"I have never been, do you frequent "Drinking halls" often?" Fhingle asks while following the Tengi
"Yes it was," Jhen's grin turns into a warm smile at being remembered. His spirits high from the flattery he automatically replies, "Yes of course I'd be willing to help out in that regard. What do you have in mind?"
"Nothing specific. It would just be nice to have something, for a Starday evening to cheer the people up. The Thrune lies on the mood of town like heavy fog."
"Where else would you go to meet people? Church?" Maggie asks while checking out Saul's map. It's hard to use, but it is clear that they are on the wrong side of the river. But they have Fhingle to help finding the Devil's Nursery.
Nodding his head enthusiastically, "Yes, give the people something to clear the fog for a while so to speak." He shakes his head, "Of course I will not accept any Remuneration for my services from you."
"You can pass a hat around. So you will be here and entertain us on Starday? Let's say starting two hours before the curfew?" Laria tries to seal the deal.
Fhingle sets off with the Tengi, looking for a brew house to drink at.
"I guess you could meet people at a church, my master....my former master used to meet people in his dining hall. I didn't always get to be there and never got to talk."
Harris looks at Saul for a while trying to find him in his memories. "That's a long time. Ye had a lotta more hair back then." he jokes. "Ye wanna become a fisherman too now? Ye tried another job didn't ya? coming back to yer roots?"
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"A man's gotta be self-sufficient, Mister Harris. What with the Thrune trying to cut off the town economically, why, I figured I should have a boat handy in case I have to start fishing for my supper again. I'm sure those at the docks aren't very happy with the recent proclamation. You know of anyone who is taking it particularly rough?"
"Churches of Asmodeus are no fun." Maggie objects.
They find the Clenchjaw's, which is known as a low key dockworkers drinking hall, on their way and so they decide to stay there and have a few beers. "Let's see what kind of entertainment this hole has to offer." Maggie comments and toasts to her sisters and Fhingle.
"If ye have the coin, ye can have a new one over there. But I got no idea who'd wanna sell an old one fer cheap." Harris answers, while thinking hard, knitting a brow.
"Everyone is taking it hard. The captains are sitting on the ships like prisoners and the seamen aren't allowed anything now fer the rule says that the captain be hold responsible."
"The chap o' that old tub seems ta have ants in his pants ever since." Harris adds pointing to the Scourge of Belial.
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I didn't start this thing, but it is up to me to finish it. No guts. No glory.
With a nod of thanks to Karl, Saul walks up to the Scourge of Belial. Based on the size of the ship, the captain is clearly an important man, and probably rich. Saul swallows hard, and says to a crew member posted at the base of the gangplank. "Saul Gibson, private investigator. I'm interested in talking to your captain. I'm bringing a business proposition that I'm sure he will want to hear."
Some sailor looks down, but simply moves on with what she is carrying. As she comes back she proposes "How sure are you? Because if you waste the captains time, you get a good ol' whipping at the mast."
Meliandri ponders the pile of things. "I think we will 'ave to leave most of it. Maybe we could get the tegu to 'elp tomorrow. In the meantime, we should 'eat back to the Long Roads before curfew." She takes Ashana's hand and starts walking toward the door.
"Could I just take the finely crafted brushes for the moment, I would prefer not to return empty handed," Salonius says to the clerk, making the exchange if it seems reasonable and then hurrying to catch up with Meliandri and Ashana.
"Ok. I'll put the rest into the storage for you." Kelimber replies. As Salonius leaves, he calls after him "Wait, you need a receipt, if you want to send someone to fetch it."
"Deal," Jhen hastily agrees.
"No I am sorry I just want the better quality brushes for the moment, I apologise for the inconvenience. I am not sure this is what my friend wanted so if we need to return anyway I will have him come and be sure we are getting what he wants. If you wish I will help restock?" Salonius says, rifling his fingers through his hair and glancing at the pile unhappily.
"No, no, it's fine. That's no trouble at all." Kelimber replies.
"Thought so." the sailor replies with a smirk.
Fhingle sips his rather large mug of ale, "I have only really ever had wine before." Fhingle says while trying to not show that he is overly excited to be doing this
"Thank you very much, and my apologies again, I think we got a bit carried away. Please take this for your trouble," Salonius hands over a silver coin and hurries out attempting to catch up with Ashana and Meliandri.
Out of breath and sweaty he eventually does so, stopping to prestidigitate himself before rejoining the Ladies.
"My apologies Ashana I likely did not convey Fhingle's request very well. Perhaps you could talk with him since you both have some expertise in painting and establish exactly what is needed? I suppose if we really did need so many supplies we could ask Laria to cover for us, say they were for a back room or some such?"
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Saul heads over to see a man about a boat. 50 gold changes hands and soon enough he is in the water practicing his paddling.
Saul remembers back to earlier in the day when Jhen, Fhingle, and himself looked out the sewer pipe and into the river. I think I can find that proper pipe entrance. Saul paddles off into the river and heads toward that position.
