Porter, Falko and Angua
Then in response to Porter "You are a funny man, this is Parity Lake not Central District, you should come with me."
He does look quick at the roofs on either side of you, shurks and chuckles a bit.
He then puts his left index finger on his nose and you can see even more men inside the buildings waiting to come out and then responds "In due time."
Chretien and John
who run down a street and then duck into an alley. Then in the alley they open a door and run at full sprint inside.
Cretien climbs off his wagon and directs his mechanus ahead of him, taking a moment to twist a dial on his bracer, causing an electric shield to be produced from it. (shield spell/prototype)
Johnathan sticks at Cretien's side, crossbow out. He casts Mage Armor as the tiefling's defenses go up.
"Do we follow him?"
"Ah, why the hell not, this has been a slow day so far" - Porter replies with all the cool he could gather all the while thinking With a dozen of them at our back, not that we really have a choice
"Lead the way my good fellow" - veteran addresses Rufus, signalling his laconic willingness to follow him.
F,P,A
He escorts you into a somewhat rundown building with a creaky wooden sign that reads "Theater of Scoundrels." You go in through the front door and see a stage set up for some sort of show with a city backdrop and a table and two chairs set up. Rufus escorts you to the luxury box where you see a man with long black hair in his fifties in a suit that is trying to be impeccable but is a bit too flashy for a well bred gentleman.
Rufus pulls a chair and says "sit"
Knowledge Local DC 15
Parity Lake. Once a simple enforcer, he recruited allies and established himself
as a power player. The Kell guild is said to be responsible for great amounts of
industrial smuggling, petty theft and extortion, burglary, and murder for hire.
John and Chretien
Looking around, still with a (feigned) sign of amusement on his face, Porter grabs the chair with his left hand, moves it a bit towards the left and sits, stating: "Why thank you my dear. Very kind of ye."
He pauses to ask Will you be serving tea and cookies also? but at the last moment decides against it, biting his lip. Next he focuses his attention at the flashy dressed man in front of him, waiting for the events to unfold.
"What's going on..." he asks Cretien, hesitantly.
DFA
Johnathan winces in the light, shielding his eyes and searching for the thieves, crossbow raised.
"What's going on..." he asks Cretien, hesitantly.
Followed by:
"Johnathan, get back!" Cretien yells, taking cover behind the mechanus and backing slowly out to the backstage area and hopefully back out the door he came in, however it is barred.
Kell then stands up, whistles and only one person is clapping now, a greasy, unshaven man, early fifties perhaps, elegant clothes. 'Very good, Constables Holbrook and Professor Dufrene. You play the confused heroes perfectly. Why don't you come up here to my box - I have a small comedy prepared for your viewing pleasure.' He pats spare seats beside him high above the rest of the theater, inviting you up. 'Your friends are here' Pointing at who you can recognize as Porter, Falko and Angus.
Cretien will move forward, still cautious. "What's going on here?"
"That... was a ruse? There's no stolen baby?" Johnathan asks, wary.
Kell magnanimously nods his head at John and Chretien and the audience lowers their weapons and part to allow them past the pews, up the steps and into the private booth.
As they climbs the steps, Kell plumps a dirty velvet cushion for you. 'It's a pleasure officers. I do hope that we can do business together. I've heard from a little magpie you'd be willing to do a deal with us. I wouldn't normally entertain working so closely with the RHC but since you saved one of my men from the Cloudwood bandits yesterday, I'm inclined to trust you.'
Lorcan Kell pats another chair beside him as John arrives into the box. He reaches into a pocket of his fancy jacket and takes out the remains of a roast beef sandwich, and tucks in heartily, without offering any of you anything. 'I sure hope you are willing to help me with a 'family' problem; and in exchange perhaps I could tell you a little story about some northerner doctor who's recently come to me for assistance. Interested?' He peers at Porter and Falko with eyes that seem to be both laughing and searching your souls.
Yawning slightly to feign disinterest, Porter listens to the man while his gaze seem to drift around with not a lot of enthusiasm. Actually, it was quite the contrary - aside from buying time, Porter was trying to memorize any small detail he could. The mannerism and voice of the infamous man in front of him, numbers and especially faces of his associates, potential exits, whatever they might need at a later stage.
Finally, stifling another yawn, Porter responds: "Sounds...promising. Although I really could not say much before we know the extent of your story regarding our esteemed guest from the north. At the same time, I'm always entertained by a good story, especially if it conveys some family values, so please do tell."
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"We just...were doing our jobs, as we were today," Johnathan says cautiously, sitting.
He intertwines his fingers, staring down at them, avoiding Kell's gaze. When Kell digs in obnoxiously to the sandwich, Johnathan makes a slight hand gesture towards it, flavoring it with rot by way of Prestidigitation. The corner of his mouth twitches, hinting at a smile as Kell goes for the next bite.
