Ro drops her hand and stares in silence at Fran for a couple of seconds. Then, she turns around and walks away in the direction of the stairs.
Same as always. My family leaves me behind and if I don't like it, I'm the problem. Why do I ever believe that will change?
Karmid goes after Ro...delicately.
"That's unfair Ro. We just found her here! Tied up! How can you be mad at a time like this? Finally something GOOD is happening. Think about what might have happened to her if Lia hadn't attempted to clean this place up? The gods must be behind bringing us here!"
"Chained up you mean. I took care of that and did my bit. You can handle it from here."
Ro goes on up the stairs and outside.
"Harsh as it might be. I'm sure your time here has not being kind towards you. Let's see about getting you proper food, water and dressed. It'll be better then whatever you're being on this past few months." Drasven moves forward to check on her wounds if any.
But that detect magic? There's one, two, three, four...yes, five. And the strongest is...strong. Stronger perhaps than anything Lia has ever detected.
"Oh," Fran says, shrugging at Lia's clarification. "I wasn't really paying attention. I guess they've always been burning?"
Fran lets her sister go and nods at Drasven. "That would be great. Thanks, Drasven."
She gets up from the altar, looking more than a little dejected as Ro storms off. She lingers a little closer to Karmid, seeming grateful for his verbal support. "Sorry you had to see all that."
Uncomfortable amid a family reunion/row where he barely knows most of the players, and a bit discomfited about blurting out his thoughts about Fran's eyes... what was I thinking?!... the archer has to do something, so he returns to sweeping the structure for threats.
Picking Angela back up again, he rests the hammer on his broad shoulder and looks at Fran.
"We've all been...pretty stressed lately. Give Ro some time to cool off and maybe she will come around."
He grimaces as he looks around.
"What IS this place? Whatever it was, its a complete desecration of the temple."
Izzy doesn't find any other apparent threats in the below-ground structure, nor does he recognize any of the iconography. Karmid's question goes frustratingly unanswered, whether it was purely rhetorical or not. Lia seems transfixed by what she is detecting, though.
Lia's fascination piques his interest. Izzy walks over, trying to see what Lia is looking at, "What are you seeing?"
"Those four torches there...", Lia indicates the ones in a half circle in front of her. "All five of them are magical. And one is way stronger. Stronger than anything I saw until now."
She continues to focus, then points with one hand:"Right there."
With the other, she gathers Arcane Energy, then attempts to unweave the magic.
Once she's outside, Ro finds a broken something or other, maybe a stone block or piece of pillar, to sit on.
”Huh.” Izzy rubs his jaw at her analysis, curious about the many signals. ”This is probably more your field of expertise than mine but…” He weaves a simple spell and tries to get a better idea of what Lia is picking up. He focuses on the strong signal first.
Arrows (30): xxxxx xxxxx
Blunts (30): xxxxx
1st Spells (7): xx
Ki Pool (7): xx
Perfect Strike (4):
Blood Intensity (1):
Inspired (1):
Touch of Good (8): x?
Protection from Evil (1): x
Align Weapon (good only) (1):
Magic Circle Against Evil (1):
Dancing Lights (3): x
Hero Points (1):
Effects:
Mage Armor = 5 hours
Lia realizes as her spell continues on resonating that the fifth aura she had sensed was actually not one of the torches, but the symbol in the center of the room with the sihedron rune. Although the sihedron draws some potential immediate attention, she first tries to confirm at first what the torches are. Lacking concrete knowledge of the features of magical auras, she relies on Izzy to determine some potentially conflicting auras. The initial faint magic she picked up on is built on much stronger generalized, universal magic. With their combined knowledge of magical features, they recognize that the torch sconces each hold a dull, gray stone springing forth with a heatless flame. The flame itself is magical: an evocation spell commonly known as continual flame created from crushed up rubies. But the stones actually appear as though they were once precious stones, cut with different facets and able to be gazed through. When held in the hand, the stone exerts a tugging sensation from the hand to the head. If released, the stone gently floats up to the holder's head and begins slowly orbiting, giving the appearance of a small flame floating around the head.