Rowing down the river along the shore, Saul checks on the left until the view on Castle Kintargo is right. To the right he finds the entrance into his specific sewer. But as it is still bright day it might be a risk to row in now.
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Still a bright day, it might be a risk to row in now.
Saul paddles back to the docks, and buys a fish pole and tackle Why not make a day of it? I'm rich now. Deserve a little break.
Paddling back to closer to the storm sewer, Saul spends the rest of the afternoon fishing.
circumstance bonus from the fishing tackle kit
When night begins to fall, he paddles into the storm sewer and goes as far up as he can. He ties the boat off to a broken piece of grate, lights a torch, and heads back to Laria's basement.
Saul pulls two pounds of small silvery fishes out of the water. As it gets dark, the people on the streets are less and under the veil of incoming darkness, Saul disappears into the sewers. There he can row up to the makeshift pier in Laria's basement .
In Clenchjaw's the patrons are in a cheerful mood, that turns loud as the evening. Some beers later the cheerful turns into boisterous and before you know it, there are mugs and fists flying at the tavern.
And before long, the tengu's are involved in the fight too, even though they didn't plan to.
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Saul grabs one of the smelt and bites off the head. He spits it out, and swallows the rest of the fish whole. Not bad... a fun way to spend the afternoon. He brings the buckets upstairs.
"Laria! Will you let me use your kitchen? I got a fresh catch here. I could fry you up some dinner, you and anyone else who is hanging out. Where is Fhingle?"
Arriving back at the coffee house Salonius greets Laria, leaving introducing Ashana to Melinadri and headed down below to what he resolutely refuses to think of as The Thrush Cave.
"Fhingle? Mmmmm? Where is everybody." Puzzled he leaves the brush out by the painting equipment penning a quick note and then heads back upstairs.
"Mmmmm, since nobody seems to be about I might go and try to catch the evening lecture - I hope it is not divination Professor Belb is a great diviner, but spends half his lectures starring into space and laughing... Unless you have anything you could use my help with Mel's?"
"Nonononono! You can have a pan and oil and then you make your stinking fish in the basement. You are not geting to use my kitchen. There are different stages of pastry preparations everywhere and I want no fishy oil spraying over it." Laria replis and throws herself between Saul and the kitchen entrance.
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Good thing I asked...
"Fine, fine. Don't think we have anything to cook with down there. Wonder if we need to buy a stove next, and then run an exhaust pipe into the storm sewer. I'll ask the Tengu to take care of it."
Saul takes his delicious finds home and cooks them for himself. As he sits in his office apartment alone, he finds himself missing the others. Have we all become like family this quick? You are getting soft in your old age, Gibson.
As Saul sits there in his office an old Lady knocks at his door. White hairs, bent posture, one and a half heads shorter than Saul. She walks with a stick on which she leans heavily. She is dresses with a plain linen dress and a vest over it. In her left she holds a sack. All in all she looks a bit confused. As Saul opens, she starts to talk without point and comma. "Mister Gibson, good that I meet you, you have to help me. I lost my husbands watch, You know, my husband died some years agon and it was his watch, and I lost it, and you have to help me find it, because it was the watch of my husband and now I don't know where it is, and it's my only thing I got left from him and it's a silver watch on a chain, and I always had it in my pocket" she puts her hand at the left pocket " but it's no longer there. It's gone, since yesterday, and I don't know where it is, and I have these potatoes, would you find the watch for me, I'll give you these, because it's the watch of my husband..." and she goes on and on about this.
Fhingle has enough drink, excuses himself from the ladies and heads back to the coffee shop.
"Laria, hello, have the other returned?"
Salonius heads back to the Academy and after grabbing a few toffee apples from a tree makes his way over to the evening lecture, which to his delight turns out to be a detailed analysis of lower level charm magic with further discussions on their ethical implications. He spends two and a half hours frantically taking notes and enthusiastically asking a slew of questions. It helps that Professor Hedrik is a very handsome man with just a hint of villainy about his appearance.
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Saul looks at the woman with a bit of humor, but also pity, in his eyes. These are the people that we are trying to save. This is the reason our group must succeed. Real people live in this city, with real lives, and all of the sadness and joys and terror and happiness that comes from being alive.
Saul approaches and shakes her hand, and while she is distracted he reaches into her pocket and withdrawals what is there, which presumably is the missing watch.
Assuming it is the watch, and not wanting to embarrass her, he says:
"My dear woman, I just so happened to find a watch yesterday in the city. Perhaps it is the very one you are missing?"
He gives the watch back to her.
The woman is speechless. But only for a moment. "My husbands watch! You found it! You are such a good guy, here take the potatoes, it is all I can give you, but you really earned it. You have no idea what this watch means to me, for it was my husbands watch, you know, he died a few years ago, and I lost it and now I have it back, thanks to you, and you're such a good hearted guy, giving it back. You know others might have kept it or sold it, but not you, oyu're a good guy, your mother can be proud, cause you gave me my husbands watch back..."
