"Thank you Reeve Vallison. We will meet you here then tomorrow at ten. I appreciate your help and look forward to future business dealings. Good day to you.
Come Torbin we should leave the reeve to his other business. Thank you again."
'Torbin' nods at Cole's command. He gives a parting nod to Vallison as he departs, following Cole's lead.
Where to now? Wesh asks as the pair leave.
"I'll see you again." Gadren bids the guards farewell. As they head out he makes note of their equipment and if they carry any keys on them here while off duty.
After a while Jack goes for a walk trying to get a feel for the place, good spots to move unseen. He also tries to see if he can find somewhere to pick up leather armour.
With Lutor speaking to the alchemist, Hel gives the two a reasonable amount of privacy, instead touring the shop to see what's available, both for ingredients and for final products.
Sorry for the delay; network has been amazingly unstable, and mostly disconnected.
"No further business. I say we go back and have a drink. See what the towns folk that come to the inn have to say. Unless there is something you want to check out."
He says to Torbin.
Master Caldwin nods to Lutor and says, "Of course. I have most common reagents available for sale at reasonable prices. I may also have some of the more uncommon ingredients, but as I must send out a special order for them, they may cost more than standard market value. There also may be a delay in delivery if I don't have them in stock. Tell me, have you followed the alchemist's trade long?"
Hel, looking about the shop, spies most common alchemical items and remedies, as well as a small assortment of beneficial potions - some healing, some defensive.
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Cole and Wesh take their leave of Reeve Vallison and return to the Lord's Dalliance, which they find to be fairly empty of other clientele - only Gallen remains there. It appears that the inn isn't particularly busy in the morning.
Once the two of you arrive, Sir Gallen goes out to look about the town. He finds a couple of places he could probably acquire a set of leather armor - a general store and a couple other shops.
"Long enough to realise that checking one's supply of reagents is a matter of importance. Are you kept busy in Aldencross?"
Staying alert Gallen continues about his business before picking up some rope at the general store.
Wesh sets up shop in the inn’s common area, hoping other guests will sit nearby with useful rumors or gossip.
Master Caldwin gets an offended look on his face, and sniffs. "If you're relatively inexperienced, you don't need to be rude about it. Everyone needs to start somewhere. Now, is there anything you wish to purchase? If not, I have to get back to my work."
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Sir Gallen notices that if you avoid walking on the main streets, you might be able to move about the city without being noticed. However, given the layout of the town, you will have to cross main streets unless you only stay within the section of town you are in.
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Nothing else happens in the inn.
Lutor attempts to smooth over matters before departing.
"Some basic components, Master Caldwin, as you allude to. Those."
Lutor points to what he believes are suitably basic components.
From the aristocratic woman several steps away comes an interruption. "Please forgive Master Cross, Master Caldwin; he is a wizard, and as everyone knows, wizards hate to admit to not knowing something. I can claim no master's knowledge of the craft, but I can put in a journeyman's work. La -- Mistress Thomas," she corrects herself, moving over and introducing herself to the town's alchemist.
"Of your kindness," she continues, glancing at the components at which 'Master Cross' has pointed, "might you be willing to advise us" -- and here she glances coolly at Lutor, clearly the expression of a noblewoman whose skilled hireling has stumbled socially and embarrassed her by requiring her to step in on his behalf -- "on whether the commander of Balentyne would be willing to purchase what few items we might manufacture during our stay here, and what he might be interested in? Alchemical fire, perhaps, or acid? Not meaning to intrude upon your custom, of course; you would naturally be the source of our supplies, and we would be most certain to inform him of such were our efforts rewarded."
Easy, she counsels Lutor. He especially would be bad to develop an enmity with -- his supplies, readily sold to us, may prove very beneficial, never mind what else of his we can find use for.
And using the same order as Lutor ...
While wandering around town Jack will keep his eyes peeled for a things useful to documenting and some amateur cartography.
Teryth Caldwin looks quite perturbed at Lutor's fumbling, and appear to be on the verge of yelling, but Hel steps in and smooths the situation over nicely. Offering a short bow, he says, "Those components should be quite sufficient for novice alchemists. As for whether the fortress would purchase any alchemical items from you, I highly doubt it. They do not purchase from me. Lord Commander Havelyn believes firmly in the strength of swords and arrows. Magister Tacitus may be more amenable, and I believe he does dabble, but I have never met him, so I cannot say if he would purchase items from you or not."
"Ah," says Hel in a tone of enlightenment. She and Lutor have, after all, encountered this before -- the Mithran distaste for anything that isn't brawn or faith. "Well." She gives a slight shrug, a small bow to the master alchemist, and selects enough materials for half-dozen each of acid and alchemist's fire. If there are any of those items for sale, she will offer to purchase them, with a marked preference for the alchemist's fire. If the alchemist asks, she'll explain that she wishes to see if she can determine if there are differences in his recipe and preparation as compared to that which she learned.
