Caladius blinks at Enko a few times and idly scratches his beard before observing, "If you're worried about Cal... Cas... if you're worried about whatshername, wouldn't standing around for minutes on end be exactly what you don't want to do? Let's hurry on. If you're really worried about Rella here though, you guys go on ahead and I'll deal with her."
"Yes, let's go. I want to find out whether we've been had. I do think we need to hold onto Rella, in case we need to do more investigating."
Keeping the mildly struggling Rella you continue on your way to Signore Dellano's home, finally arriving after several hurried and tense minutes. Standing at the gate feels like forever but in actuality is only a minute, the same old butler makes his old-man-hurried way across to where you wait and opens the metal gate with a wizened smile. "Please do come in, and welcome to you new folks." he states and leads you all back through the house, seemingly ignorant of the confused and worried looking Rella. The odd sights and smells of the collection hints of far and exotic lands and peoples.
Entering the Signores office he's waiting for you behind his large polished desk, and starts a slow-clap as you enter. "Well done and what a delightful show! I hear you... knocked the crowd off it's feet! HAHAHAHA" He begins laughing uproariously, banging his desks surface with one hand, holding his side with the other. Calseinica is nowhere to be seen.
maybe she turned invisible and mute and we've left her behind? lol
"Ha... ha ha... heh..." Caladius tries to laugh at the unfunny joke out of politeness, but he fails miserably at disguising his non-appreciation of Dellano's humor. A moment later he nods to Rella, "Here's one of the would-be kidnappers. You have any questions for her?"
"We'd like to see her and ensure that she is safe and free from harm, Signore. It would be very unseemly if we had removed her from one danger into the clutches of another," says the monk, his calm demeanor and stance betraying virtually nothing of his readiness for another battle if need be.
Dellano's eyes flick over at Rella with disinterest and return back to Caladius, "No, no questions. I suspect I know more about her than she does about herself. Do what you will with her, but no blood in the house please."
Dellano regards Corneleous next, "What deception are you referring to? I asked you to put the pendant on her and I'd be made aware of her status and location, it seemed logical to assume wherever you were would be an unsafe environment for those not battle-hardened -such as yourselves- and so I moved her to safety." His eyes glitter sharply for a moment, and then brighten back up, "And a splendid job you did as well!" He looks around at the rest of you, "Now if there are no more questions, what services did you want performed again?" He pulls up imaginary sleeves with a wide smile, symbolizing his readiness to get to work.
Dellano rolls his eyes dramatically and huffs at Enko, "I'm sorry good sir I do not have her here, nor do I care to transport her back. These things are not easy you know!" He gives Corneleous a doleful look, attempting to commiserate with a fellow wizard. "If you're all that concerned you can find and speak with the infamous Robahl Nonon at the Limehouse... ironically another small theater. But he is currently in charge of her protection and has been made aware of enough of the situation to do so adequately, I believe. Given her upcoming role in his big production, I estimate that he's appropriately motivated."
Sabinus stops looking at the floor and tapping his feet: "As you well know, we asked to have contact with the diva so we can be reassured of her condition and willingness to be in your care. I don't care much what people do most of the time, but I don't like people holding other people against their will. Even I can see that you're being evasive. And I'm not very good at figuring that kind of thing out."
He includes Sabinus, and the others in his reply, and fails to contain a scoff as he answers the witch, "Evasive? Do you think I'd be here and allow you into my home if I were hiding something more? Come come good fellow, let's not be daft."
"Fine, then please respond to our request. Surely you understand where we are coming from, as you most assuredly are not daft."
Dellano smiles indulgently, "As I said, I do not have her here and do not intend to bring her back to satisfy your insecurities. The Limehouse." He holds his breath for a moment, leaning forward in anticipation, "Is everyone ready for their treats?"
Caladius shrugs, "I believe him." He turns around without further explanation and walks Rella out to the front gate. Once the gate opens and they're a few paces beyond, Caladius releases he grip entirely. He looks at her intently for a few too many moments, the silence beginning to grow awkward, then leans in a little too close.
"I didn't hurt you. You didn't hurt me. That's enough for me if it is for you. If that Blargo fellow or whatever his name is keeps abandoning you when things go sidways though, come find me."
Knowledge (local):
"Amazingly, I've actually heard of this Robahl. Since I'm sure you must have known we would be concerned, I can only conclude you enjoyed confusing us. I think I'll never understand people. I do, however, understand treats."
