You manage to make it back to Longroads Coffeehouse without attracting too much attention. After quickly briefing Laria and Rexus on the investigation, you collapse for some much needed rest.
The next morning, you awake to some commotion coming from the restaurant above. Rexus, still pouring over his notes, turns to you as you enter the common room. "Oh! Morning. Glad to see you are feeling rejuvenated. So...as I imagine you heard the noise above...it's in response to the new proclamation Thrune released today...It's well...have a look." Holding out a parchment for you to inspect, you read the following...
'By orderof Lord Mayor Barzillai Thrune, the congress of Hellknights known as the Order of the Torrent' is from this day forward stripped of its charter! All of its holdings and possessions are confiscated, its privileges and entitlements revoked, and its members declared OUTLAWS! Steadfast citizens are commanded to turn over those members who have slipped the net of justice!'
After you have finished reading the parchment, he adds "Also, the toll to cross Breakbridge has increased...it's now 5 silver to cross it."
"A pensive arrived this morning for you to...it seems urgent." He proceeds to hand over another parchment, hand scrawled words read:
Pakuzzo eyes the parchment over a sip of coffee and then sets the mug down.
"First thing in the morning and already we have work ahead of us. Of course, it could be bait for a trap, but what isn't these days? I say we finish breakfast and then go to the tavern, see what's really up."
Crady groggly wakes with the others, too tired to find a place outside to sleep. The urban druid nods to the tengu's plan, then gets up and finds a quiet corner to commune with Kintargo for his daily blessings.
Sendi was already up and performing her morning exercises and prayers. As a devotee of Irori she took her training seriously. ”Agreed. Perfection never came through being idle or cowed by fear.”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Phila sits crosslegged on a stool, one hand stuck in her disheveled hair, and the other turning pages on both her spellbook and the various books retrieved from the base underneath the Fantasmagorium. The Cubic Gate from the facility sits on the table next to her, labeled with a big 'Do not touch' sign she fashioned the night before. Phila casts an irritated glance at it, then rubs sleep from her eyes, looking positively groggy.
She yawns as Rexus delivers the news. "Order of the Torrent, huh? I wonder what those hellknights did to 'ol Thrune to get struck with that? What do we know about them?" She thinks back to her own knowledge of the Order.
Then, after she looks over the second parchment, she adds "It does give off the vibes of a trap. I wonder how they knew how to get it to the Silver Ravens? Has the secrecy of this hideout been breached?" She wrinkles her nose, then sneezes into a handkerchief. "Either way, I'm agreed with you two, Pakuzzo, Sendi. We should go check what this is all about."
His morning devotions complete, Titus joins the group, his eyes warily tracking up the ceiling and the sounds above.
He frowns at the note and shakes his head. I don't like it either. A secret hideout should mean just that. I hope, and pray that we can be the shining symbol for freedom and justice for these people, but not yet. We have to stay in hiding for now. He looks to Rexus. Through what channels did we receive this, Rexus?
You recall they have a well known reputation for rescuing lost/abducted people but fail to recall much else at this time.
A quiet, run-down tavern located on Tuce Alley in the Old Kintargo district of Kintargo and is run by Setrona Sabinus.[1] The Tooth and Nail is an unassuming single-floor building marked only by a post with four old nails and six wolves' teeth hammered into it; it shares its roof with the neighbouring Sweet Tooth confectionery shop.
It's supposedly poorly lit in side, useful for those not wanting to draw much attention and boasts as a well known gaming establishment.
Setrona is short for a human, and has a habit of making
up for her height with a bombastic (some would say shameless) way of speaking. She’s often called “Countess” by denizens of the district, a wry yet affectionate reference to her family’s long-lost noble roots.
Nodding as you discuss the situation, Rexus frowns. "Well, the letter just appeared in the alley out back. I suspect it's unknown exactly who you are or where you stay...but rumors could have gotten out regarding which district?"
"Sorry I"m not more help in the matter, but to my knowledge we've been about to keep a fairly tight lid on it....there's always the chance one of the recruits could have blabbed."
Phila stretches out her arms as she recites what she recalls of the Tooth and Nail. "Over in Old Kintargo, the place is run by a Setrona Sabius. I remember hearing some stories from customers a year back or so. Something about her having a really big, boisterous personality- probably the kind we'll be able to hear from a whole street away. I seem to recall that 'Countess' is a nickname, probably because her family pretends to have some kind of noble roots."
