"Uh, didn't Laori break into that place easily? I think the sewers or our hideout might be safe, but whatever. Let's go."
"We should stay on the island for now, I think... Salvatore is in no shape to swim, and getting across the bridges would be difficult." Quorthos looks around. "I think Salvator's house is our best bet right now. We can find out where to find the person we're looking for, and then Salvator can decide what to do next."
As we head in that direction, Quorthos moves over to Baer and whispers. "What about this Laori? She seems obsessed with Salvatore... will he be in danger after we leave? We may have to deal with her?"
In hopes of Laori not understanding orcish, Denario speaks on hushed tone while walking near Baer and Mavor.
"The elf, it would not be in our favor to bring her to our 'own residence' in any case. Quorthos' proposal is sound, Salvator's own home might best suffice."
Baer grunts, willing to agree just a little bit with Denario's point. But she's still grumpy about it.
You head to Salvator's house, where you sit down in the living room with the skulls candles Laori made. Vencarlo explains the situation to Salvator, telling him that you need to find the Seneschal as fast as possible.
"Neolandus and I were friends," Salvator starts. "Early on the morning our king Eodred II died, Neolandus showed up at my home, desperate, bloodied, and poisoned. He was delirious, told me he needed a place to hide. I nursed him back to health, whereupon Neolandus told me that Queen Ileosa had murdered her husband, and that she'd entered an alliance with the Red Mantis. They were the ones who tried to assassinate Neolandus, and his escape was mostly just luck. Worse, Neolandus said that there was something about Queen Ileosa that wasn’t quite right; she'd changed recently. Grown "worse," whatever that meant. Neolandus refused to tell more."
"My house isn't really that safe though... I had some connections with a noble family, one of my greatest patrons. I suggested Neolandus seek them out for asylum, and he did. I escorted him up to the Arkona Palace late one night, just a few days before the quarantine occurred. I haven't seen him since..."
"The Arkonas?!" Vencarlo shouts wide-eyed.
"Well they seemed friendly enough. They hadn't even given me up yet, even though I lost my muse..."
Vencarlo clasps his head. "According to information I've gathered the Arkona are at the head of a criminal organization. You delivered your friend to the wrong people, Salvator."
The fencing master lets out a deep sigh. "The assassins that attacked my house were also Red Mantis, same as those who attacked the Seneschal. This proves the Queen's after me... And with the Seneschal in the hands of the Arkonas this just became a lot more complicated."
Baer's face scrunches up as she tries to think what she knows about the Arkonas.
Know (Local)
"So...if they have him, he must be safe, huh?"
Tural nods, taking in the information.
"Well... This is a situation."
He turns to Salvator.
"Could you get us up to the palace? We could dress up one of ours to infiltrate the building."
Denario looks at Mavor.
"You'd be a good candidate for that."
"We have to find the Seneschal... if the Arkonas have him, that's our next stop. But if they're in league with the Queen... well, what can we offer that can top what she's offering? I think this may be more of a raid than a visit." He thinks back to the raid on the "hospital" earlier.
"Good point, Boy. We may need him." Baer grunts, thinking that Quorthos might be right.
Both Baer and Quorthos know that House Arkona is one of the most powerful noble families in Korvosa.
Quorthos knows that although it's an old family that predates even the founding of Cheliax, by 4458 AR House Arkona had sunk into poverty. Lord Garath Arkona of Korvosa and his sociable brother and adviser Jenkson Arkona, in the caravel "Reprieve", set sail for distant and exotic Vudra. The shipment they brought back returned House Arkona to a place of prominence in the nobility. Overnight, the much-derided house went from among the poorest noble families to second only to House Jeggare in wealth. Since their initial voyage to Vudra, House Arkona has only increased its wealth and influence in the city. Nothing occurs in the back alleys or stinking vaults of Old Korvosa without House Arkona knowing about it. It is a poorly kept secret that the family controls or has influence over every major (and most minor) criminal enterprise in the city.
"Then we need a plan of attack? As there is a target of interest among this... I do not believe a rapid bombardment of purifying flame would be wise... Perhaps a sneak to stealth their way in and remove the VIP then a firm bombardment?"
The ifrit's fingers caress his lips carefully as he thought aloud.
"It sounds as if they are simply more accomplished bandits. Likely stronger but powered by greed and the fear of losing their amassed 'wealth'.. what ever form that takes."
"Maybe we scout tonight, then go to 'talk'," Bart makes air quotes around the word 'talk'. "Maybe they hate the Queen and want to work with us."
Denario smiles faintly, "If that would be so, we'd benefit from that, but for now i'd not get my hopes up."
"I think scouting is best."
Tural replies, agreeing with everyone.
"We need an invisibility spell and someone who can fly. I can fly for a few minutes and I also think I have the sharpest eyes."
"I can fly for a bit," Baer offers. "I can scout, I guess."
She has no solution at the moment for the invisibility.
"I will provide support with Baer...and I can keep us in flight for longer."
Imoya offers.
"I can make you both [i]invisible,"[/b] Quorthos offers, remembering the wand he carries. "While you go up, I will scout around the exterior of the building, since we'll need to get in at ground level at some point."
When she is made invisible, Baer will decide to invoke her ability to fly and scout the Akrona grounds. She won't go more than 60' to anybody or anything, preferring to remain unheard and unseen. She counts the numbers of guards/beasts, any entrances, and related things.
