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Seeing the woman's face, Saul remembers who this is... Setrona Sabinus, of course... he had spent enough time at the Tooth and Nail to know that. And she did always say that she had a cousin who was in the Order of the Torrent. And not just any member, but the Lictor himself! Saul knocks on his head with his fist. Should have remembered all of that the moment we heard about the Order. Getting soft in the melon in my old age.
"Ma'am, nothing would please me more than to find your cousin. Out of neighborly concern, and for past appreciation of all the liquor your tavern has served to me, I will do this free of charge. Where do you think he might be?"
"Let's get inside." she tells and ushers Saul in. Nothing new to Saul, he knows her force of personality that makes big bullies wimp out when she throws them out of her tavern. "My cousin Octavio is an obstinate and difficult man, but he’s also an honorable one. He’s led the Order of the Torrent for a decade, and during that time they’ve rescued dozens of missing people and other unfortunates from abduction."
"The order’s members aren’t all stationed here in Kintargo — they work throughout Avistan, after all, and I suppose it’s something of a blessing that most of their two dozen or so members were elsewhere when Barzillai made the order illegal. Those who are outside Cheliax are certainly lying low, awaiting word from their lictor, but if we can find my cousin, I’m certain he can be convinced to aid the Silver Ravens. I guess you have heard of them too. You might need to find one of them to set up a meeting with him. Someone has to confront that... Thrune!"
"He might grouse a bit at their methods, but I know for a fact that he’s no supporter of Thrune, and having his network of agents for support can only help, right?"
"In any event, assuming he’s not in the clutches of House Thrune, I think I know where my cousin is. He’d probably hate me if he found out I told you this, but the Order of the Torrent sometimes uses a small shrine just south of the city in the Argo swamps as a safe house. The place is warded against magical observation, and they’ve used it in the past as a staging place for smuggling those they’ve rescued into or out of Kintargo. The place is the Shrine of Saint Senex, and if my cousin is anywhere, he’s there."
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"These Silver Ravens you mention... I am a bit of a student of history, and I know these Silver Ravens were around a long time ago. I think they all died, of old age and of battle. Why do you talk about these Silver Ravens in the present tense?"
"But in any case, I could at least locate this shrine and let you know if he is there. I could use a walk out of town."
"What kind of Sleuth are you? Just because Thrune tries hard to keep it under the carpet doesn't mean you can't know it. That one night it was painted all over town. The whole dottari worked hard that morning to remove or paint over it. Are you really that ignorant or are you trying to hide something." Setrona inquires. She is a clever woman, but sometimes lacks the wisdom about when to keep her mouth shut. But so far it worked for her.
Having gathered what information she can, Zea returns to the coffee shop to see if anyone else is around.
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"I'm not sure what you mean, ma'am. I heard some general rumors about some vandals, but no Silver Ravens. Anyway, not my problem. You would like me to hunt down your cousin, and tell him the Silver Ravens could use his help. Or at least come back and talk to you. I can do this. I have some friend who can help, in case it is dangerous.
"Thanks. You know where you find me."
"If you have expenses, please let me know and you for sure get free drinks at the Tooth and Nail." she replies and leaves Saul.
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Bingo. Saul flips his office door sign to closed and heads to the Longroads Coffeehouse.
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"Well friends, I got a lead. The Order of the Torrent have a safehouse in the Argo Swamps south of town. Who wants to go mucking in a wetland? Bring your boots... And... disguises? Do we go as ourselves or as the Silver Ravens?"
Zea nods. "Sounds good to me. I'd prefer to go disguised." She starts thinking Do I have any traveling clothes?
Fhingle helps around the coffee house for a while, as he is about to Leave Saul walks in the door. Seeing the look on Saul's face Fhingle follows him down stairs.
"Disguised I think is best." Fhingle looks around "How deep is this swamp?"
"A horse is to big for me, I could buy some stilts maybe?" Fhingle says.
Zea looks at the other two, really confused. "Um ok... I guess that's an option... I think I'm going to bring snowshoes if the ground is that muddy..."
a few hundred years ago, the shrine is devoted to the memory of sailors who lost their lives at sea. Senex herself was an oracle of the waves who devoted much of her later life to the recovery of the bodies of drowned sailors, to return them and their belongings to their families rather than leaving them at the bottom of Nisroch Bay or to the deeper stretches of the Yolubilis. Since the Chelish Civil War, Saint Senex has drifted into obscurity. Her shrine has been tended by an ever-dwindling staff of seers and guardians
Once you are out of the city, it’s a short walk west of Ravounel Road to the swampy western shore of Argo Isle. The shrine is mostly underground, carved into an upthrust escarpment of stone that overlooks the Yolubilis. No track or trail leads to the shrine, but the swampy ground between it and the road is safe to travel.
As you draw near, the shrine’s aboveground extents become apparent—a 2-foot-wide path rises up from the marshy ground, leading to what appears to be a heap of stones and driftwood. The mound has an opening on the southeast side, flanked by two poles sporting gouts of fire that dance erratically in the ocean breeze.
Fhingle gets some rags and goes out with Jarithe, pretending to be either a slave or a house Halfling.
