"Oh, how delightful!" Rosa claps her hands together with a bright smile on her face. "I knew he was living in the vicinity of the docks, but to have narrowed it down will save a lot of time as well as helping bring us together." Looking around at the others, she thinks for a moment. "Do you know anything else of the place?"
Seren, listening intently, nodding along as everyone speaks, and looking for a place to mention his own story is quickly pulled along by events and finds himself not speaking at all. Once the Varisian woman enters, he loses track and fixates on her, hanging on every word.
As Rosa claps, he jumps, shattering the glass in his hand and spraying wine every where. Red faced in embarassament, he hops up, "Oh ... oh my ... so sorry. Let me get that, uh ... wow, I don't know where to ... ahhhh ..." He takes a breath and stops for a moment, collecting himself, "I'm in." he says finally and sits down, gathering the pieces of broken glass.
After a bit, he glances around, nodding to himself and only frowning slightly looking at Segang "Shall we attempt subtlety as an entrance? A bit of stealth, a bit of disguise, perhaps some covert and over deception?" He pointedly looks at Mel and Rosa, in turn, while saying the last.
Rosa looks surprised at Seren's reaction to her clap. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me help you with that..."
After the wine is cleaned up, she seems rather pleased by the man's suggestion. "And just what do you propose, hmm?"
Shifting uncomfortably with Rosa's attention, Seren says, "Well, ahh ... not sure of the area, but we could scout it, see what type of guards there are, look for an alternate less noticed entrance, use some of you with ... ahhh ... persuasions ... to draw away any unwanted or incidental attention and get some of us quieter or shadowy ones in to said hideout, hopefully unnoticed, but with some strong arm backup to come in should the proverbial feces hit the blades." Seren shies back, "Just a thought based on a prejudicial cursory assessment of the group."
I believe I know that place. Lets go.
With that the barbarian stands and heads for the door.
Rosa thinks about what Seren says. "All right. Why don't you do a quick walk-by of the place first, then, and see what it's all about. Then we can make a better decision about how to approach."
A throaty chuckle issues from Melianthe's lips. "You flatter me, Seren, with your open-minded views on beauty," says the comely dusk elf. "I fear my arts of enticement are vastly sublimated by the sea of bias against my features in which I usually find myself, unless I am around a group of near-sighted drow. I should really invest in some face powder.". She finds this quite amusing.
"Nevertheless, I am not without my charms. His guards will sleep well if I can get near them. I agree, Rosa; reconnaissance is the first order of business, and we would alert Lamm by heading there en masse--Segang, hold, you brave fellow--as much as a foot-clumping group of authorities."
Her brow knits. "We must needs take care that we do not harm the Lambs, though they may be set against us. Children should be spared, however thoroughly he has twisted their hearts."
"I know for a fact that the Guard are useless when it comes to Lamm. I suspect some are on the take. Some reconnaissance would be prudent, I agree. Maybe Absinthe and Seren should be on that. We shouldn't send anyone alone. I also want to make sure none of the children he has enslaved are hurt either."
You get the sense that he isn't just speaking out of general concern for their safety. Perhaps it has to do with what Lamm has done to him?
"One begs your patience for a moment more," Absinthe says, briefly snatching at Segang's sleeve to stop him from walking out before a plan has been agreed to.
"One has no objection to scouting ahead, as it were," Absinthe murmurs, "but would suggest the rest of our new clan to remain in close proximity. Thieves ofttimes move from den to den. If we go, we should be ready to strike in a decisive manner. Besides, the scouts can be detected, which would require going 'all in', as the gamblers say."
"So you and Seren go first, while the rest of us wait as backup? That is also a possibility. My only concern is the lot of us giving them away if we are too close. I am not the model of stealth and I assume that Segang is not either." Demitri nods his head.
Rosa nods to the people advocating swiftness. "By all means, don't try to get inside right now. We just need to know about the entrances. We can determine later if there's time to do this the right way or if it needs to be done...expediently."
Zellara sits quietly, wearing a tight smile as she listens to your planning. She nods with grim satisfaction; she has found the right people.
Leaning forward, she speaks up before you break. "I am useless in a fight, but I can try to aid in my own way. I can offer you a Harrowing to guide you through the coming strife, if you wish.
"Zellara, we would welcome that. We will need a place to hide nearby, while our scouts are about. I am not well versed in the lay of the land here...does anyone have a suggestion?"
Melianthe pictures a doctor, a barbarian, an armored man, and a priest huddled in a tavern and laughs quietly...it sounds like the beginning to a joke.
At Absinthe's touch the barbarian pauses. He could move. He used to move his operation all the time. We could loose him again. he explains with a look of near panic on his face. We must act now!.
But at the mention of a Harrow reading Segang pauses in earnest. Believing in fates and the ability for sooth sayers to make readings into such things, he is ensnared. Yes. A readying. A look into the fates. He returns to his chair, looking apprehensive but ready. Do this thing. [b/]
To Melianthe: [b]Sorry, I know of no such place.
"The fishery is only a few blocks from here, and you are welcome to stay for as long as you need. If you prefer more of a tavern, there's Bailer's Retreat, but its a tad... rough."
"Segang..." Rosa says placatingly "I find it highly doubtful that he can pick up and move his operations in a few minutes after a walk-by of the building. Especially not if he's housing the orphans there. Once we do the recon we'll have to decide what to do and move quickly, but right now he's got no good reason to leave and a lot of good reasons to stay put."
"He shouldn't recognize me in passing, and if Moonie over there is good and staying out o' sight, we should be golden. I'll teach her a couple of covert hand signs that I use should things go bad, and try and stay somewhere she can have visibility on me."
