Hearing falko Sarya pipes in...
She is to me... This sounds like the handiwork of the Bleak Merchants, an ages old enemy of the Dream Merchants... If your wanting more information we would do well to take a visit to the Compound in Flint...
"What she says makes sense, although I would not implicate the bleak merchants. They have a business to maintain. This seems to me the work of someone simply using the darkness as a weapon for their plots which remain in our side of the mirror."
Gale says, "The Bleakers if they have any part in this at all are probably just relegated to some supply but not the main portion. I want to help you and curb the hatred between magic and machine, Nevard told me it is the only way for Flint to be safe. The old Skyseer is very wise and he asked me to ask you to run security for his rally tomorrow. He is certain that it will be his last public event and he needs the best. He is of course over 120 years old and for humans that is an unheard of age. His rally will take place noon tomorrow at the Dawn Square."
She then hands Chretien a feather and says, "This here is a messenger feather, it will allow you to contact me once a day at any time."
Johnathan listens quietly throughout, then finally speaks up.
"I'll stand with Nevard, of course."
Sarya's tone is thoughtful as she turns around options for the "event".
If you desire us to provide security I advise moving the rally to the Dream Merchant compound, it will be more secure and we Dream Merchants could use the publicity...
Convincing my fellow merchants shouldn't be too difficult...we will make a killing from the concession stands alone... Will Nevard consent to such a move however?
Gale says, "The flyers for the rally went out this morning so it is a bit too late to change the place of the rally. Nevard doesn't have any problems with commerce. His nephew owns a chemical factory as you probably already know. If you Dreamies want to sell sausages or other items, he probably wouldn't have anything against it. Besides, Dawn Square is on the borders between North Shore, Bosum Strand, Parity Lake and the Nettles are also close by. Does the young Skyseer speak for you all?"
Johnathan seems embarrassed, looking off at the surroundings, but doesn't say anything more.
Sarya tries to unruffle the feathers of Falko...
I would prefer somewhere else for this rally, doesn't have to be our compound but somewhere that is defensible... A nice balcony with high and thick balistrades for example, that way if the enemy attempts to kill the skyseer we can rush him back into the building and out of harm.
If we don't do this and instead put the skyseer in the middle of a town square... It would be a slaughter, multiple angles of attack and an enemy who has previously shown no limits in what he is willing to do. Fortune favors those prepared to seize it, do not let your dislike of me cloud your better judgment...
"Most likely the locale was chosen with a purpose, to show a vulnerability. Such would endear him to his target audience as well as possibly draw out his foe, which I surmise is where we come in. Regarding affiliations, I prefer to avoid "bleakers" and "dreamies" both. I prefer to collect my pay without all the proselytizing. I enjoy philosophical debate as much as the next academic, but in this job, wearing your loyalties on your chest not only limits your abilities but hinders your work. To throw such in the face of all within earshot is thrice as damaging."
Turning to their guest, he returns to business. "I trust you can rein in your more.... pyromaniacally-inclined comrades during this episode? I'd hate to be implicated as connected to criminal activity while trying to defend a wise man."
Sarya's tone is sincere as she speaks, she is not making this up...
They are more then affiliations...once you are a dream merchant you are nothing else. We are bound to the will of the Goblin King and must do as he wills and since our inception their has only been one overarching demand, profit. So long as the gold flows the Goblin King smiles upon the dream merchants, offering all sorts of favor and reward for our loyal service...
When the gold does not flow he becomes angry, at first his displeasure manifests in subtle, minor ways. The barkeep might suddenly charge you ten gold for any drink, even a glass of water. If these subtle signs of displeasure do not rectify the course a dream merchant then the Goblin King's displeasure becomes truly evident...
Coins once your friend become toxic to touch and one loses all magical ability...
Gale says, "Because I know there are bigger fish to fry and something extremely sinister going on. Nevard, the wise skyseer, has told me the err of my ways. After the Duchess was tried for treason, I tried to retaliate and was, well, framed for things that were not me or any of my other followers."
Responding to Chretien, "In essence, I want to bury the hatchet and maybe have an audience with governor Stanfield but we will worry about that after this crisis has been averted."
Sarya's tone is calm as they leave (she says this once we go back down the mountain) but it is clear that she is laying down the law...