To Caladius as he's heading out: "Remind her that it's best for her if she just pretends this whole thing never happened."
Rella looks at Caladius during the silence, fidgeting and shifting her weight from foot to foot. She keeps ducking slightly and glancing over her shoulders, as if waiting for something or someone to attack her from a blind spot. When Caladius leans close, Rella tries and fails to keep from cringing away slightly. Once he's done speaking, she doesn't respond, but takes a cautious step away. When Caladius fails to react she takes another, and another, her eyes watching the ranger closely, and finally she bolts away as fast as she can. In a moment she disappears around a corner and is lost from sight.
Dellano shifts upright in his chair suddenly, arms upraised, "Excellent! What would you like?"
Caladius shrugs at Rella's departure then strolls back inside with the others.
"She bolted."
"A few years ago, I came across a garment that could cast a veil of illusion over the wearer, allowing him to appear as another." Ava says. "It was a great boon to me in my work, before I lost it under unfortunate circumstances. I trust a man of your stature would be able to procure such an object without too much difficulty, so let us jump straight to the price. Does nine hundred crowns seem reasonable?"
"I have heard tell of a headband that increases the user's mental acuity. I'm already pretty strong in that area, but a little more always helps. I do not think I have the resources to ask you to make that for me now. But perhaps I can return when I do."
"Exalted warriors of my temple use an amulet to increase the force of their blows," says Enko. "I also do not have the money at this time, but I would ask that boon when I do, if you can grant it."
He recognizes and agrees to "acquire", as he calls it, the garment Ava is referring to. And to those who do not have sufficient, Dellano magnanimously agrees to allow you to come back later when you have the right amount of money and he will be able to get the requested items at that time.
Caladius arches a brow as the others request their boons from Dellano. Once they've all finished, he shrugs and extends his bow to the quirky wizard, "It's an old bow, but I've grown attached. There isn't anything you could do to make it, errr, better is there?"
Dellano takes the weapon gingerly, clearly unaccustomed at handling things of a martial nature... unless it's art of course. "That I can do, good archer, are there any other requests?" He sets the bow on the desk gently and looks expectantly at Corneleous, Lucon, Rachel and Mathalen. "Isn't this fun!?" he asks the room in general, his face sporting a wide, delighted smile.
Caladius watches intently, finding himself more worried about his treasured bow than he'd realized until after he'd relinquished it into the hands of an eccentric mage.
If you break it... I'll break you, you crazy mage.
Despite his concern, he maintains his typically stoic expression.
After awhile you're shown to the gate, Dellano promising the items requested (and paid for) will be delivered to you tomorrow morning. He says delivered with a mischievous gleam in his eye, clearly planning something over the top and/or foolish as a delivery system. Sabinus is given some expertly and beautifully carved knitting needles as the extra item Dellano promised, procured all the way from a remote island near the Mwangi Expanse.
You make your way back to the Torchbearer safehouse, home, or both in some cases. The break from all the action continues. During the day to day doings, you continue to hear increased advertisement for an upcoming production of an uncut Six Trials of Larazod. The fact that it is unaltered is drawing the biggest buzz of all, as it hasn't been performed in it's original state for decades. The rumor that the play has never completed without at least one fatality on-stage seems to have excited the blood-thirsty and the purists of townsfolk and thespians alike.
If any of you to back to Il Canzone you do see Calseinica during one of your visits. She seems in perfect health, and you can't help but notice the four huge men that seem to shadow her around like ducklings following their mother. Despite their discretion, it's obvious that the men seem quite concerned with her well-being.
Several parcels arrive by carrier pigeon, the small bird carrying a long package for Caladius, and another carrying a smaller round package to Ava. The birds carry the proportionally enormous items to you with apparent ease, and then fly away once you've accepted them. Inside you find the items you requested from Dellano; Caladius your bow looking better and stronger than ever -polished to an impressive sheen, and Ava pulling forth a stylish and complementary hood -it's coloring and the way the fabric lays on her skin enhancing her good looks... and somehow obscuring her features at the same item.
After about three more days of non-action, you each are delivered a small and thin torchbearer emblem and asked to meet the next day in the morning for an important meeting.
