She holds up her hands to show she's no longer holding a dagger, then nods. "I am Korva... these are my sisters, Jay, Maggie, and Treep."
She gestures to the fallen foe "Once she'd grown, we realized she was a dire corby, but we'd hoped we could teach her to live among others. There was trouble. We decided to leave the city, and live far from anyone she might hurt."
Korva then gestures toward the pier where the half-eaten fellow was found.
"Master Nan was to smuggle us out, but kept us down here for days. Yes.. she grew more mad and madder each day, and killed him when he came by again and said not yet."
"I knew she would need to be put down, but my other sisters were reluctant... which made it even more difficult to do the deed."
"I should thank you, I should... polite.. yes?" she looks and nods to Idril. She then looks toward Erodel and Indio, and eyes them both. "But .. if you mean to turn us in...."
"Whatever for my dear lady? Family is important, but one should never assume responsibility for the actions of ones family, each person is separate in themselves.
Moreover, if the reason for you leaving was her anger, then that reason is no more and you no longer have said reason.
Perhaps this opens new opportunities for you to prosper here?"
A group of Tengu could prove most useful for our cause...and for me.
Indio sighs a little inwardly before reluctantly adding, And it is the right thing to do to help them.
Hmmm,indeed. Here we are attempting to revive the Silver Ravens and we find tengu. Strikingly similar,no? Could our crossing of paths be fated?
Wary of the crocodilian sulking nearby,Batargrae put away his loaded crossbow and approached the cluster of humanoid corvids.He offered a handshake and a bow to each of them in turn.
We are trying to free Kintargo from tyranny of the House of Thrune. I do believe you lovely ladies would make fine additions towards the revival of the famed Silver Ravens. We go by Urban Adventurer Club for obvious reasons,though. Would you be interested in joining our ranks?
Asha shakes her head emphatically at the mention of turning the tengu in. She won't be the one to do such a thing, and if she has any sway at all over her companions she will persuade them to do the same... although by the sound of things at least two of them are of a mind with her and inclined towards cooperation.
"Oh yes, what a lovely idea! I hope you will stay and help us! We could do so much together, make this place a true home for all of us." She is intentionally vague, leaving the others to interpret her words however they desire. Is she speaking about the underground haven, or about Kintargo?
Idril snorted derisively.
"What, turn you in? To that font of justice Barzillai Thrune? I think not!" Idril said, waiving her hand dismissively.
Korva takes Bastargrae's hand immediately.. the others are slow to accept, but appear to be won over as Asha and Idril voice their opinions.
"Can think of no better use of my time."
She then looks over toward the pier. "We should get Nan's body from the water.. let his friend upstairs know what's become of him. We've a few bottle of brandy for paying respects."
Korva turns to her sisters "Light some sconces, and fetch the brandy if you would."
As they dash off to do so, she leans in...
"Many thanks for this. We lost a sister to the gator. These days have tested our bond... purpose will mend."
Idril will happily shmooze with the Tengu sisters and gossip over a snifter of brandy.
Clapping his hands,Bastargrae looked at the corpse of the dire Corby and frownedWell,that's three birds with one stone! We solved a family crisis,recruited allies for our cause,and found out what happened to Nan AND brought his killer to justice. However... shouldn't we kill the gator?
Indio pulls out a handkerchief and coughs in it, though in reality he is hiding a small but fierce smile.
Influence...growing...
Bastargrae readied his nifty new hand crossbow,a bolt already loaded from earlier. I'll help avenge your poor gnawed upon shank,Mr.Erodel. After all,you did me a favor by getting that bully blade from bashing my cranium in. I've a bit of skill in clothing. Would you like for me to craft something from its pale hide? I was considering making myself a new poncho...the dire Corby ruined the on my person presently.
A chalk white poncho made of alligator hide! Oh,how dashing he would look with his tophat!
Ooooh,splendid!chirped the gnome,clapping awkwardly in glee.
Idril whoops and cheers the boys as they go on the hunt for wounded gator.
You see the top of the pale alligator's head.. eyes toward you.. still lingering by the statue of Calistria.
Korva joins you by the water's edge. "We will pull Nan's body from under the pier, and assist if needed once we have him on dry ground."
Bastargrae frowned at the sight of the usually fearsome ranger performing so miserably with his impressive crossbow.Against an animal,no less.
His own shot bounced harmlessly off the alligator's hide with a clatter before sinking into the water due to the sixty foot gap.
Then again,he wasn't one to talk about martial prowess...