That goes on for a while until she finally tells that she has to go, but one her way down the street, she continues with her talking, repeating herself over and over, but now she is happy.
"They left again already. You are just in time to lock up, clean the tables and mop the floor, so we're set for tomorrow. I'll be in the kitchen baking some more cookies for tomorrow." Laria tells Fhingle.
Professor Hedrik challenges Salonius to try out some of the charming magic on a girl to get some practice with handling the effect when the spell runs out and to get to know something else besides his trees in the orchard. "That's your homework, and I expect a report on it." he demands with just a hint of villainy.
But not today, as it is already close to curfew and everyone has to get home in time to avoid trouble.
As it was for almost a week now, the night is very quiet again. Until morning after the curfew when life comes back to the streets.
"Ahhh, yes of course Professor, ummm, I was wondering if you would like an apple? They are toffee flavoured..." Salonius says lamely, his cheeks coloring I cannot believe I just literally offered my teacher an apple.
"I mean historically apples have a certain association with charms, and lust, so it seems appropriate. Errr, I mean its one of my experiments, but you know a tried one, people are forever stealing these, and the cake flavoured ones..."
"Thank you." the professor replies and accepts the apple with a smirk. It looks like he really managed to challenge this student with forcing him out of the comfortable area of theory.
"I'll see you in my next lecture." he states as a matter of fact and tells him goodbye.
Salonius sighs heavily, looks at the ceiling for a moment, sighs again, and retrieves a sleeping Peeko from atop a nearby light fixture. Then he heads home, wondering if Professor Glenell could conceivably count as a girl, and concluding that no she did not. I wonder if Meliandri would mind? Pretty sure she counts as a girl. Or maybe Ahsana? She would certainly be more used to getting bossed around - not that I would. Though it would be tempting to get her to kiss Fhingle, tempting, but morally reprehensible.
The next morning Salonius follows his usual routine, prestidigitating Professor Glenell, feeding Peeko, and tending to the orchard. Then he bakes some flatbread and slathers it with apricot jam placing a couple of slices in front of the Professor's slumbering form. After preparing his spells he gathers up his scribing supplies and heads to the Coffee shop.
As it is now morning and the sun shines on the front of the coffehouse Salonius notices a silvery metal bird sitting on the door frame, carrying a note at his foot.
P.S. This silver raven isn't as cool as I thought. Hopefully you get this. I went to see a man about a boat.
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Saul rises and stretches with a crack of old bones and joints. Gods, I'm feeling my age today. Too much time fishing? Forgot how physical that activity was. I could go back to the docks and find a captain to talk to. Ah, but what help could they really provide? I don't know. Feeling at a dead end. I'm going to go talk to Rexus.
Saul ambles to the Long Road. "Laria! You know how I like it!" he always calls to the barista as he enters and throws her a wink.
Coffee in hand, he goes down into the secret lair, where they set up Rexus with his books and papers. He is careful to close the secret door behind him.
"Rexus, are we accomplishing anything here? The lair is looking good... The Tengi are cleaning it up, and we have a boat now. Fhingle's been painting away. But what is our next step? We need people. But who?"
Salonius orders Peeko to alert him when nobody is looking and then attempts to grab the Silver Raven and quickly envelop it in his robe before entering the coffee shop. Good gods Saul, have you lost your freakin' mind! You sent a literal silver raven to sit atop the front door of our secret hideout! I can't even... I truly hope nobody is looking out for such things, and we have not really done anything as yet so there is a good chance, but all it takes is one informer...
Slightly panicked retrieves the note and wraps the raven in his robe, he reads the note and buries his face in his hands, for that!
Taking a few calming breaths he discretely orders Peeko to keep a watch outside for any signs of suspicious movement.
Meliandri wakes up in the basement hideout quite the worse for wear. She hadn't introduced Ashana to Laria the night before, and she'd elected to sleep in the hideout. Of course, she hadn't ever experienced a night without some sort of bedding, and had slept restlessly.
She looks around, then joins Saul and Rexus's conversation. "Well, we could start by trying to find out 'ow different groups are dealing with the new mayor, and then figure out 'ow to ally ourselves with them. Or we could just start causing problems for Thrune. 'Unting 'is followers, trying to disrupt Kintargo's economy. Things like that." She shrugs and pushes hair out of her face. "The back bedroom is mine, since I am the only lady 'ere."
"And what are we then?" you hear Maggie from the other end of the room.
Rexus already sits over the documents again. He tells how fantastic all these papers are and an invaluable treassure for every historian interested in Kintargo, and the Silver Ravens in particular. He propounds over words and dialects and entanglement of the languages in a way that would talk everyone but Salonius to sleep in a short time. On the papers written in common you can see that he isn't even past te introduction text.
But seeing the partial interest Rexus changes the topic. "You know that the Victocora estate burned down in the night of ashes. I tried to find out if my parents were there at the night of the fire, but couldn't get in because there were dottari guards patrolling every time I tried. Would you go with me and help me find out what happened that night?"