Little is known about the history of these magical stones, despite the fact that the Pathfinder Society has invested significant energy into uncovering their origins. The following scant facts are known about them:
The Pathfinder Society has learned the following facts about these rare magical items:
Neither of them have any clue about what's going on with the Sihedron...
Karmid would fill in any details for anybody if they had questions.
"Quite handy little things, especially for those of us who cannot see in the dark."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The primary reason that ioun stones would be familiar to a Shoanti like Karmid is because the Shoanti are descended from the warrior caste of the ancient Thassilonian Empire. The Thassilonian Empire was ruled over by godlike beings of immense power known in the Shoanti tongue as the Azghat. These Azghat trained the ancient Shoanti in combat techniques, often augmenting their favored warriors by implanting ioun stones directly into their skin. This technique allowed the ancient Shoanti to survive in areas uninhabitable by typical mortals and to call on fearsome powers that enabled them to transcend their physical forms.
The seven Azghat initially embraced a philosophy known as the Seven Virtues of Rule. But over the course of time, the Azghat became corrupted, abandoning the positive aspects of their Virtues of Rule and embracing their darker connotations. The Shoanti still tell stories about the Azghat to this day.
If one were to translate Shoanti to the more common Taldane, "Az" is an honorific title connoting supremacy, often reserved for highly revered elders. It roughly translates to "lord." And there are many "ghats": tattoos that mark Shoanti accomplishments by invoking ancient stories and symbols. The Taldane would call these ghats "runes." So one might refer to the Azghat as...
Runelords.
At the entrance, the still-guarding Flutter takes note of Rojava leaving the underground area alone:"Whats up, Rojava? Any trouble down there? Or just in need of some fresh air?"
Izzy realises he needs to brush up on his study of history... because there is a lot he doesn't know. "These stones could be quite handy. As for this..." He studies the Sihedron and shakes his head. "I don't know what to make of it."
Lia gathers arcane energy into her hands and approaches the sihedron. Even though neither of them know what sort of magic is emanating from the seven-pointed star or what sort of capabilities it possesses, she and Izzy intuit that there might be some sort of danger here. The magic builds and builds, the ioun stones sparking in their sconces as they resonate with the buildup, and then--
Nothing happens.
The abjurative unweavings thankfully do not backfire either. They just fade, casting out ineffectually throughout the room. but the magic remains just as strong as before. It dawns on Lia that, even after drawing on the arcane well within her that she uses to empower her magic, this magic is currently beyond her current ability to undo.
Drasven channels once. Letting the positive energy sweep over everyone and heal their wounds.
In this case, it should take care of Fran's wounds.
"Not yet...", Lia whispers, "...this happens later-".
She shrugs, no longer interested in the strong magic she failed to dispel, then turns to Fran: "I am not sure if you know where you are, but this place is beneath a temple dedicated to Sarenrae. It should not be here. It should not exist. We will take the magic stones and seal up the entrance as best as we can, until we can do more than that. Where are you staying currently? Most of the masked man are dispersed, but it may not be safe to stay alone. That, and we should get you to a temple to be checked - they might have done something with you...they did not pick targets by random."
Lia is too small to reach the sconces, but her slim figure should pose no challenge for Karmid or Izzy to lift on their shoulders. That way, she easily reaches 10 of the 12 stones.
With the last 2 being blocked by rubble, she maneuvers Karmid as close as possible, then fetches them using her Mage Hand Cantrip.
Drasven: 74/74
Karmid: 64/69, heroism
Izzy: 39/54, mage armor
Zoe: 9/22, mage armor, 1 negative level
Lia: 52/52
Fran looks surprised at what Lia tells her. "There's a Temple of Sarenrae in Magnimar? I had no idea." She absentmindedly traces an ankh on her chest and continues. "I've got a room down at the Old Fang in Dockway with Ol' Mam Grottle."