Asha watches for a while as the two loose shot after shot at the monster in the water, their frustration growing as the bolts skid off the creature's hide or miss it altogether. It really wasn't like Erodel to perform so poorly in a martial encounter, but they had been through quite a lot that night already - the man was likely tired. She steps in behind him to help line up his next shot with whispered indications and a touch of magical aid.
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Idril snorted at the horrible aim demonstrated so far, then hooted and cheered at the boys for the next volley.
"GO TEAM!" She chanted.
Rather than joining in on the "festivities", Indio instead turns to the Tengu ladies and pass the time in idle conversation.
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Erodel loads up the crossbow yet again, his motions more violent than usual as he does not even attempt to hide his frustration.
Taking aim again he fires, this time the bolt land squarely in the eye of the albino beast.
"About f&*(ing time..." he grumbles. Nodding a quick "thank you" to Asha.
(deadly aim, guidance)
(deadly aim)
...Well,that did it. Bastargrae murmured as the alligator thrashed in agony before rolling belly up to float like a cork.
Unfortunately,this left the corpse some 60 ft out so he'd be unable to reach it ,much less hauling it to shore.
You return to the first room of the cellar Laria referred to as the Wasp Nest. She descends the ladder once she hears your return, and puts a hand to her mouth when she sees what remains of Nan. She looks to the tengu sisters.
"He said he was smuggling textiles." she shakes her head. "I'd told him the crackdown made moving people out of the city near impossible... far too risky."
Then looks to you. "I apologize... I did not expect this kind of trouble... how horrible. You've done well nonetheless. Get some sleep.. we'll talk once you've rested."
"Consider the Wasp Nest yours... with the Bellflower Network now locally inactive it will see no other use, and I hate to see go to waste. May it serve you well as a base for the Silver Ravens.
Idril nodded and thanked Laria for her donation to the resurrected Silver Ravens. She hugged everyone and promised to meet everyone again at an agreed on time before leaving to go to her shift at the Amythest Apple inn.
"And I never did get to see Shensen..." She complained as she went out the door.
"It is time I returned to my master. I shall see you all later." Asha departs with a smile and a small bow, already making a list of required supplies in her head. If they were going to use the Wasp Nest, there was a good deal of cleaning and tidying up that had to be done.
"I believe I shall remain, it would be ungallant to leave the ladies alone until they have had a chance to settle in properly."
Having asked the tengu sisters to fetch the gator's corpse before it sank,Bastargrae used his stilleto styled gnome-pindagger to skin the chalky white hide.Rolling it into a bundle and wrapped in waxen parchment,the gnome put it into his pack.
Why,thank you for your assistance,my lovely ladies. befooled his hat to the tengu sisters.
To the others,he bid them a good evening for the time being.I do believe I will be returning to my shop. I'll be turning this scaly bit of skin into a stylish poncho. My shop is located at the merchant quarter,near the docks. Its called the Blue Tea Brewery. If you have need for me, I'll be thereabouts.
With that,the gnome hustled his way out the coffeehouse.
"Clothes... in just about every crate. They've been sitting for some time. Rusted nail heads. Couple crates have clothing likely worth some coin.. the rest are stained with mildew.. some moth-eaten, threadbare. Found wigs in one crate... may be worth a bit."
There are two tables in the center, upon which are harrow cards - by the looks - left out from an interrupted game.
When Erodel returns, he finds Indio and the Fushi sisters in the southmost room.
Not long after, Rexus comes down to check on you. Upon sight of the Wasp Nest, he immediately dashes off to collect everything from his sleeping quarters (the discovered documents, gear, food, and bedding).
"Suspicion of Serving Mint Drinks
VIOLATION OF PROCLAMATION SEVEN"
.. it is stamped with the sign of the dottari guard.
Inside, your shelves have been toppled, and stores of tea scattered. Thankfully your backroom private area is still locked shut, so your alchemy kit and other belongings have been left untouched.
"Not at all, I am after all raised to be a gentleman."
Indio inspects the crates for a moments.
"I suspect with a touch of the power, some of what might otherwise have been lost could be restored to a useful degree."
Noticing the remains of a game, Indio sweeps up the cards and begins to shuffle them with practiced ease.
"A good way to pass the time, does anyone care to play a hand or two?"
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Erodel nods toward Indio and the Tengu sisters as looks around the chamber for an area to "claim" as his own. Spotting a suitable spot in one of the far corners, the ranger sets down the portion of his belongings that he doesn't feel the need to have on his person and makes his way toward the tables where Indio and the Tengu sit.
"Alright, we have this place. Now what?"
Indio strokes his moustache a little as he considers Erodel's question.
"Well, in the long run, we will have to recruit more people to be able to truly accomplish anything.
However, as of right now, we do not yet have the sort of reputation that would make it possible for us to recruit the people we may want or need."