"I do not carry such a sum upon my person, of course," she informs Caldwin, "but if you will put the order together, I will have someone come by with what is owed to pick it up -- perhaps by midafternoon? Or if you would, please bring it to the inn -- what was it, again, the Lord's Dalliance? -- that my husband and I might thank you by treating you to luncheon or dinner."
I put in the 'differences in preparation' thing because prussic acid is not sulfuric acid is not nitric acid, and napalm is not greek fire. ;)
She does not, in fact, have the cash on-hand, but placing an order and having it delivered is something she as a noblewoman would be used to -- and can easily slip back into assuming would be done, even in this neck of the woods.
Lutor replies silently for a moment:
Agreed. He would make for a unwelcome foe. We could use additional acid though."
Master Caldwin bows. "I regret I will be unable to get away, however, if you can have someone come by, I will have everything ready for you by mid-afternoon."
Your business at the alchemist's shop completed, Haden continues the tour, pointing out the Town Hall, as well as the Reeve's manor across from it, and the statue of the Victor. South from the town square, he shows you the Illuminated Scroll, which is apparently a magic shop run by a real wizard named Jacobian Scaramore. Hel also notes a sign offering scribing, accounting, and legal services.
Back to the north, he shows you the general store, where you meet "Jack Miller" coming out after doing some shopping. Haden then points out Timon Meadery, which specializes in a blackberry mead known as Timon's Black, a very popular local beverage. Haden says he isn't allowed to have any, but he's heard soldiers in the inn say it's quite good.
Once completed, Haden leads you back to the inn just in time for lunch.
Once inside, you notice a lot more local women in the inn than there were previously, mostly conversing with off-duty soldiers. Haden makes his best leg to Hel, and then scurries off to the kitchen to help with the meal.
Wesh nods to his companions as they return to the inn. He hopes they've managed to hear more gossip than he has. In any case, they should have plenty to discuss when the time comes to return to their rooms.
For now, Wesh continues reclining in his chair in the common room, hoping against hope to learn something useful. If nothing else, he should be able to get a decent meal.
Cole stands and greets his wife as they return. Inviting them all to come sit and enjoy lunch.
"I hope your morning was well my dear. We mush meet the reeve tomorrow and he will show us the home for sale. The question is what will we do to entertain ourselves this evening."
Jack sits back in the inn with the others apparently daydreaming but is recalling the layout of the roads an alleys of the settlement and how to commit them to paper before long.
"The alchemist is willing to trade despite a rough start with myself.", notes Lutor.
Hel's eyebrows lift as she accepts her husband's embrace, hearing his news. "A tour of the town, mere orientation," she replies to his question, allowing herself to be seated by him. She glances at Lutor's statement, and gives a slight nod. "There is also a mage, though we did not stop in to introduce ourselves; the sign said he also offered accounting and legal services, so perhaps we might avail ourselves of them. I have a few thoughts, though they're not entirely formed."
She looks up at the waitress, nodding at the simple fare on offering, and returns her attention to her compatriots. "Perhaps take a walk, look at the scenery? We are here, we might as well see the great Fortress Balentyne." She considers this for a moment, then adds, "Several horses -- three, perhaps four -- might be a good investment."
We will need them, she adds silently, to pursue and eradicate the gaoler's cart of this ... inquisitive captive of theirs.
Agreed, I have acquired some rope and a instruments for making a basic map. I've been trying to get my head around the lay out. There are a few good alleyways that you can duck through unseen."
I agree as well.
"A walk to see the Fort sounds nice. We can then return for dinner and to chat with locals before bed for the night."
A first visit. But not our last.
"As you say."
Hel's gaze slides sideways at Lutor, a dryness in that look that is a needle to the mage's balloon of drama. "Oh, and Mister Miller, Mister Torbin -- I have purchases that need to be paid for and picked up from the alchemist's mid-afternoon. I'll include their cost in the monies I disburse to you -- you two being the masters of horseflesh, it seems wisest to me that the two of you go to find the best steeds we can, while Master Thomas and I take our afternoon stroll. Master Cross, may we expect you to linger here during such time as the rest of us are out?"
I will spend tomorrow here, she adds / volunteers, though I think we should all certainly socialize here in the common room this week. Collect as much information as we can manage.
After a pleasant lunch, Hel and Cole leave the Lord's Dalliance to take a stroll the mile to Balentyne, while Lutor, Gallen and Wesh wait in the Lord's Dalliance. Gallen and Wesh depart a few minutes later, first to the Alchemist's Shop and then to procure horses. Lutor is left alone in the almost entirely empty common room of the inn, save for a bartender and a couple of serving girls.