Caladius nods approvingly as he inspects his bow, impressed with some of the delicate engravings and scrollwork that now trace their way along the length of it. He tests the draw a few times with a series of practice shots and seems satisfied with Dellano's work. He heads back out into the streets then, somehow melting into the crowd despite his size. He wanders for a time, his shadowed gaze often involuntarily finding its way to the darker and dirtier corners and alleys. He stops short suddenly as a child's scream rips through the air.
Dark. Wet. Rain falling in heavy, hammering drops. 'Run, Amburian! We have to run!' Tugging on a smaller hand. Suddenly the hand is gone. Turning around, the world blurring with the motion and the rain. Can't see. Amburian screams, clutches desperately at a leg. Caladius topples, crawling backwards as something dark drags Amburian in the opposite direction. Holes in the skin, horrid smell. Won't ever forget the smell. Amburian still screaming, suddenly silenced. Pounding of metal on stone. A Hellknight running. A blade flashes in the rain as lightning illumines Amburian's glassy, unseeing eyes. They hold mine, never letting go. Never letting go.
Caladius shakes the memory from his mind and looks around for the child, standing like a stone in a flowing river of people. Off to his left he sees a little girl, not screaming at all but squealing with delighted laughter. A man in simple clothes stands there, a patched rucksack drops to the ground at his feet and a worn but empty scabbard hangs from his hip. He scoops the little girl up and tosses her into the air, catching then hugging her tightly.
Not a scream at all, yet the scream remains just the same.
Caladius resumes his walk through Westcrown.
Enko looks at the emblem before safely pocketing it, sitting crosslegged at the end of his meditation. Birdsong and the beginnings of city bustle gently erode the relative morning quiet of Il Topo Grasso's courtyard, which is adjacent to an abandoned building of some sort. He has found a spare broom and wordlessly volunteered to sweep the dirt, dust, and bits of straw into a semblance of a sacred place, even trimming a few overgrown hedges with nothing more than a kama, all to the bewildered amusement of fellow lodgers. A cracked circle of abandoned marble, found near Uralt's Walk and now set into the earth, completes the space for now, although he has peeked at the building next door with some curiosity.
So...intangibles have come into focus indeed. It seems that one day we will wear these symbols in the open, if the fates allow, he thinks to himself, the Torchbearer emblem's weight detectable in its sconce.
As he leaves, he peers up the stairs of the Walk, then back at the courtyard. And perhaps one day I and others will pray, right here, to the Inheritor. I should contact the Church. In good time.
With that, he follows a twisting and indirect route to the headquarters.
A brief flash of the boy buried deep within Sabinus' brooding psyche emerges, as Sabinus thanks Dellano enthusiastically for the sewing needles. Someone standing close to Sabinus might hear him mutter quietly, "Yako will love these."
Sabinus spends his extra time communing with, training, and learning from Tycho; checking in on Il Canzone (and the theater of Calseinica's current production if necessary); and wandering about town checking in on the places he's found that trade in arcana and looking for any new hidden places. When he's at Il Canzone he'll ask the bartender about the production of Six Trials of Larazod.
Ava will purchase a light horse and riding saddle during the break, and devote some time to learning equestrianism.
Ava runs her fingers over the smooth fabric with a smile. She would be getting a lot of use out of this one.
Ava stands in the Torchbearer headquarters, watching as the others slowly filter in. She's dressed quite differently from her usual attire, wearing a fine set of armor and clothes that looks like it would be suited for a knight or noble at court, and her hair is piled neatly atop her head, held in by a flower-like clip. The black silks contrast against her moon-pale skin and the silver and opal adornments only serve to enhance the effect. The look is both elegant and somewhat masculine, but it manages to suit her quite well.
Enko bows to Ava and smiles at her changed appearance. "Ava, how are you faring?" he inquires. "I had heard about a play; I wonder if that news, along with Calseneica, involves us in some way. I regret I have not investigated further. Do you know about it?"
The muffled sounds of curses and clattering of steel emerge from the hideout's makeshift armory long before Lucon himself, mumbling apologetically at Ermolos who had the unfortunate job of strapping a reluctant Lucon into his armour. Taking a cue from Ava he too has donned his battle-gear, but his visorless helmet cannot hide the worried look on his brow, and you can almost see him wondering to himself how the Dwarf talked him into this. His armour is no less fine than Ava's, clearly the work of one of the city's master armoursmiths, but as if embarassed by this extravagance he has thrown a padded surcoat of drab wool over the top, giving the impression of a heavily armed, walking mattress.