"What we need to do, is to build a reputation, to demonstrate that we are more than just a collection of malcontents talking a good game.
So, we need a target, something that we can use to demonstrate commitment, resourcefulness and guile."
"While we scout for such an opportunity, we should busy ourselves with the important but less glamorous task of cleaning and restoring this place to receive our future recruits."
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Bastargrae wasn't exactly all to surprised to see that the dottari had paid his place of business a visit. He probably was the only gnomish tea merchant in all of Kintargo,after all.
As he tore down the parchment and stuffed it into his pocket to show to his fellows,he surveyed the extent of the intrusion of his beloved shop.It seemed they had been petty and made a mess of things. Shelving had been toppled or outright smashed off the walls.The bins containing the stores of teas he had on display for customers scattered all over the floor and whatever surface that didn't have muddied bootprints upon it.
All salvageable. All could be repaired. Only a bit of a mess to clean--nothing too devastating.
Bastargrae was honestly relieved that this was all they did. He'd feared they'd strewn garbage or nightsoil all over everything.He even expected to return to a smoldering shell--he wouldn't put it past the dottari given what transpired at the protest.
Several stepstools he'd kept for reaching out of reach items had been in cut lopsidedly to make them more or less useless. He scoffed that they'd taken the time to do such a silly thing.
Shaking his head with a wry chuckle,the gnomish tea merchant set about fixing the damaged door by installing a new lock before he tidied up the unsightly mess. What tea that hadn't been ruined he sifted and resealed in fresh containers. Ruined furniture was broken down further and stacked neatly in a corner to be used for kindling once autumn came.
A bit of his innate magicks aided what a broom and soapy water couldn't. Once he was satisfied,the gnomish investigator unlocked his private back room to gain access to what truly mattered--his alchemy kit,the lockbox holding his shop's weekly earnings,ledgers,and his truly rare batches of teas he kept out of reach due to the difficulty of gaining them.
Methodically,Bastargrae set out a series of tasks to prepare himself for what was to come. He had no idea what his actions would spell for himself or his shop.All he knew was that his fate altered this morning when he attended that protest.
His and that of the city of Kintargo.
Anticipation trailed cold fingertips down his spine.He fairly quivered at the gravitas of the situation.He busied himself by tanning the alligator hide,using a barber's razor to shave away from it g bits of flesh and sinew.
He'd already set the water to boil and the added the tea. Now it was time to let it steep and see what brewed.
Morvius shakes his head "You've either misheard or misinterpreted my words .. I will allow this erudite pursuit to continue if she so wishes.. a valuable investment. I take issue with your employer's further proposals. You may be able to set worth in coin of field workers, unskilled labor, or what have you in your ledgers, but... Asha.. was a gift."
After he sends the visitor away, he turns to you...
"I've been told you met someone who has found you useful in translating old texts... a friend of Laria Longroad. If you wish to continue, and find it mentally stimulating.. you have my leave. We will attempt to manage without you for a week at most, but.. do not disappear."
Part 2 -- Rebuilding the Ravens
It is midday by the time you've rested, and all have returned. The tengu Fushi sisters have gone out.. to discover if anyone is on the lookout for them - relating to the fallen dire corby's crimes.
Rexus speaks.. "I have the documents in the study for Asha and yours truly to unravel.... It might be prudent to return to the conversation I overheard between Indio and Erodel regarding building reputation to fuel recruitment. I feel we should also take time to determine each of our roles here."
Bastargrae busied himself by serving his fellow rebels tea and mint candies as they discussed future plans.He sat upon a rather steep stool,a cup of tea in hand and a leg crossed over his knee.
After returning from his shop,newly installed with several nasty booby traps should those brutish dottari attempt to break into his shop and vandalize it AGAIN,the gnomish investigator presented the parchment he'd found nailed to the door with a flair of pride.
He also found himself to be curiously...more competent.A bit more cunning,certainly more skilled,and somehow stronger. As though the experiences of yesterday had granted him some mysterious spurt of growth by simply surviving and taking part.
Bastargrae nodded in approval at this conclusion. He was an adventurer now--of course he'd improve swiftly. New experiences tended to do that. And as a gnome,it refreshed him more so than the strongest quaff of Longroad's coffee.
He noticeably wore a new poncho made of white alligator skin trimmed in purple felt. A matching band also adorned his tophat. He pretty much preened at the attention it elicited.
Hmmm.Quite right you are,my dear sir. I do believe my talents would best be put into secrecy and security. I'm quite good at keeping unwanteds out and hiding things in plain sight.I'm quite used to being about largely unnoticed--after all,who recalls a mere street vendor selling tea and sweets?