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After about 20 minutes of walking, Hel and Cole eventually come around a bend in the road to get a view of the fortress. Balentyne features a four-story keep surrounded by a curtain wall, with a four-story turret at one corner overlooking the cliff the entire fortress is perched upon. The entrance facing Aldencross appears to have its doors open, although a guard is posted to either side of the doors.
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Wesh and Gallen are easily able to pick up the bundles of alchemical ingredients that Hel purchased, and then set about looking for horses for sale.
"Sneaking in will be the issue. We could pose as guards but it is likely they all know one another. If we could take care of any of the captains first outside here in the surrounding area then we could disguise as them perhaps. If it is done quietly anyways. Anything you wish to see? We could just ask for a tour as new merchants. Worse they will do is say no."
Hel pats the arm of her 'husband' as she walks with him, watching the fortress appear from behind the trees as they approach the edifice. Looking around as if only enjoying the walk (instead of scanning for listeners), she muses, "Relax, dear one. Try not to reason ahead of your information. All four of you, trying to plan before you have any information. I don't intend to even think of planning for a week; we simply have no useful information.
"Right now we are scouting -- now, and probably for the next thirteen or fourteen days. Seven days simply looking and seeing what information -- any information -- there is to find, completely open minds, utterly non-judgemental; anything might be useful, so we dismiss nothing. Only then can we start looking for more specific, more specialized information about things that catch our interest, that might be a chink in their facade. The third week, we'll come up with a plan, put things in motion to support the plan, seek out what we need to know to execute it, and about what might stymie it."
She inhales slowly as they come out of the trees and into the cleared ground -- at least a bowshot, probably two -- before the citadel. She keeps walking, to get a bit better view, and to keep up the appearance of two wealthy visitors out for a walk to see the fortress. "I personally prefer to stack misfortune upon calamity upon disaster -- to make it all happen within two days, three at the most. That would give them no time to rest, no ability to recover; an ambush, of sorts." She stops well outside of speaking distance from the gate, a good eighty or hundred feet, to simply look up at the castle, a vaguely interested expression on her face.
Quick question while I'm thinking of it -- do the Iron Crowns shrink / expand to fit? By which I'm meaning to ask, could Faila use Hel's to appear as a raven? Totally no reason to be asking. Nor wondering how big around the rookery tower is, or how much alchemist's fire [s]is[/i] would be needed to blow it to Hell.
Lutor decides to go to his room, unwilling to interact with the locals much more this day.
Besides, if the rooms have been tampered with, best to know now.
"What Torbin meant to say was if there are any stables in the settlement of good standing or farmers who might have horses to spare?"
Hel and Cole spend a few moments studying the fortress.
You know that the Watch Wall fortresses all have slightly different layouts based on the terrain they are built to guard, so as to avoid an enemy being able to predict where everything is. However, the general function of each floor is typically the same. Barracks, mess hall, and officers' quarters are all on the lowest floor - in this case, it looks like hill has been built up to place them partially underground. All of the fortresses have a tower which houses a rookery at the top - the ability of the watch towers to call on aid from other nearby towers is what makes it so possible to have a small garrison in each as opposed to needing large numbers of soldiers. You know there is, somewhere, a cathedral or chapel to Mitra, likely in the main courtyard, and that the Lord Commander's quarters are higher up in the keep. The cells are typically on the 2nd level of the Keep.
Looking at the fortress, you can see that the Keep stands 4 stories, high, on par with the tower. The walls themselves are patrolled, and stand about halfway up the keep and the tower. As you walk around, you see that Balentyne is perched above a wide ravine, over which span two bridges, one higher than the other. The lower of the two is wider, and appears to be made of different stone than the keep itself. The higher of the two is narrower, and made of the same stone as the keep. At the end of the bridges, on the other side of the ravine, is a three story gatehouse.
The crenelations could have a rope looped around them, but most windows you can see are arrow slit sized. The exception is the window to the rookery, which has shutters that are currently closed. However, there's nowhere to loop a rope up there. You do not notice any unique coats of arms that stand out.
The fortress is 160' long by 140' wide. The tower is 40' wide, and the keep appears to be 60' by 60'.
As wondrous items, the iron circlets do automatically resize to their wearer. And, as disguise self does not apply only to humanoids, it could work for the familiar. However, more than one alchemists' fire would make it impossible for the familiar to fly high enough to get up to the rookery, and even one would strain the creature. Also, should the wearer of the iron circlet be discovered while they aren't wearing it, they would immediately be recognized for who they are. Remember, you are the only criminals to ever escape from Branderscar. You're (in)famous!
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Wesh walks out of the alchemist's shop and shouts, "Hey, anyone know where we can buy a horse?" People just look at him funny.
Gallen takes the time to speak to townspeople and is able to find that a few of the stables might have a couple horses to spare.
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Lutor's careful inspection reveals no signs of any tampering with your rooms.
