coffer out. As he moves to do so, there is a groan off wood, before the pile shifts from Bardigan's transfer of the weight. Where Ganner is about to reach for the coffer, the debris tumbles down into a pocket that must have been hidden by the collapse, and Ganner begins to tumble with it.
"WHOA!" Ganner cries as the debris tumbles!
"Watch yourself!" Bardigan tries to shift the load to keep it from tumbling then sighs in relief as Ganner emerges from the mess unscathed. He lets the beam slough from his shoulder with a grunt as he hops clear from the debris himself.
"Let's hope that was worth it! That was a near miss there, friend." He claps Ganner on the shoulder as the group turns their attention to the recovered box.
"Let's take this back to the- ah, office? Yeah, I like that. Let's get this to the office and see if we can't crack it open."
Provided his two compatriots agree, he then turns to make for the coffeehouse.
Dawnilea whispers, "We're not alone. There's a man with naked blades in hand hiding in the rubble. We might want a chat with him?"
Ganner coughs and covers his mouth to avoid anyone reading his lips. "Do men with drawn blades usually strike you as friendly?"
Dawnilea shrugs, "Sometimes it's an invitation to dance, sometimes it's the sign of a small man who wants to feel something big in his hands for once. Hard to tell until we introduce ourselves."
Ganner nods. "I defer to you. Say the word 'fragrance' and we'll know to attack if things go south."
Bardigan shrugs, cracking a wry grin at his companions and then looks up from the box toward the shadowed figure Dawnilea pointed out. He calls out loudly, waving one hand in greeting, "Hullo there, friend! Something we can help you with?"
The man does not step out from his hiding place, but does call back, "Since you wants to be so helpful, you can hand over that box what you done just dug up. And we can be on our way." You can hear a touch of humor in his voice, like he considers himself awfully clever.
Dawnilea shakes her head, "Seems to me we got here first, friend. Though if you're in the market, maybe you should make us a reasonable offer instead of hiding in the rubble and failing to ambush us? "
Bardigan offers under his breath, "Did you hear that? 'We'. Sounds like our shadowy visitor brought friends." Turning back to the hidden figure, Bardigan shakes his head. "I'm afraid we're not going to do that." He slips his rapier free from its scabbard as if to punctuate the statement.
The man calls back, "Well, looking to do this the hard way, eh? Guessing that means we get more than the box when we pick what we wants off yous bodies." It's clear that the man at least sound ready to fight you for your prize.
Unseen from the western side of the ruins, a man in a cloak steps from out of the rubble and throws his dagger at Bardigan, for his bravado. The dagger looks like a good throw, but just skirts off Bardigan's armor at the right angle to avoid injury.