"That tavern of hers has a reputation as a bit of shady spot. Dicing, cards, that sort of thing. Nothing for us to worry about." She hops to her feet, closing some of the books on the table and slinging her pack over her back. "If this really is Setrona who sent this, I can't imagine she has a lot of love for our town's oppressors- missing cousin or not. A little less likely to be a trap, perhaps."
She nods up at Rexus. "Hmm, good enough I suppose Rex. But maybe next time keep an eye on who's coming and going? If this was left so close by, the Silver Ravens should probably have seen who was skulking about on their doorstep, mmm?" She waggles a finger at the boy, the start of a smile on her face.
"Criminals I can deal with, as long as they're homegrown," the tengu replies to Philacris' comment. "Enlightened self-interest is a good a reason as any to work with the revolution. It's harder to cater to vice in a police state."
He leans back in his chair and whistles in the direction of the window.
"Hey! Vinz!"
For about thirty seconds, nothing happens. Then a giant black raven flaps up to the window from outside and squeezes in through the frame. He looks at the group and caws. He's always been about the size of a dwarf, but somehow the corvid seems bigger than usual.
"There you are. Get in here before you break the windowsill."
As the raven ambles over to the table, Pakuzzo turns back around to the group.
"I've half a mind to put him on a diet. It's all that carrion we've been stumbling over lately, I dunno. Now, you think we've got enough time to hit up a weapons shop? I'm overdue to restock up on arrows."
Titus has to hide a grin at Philacris's mock stern tone. Indeed...it would be good to know who...well, knows where we are. I don't want our work to put more people in danger than it has to.
With a nod to Pakuzzo, Titus stands. Indeed, let us see how we can help this Countess; perhaps her aims lie more in line with ours than we know. He didn't voice the very real concern that her position was the opposite; no need to waste time on "what if's."
"I'd hate to see you conserving arrows Pakuzzo. And as far as I know Thrune hasn't taken away all the weapons shops yet. I wouldn't mind a couple of scrolls myself..."
Philacris readies to leave for some brief shopping on the way to Old Kintargo.
Making your way across town to the 'Tooth and Nail' in Old Kintargo, you find yourselves luck as you approach the Breakbridge...someone has paid extra to help the citizens adjust to the rising toll! Perhaps there are other good people in this town? Perhaps... The guards simply wave you pass as they check off a tally on their logs.
A brief stop to purchase a few supplies, and you find yourselves standing before single-story building. In front stands a wooden post with four bent and rusty nails and six wolve's teeth hammered into its weathered face. An entrance off they alley bears the scrawled words "Sweet Tooth"....which Crady identifies as a confectionary...apparently sharing the building with the tavern.
Stepping through the windowless door, the stench of stale beer, tobacco, and some less discernable odors assault your sense...hovering in the air like a thick fog. Narrow windows, stained yellow, allow in very little natural light and a few sputtering candles do little to disperse the gloom. The furniture is dilapidated, and was of poor quality even in its prime...
The nearly vacant common room bears a dart board on the wall, a lumphs man with close-cropped blond hair near the bar...and a single human female cleaning a glass with a dirty rag behind the bar.
Both glance towards you as you enter, the woman speaks "What'll it be?"
Before entering the tavern, Phila uses her disguise self spell-like to take on the appearance of an oddly short, black-haired elven woman in her early middle years. She hides the presence of her large satchel and turns her new cloak (of resistance) into a drab and tattered affair. It never hurts to be careful, after all.
She leads the way on into the tavern and immediately stops to gaze disapprovingly at the surroundings.
'Well, I suppose this is about what I expected.'
She steps up towards the counter, hopping into a seat. "I'm looking for The Countess, is she in?"
"Oh, and I guess I'll take a..." She wrinkles her nose at the offerings on display. "A cider."
"Ale for me, when you can get around to it," Pakuzzo says from the far end of the bar.
He wanted a good spot to watch the rest of the room while the others did the talking. Nobody stopped him from bringing Vinz inside, but he kept the bird close and quiet so as to keep a low profile.