Dockway is the next neighborhood over from the Underbridge, though there are no prominent temples there either. (Most are in the Keystone district on the south side of the city, with a handful in Naos.)
Ro glances up at Flutter, then busies herself looking at ruined building instead.
"Air, like you said. I'm ready to go, just waiting on everyone else."
"Have it your way.", Flutter responds, when Ro makes it clear that she wants to be left alone without saying it, and returns to his duty.
Izzy helps to retrieve the stones without complaint. "Lia's plan makes sense. With Xanesha on the loose, she may want to capture you again, Fran. Before we go to your room, we should watch it closely for some time just in case Xanesha has people waiting for you. Maybe just a couple of us - and not Fran - should go. That would be safest for you. And visiting the church to make sure you are fine is more important."
Fran nods in agreement with Izzy's stated plan. "Sure--that works for me."
Karmid looks askance at Grimmie as they retrieve the stones.
“You really think the Lamia would be that stupid? We’ve reported her to the authorities, and now they (and us) are on the lookout for her. She seems many things, but not incompetently ignorant. Fran may be important, but then she would have already come to grab her yesterday then I would think. She has a ‘sister’ and therefore possible safety in the Turtleback area. That’s where I would go next if I was her. Im not sure watching her room makes sense, but if you want to do it, it can’t hurt. I just don’t want to miss the dinner with the Mayor. Whatever becomes of it.”
Izzy considers it, "If it were me, I'd likely abandon whatever I left in my room and not go back for it. If it's regular gear, we can buy more. The wild-card to my way of thinking is... we don't know why Xanesha grabbed Fran and how important is Fran to her plans... That's why I'm cautious in whatever we choose to do." He turns to Fran, "Is there anything of importance in your gear? Or can you live without any of it?"
"Well I'm not you," Fran says, with an eyeroll that reminds the group of Ro. "I'm not leaving my stuff behind."
Izzy raises a hand in surrender, "I was just asking. You want it, I'll get it. I just need the particulars."
Karmid shrugs and nods.
"Let's get her to the Church of Abadar. They are pretty big here, and we know Drasven has good relations with them...and they have been helpful before. For a donation or two, they should be willing to help us check Fran quickly and efficiently."
As they exit the corrupted basement, Karmid will grab the valuable items off the undead they destroyed before. Wincing at the carnage left on the grounds, Karmid sighs.
"We should report all of this mess to the authorities so they can investigate the church's basement too. Should we bring the gargoyle's head too? Such things like that should not be here in civilized areas, and we may need the proof later. Maybe the clerics can ask it questions after its death too. I've heard such creatures can be quite intelligent, and the last thing I want is an undead 'fiendish' gargoyle chasing me around either!"
Having retrieved the stones, and having spent a minute turning and tracing one she allows to orbit her head(stopping just short of getting dizzy) before retrieving it again, Lia rejoins the discussion: "You do that. I have to fix the shrine. Again. Hopefully without something else clawing me this time.", Lia sighs, "There's still some time before that meeting, and I intend to make use of it. Hold still for a moment.", she stands next to Fran and indicates for her to turn towards Issengrim, then addresses him:"Could you do another Magic Detection, as a first check? I'm no good with auras."
She looks at Karmid, too: "If there is no magic on her, I'd still get her checked out, but if you go to the Abadar people, they will bill you for everything, so if we don't need a magic check, it'd be good to know before."
Izzy nods, casts, and studies Fran for several moments...
"I don't like the idea of leaving you alone here to fix up the church. I can escort Fran to the church for her to get checked out and then to get her gear. If someone else would stay with you and help in fixing this place up. It'll be good. "
"We could all clean up together? It could be fun - I mean, I did most of what was needed last time, it will be much faster this time around, especially if people are helping...", Lia seems excited at the idea of making it a group activity.
