|
"It is time like these that my faith in Andoran's ideals faulters. It seems that the Freedom Empire has hired out to the whore-cults of Calistria for compainionship, though Major doth suspect, . . . suspects that the Calistrials hold some grudge and intend-eth, and intend to to send whatever "less-than-professional talent" to slight him publically. I supposseth I need to intrview these "talents", but um, I, uh, I'm not sure, . . . I'm happily married."
"And would like to keepeth that way."
With a few questions, you easily learn the Callistran brothel-temple, the House of the Silken Veil. It is a large marble building with an ugly, blood-red steeple on top, and lies about a mile away on the far side of town, nestled against the mountains.
As you head in that direction, a sign nearby catches your eye. It reads, "Barracuda Cartage, Under New Management", and hangs on a dilapidated fence surrounding a dilapidated 3-story compound which shows signs of recent repair. The cartage company’s main building rises three stories above the filthy streets. Behind this main building stands a coach-house large enough for four wagons. A weedy yard is enclosed by a high brick wall, but the large wooden doors to the yard stand open to admit new business, even in this evening hour.
A half-dozen burly men loiter in the yard, overseeing a dozen laborers loading carts with what looks like bundles of cloth.
The guards seem to be wearing armor under their clothes, and you long swords and shorter blades hang at their hips. You also spot several crossbows scattered around, resting on wagons, crates, and other inconspicuous-yet-easily-accessible locations.
As you walk along the street and get closer to the gate, one of the guards takes notice of you, and taps his buddy on the shoulder. They two of them stand up and casually wander over closer to the open gateway, trying (and failing) to look unconcerned. The other guards take notice of this and do their best to concern themselves with the loading of wagons while watching you out of the corner of their eye.
The guard nearest the door moves to intercept you, and starts to ask you your business. Soth-Loren flashes his Aspis badge at the guard, who immediately changes his demeanor, standing up a little straighter and trying to look worthy of his station.
"Welcome, sirs, ma'am, to Barracuda Cartage," he begins. "I 'spects y'll be wantin' ta see Boss Jenks - he's the one what sent fer yer help. He's upstairs, second floor, first door on the right."
You can feel the eyes of the other guards on your backs, checking you out, but this time with a measure or respect instead of disdain.
The building is old, but is clearly in the process of being upgraded. Windows have new glass, and falling plaster has been patched in places. Inside, a hallway runs along the exterior wall, ending in a staircase. There are two open doors along the hallway, one leading into a small rooom with a table and several chairs, and the other into a large warehouse space with open loading doors to the yard beyond. Stairs at the end of the hall lead to another hallway, this one with several closed doors along it. The first door on the right is open, however, and from within you can here a man's voice, muttering quietly.
You head up the stairs, which creak slightly as you go. The doorway at the top is open, a warm light spilling out into the hall. Inside, a well-dressed middle-aged man with a dark hair and beard sits at an ornate desk, flipping back and forth between several documents. The room, while in poor repair, nonetheless has a veneer of class about it. Silver candlesticks light the room, and several paintings in the Egoran style hang on the walls, covering the worst of the cracked plaster and water stains. The desk is littered with papers, handwritten notes, and what appear to be financial records, and there are several stacks and boxes full of paper along the wall behind the desk.
The man looks up as you enter. His eyes narrow, settling on the dinosaur, and he tenses, fumbling with one hand under his robe. As his eyes scan the room they settle on Esmerelda's badge, and his face relaxes somewhat. He stands, smoothes his finely-embroidered waistcoat, and affects an air of casual arrogance.
"Interesting choice of pets," he begins, nodding to Esmerelda. "I imagine it comes in handy. Now, which one of you's Shadowtongue?"
Jenks turns to face "Thestil", looking him up and down.
"Hmmph. Guess I expected you to be... a bit more... professional." He scans the group again, the look of disdain growing on his face. "Your reputation better be all it's cracked up to be," he mutters as he turns to pick up some papers off of the desk.
"So here's the deal. I'm having some trouble with one of our "contractors", the cult of Lissala here in town. They did a job for us a while back that went bad, and now they're upset. To make it up to them, the higher-ups have determined a set of gifts to be given to the Lissalans. That's where you come in."
Jenks hands over three documents, which appear on the surface to be legal contracts of some sort."We've lent money to each of the three big temples here in town, and they've all defaulted on the terms of their agreements," he smirks. As if they had a chance... "They've been told to make a partial payment on their interest due by providing a magical item, one that turns out to be of interest to the Lissalans. Your job is to head to the temples, collect the items, and bring them back here. As usual, your payment will come through the Magnimar office, but if you do a good job, and I'll throw in a bonus: I'll give you the honor of delivering the gifts to the Lissalans yourselves. Got it?" Jenks stands back and crosses his arms, one eyebrow raised slightly as though expecting a barrage of stupid questions.
To Soth-Loren, Jenks says, "You're not going to see the Lissalans, not unless you do this job first, and do it well."
Jenks turns back to "Thestil" and glares. "Your boys seem a bit undisciplined, Shadowtongue. Are you sure you can keep them in line? This is a delicate job."
He turns back to the documents on the desk. "You'll be visiting the Publican House, the tavern-temple of Cayden Cailien over on the north shore, to pick up a sacred mug. You can see it from the yard here, right across the river.
"The House of the Silken Veil, Callistria's brothel, will be paying you with a magical dagger. Can't miss it, big marble building with a giant red steeple on top, over on the west edge of town, up against the hills.
"The Fish Bowl, Besmara's temple, will be providing a magical bicorne hat. The Fish Bowl is east of here, along the river. I presume you have the ability to determine a real magical item from a fake?" Jenks asks rhetorically.
"All three have been told you're coming, and to have their payment ready. I don't care what order you do them in, but visit all three tonight and bring the items back here when you're done. By then, I'll have the location of the Lissalan safe house, and we'll see about making the drop."
You have also heard the darker rumors about Besmara's clergy. They are rumored to perform blood sacrifices on those who have displeased the Pirate Queen. These sacrifices often involve feeding victims to dangerous sea creatures.
Knowledge (Local): You know the location of all three of the temples, from a quick survey of a city map back at the docks.
Knowledge (History): No further information pops into your head at this time.
"I suspect that the temples aren't very happy about this payment, so be on your guard. You may need to use some 'coercive negotiation' to convince them to pay up, despite the fact that we have the lawful right to demand payment according to the terms of our agreements." He looks back to you, a trace of impatience already setting in. "Now, anything else you need? The night's getting on."