"Oh, and I guess I'll take a..." She wrinkles her nose at the offerings on display. "A cider."
"Ooo!" Crady pipes up. "I like a good hard cider!"
Looking around the common, the urban druid speaks in a lower tone. "I always liked this place. Good gloom! And since I never had anything worth stealing, I never got hassled by pickpockets!"
”Just water for me.” Sendi said as they went in. She was hesitant, as this might well be a trap. After what they had done, she assumed that the Thrune would begin paying more serious attention to their activities.
Whispering Wind and Touch of the Sea failed, so I can't try to learn them again for 1 week. Total cost to scribe the rest into my spellbook is 80 gp.
Titus stands behind the group and waves away any offered refreshments. He scans the room as he waits for Philacris's questions to bear fruit.
With a slow nod, she acquires the drinks you asked for. Glancing towards Titus, she gives him a strange look, but doesn't press the issue. Returning to the dirty glass, she eyes your group with intrigue before turning to the man at the bar.
"Why don't you go grab some lunch. I believe this group wished to discuss something without being overheard."
With the slightest nod, the man stands and makes his way through the door.
A few moments pass as she looks you over, then tentatively, she inquires...."Did you receive a letter from me?"
Phila extracts the letter from her pouch and slides it, face down, onto the counter. "That we did. I'm awfully curious how you knew where to leave it." She sips at her cider, then casts a look back at the door to ensure that there's no one around to overhear.
Satisfied, she starts with "So you have a cousin who has gone missing? We can help. We're always here to support the hard working people of Kintargo if we can. What can you tell us about her? And about the disappearance."
Sendi opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. She had no idea that Philiacris could be so good with her words.
Picking up the letter, she glances around and slowly scans it before responding. "I had heard rumors...nothing more. I took a chance..."
Setting the letter back down, she looks back up to Philacris. Raising an eyebrow, she sighs. "Apologies but I didn't not expect such a...uh...seasoned person to respond..."
Shaking her head, she smiles. "No bother. I'm sure one such as you has years of experience to pass on to the brutes."
Glancing again towards the door, she pauses. "One moment." Promptly making her way towards it, she slides the bolt to secure the opening before returning to the bar. "My cousin is actually a man...allow me to explain."
“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. He might grouse a bit at your methods, but I know for a fact that he’s no supporter of Thrune, and having his network of agents at your disposal 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.”
The Shrine was founded by a group of seafaring mystics 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
"I would urge caution. It's unlikely the seers tending the shrine would welcome outsiders...especially if he expressed a desire to stay hidden. I hope you could find a way to avoid hurting any of them..."
"You know what?! I could probably accompany you."
Philacris steps back, slight frown on her face as she gets wrapped up in her own thoughts. She crosses her arms, then raises a hand to rub a finger against the bridge of her nose.
She murmurs to herself "Bah, Hellknights. I always thought that the Torrent didn't seem like much of a Hellknight Order... and here we go."
She raises her voice back to a normal volume and turns to look at her fellow Silver Ravens. "So, what do you think? The Torrent might be the most altruistic order, but they're still Hellknights. Just thinking about their damned rules knots me up. At the same time, Barzillai disliked them enough to ban them from Kintargo. Maybe we could work something out with this boy Octavio."
She looks over at the Countess "What makes you think that the seers wouldn't welcome outsiders? Especially ones not associated with the Thrunes? If I remember Miss Senex right, her followers should be a fairly altruistic bunch."
Nodding to the middle-aged elven woman, she sighs. "Well, yes...but as I'm sure you can understand things have been...strained since the new regime came to be. Everyone is on edge and less trusting than they once were."
"Just because we say we aren't with Thrune doesn't make it so to someone that doesn't know us, am I right? Be honest. When you came here did you suspect my allegiance? Were you concerned this was a trap?"
"Speaking of, he has eyes and ears all over this city. As in more than just his guards, you know. I would request you not draw too much attention to the temple. We could leave tonight under the cover of darkness maybe? I just fear we'd bring the ire of Thrune down upon the temple if we were spotted heading over there."
"It doesn't receive many visitors in recent years so...a group suddenly rushing over there when they laws change could look suspicious."