"We do need to contact this doctor, if you're implying who I think you are, so let's hear it."
On the stage a middle-aged tartish woman, with her breasts out, backs onto the lit stage. The audience is completely silent, expectant. A totally confused man, dressed like a docker, a tent in his pants, stumbles onto the stage. He looks about confused, gasps. The audience bursts out laughing. A thug comes up behind him with a baton. The whore licks her lips and pulls out a whip from her skirt. The audience starts chanting and drumming the ground with their feet.
Kell takes a bite of his sandwich "Blaa," and throws it aground.
He starts, "Well two days back around mid morning the doctor runs to one of my associates begging him to be hidden away and well smuggled to Ber, said he is being chased by a dark creature or some such nonsense"
He then shrilly whistles at the stage as on the stage the scandalously dressed seductress prances as the thug - pretending to be the jealous boyfriend, chases the terrified docker around the stage with various humorous objects - eliciting guffaws from the crowd.
Family Knowledge Nobility DC10
organization known as the Family. Most people only know of them in
rumors and hearsay, but it is said that they are behind most of the crime
on both sides of the Avery Sea.
Where they have taken root, crime becomes civilized. The Family
seems to respect loyalty and avoids doing violence to innocents, though
when they move into a new city they viciously cut out the current criminal
element and institute a more refined form of corruption and lawlessness.
Kell looks at Falko and says, "You and I are patriots. We are loyal to the king, yes we are scoundrels but we keep our ears to the ground and try to help the king when we can. Anyway, here's the score.
During the play Lorcan Kell discusses a smuggling operation. [b]'It was set up by one of Gale's people - you know the flying fey-terrorist from the Cloudwood who burns down the factories. Historically, you understand, this sort of operation would always have gone through me. There are two governors of this city: Roland Stanfield runs the main part of the city from his mansion in Flint Bay; and I run the underworld, from here. But this time Gale's people tried to do things a little differently.' His expression darkens as he considers the insult.
'Gale's people managed to set up a meeting with a group of Crisillyiris', he spits on the ground in disgust. 'Foreigners trying to muscle in on our city. Our City! Some minor relation to the Family gang in Crisillyir - you've probably heard of them: all Godfather this, kiss the ring, horse's heads, all that crap. Smoke and mirrors - like all their religious mumbu-jumbo.' If Kell has made the connection between his own theatrics and the 'smells and bells' of the Family he doesn't show it.
"So far, I like your story. It shows...potential. So, what would be our role in this business agreement, and what might be yours? What are you offering, and what do you want in return?"
Porter listens with attention, trying to discern if they could trust this scoundrel in this specific matter.
Lorcan smiles and says, "I will give you the location of the Doctor if you take care of this for me. Which by the way is in the best interest of Flint and Risur."
He leans in conspiratorially 'Tomorrow night, two hours before sunset, Gale's people will assemble at a dock at a small Bayou house in northwest Pine Island. They are meeting a local man who's sold out to the Family called Deorn Feldman. Apparently one of the Gale's people had an accident and there was some mix-up, but the deal is still going ahead. Deorn has commissioned a ship and will take Gale's people to somewhere near an uninhabited rock in The Ayres islands - I don't know exactly where. There they will rendezvous with a Crisillyiri merchant ship, Li Grifoni Grinyande. Gale's people will hand over the money - quite a lot of money I believe - and the Crisillyiri crew will hand over the illegal weapons. Illegal Weapon Smuggling.' He repeats the words, prodding Falko with his finger. 'Terrible!' to terrorists
'Now what I need you to do is to stop the deal - but not just any-old way. I need people to realize that trying to smuggle weapons behind Lorcan Kell's back is a big mistake. I want you to use as much violence as you can - try to kill everyone; burn down all the ships. You can arrest a few of them, but try and kill most of them. And most importantly, don't just apprehend Gale's people and Deorn in Pine Island; I want Li Grifoni Grinyande stopped. And I don't want it returned to Crisillyir, where the family will just take it back and use it for more smuggling. It must be either confiscated by the RHC or sunken. As for the weapons, you can do what you want with those. The main thing is the The Grinning Griffin - its one of the Family's prize assets.'
He leans back, now, watching the end of the play. The comic weapons are gone and the chase is over, the docker kneeling on the floor. The whore and thug are taking turns to beat him, and blood is streaming down from his face. Each time, they check with the audience who roar where to aim the next blow. 'So should we kill him, or let him go?' asks Lorcan. 'Are you prepared to follow through with the deal? If you catch that weapon-smuggling ship I will show you where the foreign doctor is hiding. Deal or no deal? Live, or die?' The actors on stage have stopped, they and the entire audience looking up in the box at Kell, waiting to see the docker's fate.