Her master's words fill her with joy. She bows deeply, barely restraining a grin. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." A thought occurs to her and she adds: "May I borrow a couple of linguistics books from your library, sir? To aid me with my project? I've always wanted to improve my rudimentary grasp of Strix." Receiving approval, she hurries to the library to pick out the volumes she thinks would be most useful. As she searches, a folded piece of parchment falls from within the pages of a tome, edges yellowed curled with age. Unable to contain her curiosity, Asha unfolds it and sets to deciphering it. The page is covered with the curious writing that she has seen in books of arcane teachings, which she cannot read. However, someone has helpfully translated it and made annotations. Asha's face lights up with excitement - this is a spell to find objects that are infused with magic! It is a fairly simple spell too, and the girl is confident she can replicate the gestures and the command word; after practicing a few times, she gets it right. She replaces the parchment carefully and picks up two volumes - a Common/Strix dictionary and a linguistic study of the Strix language. Her knowledge of the Infernal language should make it quite easy to learn Strix, as the two are somewhat related.
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Asha returns to the Wasp Nest with a few cleaning supplies and sets to tidying up the place a little. Even though the work is hard, she hums happily, pausing every now and then to sneak a glance at a book propped up on a stack of crates and read aloud a short phrase in a strange-sounding language.
As Rexus speaks, she sets aside her broom and claps in excitement. "Oh, yes, the documents! I can't wait to get started! And if I may be so bold, I think I would do a good job of securing the loyalty of Kintargans to our cause. I have many friends in the poorer areas of the city. The rich and powerful... they won't take risks. They have much more to lose than poor people - money, position, connections, reputation... So our best bet is to recruit from among the poor and the dis-, disenfranchised." She struggles a little with that last word, obviously not a term that one would hear a slave speak, although she looks a touch proud for knowing it. "If we gain the hearts and minds of the people, nothing will stop us. Oh, and I have some friends among the tieflings, too. They could make good agents for us."
"We'll need EVERYONE to be successful Asha. I know a few people who could make a difference." Idril replied.
"Hmmmph, it may not be glamorous work, but someone does need to consider the information, look for correlation and come up with workable stratagems once this is done.
I...have a certain flair for such work."
"Excellent. That should work out well. If you care to work on what to do first, Asha and I will get to work on the documents." He then notices the books Asha has brought with her, and smiles "Learning Strix? Good, good!"
"I have only gotten as far as to decipher the first paragraph or so. It speaks of the founding of the Silver Ravens in 4606.. not long after the fall of Aroden... formed to quell the chaos, and guide Kintargo away from a culture of oppression."
"We are currently working somewhat in the dark, what we need is information so we can plan not only a long term strategy, but a short term goal."
Idril grinned.
"Consider it done!" She said, and waltzed out into the city to converse, listen and learn news and rumors at local taverns, markets, and gathering places. .
"Oh, Idril, if you find yourself in Redroof, see if you can find The Floating Pandemonium, they're a tiefling acrobat troupe. Tell them you're a friend of mine!" Asha calls out after Idril as she prepares to dive into the exciting business of deciphering the documents with Rexus.
The Fushi sisters pass Idril on their way into the Nest.
In the warehouse... "We're alright. No one's been looking for us. Ready to get to work....", Korva reports as the other sisters swarm the table for leftover bits of food from lunch. Maggie and Treep spear the same pear slice from Indio's abandoned plate. The piece of fruit is lost to the floor in the brief tussle.
Korva continues, "Meet up and coordinate with Idril, or let her do her own thing?"
Bastargrae stood,donning his tophat and picking up his cane. ...I would think it a better idea to not be seen together too often.Allow Miss Asha do her it while we assist elsewhere. It helps to harvest from different crops,yes? I will snoop about whilst I peddle my wares--the lovely collection of corvids known as the Fushi Family can assist--gather gold and gossip.
To punctuate his intentions,the gentlegnome produced a small wheeled cart set up to brew and serve tea and assorted sweets.It trundled smoothly upon curiously pivoting wheels.
With that,he bowed and headed out to perform a day's work--continuing earning money as a merchant and his first act as a spy.
Ooh,first an adventurer,and now a Spymaster!So thrilling! thought Sweetgulp with glittering eyes, a skip in his step.
Hot tea! Freshly brewed! Blue Tea Brewery now comes to you!he caterwauled as he wheeled his cart through the streets of Kintargo.
"I would suggest that you ladies currently work as an autonomous team, we should attempt to gather as much information as possible at the current juncture."
Indio decides to join in on the information gathering, making good use of his own extensive network and experience in just such a venture.