Phila raises an eyebrow at the Countess. "Of course it could have been a trap, Miss Sabinus. But we thought I'd be worth taking the risk. Barzillai would love for us to distrust each other, suspect our neighbors here in Kintargo." She recrosses her arms. "I'm more than happy to disappoint him."
"As for getting to the Temple, night might be a reasonable cover. But I expect the gates are watched at night almost as well as they are during the day. Maybe we could slip out with a bit of trickery..." She starts to brainstorm with a hint of an amused smile on her face.
"Oh, of course we figured that this could be a trap, ma'am," Pakuzzo interjects, picking up his drink. "That's been the default assumption pretty much everywhere we go these days. But we know how to fight, and when to cut and run, so we don't mind taking risks now and again.
"Now, a friendly Hellknight is an oxymoron, but if Barzillai can't abide them and cares enough to keep then down, then they sound like people I want on our side. I vote that we go, if only to have a chat with the man and see what's what."
"The shrine you mentioned escapes my memory, but give us a chance and I'm sure we can skip in one way or another, right, ladies and gents?"
”We can’t really be turning down opportunities right now. We are in hiding because we have to be. Thrune is too powerful for us to take on directly, and the people will now act when there is such a large power imbalance. If we can have hellknights on our side, it will help tip the scales in our favor. Perhaps more importantly, it will take away their legitimacy as the lawful authority of this city. We must try.”
Having already convinced herself, Phila smiles approvingly that her allies are on the same page, then returns to her brainstorming.
"There's a lot of interesting ways to get past the gate. But... you seemed rather confident about joining us. You don't happen to have a secret way out of the city during the night, do you?"
Titus nods at Pakuzzo. It escapes me as well, but seems to be worth the risk. I can't say I'm thrilled about traveling like a thief in the night, but it may be the only way. Philacris, perhaps your considerable skill at disguise?
Beaming as it sounds like you've agreed to find her cousin AND are allowing her to venture with you, she quickly replies. "Well, I would suggest we do it sneakily....though I am a bartender, I know how to avoid attention."
Glancing towards Titus, her smile falters "I'm unsure if he'd be able to move quietly though. Personally, I don't know of any secret passages out of the city. I was figuring on slipping past the guards in the night."
Turning back to the older elven woman, her smile solidifies again. "I don't suppose you're added years have lead to such a discovery?"
Crady paces in a small circle, thinking of the best way to go and not be seen.
Titus grumbles out an objection, but eventually just grunts and nods. Indeed, we've found that to be a weakness of my nature. Should we have to move through the dark of night, I'll have to find a way so as to not give us away. My breastplate is more problematic than my shield; perhaps I can wrap it in cloth and stow it away in a sack, if you've something large enough we can use? I'd just have to hope that we don't encounter any hostility on the way, for it would take me some time to don it.
Phila nods at the Countess in acknowledgement, but is already deep in thought.
Pakuzzo taps the end of his beak with one claw as he wracks his brain. He used to work as a courier when he was younger, albeit mostly within the city limits. Maybe he overlooked something.
Deep in thought Philacris considers the possible paths out of the city...the least guarded being by water. The possibility of swimming all that way seems unpleasant at best.
Pakuzzo and Crady mumble something about couriers and smugglers and a light bulb goes off in Philacris' head. It's possible you could smuggle yourselves out of town unnoticed...surely those paths are still in use. How else would the blackmarket get supplies.
Phila crosses her legs underneath her as she sits on the stool, twitching her nose as she thinks. A comment from Pakuzzo sets her off.
"OK, here's what I'm thinking. The least guarded way out of the city is by swimming, but not all of us would have an easy time of it. In the event we do want to go that way, it would take me a day to study my spells before I would be ready to provide air for everyone."
"Very much not ideal. A far smarter strategy would be to smuggle ourselves out of town. There are definitely paths that smugglers are still using. The problem will be getting in contact with them without attracting attention." She gives Crady a hopeful look. "Think you can find them, Mister C?"
"Our last option, and the one that first came to mind for me, is that I rely on impersonating a figure - perhaps a higher up in the Dottari - and bring 'prisoners' out of the city. I have some magic that will aid with that. But picking the right figure, and the right story, will be quite critical." She nods to herself.
"Thoughts?" She surveys the party.