Izzy doesn't detect any magic on Fran, who sits there as though being examined by a doctor. She's less impetuous than her sister, but the family resemblance of the pout seems clear.
"A gargoyle, too, huh?" she says, listening to the larger group discuss options. "Y'all have been busy."
She seems to like what Drasven has to say. "That, yes. I want to get my own things. I don't mind an escort."
With some encouragement (and reminders that the last time they had assumed things were safe, they weren't), Lia bands the group together to finish cleaning up the old Shrine of Sarenrae. They rebury the remains of the original priest and his two acolytes, long ago murdered here. They dispose of the gargoyle corpse as well. Following some debate over whether to take the gargoyle's head as evidence , the group consensus seems to be that even a fiendish monstrous humanoid is still, well, at least somewhat humanoid. Was it civil to take an intelligent being's head as a trophy? That was something more like the ogres did, right?
Either way, with about two hours of effort, the shrine is back in reasonable condition. There is little to be done for the sagging roof, but as Lia had observed the day before: the sun could shine inside again to invite those so inspired to continue the work.
---
In the Naos, Banker Aloisius greets Drasven in the Cathedral of Abadar. There is a longer line than usual, which Aloisius explains as a number of disputes regarding the unscheduled demolition of the Shadow Clocktower. Not only are there a few individuals with claims that the city government had promised them a contract to proceed with the demolition, but there were people trying to withdraw or deposit winnings from bets they had placed on the circumstances regarding the fall. Still, too, are those trying to argue that they should not have to pay out bets because of this or that statute or regulation. It's the sort of thing promising to gum up small claims courts in the city for the next few years at least.
But Aloisius insists that there is always time to help an official representative, blessed so with the Scales of the Prime Justice. Explaining the situation, a pair of bankers request donation/payment and then take Fran to an office for auditing. After a few minutes, they return and present a bill of standard services showing that Fran showed no signs of possession, poison, disease, charming, domination, scrying, illusion, and so on and so forth.
---
Then back to Dockway for Izzy's careful monitoring of the Old Fang. Someone in the group, cognizant of the approaching hour of the scheduled dinner with the Lord-Mayor, breaks the stake-out and goes to greet Ol' Mam Grottle. Those in the group she recognizes (including Fran) are given a hearty handshake as semi-regular customers. She nods sternly at the tales she's told of what the group has been up to and found. She looks longingly at a painting behind her at the bar of the tavern attached to the inn, which depicts her as she must have looked in her younger years, a rugged man in hunter's furs standing beside her. "You're good types. I would have loved for the old man and me to have gone on an adventure like all that."
Fran retrieves her things from her room and pays the Old Fang's matron for her time and services. With dinner approaching, she comes back with the party to the inn where they had been staying and rents her own room on the same floor as the rest of the group. With just enough time to freshen up before the arrival of the promised carriage, Drasven, Izzy, Karmid, Lia, and Ro pile into the carriage and are taken back, once more, to the Naos district. The bumpy cobblestone paths in the poorer districts of Magnimar soon give way to an easy glide through the well-paved streets of Naos.
---
Directly upon the Seacleft stand several estates of the city’s more daring aristocrats, but even the most lavish of these are outshined by Defiant’s Garden: the diplomatic resort and home of Lord-Mayor Haldmeer Grobaras.
The four-story estate towers above almost everything else in Magnimar except for the Arvensoar: the nearby garrison of the city watch. Outside are perfectly manicured gardens dotted here and there with fountains, statues, and little tables with umbrellas to shade guests from the sun above. From below, the garrison of servants nearly resembles an army of ants flitting about the halls and hedges alike. The entire operation feels very rehearsed as the carriage parks in front of the estate and a line of people begin ushering the group in. Doors are opened, portable stairs are placed to facilitate the exit (along with offered hands for the ladies), and small pleasantries and amenities are offered along the way. Wash cloths, dry cloths, dabs of lotion or perfume, mints, drink orders, and more occupy the group as they are escorted up white-marble spiral staircases. They walk down a long hall: the ceiling is painted in that ancient Taldan fresco style, depicting various gods worshiped throughout the Inner Sea. Opposite the tall, broad windows are tapestries depicting key events in Magnimar's history. Near the end of this hall, the group finally arrives in a sumptuous salon.