He smiles apologetically at the gathering, removing his helm and scratching the back of his neck gingerly. "So... Where are we going? ... and please don't say the theatre." he adds, desperation in his voice. "Can't abide the theatre." he says, saying the word with the reverant awe of one who believes that a bit of culture is all well and good but I'll have no part of it thank you. "Too many tights, and devil masks and boys pretending to be women and what have you..." he grumbles, shaking his head. It's clear his last visit has impressed him much.
"Quite busy." Ava says, looking over to the monk. "Cultivating a new persona always takes a fair expenditure of both time and resources. I still need to ask the Viscount for his assistance in the matter."
The dwarf looks contemplative as Enko asks about the play. "I know the basics of it - The plot, it's reputation here... I remember them trying to get it to stage in my youth." she says, folding her arms. "I had hoped we could stay away from it, but you may be right. A production like this always brings trouble with it." She casts a sidelong glance in the direction of Arael and Janiven. "I don't believe in coincidence - That could be the reason we were called here."
Janiven and Arael welcome each of you as you arrive, with much clasping of hands and patting of shoulders. The rest of the torchbearers arrive and mingle together, swapping tales and posing guesses as to the purpose of the meeting. There's still a euphoria here, present ever since the victory over the Bastards of Erebus, and you can tell it is felt by all. A feeling of satisfaction and especially hope. A hope that the efforts you're all making may actually make a difference in Westcrown. Certainly the updates from Yakopulio seem to indicate a shift, subtle but real, in the hearts of your fellow citizens.
There is a new face in the crowd, hanging back behind Arael and Janiven. The two leaders show the woman, a beautiful woman in well-worn armor, a special deference and respect. Janiven waits for some unseen signal and then stands before you, "“We may have found a way to take back our nights!” she says in an excited voice. "This is Pathfinder Ailyn Ghontasavos, she is a friend of ours and now all of you. I'll turn the time over to her for the next little while."
Ailyn steps forward and Janiven moves out of the way to take a seat near Arael. Smiling conspiratorially she begins, "Thank you for having me. I've heard some of your exploits and tip my hat to all the good you've accomplished so far. The Pathfinders used to have a lodge here in Westcrown, decades ago, and shortly after the lodge was sealed, the shadow beasts came to terrorize the streets of Westcrown. I believe there's a connection with those two events. I believe I have discovered proof while researching Delvehaven, the pathfinder lodge in question, in the libraries of Skyreach at the Great Lodge in Absalom."
She goes on to explain that, as much as she would want to explore Delvehaven, she cannot—she’s not officially here on Pathfinder business, and if the society were to find out that she had taken the exploration of Delvehaven into her own hands, she would be in a lot of trouble. Yet if, perchance, another group not directly affiliated with the Pathfinders were to enter the old ruin—say, a group of heroes eager to combat the shadow beast legacy—Ailyn would be able to make a formal request to have Delvehaven investigated again. Unfortunately, one cannot just simply walk into Delvehaven. While the House of Thrune no longer actively guards the site, they transferred that responsibility to Westcrown’s mayoral office. Worse, the fact that the House of Thrune has been engaged in an act of rewriting history (either by destroying existing documents or changing them to suit Thrune’s preferences) means that reliable information about Delvehaven has become incredibly scarce. Ailyn knows that there are several powerful magical locks and wards on the lodge placed there by the House of Thrune to prevent entry, and her research has shown her that keys to the locks and documentation relating to those wards exists in only one place—Aberian’s Folly. Further, the House of Thrune’s devotion to order and tradition all but ensures that these keys and documents are kept in a complex, twelve-sided puzzle-box container known as a Chelish Crux, and that if it has been secured anywhere in Aberian’s Folly, it is likely to lie within the manor’s vault—a place known as the Asmodean Knot. Unfortunately, her research in the significantly sized libraries at the Grand Lodge in Absalom hit a dead end after that, and so she has come to Westcrown to continue her investigations.
Arael steps along Ailyn, "The banishing of the shadow beasts from the
city’s nights would be one of the greatest accomplishments the Children of Westcrown could do to earn the love and support of the city. If a method to achieve this goal, or even just clues that might point to such a method, are hidden in Delvehaven, an expedition to the old Pathfinder Lodge is very tempting indeed." He gives you each a significant look, "Who better to mount such an expedition than the you, the heroes who, with the defeat of the Bastards of Erebus, are already well on their way to becoming the city’s saviors?"
