"Children are not expensive. I guess it wouldn't cost more than a few gold to get some hundred children for some work. It just had to be some work where the children have to come to us and where we could keep them and defend the place."
"If we don't have that we might run into the problem of getting the place burned with us inside." Tauriell explains.
"That plan still has no burning on my behalf." Abomentolor complains.
"The Heidmarch manor would work wouldn't it?"
"If we have all the children at a place we decide about you can burn down their place without hurting someone Gwenhwyfar will scold you for." Tauriell replies. "But you might run into the problem that the Gull, which is another Irespan Piling, will refuse to burn."
"That would probably lead to Mrs. Heidmarch scolding us again for hurting her reputation or something. Gwenhwyfar replies. "But I guess we could use the Sarenrae Shrine for that. It is in the right district already and it is made of stone too. It wouldn't burn."
"If we take that approach we would need to prepare for a being under siege for quite some time. Depending on how many of these Creepers there are this could be a hard time." Tauriell thinks aloud "But it sounds like a plan already. If we manage to hit them hard and unexpected once the children are out we might be able to stand that."
Thinking some more she adds "But we plan to leave tomorrow morning with a ship. What would you do with the children when we're away?"
"That shard was lost for a long time. It can stay lost some time more. These children can't." Gwenhwyfar states as a matter of fact. Determination showing on her face.
"Then what information about them do we need and who is going to contact them about the job?" Tauriell asks.
"You take care of that. I will fetch Carl and Ernard and prepare to house as many children as possible in the shrine." Gwenhwyfar says.
"Sure thing. Who is coming with me?" Tauriell asks and then leaves with those willing to come. She visits Fenster in his warehouse to ask him some more about the Creepers, especially how many there are and who their leader is.
Then she pays the Great Zograthy a visit to place the job. As many cheap workers as possible. She sends in Abomentolor to do that convincingly.
Abomentolor plays some sleazy guy that doesn't care about morals and just wants a job done cheap. "Who does that the cheapest. I'll pay on delivery. I need the shrine of Sarenrae cleaned tomorrow evening. What I need that for is none of your business. Can you deliver on that?"
Fenster tells that he is not good with numbers but thinks they are more than two times two hands full of them (counting his fingers). And he has heard that some old man named Haugen is their leader.
The great Zograthy is suspicious at first but for 15 gold he agrees to arrange a deal. At that price it might well be that the middleman cost more than the actual work. He promises that the 'workers' will be at the shrine at noon and they should be prepared to pay in advance.
Gwenhwyfar takes Jimmy with her. First to the manor to get Carl and Ernard and then to the shrine to take a closer look at it's interior. "Let's check how and how many children we could house there. That is a purpose worthy of a shrine of Sarenrae."
The shrine's entry has a 10feet high double door. Behind that lies the main aisle with a vaulted ceiling about 15feet high. In the middle of the room is a stone altar. Usually the ceiling above that altar would be open to the sky to let in the sun. But this one is not. The wall opposite of the door features some Mural depicting the Dawnflower.
The right aisle is divided in three separate areas open to the main aisle. The first one is empty. It's purpose lost with the interior. The one in the middle is the largest and features an open window arc where the son can shine into the shrine at least for some hours during late afternoon. The last one has a similar arc chiseled into the stone wall but no opening. The window sill has several levels like a stair with remains of wax on it. Probably to place candles there.
What would be the left aisle is divided by a wall and is reached through a door close to the front wall. That leads to a corridor that passes three bedrooms ending in a common room with a rusted hearth in it.
Walking through the rooms Gwenhwyfar says "It's different from the Cathedral in Sandpoint. It's smaller. But it is dedicated only to Sarenrae. It's a dark place indeed. But I can see the light it could bring to this district."
Wandering around some more she add "But someday I want to visit a large cathedral built solely for the Dawnflower."
"That could be a very enjoyable experience." Jimmy says following here through the ruins
"It must be wonderful. A building designed to let the sun in and reflect it's light and warmth." Gwenhwyfar replies.
Tauriell comes into the shrine. "Hello? Anyone at home?"
"Over here." Jimmy shouts
"Ah, there you are." Tauriell replies and approaches them. "The 'workforce' will arrive at noon. And they expect payment in advance."
"In what currency are we going to pay them?" Tauriell asks with a grin.
"With coins? What other currency is there?" Gwenhwyfar asks.
"Ok then. I'll wait on the roof of the house on the other side of the road." Tauriell says and leaves the shrine.