A single long table sits (dwarved) in the center of a room that could clearly serve as a ballroom. Beautiful red curtains drape the sides of the room from floor to ceiling and a dozen chandeliers glisten above. At the head of the table sits Lord-Mayor Haldmeer Grobaras, having traded out his blues for greens. He remains as foppish as the day before: well-dressed and well-groomed, but only vaguely aware that he has guests. About twenty feet away, a string quartet provides jaunty but understated background music. The table--possibly made from Sargavan teak--is already piled high with silver platters, painted Tien plates, and silverware made of actual silver.
"Welcome to Defiant's Garden," the man says, holding up his arms in a gesture encouraging his guests to take in the majesty of their environs. "Please, sit! Eat! I am honored to host," he pauses and counts, "The Five Saviors of Magnimar!" He lifts a glass of some sort of sparkling white wine (perhaps of a Galtan vintage?) in cheers and drinks before popping a dollop of something black and slimy looking into his mouth.
While he still wears his mud-stained boots to honor his god, Karmid will at least attempt to comb his windblown hair and brush out his Shoanti leathers such. Maxing out his patience with such things leaves it at that when he arrives.
Being declared saviors rankles Karmid a bit, and he leans in to growl at Ro nearby, his large arms crossed over his chest defensively.
"We haven't saved anything yet! All we've done is expose some evil...that was growing right under their noses!"
After that he winces as the fat man sucks slug-like things into his mouth and after his exposure earlier today begins to feel a bit nauseous at the sight.
Issengrim wasn’t comfortable with opulence or the upper crust. But he understood the value of camouflage in any environment. To that end, he dug into his pack and pulled out bland but tasteful clothing. His goal is to draw so little notice that he vanishes into the background at this fete. His boots are polished. His coal-grey trousers and white tunic are clean. Over it he wears the finest item he has… a hip-length black doublet with a stiff collar accented with some conservative gold piping at the neck and cuffs. It gives the archer a somewhat military bearing.
Upon entering the manor house, Izzy realizes he’d far prefer to be out in the garden… despite how overly-manicured it is.
"The Five Saviors of Magnimar!"
At the Mayor’s announcement, he quietly mutters a counterpoint. ”Four. Four saviors of Magnimar.”
Lia, with all that had transpired, and finding Fran and taking care of her, had no time to go shopping, and since she did enjoy the freedom, did not see fit to point that out to her companions, either.
As such, she arrived at the Lord-Mayors estate as nude as the day she was born. But she knew they were supposed to be dressed pretty, so she remembered an illustration in a Desnan childrens book, of the goddess providing a gift of clothing to a future princess so she could go to a ball and meet the prince - and strained the Hat of Disguise with providing an elegant, form-fitting black ball dress, lavishly decorated with pearls and threads of silver that make her seem as if she was wearing the night sky, itself.
Her hair is bound in a ponytail with a ribbon - unusual as she usually wears it open, and Flutter has a similar-colored blue-silver striped Ribbon bound below his head that makes it seem as if he was wearing a fly.
When the Lord-Mayor speaks, she is still taking in all the sights. She didn't need any of this opulence. A nice table with a view of the sunset, some bread and cheese would have been plenty sufficient.
But that did not mean she was not interested in new sensations. Her eyes glance over the tables, scanning for exotic fruits, complicated sweets and foreign-looking dishes. She was hardly a glutton, often skipping meals entirely, but that made it all the more important to figure out in which order to sample the offered dishes.
