"I'm not much for sneaking around, but having a few of us in case of an ambush might be a good idea. Is anyone else perhaps better suited than I am to hanging around in case of foul play?"
Castiel shrugs Im not very sneaky.but I can try my hand at it
Kintargo - The Docks -
Cimri agrees to prowl around outside while the rest of you, including Eowithe head on into his office on the docks.
Seated in the room casually is a man who appears to know how to handle himself. A human whose muscles have muscles which are obvious as he wears no armor or weapons, even seated he's nearly 6' tall!
The office is in neat order, paperwork perfectly piled in different sections with notes next to each pile indicating their purpose. A rug covers most of the office and there is a second entrance near where Mr. Zoags is seated. Next to the muscle is a set of stairs that lead up. A few barrels also sit in here but no other clutter. Though the place is in good order the structure itself could use a remodel as the water has warped some of the boards causing them to creak underfoot.
The human behind the desk stands and comes from around to shake hands, "Greetings! As I understand it, your band, along with Cimri have become the new deputies here in Kintargo yes?
I'd offer for you all to sit but room is limited.
Besides, I don't think this will be to long of a meeting, the proposition I have for you I think is one you will no doubt agree to readily!"
"If you're so certain we'll agree, then what is it? Might as well tell us." Pelleas gives him a cautious look when he notes the man's size, but he doesn't show it much. "It's not like we can agree before we know the offer."
"I'm certainly curious what deal you wish to propose that requires us to see you after dark. Something interesting no doubt."
Castiel smirks and leans against a wall. I'm curious, too
Eowithe crosses her arms, and regards the big man, "Indeed, you have our attention. Speak."
Alic doesn't speak, but simply folds his arms and regards the large man. His chains clink softly as he does so, whispering across the fabric of his clothing.
Kintargo - The Docks -
Mr. Zoag grins, "Alright, I suppose I've built up the suspense enough.
It's well known that I run the Longacre docks situated north of the town. Most of the local transport of goods, correspondence, and passengers to and from the nearby Whisper River cross my docks.
I had made such an overture to the previous Sheriff, perhaps if she had agreed she would have had more of a feel for what was happening in the city. She didn't and look what happened to her.
Now, the offer, you all pay me 10 gp a week and in exchange, I'll keep you apprised of the most interesting gossip and cargo coming off the river.
An offer you can't, or shouldn't, refuse".
10 gold a week? I'm sure there's another arrangement we can make to secure your services and discretion?
Kintargo -
He frowns, "I suppose, I could be convinced to lower my price. What do you believe is more reasonable. Mr. Vasago right?"
Not a negotiator at all, Eowithe merely frowns and watches the haggling...
5 gold.
Kintargo -
He frowns, "Seven".
Castiel grimaces, not liking having been bested. Deal.
Sorry about the unpleasantness, but I had to try to get a better deal. He gives a playful grin and shrug. It'd be rude not to.
Kintargo -
He frowns a bit, "Well, I don't want a bad relationship with you all like I had with Sheriff Staelish. Tell you what, 6 gold per week. Each time I bring you something of value, that makes a real impact, you pay me one more gold the week thereafter. Is that a deal more to you liking Mr. Castiel?"
I can live with that, if my fellows can
"Does that extra gold cap at the ten gold you offered before? If your information is as valuable as you say, that could end up costing us quite a pretty copper in the long run. Or, was that the plan?"
"I don't have a particular problem with it, provided we can be reasonable about the totals."
Not interested in lending his voice to the negotiations -hardly his area of expertise, after all- Corven simply waits patiently for them to be over, at the same time keeping an eye on Zoag.
Kintargo -
Zoag puts his hands up at Pelleas' question, "Indeed, 10 can be the limit my friends. I am greedy not stupid. A greedy man lives a good life, a stupid man, a short one.
I am glad we could come to such an agreement. Feel free to leave my first payment on the desk as I tell you something you may find interesting.
No one, and I mean no one among the former Sheriff or her deputies have left the city. At least not by my docks. This is not the first city I have lived in within this wonderful Country and I can tell you that most such officials who are pushed out leave soon thereafter. I suppose the question is, why is she staying?
Not that I would ask her of course..."
