"Is your hand in much pain?" Toramin asks as he glances down the menu. He was hungry and planned to order quite a bit of food. He wasn't too concerned about poison from these (potential) criminals. He suspected he could consume poison and not even notice.
"I would like two servings of what every is meaty and rich."
Ianna orders something without meat. She too was concerned for the woman. Did someone punish her?
The woman blushes and hides her hand. "Oh please don't mind it, I broke a glass the other day. I promise it is securely wrapped and your food won't be effected by it." She happily takes down orders, writing for quite a bit for Toramin. "And you two?"
Ianna smiles gently. "Regardless of how it happened, you are still hurt. I'm something of a healer. If you let me see it, I might be able to ease some of your pain."
Inwardly, Ianna was happy that she was still in her gnomish disguise. Her callous merchant wouldn't care about the server, but she did.
The woman blushes. "Oh no, I couldn't! You're a customer, I'd just die of shame!" She protests.
Perceptive Ianna catches the intonation. "Well, we wouldn't want that. If you would like me to take a look when you aren't working, I live at . . . Feel free to swing by sometime. My rates are very reasonable."
Bjorkus, in his gnome disguise, settles into his seat very carefully.
"You really should just humor the girl for a moment. If you don't she'll spoil her meal worryin' over your hand", he suggests to their server.
The woman gives a smile. "You are very kind. But please, you are the customers here! It would be bad for business!"
"Lopa" snorted. "I'd imagine a wound on a server's hand would be worse for business than having it mended, but what would I know?"
We can't pick up every stray dog we see and take it home, Ianna...
”As you wish,” Rilka-as-a-gnome says to the waitress. ”But please consider this, with yesterday’s event weighing so heavy on the city, helping out a stranger feels extra fine. I know my friend would feel better.”
She smiles while humming a cheerful melody. ”Or why not consider it a tip?”
"That is very kind of you. But please, I would refuse such services even if I could afford them. Natural healing is in my beliefs." She says with a kind smile.
That sounded silly to Toramin, but he couldn't read the woman so kept his peace.
His sister on the other hand had already said her part and given the woman an address to meet her at. Now she wanted breakfast.
Orders are taken and a short time later the woman and a young, strong gnome bring out steaming plates of hot food. It's not as good as breakfast at the inn, but it's pretty good nonetheless.
Polishing-off his breakfast without a problem, Dalton gave the situation some thought. Coy girl, she probably doesn't want strangers using magic on her. That's understandable; neither would I.
After the group had left the peremesis and earshot of those in the town, he conveyed a course of action. "Whatever occurred with that exhibit, we must know the hidden value of this action. We could head back to our resident exile. If he's surprised as we are, we can probably leverage the information of why it mattered out of him. If he was in on it, then I'd say we have a score to settle. Either way, I feel our employers should be apprised of the situation sooner rather than later. There are too many parties with different motives here for my liking."
Perhaps the rest of them could manage the situation with greater ease, but "Lopa" felt this city unstable as power structures went. The ruling body, while not oppressive, doesn't have a grip on the situation, and the various other parties privy to the struggle haven't coalesced.
"I don't disagree", Bjorkus answers. "While we're at it, we should see if the name 'Villichi' rings any bells."
"Let us return to our dapper "friend" then. We can contact our employers afterward if need be."
”That sounds like a decent next step,” Rilka says. She takes another bite of food and quietly thinks. ”We should talk to our pal as well.”
A few hours trek through the rugged mountains and the party is back at the solitude tree. A few crossbow bolts later the same monkey comes out, and within a few more minutes they are with Alziver.
Alziver greets the party with a wide grin. "Well you lot work fast, don't you? No guard casualties either, very nicely done."
"None that we know of," responded Dalton flatly. "What is your intent with the item?"
"Like I told you yesterday, it gathers information. Give it here and I'll show you."
The merchant folded his arms over his chest. "I believe renegotiating terms of our bargain is in order. You will need to raise your bid to acquire your desire."
Dalton watched for the man to give any tell he already knew the piece's fate.
Alziver frowns. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
Well, I suppose he's not quite that mischievous.
"Not a change of heart, but a necessary change of plans; we do not possess what we set-out to acquire."
He let the man connect the dots. He should know more about this situation than we do, and if this thing is as powerful as he implies, he'll also have the sense to fill us in - at least somewhat.
Alziver looks at Dalton with confusion for a moment, then sighs and sits down. "Somebody beat you to it than. I heard that a group of five infiltrated the museum so I had assumed it was you, despite rumors it was Villichi. Perhaps the rumors were true, although that makes me wonder why that suddenly became important to him than keeping the guards off his trail."
"Lopa" did not let the unfocused information go unused.
"A whisper there were five people, just our number, happening to infiltrate just the location we set out to, taking just the goal we had in mind? It's not a tough point to think the time, manner, and place didn't come to a head by coincidence."
There was an obvious implication their plans had been compromised in the audience of Alziver.
Good.
"As a merchant, I don't like being swindled, and I don't like my time wasted. I will ask again: What exactly does this device do? If thieves are lining up like strumpets at the port, it's more than just a test of mettle and feather in your cap." He keeps us in the dark like Heff. "You may also consider that former part of your quest completed."
Dalton knew the last statement wouldn't be a point of contention if Alziver had half a brain. He was either in on the job - which the mage didn't believe - or was surprised by the trumped thieving order. In the latter, expected case, he would be well-enough pressured due to security compromise and possible threat of the item in question to move past bureaucracy.