Janiven joins the other two, "While the urge to simply walk over to Delvehaven (the sealed lodge) and start poking around and exploring might be tempting, such a plan is foolhardy. Not only are the wards and guardians left by Thrune likely potent and deadly, but without doing the proper research on those protections, it’s very likely that a blind exploration of the site would trigger one of many alarms that would alert the Chelish government, resulting in a swift reprisal that neither we nor the Pathfinders can appreciate or deal with."
A better plan, and the plan Arael, Janiven, and Ailyn put to the group, is to find a way to infiltrate Aberian’s Folly and secure access to the Chelish Crux and thus the keys and documents hidden within. With these, an investigation of Delvehaven can be made with greater safety and efficiency. Ailyn says, " I admit that the Pathfinders have long been curious about the exact details of the House of Thrune’s interest in the lodge (as well as the nature of the wards they placed on it), and if the Torchbearers can secure the contents of the Chelish Crux, the Society will pay handsomely for the service." As for how the Torchbearers can infiltrate the home of one of Westcrown’s most powerful government officials and have a good excuse to spend a fair amount of time searching it, Janiven has come up with a bold, unorthodox, and brilliant plan. She shoots Lucon a guilty look, "All you have to do is become actors!"
Janiven rolls up her sleeves and launches into an explanation of what she calls, The Infiltration Plan.
Mayor Arvanxi is a lover of the theater, and in particular, the Theater Mortrescci—plays where not only the cast’s reputations, but their very lives, are on the line during each performance. A cross between a play and a bloodsport, the Theater Mortrescci—more vulgarly referred to as the “murderplay”—has become one of Cheliax’s fastest-growing forms of entertainment. Mayor Arvanxi’s favorite play in this genre is a notorious work known as The Six Trials of Larazod, and as luck would have it, a prominent director is preparing to cast and direct this play with aims to perform the full and uncut version for the first time in years as part of the celebration of the newly reconstructed Nightshade Theater in Westcrown’s Parego Regicon—the central island where the city’s nobility and the traditional seat of government are located. If tradition holds true, and if the performance of the play pleases the mayor, he’ll invite the cast and crew to his home for a banquet and party—a gala event that would give undercover agents of the Children of Westcrown a singularly perfect opportunity to explore the manor.
Janiven runs down the attractions of this plan, ticking each one off on a finger as she goes:
- As guests invited to the mayor’s home, the heroes-asactors don’t need to worry about hiding from his guards or sneaking into the house.
- Mayor Arvanxi’s obsession with and respect for the theatrical world would grant the heroes-as-actors a huge advantage in squeezing information from him.
- The mayor’s parties have a well-known reputation for running long—sometimes over the course of days—so the PCs should have an excuse to remain in his home for more than enough time necessary to get the job done.
- The mayor will doubtless require the PCs to come in full costume from their performance, and since they’ll be playing adventurers and the like in the play, that essentially means they’ll be able to walk right in to his manor fully armed and armored, no questions asked.
- The mayor and his staff celebrate hard—it shouldn’t be long before he and the majority of his guards are so drunk and distracted that they’ll be in no condition to ask questions if the PCs slip away for several hours to look around.
"The only real disadvantage of the plan, Janiven admits, "is the nature of The Six Trials of Larazod. The play is notorious and was banned for many decades for a reason—the combats and torments the actors endure in the play are not faked, but real. And to date, no cast has survived a production of the full, uncut version of the play—the version the director, a man named Robahl Nonon, has promised to Westcrown and its mayor. But certainly, surviving a play should be a cinch for a group of heroes like yourselves! Even better, you're the first to survive the uncut version, the mayor’s delight and the subsequent invitation to his home will be all but guaranteed!"
Janiven finishes in dramatic fashion and looks around at you, excitement in her eyes. Her silence seems to invite any questions or comments you may have.
Knowledge local:
"It's an intriguing and important mission and a brilliant plan, but I'm neither an actor or a fighter. The rest of us are likely to have problems in at least one of those areas as well. light of that, how is this going to work? And why would anyone cast us in the play?"
"Welcome to Westcrown, Signora Ghontasavos...your mission must be important to come here, where the Society is unfortunately in disfavor."
He glances at Caladius and smiles, then turns to Janiven.. "I have no questions. Let the outcomes unfurl."