"Just Magnius, for now. Shall we get a drink and discuss business?" He offers, but his hands tell another story, as he flashes a few signs to the richly dressed man.
::"I know you have ties to the Bellflower Network, I seek their agents."::
The Gargling Gargoyle
.
Inside, the Gargling Gargoyle is not terribly busy. In a corner two balladeers lament a deep song which emotes the doldrums of their cold hearts, the leader sitting on a stool playing an upright bass, the more talented musician playing an old cello. A faded stovepipe hat lays empty in front of them.
Four of the eighteen tables are occupied, various merchants, artisans and tradepersons enjoying a sparse meal of pheasant and rosemary, or red wine and bread, or even the cheap House fagioli.
At the bar, a distance from Lucius Difax and Magnius, sit two other patrons, more talkative or open then the customers at the tables. A bearded man has an empty bowl of fagioli that he noisily slurped through minutes earlier, and an old, rail-thin man seems to constantly sip a glass of red.
Nearer the entrance a town guard tears at a loaf of bread, half enjoying the music and half keeping an eye outside -- still on duty. It is impossible to tell whether the officer is in the pocket of the Arvanxi Lord Mayor or one of the other nobles.
The proprietor is mostly working alone, though a teen boy, rather effeminate and between 14 and 18 years, sometimes helps his boss. Poorly.
It is hard to tell whether any of the private rooms in the back wing or on the second floor are occupied.
.
Everyone looks as the beautiful and elegant Yaos enters. Some stare a moment longer, including the teenage boy and the two musicians, who momentarily pause their somber song.
"Tell me more. Who are these assassins? What do they want and where do they come from?"
"I'm looking to engage in some trading, hoping to improve my standing if successful."
::"I am a neutral party."::
The Gargling Gargoyle
.
Little does Magnius know that , despite his reputation for being sympathetic to the Halfling cause, feeds all his knowledge to The Bogeyman, scourge of Halflings and the Bellflower Network.
Meanwhile, at a table near the bar, is immediately tended to by the proprietor, a man who can veritably smell money and power when it walks in his door.
The balladeers resume their sad stringing. The four occupied tables resume their own conversations about trade and work and women and weather. The guard takes another mouthful of his bread. And the two men at the bar try to think of an effective pick-up line for The Red Widow -- not that they would have the courage to employ it if they were clever enough to create one.
"I am many things, Itch, but an assassin is not one of them. I may be willing to help you, but I'll require more information. Names to start, and some kind of proof of evidence also. I rarely act without proper research first. Why are they afraid of arcane magic? Why did they kill your master? Who are they and what do they want?"
"You have piqued my interest though. At the very least I will agree to go with you to Westcrown and discover more about these killers. Once I have more information, I will make the decision on whether to help you further."
Mindy rolled her eyes. "Don't get flustered, Itch. He's like this about pretty much everything. He can't put his pants on without reading three books about it first."
"What's actually going to happen is that he's going to travel with you and decide if he likes you, then he's going to watch your targets and learn about them. If he likes you, and doesn't like them, he'll kill them for you.
"If he decides he likes them and doesn't like you, he'll kill you."
She shrugged her tiny shoulders and gave the other imp a friendly smile.
"Very helpful, Min." Azlain deadpanned.
He gave Itch an apologetic look. "She is mostly correct though, save for one correction. I do not kill those I do not like. I kill those who are guilty of working against Cheliax and the law of Asmodeus. That means uncovering motives are my first priority."
::"Arvanxi":: Comes the short, simple reply.
The Gargling Gargoyle
.
"There are two ways to reach me. First, if you cannot find me easily, go to Taranik Garrison or Citidel Ravaad. Either will have the means to get a message to me. The second is more straight forward, but contingent on you. Do you know how to use magical Scrolls?"
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Magnus. I am Yaos Battori."says Yaos, smiling inwardly.
Magnius smiles pleasantly at the richly dressed young lady. "Yaos Battori. The infamous Red Widow. Greetings, and well met." The nobleman says politely, extending a hand.
The Gargling Gargoyle
.
Outside, under a passing cloud providing daytime shade, a dozen HellKnights, their glistening armor showing them as Order of the Rack. Led by a Maralictor with a livid scar on her fat face and a morningstar clenched in her fist, four HellKnights are dragging prisoners. The terror of their impending righteous punishment is violently plastered on their faces. Two HellKnights each flank the four dragging the prisoners, obviously to Taranik House.
A crowd of Chelaxians surges with the procession. Some curse at the criminals; others spit. Most just look on.
"We're gonna make sure the terms of the agreement are crystal clear first." Mindy said holding up a tiny finger. "Azlain agrees to conduct surveillance on your targets and determine if they are threats of traitors to Cheliax. The determination of whether they are threats or traitors lies solely with Azlain. He will do this over a period of time not to exceed the next two weeks. Anything outside of the scope of that will be subject of a different bargain."
"And in return for his help, you, the Imp called Itch, who is currently here making this bargain, agree to owe Azlain one favor, to be called in at a later time, after Azlain has completed his end of the bargain. The favor is guaranteed not to be life-threatening or outside reasonable expectations of what an Imp is capable of."