I don't serve Flint... Or Risur, I was sent as a liaison between the Dream Merchants and the RHC. I hold no rank in your organization and never will, suffice it to say that I and indeed the entirety of the Dream Merchants would prefer the status quo preserved.
The status quo has led to record breaking profits, revolution and disorder will lead to record breaking [i]failures[i]. I will assist you in your duties but ask me to go against Dream Merchant interests and I will leave you.
Leaving both the ultimatum of the dream merchant and the response of the terrorist to hang, Chretien nods and departs with the others.
Johnathan tags alongside Cretien, humming an unrecognizable song.
perception
+1 vs traps
GM rolls
Falko and Johnathan
As they walk, Johnathan gives Falko a look, but shrugs.
"I don't trust Gale, or our Dream Merchant. I trust the RHC, and Nevard. Every RHC. Anyways, this is a lead, perhaps we should start at the fountain and try this spell."
Your group makes your way from the waterfall and back to your carriage and then you hop in and by the time you make it to the Bosum Strand section of Flint it is already dusk. You pass by Chretien's friend Soryn Adril's home where he is mopping something out front of his home.
"How goes it, Soryn?" Cretien asks, calling for the carriage to stop for a moment.
Soryn looks up at Chretien and says, "Alright, I guess but there is something very strange happening. Black sludge has been coming up out of the sewers since about noon. My wife was trying to mop it up but it just wouldn't go away and so I had to close shop early today, and help her." as he wipes some more sweat from his brow.
Johnathan nods to Falko, certain. He seems rested and back to his usual self, a glint of determination in his eyes.
"Cretien, we should hurry."
He gives Soryn an apologetic smile.
Falko
Perception 5 on man's mop
Sarya's speak with utter calm, her mind trying to calculate whether or not if this is Bleak Merchant handiwork...
Follow me to the Dream Merchant compound, my elders may be able to help with this substance...
Ignoring the mention, once more, of the dreamies, Cretien speaks to the man in a stern tone.
"It may be best to just lock up and sleep somewhere different for the night. Plug the drains if you can. There are bad things afoot these days."
Cretien tries to speak over Falko, so as not to alarm Soryn overmuch.
Soryn says, "Professor Dufresne, if that is what you think best then my family will stay inside, although we were looking forward to the big rally by Nevard tomorrow. The Great Skyseer, wow, I mean, wow, and he hasn't given a public rally in about ten years and well he is supposedly 120 years old. I know for some other races that is not a long time but for us humans it is a feat unto itself."
He stops and then points down the street and says, "If you want to find more sludge how did your colleague say, witchoil, you should go closer in that direction but it seems to be seeping up from the sewers."
My good man could you find me a bottle to collect a sample of the sludge with? I need to send some of it to my fellow dream merchants.
To, the circle of magi
From, Initiate Sarya
The services of the circle of magi are required, a black sludge known as "witchoil" is pouring out of the city sewers. Bleak Merchant activity is suspected, even if they are not the instigators here they may be trying to profit on the sidelines.
I will come back to the compound as soon as I have done any necessary debriefings on behalf of the RHC.
'Delft, witchoil leaking up from sewers in mass amounts. If detonated the arcane blast could be catastrophic. We are heading in now.'
The man says "The dream wha, no problem, I'll get one rightly."
He then goes into the house and returns with a jar and says, "Best I can do is a mason's jar, would that suffice?"
Johnathan flags down a boy to send the message with and the boy takes his coins and takes off on his biroller contraption.
When Sarya flags down another boy, she mentions the Dream Merchant compound and he says, "Ma'am, would you happen to have a street address for that. I am sorry but I am not overly familiar with your group and its location."
Sarya beams at the man and speaks, most certainly my good man, thank you.
Sarya addresses in a busiess like tone as she hands him a gold piece and the mason's jar labeled "witchoil".
The Dream Merchant compound isn't that hard to miss, go to Bosum Strand and look for the block whose buildings are done in green and gold. You should see people dressed like me milling about, go to the front desk and give them my letter they will know what to do.
Also take this jar, do not open it or drop it please. Give it to the front desk also and tell them that it goes to the same people the letter is addressed to.
The boy says, "Well, lady that'll be triple to ensure safe passage of the sludge, it will."
Intelligence DC5
Sarya passes 2 more gold coins to the boy...
Intelligence
If none of you are wizards we may want to consult with my fellows concerning the spell the elf gave us, we have a few wizards in our ranks...