Porter
Cretien looks around uneasily.
Doing his very best to look cool at the situation at hand , Porter hesitates for a few moments, while a single drop of sweat running along his temple betrays him. Not finding any breathing space under the circumstances, he finally relents.
"Seems like we have a deal, Mr. Kell. How we do our job will be our choice, and you do not get to influence whether we kill or simply maim someone. But if what you are telling proves to be the truth, then the ship at question will either be impounded by the RHC, or simply destroyed, based on the circumstances. I believe our stand in this is clear - we work for RHC, and we work as we seem fit. A smart man like you, who has the Family arrayed against him, will surely need allies, just like we might, in the troubled days to come. It would really be a shame if our interests were to collide and anyone, has to die because of it. I believe we have an understanding Mr. Kell?"
"Fair enough - its your operation and you deal with it how you want. All I ask is you confiscate or sink the Crisillyir smuggling ship,' Lorcan agrees.
Profession Police DC 10
Stroking his beard slowly, Porter nods his head; "Yes...yes, I think we understand each other Mr. Kell"
After listening to Kell's offer, Johnathan is silent, brows furrowed in thought. He seems relieved when Clayborne answers, nodding in agreement, features relaxing.
He speaks slowly, choosing his words very carefully.
"As RHC we abide looser rules, as long as it best serves Risur. We'll want to double check your information, of course, but your deal sounds mutually beneficial."
Kell shrugs "meh"
He then snaps his fingers and the people on stage let up on the docker.
"Soft stomachs, eh? Well, not paying your debt is unacceptable. But anyway, we then have an accord.
He gives you the address in the bayou where the one of the ships will moor tommorrow evening.
"I don't know Falko. It's the first time I'm doing this kind of job. It does not surprise me a lot that we were made and lured into these...negotiations. Now..." - he turns to Cretien and Jonathan - "Do we have any idea what do we do with this smuggling operation? We can not simply track a ship on the sea. They'll spot us easily. What I'm thinking is maybe take a couple of troopers for tomorrow night, surround this small Bayou house, surprise and arrest Gale's people and this Deorn Feldman, and then force him (Deorn) to lead us to meeting with Crisillyiri /Family smugglers. Once there, strike them hard, arrest or kill as many as possible, sink the ship and confiscate the weapons if possible. Sounds logical or am I missing something?"
"only thing I can think of is find out where they dock... maybe RHC HQ has some intel... and ambush them there. If they dock near other ships, have some RHC troopers as backup. Might even make it almost a fair fight."
Johnathan looks a bit dazed, unfocused. As the others talk, he stares blankly at them. Even when Clayborne addresses him directly, he doesn't answer. You don't get the feeling he's ignoring you, just detached.
He's quiet for a long while, watching nothing with downcast glassy eyes.
Your group hitches a ride with a carriage back to the precinct and as you come in around 1400 you see Delft telling Carlao working on the Ragman case something important.
And then he sees your group and says "Any luck finding the Doctor"
Delft looks at Falko and gives him a stern look and says, spitting a large brown tobacco soaked spit gen spittoon "How in the hells would I know that?"
Falko
"Yeh, I really don't know what to make of it. Johnathan and I were just tailing the tail to find the Doctor and ended up distracted by some kidnapping, ostensibly. Then we found ourselves in some madman's theater. Claims to have leads on some smuggling, the RHC could appropriate a ship in the business that Kell aims for, but that helps not a single bit with the Ragman or the Doctor, as far as i can tell."
Delft says, "Well, Kell, the leader of the Parity Lake thieves guild is willing to make a deal for you to get the Doctor and to thwart the encroachment of the Family on our shores... What exactly did he offer in return other than delivering the Doctor? What does he want from the RHC?
"he wants it so the family and their boat can never be released to aid the family again. Members dead. Boat appropriated, repainted, the works. Wants the RHC to send his message for him."
Johnathan nods, speaking for the first time in hours, as if Delft's voice has snapped him out of whatever he was stuck in.
"I don't like the idea of doing his dirty work. But... cutting a little red tape to the benefit of Risur AND finding this doctor... what do you think, sir?"
He sounds genuinely curious, young and looking for guidance from Delft. Little moments like these can shape a person forever, for better or worse.
Delft scratches his temple.... "Well, finding the doctor is paramount, hmmm, if there are illegal magic items being brought into Risur, we do need to stop that as well. We cannot let those weapons fall into the hands of criminals or terrorists. This is happening tomorrow night... We don't murder suspects, I suggest your team goes to the rendezvous and stop the smuggling. Don't kill if you don't have to, do you have any other ideas?"