If the Lord-Mayor overheard Karmid and Issengrim's comments, he didn't show any sort of reaction. Servants file in to lift the tops off of platters, revealing all that Lia had hoped for and more. There were things here that she did not recognize and had no name for (though Flutter might be able to inform her). Rich textures, fragrant spices, and delectable offerings from across the Inner Sea are on offer.
Accompanied by a longing melody from the violin that spirals into counterpoint from the other three in the quartet, the Lord-Mayor continues his address. "You are to be commended," he says. "Normally I would do the song-and-dance of parading you before the whole of the city, but," he pauses, dabbing an elegantly embroidered kerchief at the corner of his mouth, "That would only serve to upset my citizens. There are already investigations into the traitorous Injustice Ironbriar and his...ah, what were they called? The Skinsaw Cult. Rumors abounding. And so many murders. Why, my dear friend Kayasi Zivatchi was even among the dead." The kerchief now rises to the Lord-Mayor's eyes, where there is indeed evidence of tears.
Of course, the Osprey Club has still been operating after Kayasi's unfortunate death. The towering structure isn't visible from this room, but would be easy to see on the roof of Defiant's Garden. It looms proudly behind its wrought-iron fence. Iron ospreys perch atop the fence here and there, as if guarding the structure within. After dark, the Osprey Club’s facade glows and shimmers in green and gold faerie fire until an hour after midnight, and those peering through the iron bars of the fence can often catch glimpses of famous individuals from Magnimar and beyond strolling the immaculately groomed grounds. The main structure itself is off-limits to all but members of the most prestigious families of Magnimar and those on their approved guest lists. Within, the club caters to all manner of delights, functioning as an upper-class tavern, smoking hall, gambling den, and even bordello.
"So tragic. So senseless. And yet," he gestures widely to the five before him, "You all managed to uncover the head of the snake. This, ah, Xanesha, was it? The lamia, I recall you saying. In my city. With a sister around Fort Rannick, mmmm? Yes, yes. Well. First things first."
Haldmeer Grobaras snaps his fingers and five servants once again file into the room, this time each carrying fine bags. These are placed next to the heroes. By the sound of clinking and indentation in the table cloth, it's clear that the hefty bags are filled with coins, probably weighing somewhere between ten to fifteen pounds.
There has to be at least 6,000 gp in each bag.
"In recognition of your service to the great city of Magnimar, I hereby express gratitude on behalf of the Council of Ushers, the Office of the Lord-Mayor, and the Justice Court. A monetary reward cannot appropriately convey the magnitude of our thanks. And yet one hopes that it can purchase the understanding of our heroes that this delicate political situation should not be discussed too much lest the citizenry become agitated."
He pauses--not long enough for anyone to object or comment, but enough to let that sink in before he continues.
"And now onto the other matter. Turtleback Ferry and Fort Rannick. You, my...Shoanti friend," "Voiced your concern yesterday about that little village. And it just so turns out that I have also received a missive from their mayor, if you can call him that. Apparently they have not heard from those..." A look of disgust crosses his face and his next two words are spoken with venom, "Black Arrows for a few weeks. Mayor Shreed is, ahem, very concerned with the silence. I don't know why he'd care about those foul-tempered criminals, but you know those Erastilian types."
The Lord-Mayor finishes his glass of wine and holds it out for a servant to refill while he presses on. "It's probably nothing, one hopes, but since you have already proven yourselves, would you be so kind as to go to Turtleback Ferry and look into Mayor Shreed's concerns? The city has authorized a stipend to cover expenses for your trip and pay you for your services above and beyond those already rendered, included within the bags already given to you. I still think it's a pointless, silly trip, but I must see to the needs of all my people. Event the fools."
As his glass of sparkling wine is refilled, the Lord-Mayor brings it to his nose and inhales deeply. "Well, then. Do you accept?"
Arms still crossed on his chest, Karmid simply glares at man for a few seconds and then turns to the others and tries to read their expressions.
With little skill in the reading of faces, Karmid frowns slightly.