"Neither side of this bargain is transferable. The bargain is struck in good faith, with each party agreeing to act in the other party's best interests while going about the business agreed to here."
"Do you both agree to these terms?"
"I think those terms are satisfactory. I am willing to agree to them." Azlain said. Mindy had been paying attention. He made a mental note to reward her later.
The Gargling Gargoyle
.
.
"Yes, no doubt they will and soon."replies Yaos to Lucius as she moves to establish what is causing the commotion, perhaps causing her to miss his second question. Having realised what the commotion is, Yaos quickly loses interest and sits down again, adding after a moment "It has come to my attention there is an agent of Pangolais in Parego Dospera. I was intending to see if I could observe him this evening, do you want to join this piece of spying Magnius? And you Lucius of course?"
"Agreed." Azlain said, grasping Itch's tiny hand and shaking it. "I shall get started immediately."
He considered walking on by. The Hellknights seemed to have things well in hand, and dealing with nobles was tedious at best. Still, that nagging sense of duty wasn't something he could ignore. He passed into the concealing darkness of an alley and brought a mask to his face. His form shifted as he did, his outline growing bulkier and more menacing.
Out of the alley came a Hellkight Signifier of the Order of the Scourge in black baroque armor and a hooded dark grey cloak and tabbard. His mask was surfaceless and blank save for two curling horns. On his shoulder sat a red-eyed raven.
He joined the other Hellknights wordlessly, adding his silent, menacing support to their ranks.
To the crowd it may have seemed strange for a member of the Scourge to be there, but the Hellknights knew who he was. There was only one Scourge Signifier in the area right now.
Behind the mask, Azlain studied the prisoners carefully and listened to the ranting of the nobility.
Yaos takes a second to gather her thoughts, and then replies to Lucius, the replies "My interest in this agent of Pangolias stems from an exchange of favours with another local, who wants me to find out more about him. That is also why I don't want to leave it to the Hellknights.
Magnius and I know each other, and he is most capable. Now the agent, or at least citizen from Pangolias. He is not here and I don't expect him to visit The Gargling Gargoyle.
My contact told me his name is Winnow though "his" is not a good choice of word. Winnow is androgynous, pale akin and white hair. It was not known whether he casts a shadow in light but there's always a shadowy reflection of him, or two or three, at his feet in different angles. Sometimes one can just make out the outline of an ethereal form over his shoulder. My contact had never seen him during daylight or to show emotion.
When we entered the city I saw at the southern edge of the Parego Dospera and cross a canal entering the still living Parego Spera, a mixed pair entering their own home, a once abandoned building. They seemed androgynous: a Gnome in drab, colorless garb and a Wayang, whose grin though plastered to its face, revealed no joy or humor, or even contentment. While it is not certain I think the androgynous Wayang and the androgynous Winnow are one and the same. Interesting don't you agree."
And he notices a young, erotically beautiful woman both trying to keep hidden and also see everything that is happening. Her fear is not tacit; it's tangible and leading to panic. Will they find me?! ....Am I guilty? She knows on some level she must leave this place immediately, but she can't pull herself away. She must keep looking in case some answer to her questions is made know. So she stays poorly hidden, not adept at stealth and too wide-eyed to be a mere onlooker.
"Mindy, eyes on that one." Azlain said quietly to his familiar.
Mendacious flapped off Azlain's shoulder and into the sky, going the opposite direction of the girl before swooping wide once she was out of sight of the crowd and landing on a nearby roof to spy on the girl Azlain had pointed out.
He stayed where he was and continued to monitor the woman's thoughts, waiting for her to think something, or do something.
As all the others rush to see what's on in the street, Magnius will look outside as well, curious what's causing such a commotion in his city.
Turning back to Yaos and Lucius, "I have no problem assisting you Yaos, but I am on the trail of one Aaron Smallbridge, a halfling of some note. We should deal with him first and foremost, as he's our actual target."
"You are right of course Magnius. What is the time frame you have in mind for tracking down this Smallbridge? If we do have time to pursue this Wayang it may not take long and the contact I was trading favours with, the bastard Kylian Phandros, a name I think you will recognise, could prove most useful. So if we can investigate the Wayang without compromising our primary mission, even by going to have a look now, I think it worthwhile. Incidentally, do you recognise anyone of note in the Autos-da-fe out there?"replies Yaos, gesturing expansively towards the crowd outside as she utters her last sentence.
After leaving Westcrown it will take six hours of walking to reach the spot where Magnius laid down his marker to follow Aaron Smallbridge's tracks. And it is unknown how long you'll have to follow the Halfling tracks from there before you reach his destination.
One thing is obvious, if you start following those tracks, you may end up walking right into an ambush -- figuring Aaron Smallbridge may see you coming from a distance, and if he has allies.
But it's a good assumption that it'll take a day or two, total. This means you can skip over spying on Winnow at the Dusk Market tonight, or wait another day before you track Aaron Smallbridge.