Wesh is somewhat embarrassed at how poorly his attempt went, but does his best not to show it. He quietly goes about assisting Gallen in rounding up the required horses, avoiding speaking unless absolutely necessary.
Jack has a stern look on his face. "They are healthy but without trainning will be easily spooked. I can likely do it but I'd need an appropriate space and time... even if things go well it would take several days per animal.I doubt my duties will let me get around to that for some time."
"They do for most activities still but if they catch the scent of a wolf... I'd not want to be on the recieving end of the Mistresses temper."
Satisfied with his examination, Lutor returns to the common room and seeks a quiet drink while awaiting the others.
In company with her ‘husband’ James, Hel strolls to and fro, keeping a respectful distance from the keep as the two of them see what there is to see. After time sufficient to discover what there is, she waves a distant farewell to the guards on duty, and turns back towards town, for the evening meal and conversation — information gathering — in the common room.
It is along the road on the way back, however, when the two of them are well out of earshot of anyone (and ideally out of sight as well) that a faintly derisive voice comes from the branches over the road. “The loving couple out for a walk?”
Forewarned by the empathic link the two of them share, Hel only glances upwards, not breaking stride. "Have a good sleep?" A few steps further on, she pauses, turning towards the woods and pausing in order to converse with her familiar. "We're at the local inn. However, the Mithrans captured a gossip they're calling a slanderer -- it's about that rumor of the one captain's wife and the young, handsome captain who isn't her husband -- and are sending her to Branderscar. If they come by here after nightfall, follow them a mile past the town, then come find me. If they don't, then come find us after a few hours." She glances sideways at Cole. "Either of us, actually. Second floor; I'll go up for a few minutes every hour or so and open up the window."
"Little flying spy, is it? Where's Nopsca?" The rhamphy sounded a little annoyed, but curious as well.
Hel shrugs. "Somewhere hereabouts. We may have to figure something out, so we can get you more ... visibly involved. After all, they have ravens ... hm. Keep an eye out, see if you can't figure out how many ravens there are naturally around here. A wild raven might be interested in the place where all the other ones are going, eh? Failing that, something flying. And fairly common."
Faila seems to consider this for a few long moments, then says, "Well, it isn't like I have anything else planned. See you tonight."
And with that, Hel turns with her 'husband' once more towards Aldencross, and Faila ghosts her way back towards the castle.
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Once back in town -- and after 'inspecting' the horses (for she knows nearly nothing about such) -- she arranges for a bath, and so indulges herself (privately!), washing her underthings as she does, then sets that set aside to dry for the morrow; changing into a new set and new clothes as well, she re-establishes her disguise, choosing a different outfit. Still with a seeming of being quite well-made, it is yet an outfit a lady would wear for traveling.
It is then she goes downstairs for much of the rest of the evening, again making contact with the others before separating and working on winnowing rumors out of the locals, with a particular ear as to when the tumbrel carrying the captive will head off to Branderscar.
You'd think they'd've learned to not send people there, she communicates with the other by way of faint smiles and knowing glances. I mean, such a slaughter of everyone but the help ...
... wow. Clearly Hel's attention is focused. ;)
The afternoon's activities finished, you all retire to the common room for dinner and drinks. You find that the Inn is much more lively in the evening - several off-duty guards come into the Inn, some of the locals, as well, and you find things fairly bustling with activity. Bellam is quite busy pouring drinks, and serving women move from table to table, delivering food and drinks. After a short while, a group of Dwarves comes into the Inn, speaking to each other in their native tongue, and takes over a couple of tables, continuing to speak to each other while ignoring the rest of the room except when the servers come over to take drink and food orders.
Once the crowd swells, Lutor is content easing his way with coin. He is, after all, of noble blood.
However, his conpany either know nothing useful, or are too distracted by drinking to discuss such.
Wesh settles in for a night at the inn, sharing in drinks with the locals while also keeping an ear open for rumors. He listens closely and makes sure to provide a round of drinks for everyone to loosen their lips.
Hel isn't paying much attention to listen to town gossip, as she's more focused on finding out information about the so-called slanderer. All she hears, however, is people talking about how she'll get what she deserves in Branderscar for spreading filthy lies - nothing about when she'll actually be sent there.
Lutor doesn't find people particularly open to talking about gossip either, as they seem content on drinking.
Wesh, however, has a bit more luck plying a graybeard with some drink. He remarks to the fighter, "Soldiers today! A worthless, shiftless lot! Balentyne is in total disarray. Soldiers today are too lazy – not like in my day." He continues in this vein for several minutes - although whether or not this is true or just the griping of an old soldier is somewhat unclear.
Noting Wesh's approach 'Jack' sings an old soldiers song, he's not saying anything against newer soldiers but hopes getting the greybeard in good form might keep his tongue loose.