Seren shrugs when the Harrowing is mentioned, "Divination magic never really caught my fancy at the Acadamae, but I'll sit through one for the experience ... doesn't hurt ... right?" He questions.
for anything else of interest in the area or to sketch a quick map.
The barbarian is very anxious, almost beyond himself with the chance to strike. He seems to not be hearing most of what is being said and is having a very hard time sitting still. His lack of patience and lack experience is showing.
Melianthe smiles at Zellara. "We'll to the fishery, and then fish for bigger prizes."
She joins Absinthe by Segang. "Segang, he will not run from a few interlopers. Particularly if we are not viewed as a threat. Your life is not so short as to not bear biding an hour or three."
Her gaze turns to Rose for a moment and back to the barbarian. "You could be in worse company than amidst our...persuasions," she says, with a twinkle in her eye.
The former guardsman also seems a bit anxious to get moving, but he's waited this long. He can wait a few hours. His serious demeanor seems to lighten a bit at Melianthe's comment on the current company.
"'Moonie'?" Absinthe repeats, appearing puzzled, but then shrugs it off. "If you prefer.
"Please, let us hear this Harrowing. I have never attended one before. Not by a valid practitioner, anyway."
Zellara smiles. "Alright. I'm happy to do what little I can. Please sit and relax. Desna's vision can be clouded by agitation and impatience." As she speaks, her hands quickly sifts through the deck, drawing out nine cards and setting them aside. "We seek justice for Gaedren Lamm. I feel the path ahead will include tests of your reflexes and locked secrets, so I have isolated the suit of Keys." She picks up the nine cards and holds them forth in a fan. "This is the Choosing. Pick one of these cards and it will highlight your potential role in the Reading."
One-by-one, you pick your card, revealing the following: Seren, the Crows; Rosa, the Demon's Lantern; Melianthe, the Avalanche; Demitri, the Locksmith; Segang, the Peacock; and Absinthe, the Rabbit Prince.
Zellara nods as each is drawn, then returns the card into the deck. When all are done, she shuffles the deck with experienced grace. "Now, in the Spread we will speak of the past, the present and the future." She places cards face-down on the table, in a three-by-three pattern. "The first column speaks to the past, positive, negative and the unclear." She flips over the first three cards, in turn, calling out each as she does. "The Crows, the Courtesan, and the Tyrant. The past is set, but how we understand it can change, even as we change with age. The Crows refers to a theft of valued possession or loved one, which we have all faced under Lamm, but its misaligned place hints at a positive result from such loss. Seren's role there, is more pronounced. The Courtesan's mask hides the intrigues within, physically or mentally; one twist and everything turned to the worse. The Tyrant can only speak of Gaedran Lamm, a powerful paternal influence and source of pain. "
Next, she reveals the center column. "The Marriage, the Juggler, and the Twin. Here we see ourselves in the Marriage, a union of disparate persons to better the individuals." She lets out a chuckle at the center card. "Desna laughs at us with the Juggler; it represents the whimsy of fate, or in the fickle influence of the gods. We have balance today, but will the Juggler keep it? The Twin is always difficult to read; I sense divided loyalties or sense of purpose, which could be our undoing."
Finally, she turns over the third column. "The Rakshasa, the Empty Throne, and the Forge. Zellara spends a long minute pondering these cards. "A mis-aligned Rakshasa tells me the chains of dominance will be shaken off. The Tyrant falls, but the Empty Throne's placement is unclear on whether that loss will bring good or bad tidings. The Forge is clear, though; strength through diversity will help overcome the dangerous events to come."
Zellara looks up at you, "I'm sure you have questions."
Demitri listens to the Reading with interest. Before Lamm entered his life, the guardsman would scoff as such a thing, writing it off as a scam or something. But now, he was ready to believe in almost anything if it would get him closer to his goal.
"What do you mean by divided loyalties? Do you mean someone will betray us?" He looks around suspiciously.
"Perhaps it refers to the fact that all of us seek Lamm's blood," Absinthe says with her soft voice, and she makes a subtle gesture. "That could be a conflict of interests when it comes to the deed. Myself, I shall be content simply to be present at Lamm's overdue death."
Or that we all have different reasons for killing him?
"The Twin makes me wary whenever it appears. Often one will face indecision in their life, and the worst of it comes when loyalties are brought into conflict: friend vs friend, family vs self, mentor vs liege, ideals vs duty... the list goes on." Zellara frowns, looking again at the cards.
"I just wish for him to pay for his crimes, justice for his victims. Whether that comes from him cell rotting for the rest of his miserable life or death, I care not. But I understand a little better now. Many thanks."
Next.
"All prophesy has been broken somewhat, hasn't it, Rosa?" She looks at the cards unconcernedly. "Futures branch like trees of possibilities. No one owns destiny, ultimately. If The Twin tells us of danger, we are now forewarned and forearmed."
"Basically correct. Prophecy has never been a full science, but since the death of Aroden it's more than just mortal error causing problems - occasionally the future simply...changes, and not even the gods can fully account for mortal action anymore." She frowns slightly "Although it does help to have everything on the table, so to speak."
Segang looks on reverently, listening, hanging on every word. Only Seren's card came up. Does that mean something?
Zellara nods, "Indeed, but it showed in reference to the past. The Crows tell of something stolen, which we have all suffered to some degree. Seren's link to that event may be stronger, in the reading, but how it will affect the future, even I cannot read."
Rosa shrugs as her probe fails to get anything further out of the mysterious fortuneteller...
Rosa shrugs as her probe fails to get anything further out of the mysterious fortuneteller...