Pelleas raises an eyebrow when the man gives his first bit of information, then nods. "That is... interesting. The sheriff didn't seem fool enough to cause trouble, but her deputies certainly weren't the brightest I've ever encountered. Having them wandering about in the background can't bode well for our ventures here in Longacre." Pelleas pulls six polished gold coins from a pouch on his belt and sets them on the table across from the man. "Assuming that isn't the total depth of your interesting knowledge, I have a feeling this will be a profitable arrangement for both of us."
Kintargo -
Zoag bows, "I am sure that you will appreciate continue information that I provide to you all".
---
Kintargo -
As you all arrive Cimri is already present, "She grins at Eowithe. Tonight you will finally meet Razelago. Tell me gentl..."
Before she can finish, a breathless city guard bursts into the room, "Uh, not sure what to call all of you but we've an issue at the north gate and could use your help. There's a hobgoblin, demanding entrance and he's becoming belligerent at our refusal to let him in. He's armed to the teeth!"
"I'm sure we will." Cole bows his head slightly to the man as they depart. He's quite glad to get home and have a chance to relax his disguise a bit, though he's up bright and early the next morning for their usual meeting at the jail.
"Oh dear. It seems like today might be interesting after all." Cole smiles. "Well, I suppose we should go see what this belligerent hobgoblin wants."
"A hobgoblin?" He pulsl out his harp and plucks a merry tune. "Music has the power to charm even the most savage of beasts." He chuckles evilly. "Sorry, I couldn't helpt he pun."
Kintargo -
As the Champions of the Arch Duke arrive at the North Gate and scale the tower onto the battlements they do indeed see a Hobgoblin, heavily armed and armored staring at the gate arms crossed looking none too pleased.
He looks up and snarls when he sees you all, ]b]"You lot the ones I need to speak with about gaining entry into a damned city I've Been in dozens of times... through this very damned gate!"[/b]
One of the guards leans over to Cimri, "He's no writ..."
Cimri looks to the rest of you, "Perhaps a contribution for us to write him a writ?"
"What's your business here, goblin?" Pelleas crosses his arms, annoyed with the creature's impudence. "Swearing at us certainly won't endear me to you, and if you want to get through the gate then I suggest you change your tone. Immediately." He raises an eyebrow, then sighs. "We can obtain a writ of passage for you, should we deem it necessary or beneficial that you come into Longacre. Plead your case."
Yes, goblin. Why should we let you into Longacre?
"Now, now, there's no need to be rude about it," Cole says. He looks down to the hobgoblin. "I'm afraid there has been some recent unrest and entrance to the city is restricted. As my companions have said, it would help your case a great deal if you calmed down and told us who you are and what your business is. We're rather new to enforcing the law here and don't know many of the regulars."
Kintargo -
The Hobgoblin scowls but replies, "I served as a mercenary for the Duke of Remesiana in the past, and am returning from Isger to serve there again.
Are your new rules due to these damned rabble rousers?
Along my way back, I passed close to Citadel Dinyar and saw that Iomedaean knights had driven out the Hellknight Order of the Godclaw from their citadel!
This little spark of Rebellion is becoming a real crisis".
"That is... problematic," Cole says dryly. "But yes, I suppose you've hit the nail on the head." He turns to the group and lowers his voice. "I'd think that the Archbaron would be willing to provide a bonus for useful information. And he might be useful beyond that. Skill mercenaries make good friends after all. I say we let him pass."
"We can't just let him pass, it'll stir up the citizens... again. However, I suppose we could just go get him a writ of passage. It'd mean you'd have to wake a few moments more, but it'll solve the problem swimmingly I think."
Eowithe frowns at the hobgoblin, but allows the other to question him. Her fist clenches at the mention of the Iomedean victory, "A writ makes sense, and I agree , this information he has about the trouble at Dinyar must be brought to the archbaron!"
Castiel nods. "I agree. It might be better to jsut let it happen. but, I can work with Pelleas to rouse the rabble."
"I have a feeling that the only way I can rouse them is if I try to placate them... and now that I've said that, even that's in question. Still, let's go fetch him a writ. Perhaps it'll show the citizens that cooperation with the law nets positive consequences."
Cimri considers, "Should we fetch a writ from the ArchBaron, which could take time or just draft our own writ?"
"We have total authority to enforce the archbaron's laws, do we not? Cole says pointedly. "I see no reason not to draft our own up. It would be rude to leave him standing here while we run halfway across town to ask the baron for a writ for a passing traveler. If the archbaron has concerns or questions, he can always overrule the writ later anyway. However, I have nothing to write with at the moment."