"I can't speak for everyone, but I am more than willing to travel to Turtleback Ferry and the Fort beyond if needed. Gozreh willing..."
Izzy is about to return the bag of coins he hadn’t earned, and then the Mayor opens his mouth… The Eristilian archer schools his face to neutrality even as his anger grows at the insults. You bloviating, half-wit, son-of-a…
In the end, his monastic self-control rules. Despite a deep desire to pummel the lord-mayor repeatedly, he sits stiffly at the table and nods his agreement… while taking the bag of coins and considering ways to repay the mayor’s insults.
Lia was happy with the dishes. The food contained spices she never tasted before. When her brief inquiry regarding a recipe is met with helpless cluelessness, shrugging and silence from the servant nearby, she decides to simply enjoy what is there.
She grabs some sweets dripping honey and waves to the players, recognizing the woman they met at the Tower. Then she fetches a large serving plate and loads it with all the fruits she can find.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the music group, she tastes her way through the selection, the Lord-Mayors ramblings no more than background noise.
When the monologueing finally stops and they seem to be expected to give an answer, Lia looks like a Deer caught between Dancing Lights.
Her mouth full, juice from some fruit running down her throat and vanishing where her dress starts, she starts:"Uhm, sorry? FWhat fwas zhat aboot? I fwas..." - she swallows the large part of fruit she was chewing before, then continues - "...I was lost in thought a bit. Did you say something?" Her eyes search the room for clues, then see the backpacks and her face lights up :"If we accept the reward? Sure, I wanted a new backpack for a while. And some more of these here", she lifts up two kinds of fruit from the plate she carried around.
"Ok thanks bye.", she waves to the Lord Mayor, expecting him to have important business to deal with.
Flutter was paying attention a bit closer to the Mayors words.
The location, he was familiar with, the person the Mayor mentioned, not so much.
He had wanted to remain silent, but with Lias cluelessness - once more evoking a mental image of a Butterfly trying to facepalm - he had little chance but to speak up:"Your gratitude is welcome, and we will likely re-invest the larger part of it back into the economy of this wonderful city."
Flutter lands near Lia, then continues:"There are two things to keep in mind, though. The former is that even if we keep silent to keep the delicate political situation in balance and prevent a panic, you were excplicitly named as a desired target. They want your soul, and I am quite certain that you do not intend to part with it any time soon. If so, you should look to the gods for protection. For your own sake. There is a shrine of Sarenrae below the Irespan that needs renovation and a new priest. She can offer redemption, if you show compassion to those in your city less fortunate. You are in the fortunate position that you can turn things around and remove the target the soul harvesters painted on you, simply by spending money that is not your own on the right things. By all means, do consider doing so. We seem to have taken out most of the cult in the city, but there could still be fanatics out there that will gladly sacrifice their lifes in an attempt to get to you-"
Flutter pauses briefly, to let that sink in with the Mayor:"The second thing, of course, concerns our trip to Turtleback Ferry. By all we know at this time, we should assume the Black Arrows are no more, and Fort Rannick has fallen. Which no doubt is troublesome. Especially because Forts don't just fall unless abandoned. That means Xaneshas sister likely has allies, an army even, at her disposal, that directly threatens your holdings. If so, that has two consequences - the primary one being that a small group like ours cannot hold a Fort, alone, even if we manage to retake it. You should prepare and send a military expedition as soon as possible, to maintain control of the Fort. Secondly, I'd assume that any armys staging grounds are beyond Fort Rannick and Turtleback Ferry, so any further action on our part that goes beyond the immediate concerncs of Mayor Shreed is likely to incur additional expenses on our part. With your generosity so far, I am certain you can pre-authorize us to act in Magnimars favor to deal with any threats, and we arrange for a suitable compensation for services rendered that go beyond what can reasonably be expected covered with the payment in these bags?"
Karmid smiles at the Mayor.
“What Flutter said, sums up things nicely your honor.”