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Saul doesn't do anything out of the ordinary to leave town. He just nods at the watch and tries to proceed through without a word.
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At the shrine, he takes it all in. The two poles in particular catch his attention. "Why are those lit unless someone is home?" He tries to pull the poles off the wall and see if they contain fuel, or if they are magically powered.
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Saul just shakes his head and says, "Real fire, with fuel. Why bother announcing they are home? Unless they try to gather others to this location. With the Order scattered and running, maybe the Lictor is trying to provide a beacon of hope, so to speak. In any case, shall we enter? Perhaps quietly, in case there is something else home other than what we seek! Zea, care to scout ahead?"
"Maybe it is a trap? He lures us in and is hidding else where?" Fhingle asks
Zea nods and approaches the interior of the mound, entering as quietly as she can while keeping an eye out for traps or trouble. She does not have her weapon drawn, this time, as she is hoping there won't be any trouble here.
As usual, she's not the most perceptive! Her lack of self-confidence really hampers her attention to detail!
As it is still bright daylight sneaking only goes that far. Entering the shrine you meet two people. Beneath the shrine’s dome await two figures clad in tattered rags. Seashells are woven into the long beard of the man, while the woman's braids hang down past her waist, shells and bits of driftwood knotted in their lengths.
Seeing the apparently peaceful people in the mound, Zea exclaims quietly "Oh! Uh... hello. We've come to find a friend who may be missing. You can call me Amyreid." She waves to Saul and the others to come in. "Who are you?"
"We are the Seers of St. Sennex and take care of her shrine. But what are you doing here?" The man asks. He obviously doesn't trust Zea and whoever else shows up.
Zea looks carefully at the two, not wanting to give too much away but also desiring to make allies Gosh... how do they handle this kind of thing... Zea weighs her words then says "We were asked by Setrona Sabinus to look in on her cousin."
"He has cast his breath upon the Stone many times, long a friend to our shrine. We honor those who honor the watery dead." the man replies.
Zea looks to the others pleadingly as she's not great with people.
"Can you prove anything what you told?" the bearded man replies. The two are not hostile, but they also don't trust these strangers.
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Saul pokes his head around Jarithe and Zea. "Ah...no. But feel free to cast any divination spell on us that you desire. We speak the truth. We were sent by Setrona Sabinus to find the Lictor Octavio Sabinus. Why send us? Because Setrona knows to send the best gumshoe in the City. Saul Gibson, PI. Lose a pet, an item, your spouse's fidelity? I am the dick you come to."
Zea smirks a little at Saul's jingle but nods "How could we prove it to you?"
Sauls explanation and Jarithe's comment elicits a chuckle from the woman and a smile from the mam. "We are Brother Jenbai and Sister Remele. Seers of Saint Senex." the man expains.
"If you seek to search the inner sanctum you must pass through the altar door and meet the challenges below, to prove to Saint Senex you are worthy to speak to a friend of the shrine." Jenbai explains and points to the altar. Which doesn't look like a door at all.
Fhingle stays oddly quiet for a bit, letting those taller talk for a while.
"We just seek friendship and mutual protection for ourselves and those we seek" Fhingle says. 'What are the trials?"
"Is this going to be like a test where we answer questions? I didn't study ..."
"That is for you to find out." Remele answers to all the questions.
Zea is still uncomfortable with all this cloak and daggers, hidden doors stuff. She nods and smiles "Ok um thank you." Then she tries walking into the altar slowly to see if maybe it's some kind of illusioned portal.
Zea bangs her knee on the stone altar.
The altar beneath the center of the shrine’s driftwood dome appears unremarkable. But Saul finds a catch holding the stone in place. I tlooks like it would need some special hook shaped key or other tools and skills to unlock and open this "door".
"Ow!" Zea's skin turns a deeper shade of pink as she rubs her knee.
Zea will use her small hands to help hold any tools that will be put to work here.
"Sure." Jenbai replies with a smile and hands Saul the hook.
The altar can tehn be easily moved away. A rusty iron ladder leads down.
Climbing the ladder leads into a a damp chamber whose ceiling is seven feet high, bolstered by square supports of rough-hewn wood. A shallow pool of water lies in the northwest corner of the room, at the bottom of the ladder. An iron gate blocks access into a corridor to the east. Piles of sail canvas and jumbled coils of rope litter the stony floor, and the walls, floor, and ceiling have been carved to look like wood. Brown paint clings in patches, and it’s easy to see how the room may have once looked very much like the hold of a ship. To the west stands a statue carved from driftwood depicting a woman dressed in robes, holding the body of a drowned sailor in her arms.
"Those who would visit the drowned departed must bring to these lips the gift of lung’s bounty, lest my guardian stand before your approach." the wooden statue tells.
Zea descends into the chamber, breathing shallowly. "How do you ever get used to descending into crazy, dangerous places?" she asks the others.
She frowns slightly at the statue's words. "Hmmm... that seems like something I've heard of before... I guess I might as well try this..." She walks up to the wooden drowned sailor, puts her lips on his and exhales as if trying to resuscitate him.