"...I'm liking them all," Pakuzzo admits, warming up to the elf's proposals. "Let's break 'em down:
"Your last suggestion, the prisoner ruse? I like the idea of running a bluff, and I've seen your disguise trick in action, so this one has proven merit. My only worry is that compared to the other two plans, this one seems the riskiest to fail at if things go pear-shaped.
"Then we've got the smuggling plan. Minimal fuss, so that's good, but it requires us to put our lives in the hands of people with very flexible morals and probably a high price tag, with a good chance of a double cross in the works. Again, not a deal-breaker, but still worth noting.
"Finally, we've got the simplest plan: swim for it. The best thing about this one is that unlike the other two, I see no reason why we can't attempt it more than once. The trick, as you've said, will be getting everyone out at once. Myself, I'm not a bad swimmer, but the bird here...never tried it, not sure we'd want to. We'd probably need the magic to pull it off.
"Now, me personally? I'm inclined to try the swim first, if that fails then the smuggling bit, and if that fails then the prisoner con, and if we run out of options after all of that we splurge on as much water-breathing magic crap as possible and try the swim again."
"I have my new ring of swimming I've been dying to try out, but all plans have some merit", Crady adds.
Titus was once again noting how his personality and combat style weren't lending themselves well to their mission. Perhaps someday he'd have to invest some time learning more of the art of subterfuge. Alas, for now, he could only work with what he was given.
I fear I'll have trouble with the swim, laden down with armor and shield - I'd no doubt have to leave something behind, but can certainly give it a try. He looked down at the dents on his breastplate. Perhaps I can just pick up something lighter to use for the time being.
As for the others, I'll go with any falsehood you want to put forth, though I'll largely keep my mouth shut, as I don't have a silver tongue when it comes to bluffing my way through.
Philacris looks Titus up and down. "No, I guess not." She responds to Pakuzzo, saying "Well, I'm not so certain swimming will be easy. Our magical aid lasts for a fairly short time, and we may need quite a bit of time below the surface if we are to evade observation."
"If the smugglers can be worked with, that might be the simplest. Particularly if we don't wish to take risks with bluffing our way out."
The lady before you leans back on the rear wall and pops open a bottle. Taking a long swig, she offers it to you. "If you've a stoutness about ya, this could take the edge off. If you don't...well you may sleep well."
A shop in the Harbor District whose sign boast the claim of 'Haunted by Quality' is one of the more popular spots visited by adventurers...well when they were still allowed in town. The owner, a male tengu named Chuko Sharpbeek (AkA Hooks), has an intimate understanding of how quick such people are in spending money on weapons
The building is constructed in an arena-like design with a central courtyard where customers are allowed to spar with weapons. Typically, he offers a 5% discount to those that claim to be adventurers...10% to those that can prove it.
That said, he quickly changes his tune when he's offended by someone...and helps them leave his shop with haste.
"With how the river gets watched by the Dottari, perhaps the smuggling route is the most approachable. After all, to swim from a location out of constant surveillance, we'd need to head out underwater through the harbor. It's one thing to swim a few hundred feet quickly with magic, its another to do so for an hour or more."
"Though, I suppose, it isn't out of the question."
Phila waves off the heavy drink. Despite her (in her mind) considerable age, her constitution still hasn't caught up. It's... caused problems for her before. At parties that Sundry and Casper used to hold - back before all the current madness.
Catching herself heading down memory lane, Phila sighs and continues "As for the smugglers. There's a place called the 'War Cage' over in the harbor district. A bit of a shop for rough-housers and roustabouts, those who think themselves good with a sword at least. The place is known to host the kinds of people who would be interested in smuggling goods and people." She looks over at Crady and the Countess, adding "Unless the two of you know of any others?"
"The War Cage does have a reputation for being a rough crowd, but they might not like House Thrune as much as we do", Crady adds.
"Then I'd say the War Cage sounds like people we can do business with. Let's try them."
Philacris looks to Sendi and Titus, checking if there's consensus, then over at the Countess to see if she has any input. "I can't say I'm one for that kind of crowd. Do you want to lead negotiations, Pakuzzo?"
"Sure, give me a bag of gold as a bargaining chip and I'll charm the trousers off of 'em," he replies with a smirk. "We're already all criminals in the eyes of Thrune. This is just going to be class solidarity in action."