"I should have some pen and paper with me..." Pelleas looks into his bag, before pulling out ink and a quill along with some parchment. He walks up against the wall and scribbles in surprisingly elegant writing. "The holder of this writ, a hobgoblin mercenary from Isger, has been given preliminary leave to travel to and from Longacre as he pleases. This permission is so granted by the agents of the ArchBaron of Longacre, and gives the holder these written permissions until such a time that they are explicitly removed by the ArchBaron or one of his agents." He finishes the writ with a flick of the wrist, then signs his own name at the bottom of the parchment. "Pelleas... Markov." He hands the writ to the hobgoblin, a smile on his face.
"That ought to take care of your problems."
Kintargo -
The Hobgoblin bows, "I thank you. Do you wish a full report form me before I move along to the south?"
"Why actually, that'd be just delightful. If you want to take care of any business you need first, you can find us at the sheriff's quarters. Feel free to drop in once you've taken care of things."
Kintargo -
After the Hobgoblin settles in he finds your group at the Jail and relates the following tale, "I am Zaggar, as I stated earlier, I served as a mercenary for the Duke of Remesiana in the past, and am returning from Isger to serve there again.
I thank you again for making an exception for me.
It is good that you allowed me to enter the city for my tale is one as protectors of this city you must know for Rebellion lurks behind the eyes of some of your citizens!
Recently, the Hellknights of the Order of the Godclaw announced they had recovered an ancient sword from the Menador Mountains. The Hellknights readily identified the relic as Heart’s Edge, a blade once carried by the goddess Iomedae, whom the order worships as one part of the lawful, polytheistic faith of the Godclaw. Well versed in Iomedae’s stringent faith and her life as a mortal crusader, the Hellknights claimed the weapon as a symbol of their order’s righteousness and proof of divine favor.
Some of Iomedae’s faithful didn’t agree with this interpretation. After the Hellknights refused the church’s request for the sword’s return, a zealous paladin of Iomedae named Alexeara Cansellarion issued a call to the faithful of the Inheritor to reclaim Heart’s Edge from the Order of the Godclaw. In Alexeara’s view, the Hellknights’ worship of the Godclaw did not align with the church’s traditional teachings, making them heretics unworthy of bearing the goddess’s blade. Hundreds of knights and clerics from Andoran, Cheliax, Molthune, and beyond responded to the call and marched on Citadel Dinyar in Isger, where they defeated the Order of the Godclaw and ousted the Hellknights from their citadel.
But Alexeara Cansellarion had her eyes on a far greater prize than a Hellknight citadel in Isger or even Heart’s Edge. The Cansellarions were a noble family of Westcrown who lost their titles and holdings when the House of Thrune emerged victorious from the Chelish Civil War. Iomedae herself was Chelish as well and, in Alexeara’s eyes, a Thrune-dominated Cheliax is as much an affront to the Inheritor as it is to her personally. Emboldened by her victory over the Order of the Godclaw and with Heart’s Edge in hand, Alexeara Cansellarion founded a new knightly order dedicated to Iomedae, based at Citadel Dinyar. This order of knights, called the Glorious Reclamation, promises nothing less than a purge of the diabolical ideals that the Thrice- damned House of Thrune embodies and a reclaiming of the nation in Iomedae’s name.
Priests of Iomedae have fanned out from Citadel Dinyar to begin preaching a return to the worship of Iomedae in Cheliax, exhorting the faithful to rise up in support of the Glorious Reclamation and overthrow House Thrune. In response, Thrune has imposed martial law in the empire’s largest cities, and imperial soldiers have begun rooting out rebel rats’ nests from Corentyn to Ostenso.
You can see why the Duke would need all the aid he can get at a time like this!
Though it’s been driven out of the empire’s heartlands and into the countryside and smaller towns along the fringes of Cheliax, even perhaps here..."
Castiel purses his lips. That is... interesting. He shrugs. What's our role in all of this, do you think/
"I'm guessing our local problem is one of her faithful followers then. And that the local priest is getting a bit uppity. While I don't doubt that the archbaron has heard the basics already, a more personal report would do him good." He smiles with barely contained joy. "And it will likely be our duty to crush all who try to rise up under the Inheritor's banner."
"We'll need to deal with this swiftly, then. No doubt the local priests are involved somehow, but some of those amongst the townsfolk likely are as well. I wouldn't be surprised if that bard Kels has his fingers in the pie too. We'll need to speak with the Archbaron and then round them up for questioning."