If only the Aestherics could get beyond that.
Alziver frowns, standing back up and pointing a finger at Dalton. "Don't try to put the blame on me; I'm as in the dark as you are. Besides, what leverage do I have on you or even hope to gain? You're here helping me."
"I told you before, it's basically a spy. I won't pretend to understand the nuts and bolts of how it works, but it records information of what's going on in various parts of the city. If you want to know how it actually does that then you'll have to go grave digging because the secret died with the artist."
He scowls. "Steal it and bring it to me, that was the deal. Plus I can't help you until I get it anyways, even if I wanted to."
Dalton sighed.
"Sarcasm aside, where is this grave? I know a few individuals that may want to ask the artist precisely those types of questions. After all, if you're correct and this device records information going on in "various" parts of the city, how can you be certain its influence does not extend here? Perhaps it is observing all of us right now."
His overconfidence in concealment is breathtaking while an extraordinary divining device is likely in the hands of one of his enemies.
""Was" is past-tense for a reason. Can you tell us more about the five I'm assuming which were meant to frame us?"
"There's a grave but it's purely for show. She was cremated." He folds his arms. "I suppose that's possible, but I highly doubt it. Plus I'm the only one who knows how to unlock it."
He scowls again. "All I heard was that five people, supposedly working for Villichi, robbed the museum. The only casualty was one of the robbers, but nobody has seen a body. I'm about as well informed as the common citizen right now." He adjusts his hat. "And if these five were meant to frame you than they're doing a terrible job. All eyes are on Villichi."
"Lopa" fingered his chin a moment. "Accurate as that may be, that is a rather beneficial fascination for the citizens to have from the government's standpoint, no?"
"In any case", Ragnar says, irritated with the gnome's doublespeak. "If Villichi's got it there's no way we're gettin' it."
"Is there somethin' else we can do to make this partnership work? There's got to be some other way to get that info you're after."
Alziver raises a finger. "The government was already on Villichi, but now the people are angry as well. Anger is a far better motivator than fear." He paces for a moment, then sighs and shakes his head. "Look, I'm all for working with you - we have the same goals - but I just can't help without that info. It's not that I don't want to, I just can't. If Villichi does have it, it was either incredibly unfortunate or his espionage skills are well beyond mine. Let's hope instead some third party is involved that may be easier to work with. Perhaps you could listen to the word around town, shake down some rats, rattle the right bones. Somebody has to know something."
Alziver crosses his arms. "Look I know I haven't taken a bath in a while but there's no reason to give me the cold shoulder."
"I think it is too coincidental by half that the art was stolen last night. Alziver is correct that a third party might be involved. So far we have been stymied because we do not know who to ask as outsiders. That's how you could help Alziver. Where do you think Villichi is holed up? Who are the people left with information we could lean on?"
"I think we could get it back from Villichi if he had it. But I want to go after the correct target."
Alziver sits and nibbles on a slice of cheese. "I could give you two dozen prospective locations, but I have no idea which one he's holed up in, plus trying to scout one out would give away who you are." He feeds a chunk to the monkey on his shoulder. "There's nobody I truly trust anymore, but there are two people who still act like they're loyal to me. A female gnome at the docks by the name of Oriensa. She's a real fiesty one, I wouldn't recommend getting the jump on her. And a human banker by the name of Jorath. I don't think anybody really knows he works for me."
"How should we identify ourselves to them?"
Alziver rubs his chin for a moment as he contemplates Ianna's question, then tosses his hat to her. "That will convince them. Just don't be flashing it around town."
"We'll keep that in mind", Ragnar says while giving Alziver another suspicious glance "We should be going then. It sounds like we've got a long day ahead of us."
"Well if there isn't anything else." He gives a resigned sigh. "You know a life in hiding is pretty boring for how dangerous it is. I'd love a deck of cards or something when you come back."
"Sure. That seems fair."
After they leave, they go make contact with their handler from the council of the hand.
After about a ten second silence, Drosils hoarse voice speaks into Rilka's ear. "What is it?"
"The banker might be easier to deal with, but depending on how crooked he is, there could be complications."
However, the meeting of the new party would have to wait for contact with an old one.
Rilka hears his voice, tries to read how he sounds. If he’s annoyed. ”We wanted to contact you, explain what we’ve discovered,” Rilka says. She succinctly relates what they’ve learned of the adamantite ore shipments, the giant guarding the tunnel, and their interaction with Alziver.
”The citizens are angry. They may lash out at the government, since Villichi is beyond their power.”
Rilka listens intently to Drosils voice, finding it even hoarser than usual. After a moment she realizes they must have woken him up, despite contacting him in the early afternoon. He must be getting his work done at night.
"Good finds. A valid concern, I'll see if I can push them towards Villichi instead. Or at least what is his. Finding him might be as easy as stopping the adamantine and waiting for him to check it out himself." Drosil suggests.
Rilka nods, ”I like the idea of having him seek us out when we’re ready. Preferably at a location we’ve trapped and baited. The longer I’m here, the more I respect his power. He was able to subdue a village of giants.”
"Cloud giants are very formidable. Perhaps you can put this new ally to the test when baiting Villichi."
"It took some doing but he trusts us to protect the lives of him and his people. I'd rather not use 'em as bait", Bjorkus adds. "There's got to be another way."
"Not bait, just as extra muscle. You're clever enough to make a trap without using living bait."