She crosses the road and climbs the building to hide herself on top.
Abomentolor looks after Tauriell. "I'm not going to climb on roofs. Shall I greet them once they arrive?" he asks.
"I guess that would be best. I don't think I'm good at talking with some criminals who push poor little kids around." Gwenhwyfar replies.
"Where shall we be?" Carl asks
"I guess you two would make an impressing pair of bodyguards for me." Abomentolor replies with a satisfied smile on his face. "And maybe you go and hide somewhere? No need to tell them our numbers." Abomentolor suggests.
"Let's go for a walk then." Gwenhwyfar suggests taking Jimmy's hand.
They then move outside and walk the few hundred feet until they are out of the shadow of the Irespan. Looking around Gwenhwyfar says "It's completely different here. It's lively, it's bright, there are people moving on the streets. Just because the sun shines on this part of town."
At the agreed upon time a covered up cart pulled by a donkey is lead down the road by a thug. He comes with three more of his kind. The streets of Underbridge are mostly empty with only the people out who have to. But even these few souls go out of their way to avoid to meet those guys.
They stop the cart in front of the shrine door joking and laughing and one of them knocks at the door.
Abomentolor opens the door and steps outside flanked by Carl and Ernard. He eyes the guys and asks "You're going to clean my new home?" with a raised eyebrow.
The four start laughing even more. "No. They will." the guy responsible for the talking replies with a nod towards the cart. "Once you paid the five gold."
Now Abomentolor laughs. "If I wanted to pay real money I would have employed real workers. Five silver is more like it. And only if they're able to get the work done quick."
The thugs immediately stop their laughing and the talking guy tells Abomentolor in a slightly sour tone "No other workers will provide their services here. This is a bad neighbourhood. And for that five gold you also get protection from the bad neighbours."
"That I pay these two for. They are much cheaper and quite good at it." Abomentolor ripostes. "I need the job done and therefore I'm willing to pay ten silver to get this over with. If you don't want the job I'll find someone else."
Carl and Ernard get a bit nervous. Carl checks that his mace is still in place.
The thug grins at Abomentolor and holds his hand out to receive the coins. "Deal. But we'll ask you again in a few days. Once you've seen how it is you might reconsider that."
Abomentolor takes ten silver out of his pocket and hands them over. "We'll see."
The thug gives the others a sign and they fold back the cover revealing about a dozen malnourished children cowering on the cart. "Go, go, go. Break is over. Get to work you lazy scum." they urge them off the cart and into the shrine.
The kids carry buckets, brooms, brushes and cloth into the shrine. "These two will stay here and make sure the work gets done properly and none of our workers get lost afterwards." the talking thug explains before he leaves together with one other thug.
The remaining two usher the kids in and order them around to clean the shrine.
Tauriell follows the two thugs through Underbridge. Which is no challenge as they parade through it as if it belongs to them.
Once she finds out where they go to she hides once again on a roof and observes who goes in and out there.
"What I'm supposed to do now?" Abomentolor asks. "Go fetch the other two."
"Gwen and Jimmy I mean." he orders Carl. He then goes inside and watches the work. But he decides that he doesn't want to see that misery and goes out again to wait in front of the door for the other two to return.
Carl walks down the road and looks out for Jimmy and Gwenhwyfar. Once he sees them he approaches them and explains "Mr. Jimmy, Miss Gwenhwyfar, there are two of the Sczarny now with a dozen children cleaning the shrine. Abomentolor sent me to get you as he doesn't know what to do now."
Gwenhwyfar moves to back to the shrine and past Abomentolor into the building. As she sees the children toiling it breaks her heart. "This ends now. Jimmy, Carl, Ernard please arrest these men."
"Hey. Why do you start the party without me?" Abomentolor complains as he is specifically left out.
"I am sure they wont come quietly dear."
The two thugs realize that the fun part is over and flee through the window outside.
As the guys decide to disappear Abomentolor moves to the side of the building and shoots a scorching ray. "No one escapes my fire."
He badly burn one of the thugs.
Jimmy charges one of the thugs and slaps the side of his head with the side of his ranseur
The thug Jimmy hit tumbles to the ground. The other one tries to flee badly burned down the road running past the gnome.
Abomentolor tries to follow the thug to give him the rest but he is too slow on his short legs. "Don't think you get away with that. I'll get you." he shouts after the man.
Not wanting to let the thug run away and get re-enforcements Gwenhwyfar pulls out the scroll of hold person, moves out of the door to get a line of sight and casts the spell.