Tural soars up into the air the moment he is turned invisible. He peers into the windows of the building, trying to discern any special rooms. If possible he tries to pinpoint the holding area of the seneschal.
If Tural can fly and scout, there is no need for Baer to go. She'll on her hands and grump about, waiting.
Imoya waits patiently for Quorthos and Tural.
Mavor grunts as Denario said he might bean inside man. But he leaves it at that.
Somewhere in his mind he wandered off again as the talks took a turn about infiltrating and freeing an important captive.
His mind wandered off towards an hospitable, but small home. A gray cat approaching him, purring to him as he wakes up on the couch. A light-hearted voice wishing him good morning and having breakfast ready. Somehow that memory always came back to Mavor, nowadays more than ever he longed for it.
When the plan started, Mavor was on the look-out on the ground. Waiting to see any disturbances and act accordingly if needed. Otherwise he was trying to befriend some of the local thugs, get some more information that way.
"At some point we should burn down the 'emperor's' keep." Imoya suggests as he awaits news. His eyes looking into the cracks and crevasses of the near by buildings.
"When our business around these parts is concluded, we could.
Putting it out of commission in any way would do, actually. The Grey Maidens and the queen are still after us, after all."
"Trickle down justice then?"
Palace Arkona is perched at the highest point atop Endrin Isle in Old Korvosa. The grounds are to be open, and decorated here and there with tiny copses of trees, exotic topiary animals (elephants, cobras, and tigers being the most common), beautiful flower gardens, and exquisite
fountains. The palace is a breathtaking structure built in the Vudran style, with golden pillars, high windows that rise to tapered points, minarets, and domes decorated with slender spires.
Tural soars up into the air the moment he is turned invisible. He peers into the windows of the building, trying to discern any special rooms. If possible he tries to pinpoint the holding area of the seneschal.
Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (19) + 20 = 39
Baer waits for Tural's report. She grumps and polishes her staff, hoping her ferny friend is ok.
Tural notices all the curtains are open and he's able to take a peek inside every room with a window. He sees many luxuriously decorated rooms, but none of them really stands out as 'special' in a way that would be of particular interest to the party. There isn't a single sign of the seneschal in any of the rooms.
Tural returns to the party, still invisible, and tells of his findings.
"I think it best if we find a way inside. The place probably has a cellar or basement where the seneschal is kept. How do you best think we proceed? Barrelling in is probably not the best idea. "
"Send in our stealthiest, retrieve the target...then we burn the place down?" Imoya offered with a shrug.
Quorthos anxiously awaits the tree man's return, and exhales with relief when he hears Tural's disembodied voice. He tries to make sense of the description and see if there is any preferred entrance point.
"So, the place is empty, then?" Quorthos muses. "That sounds odd... with all of the trouble, you'd expect conspicuous guards to keep folks like the "emperor" away."
"I think Tural's idea is good... go in a window that seems clear, and head down."
Baer grunts, favoring diplomacy rather than direction conflict in this case.
"If they are not aligned with the Queen, might be that we should try talking first before forced entry. They are a known powerful and rich family. We should not anger them if possible."
"Baer's got that right. If we can, at least temporarily, align our interests with theirs, we might get an unexpected benefit."
"I'm not good at all with bluffing."
Tural says in response to Baer.
"We could try, but the chances of it turning into a big fight..."
Staring up to the building a new idea comes to him.
"Let's try, we head in and have a good talk with them. If things turn sour we run back here and try to sneak in. If your plan works we save a lot of trouble. If not we can avoid a big fight and sneak inside. How about that?"
"Sounds acceptable. I can lie well, however diplomacy is not my forte. I'll leave it to you fine people to do what needs to be done. If Plan A and B fail, I'll be waiting..." Imoya says stoically as he looks to the building as if gauging how much fire he'd need to generate to remove it from the world.
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Baer is happy to go with Tural's plan...as long as it is not the same day as all the other fights. She needs her grumpy beauty sleep.
"Alright, let's try that then."
"Yes, let's sleep on it. I am leary of aiding a group that may try to gain power in the chaos, though... they may oppose the Queen, but they don't necessarily support the citizens of Korvosa. That vampire still worries me."
Tural nods, happy to have found another way.
"I could try to do the talking, not the best but I could give it a shot. Shall we go and try?"
Imoya considers his options in Old Korvosa and realizes he knows nothing of the area.
"We could bunk up in an abandon building?" he offered looking around.
"At worse, we can return to the 'Emperor's' establishment..." He sighsed, not enjoying the wayward thought.
"We should back underground to rest. The rats...maybe the rats will protect us. Or the dark. It might be better there than up here," Baer grunts, anxious to find rest before assaulting politely knocking on the door of a ruling family.
Not knowing too much about the city Tural silently follows along, happy to be able to recharge his spells.
Imoya's able to find an abandoned building, but Baer suggests going underground. Tural's ready to follow, but unsure whom to follow.
You head into the abandoned building Imoya spotted; an old warehouse on the westernmost docks of Old Korvosa, a couple hundred yards away from the southern tower of the wall that runs over the island's western shore.
The doors to the warehouse are functional and sturdy, but there's no bar to keep them shut from the inside. Most windows have shutters, but two of them lack a shutter and another window lacks both. There are, however, plenty of construction materials left in the warehouse.