"Outrageous! I'd never deal with thieves or brigands. Just because I'm Tengu doesn't mean I know any of them."
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Scrunching his nose up in distaste, Pylos said, "Was never one for necromancy, even relatively harmless ones like this. Still, we might not have much choice if we can't find any info another way." Giving a sigh and shrugging his shoulders, he continued, "Come on, unless you have any other ideas for our outing, we should probably bring this up with the others. Besides, I want to see the sparks fly when you bring up resurrecting the old man's ghost to Kethaera."
Kethaera clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth before saying, "Really? Well I'm afraid that you're not quite telling the truth. You pretty much said Um instead uh, which is often followed by a long pause. A common tactic used by people who want to put a spin on their stories. Also you kept gesturing with both hands. Most people try to gesture with one hand when speaking. Your gesturing with both hands is to draw attention away from you and distract your audience. And you kept nodding in order to get us to agree with you. These are tells that people who are lying give. So I'm guessing you know someone who is in the Talons. A friend? A sibling? A lover? Someone important I'm guessing, yes?"
The Tengu's voice squeaks unreasonably high while his eyes go wide. "Nonsense! I don't know anybody! You're just making things up!"
Bazzle rolls his eyes. He steps forward raising a hand as if to calm the tensions. "We are all friends here; admirers of a good blade and concerned for those in the community who need direction and opportunity for gainful employ. We are also lovers of mutual gain both in profit and piece of mind. Hence you are a dealer of fine wares not a hoarder. Our curiosity may have over stepped polite conversation but these are hardly polite times are they." He pauses to accentuate the obvious. "What my associate is driving at is that you are or know someone tied up with the Talons. So are we to continue with this conversation in the hopes of mutual gain. Perhaps this conversation could happen under more discrete circumstance, with yourself or others that could talk intelligently on the matter."
"Hardly polite times indeed." Says the Tengu, eyeing each member of the group with suspicion. "I will close up shop for the moment for privacy. Don't get any ideas. I know how to use my wares."
He slowly walks over to the door to shut it. He wears an elegant curved blade at his hip, and his right hand is firmly clasped upon its hilt.
"That depends on keeping secrets. Don't get me wrong. I find it amiable that you're willing to protect someone even though they are doing something that you don't like. Very amiable indeed."
After locking the door and putting up the 'out to lunch' sign, he turns and asks "Alright. So what exactly do you want? You don't look the type to work for the Dottari, and I'm sure you know the Talons are an all Tengu group, so I doubt you're looking to join them."
"Well?"
"Oh we aren't members of the Dottari, the Hellknights, or the CCG that's for sure. And do you really think they would have someone who was able to inspire an entire mob on the day Barzillai announced another stupid edict be a member of their groups," she said, dropping a hint about who she was.
"We were hoping you might have some info on the Talons and if you knew any way we could get them to join us or stay out of our way. And oh, we're not a rival gang by the way. We're the Silver Ravens."
The Tengu doesn't seem to get Kethaera's hint, but he does startle at the mention of the Silver Ravens.
"The Silver Ravens? You folks?" He says, looking at the group inquisitively. "You're the ones who painted Temple Hill with the Red Jills' blood? And if you're not a rival gang, what are you?"
Bazzle is noticeably aghast when Kethaera tells the tengu who they really are. We're dead. Unless this bird is down for the struggle. Because I am sure its safer for him to inform on us.
With no need to obfuscate things any further. "An end to oppression, freedom and a prosperous Kintargo. Surely you see something on that list as a shared interest. The Jills were wicked and cruel the preyed on the poor and innocent of the city. We put an end to their business notice no rumors that we are now running their turf."
The Tengu scratches the back of his head, pondering this new information. "And now you want to focus your attention on the Talons. Why aren't you planning to paint the streets with their blood, then?"
Kethaera rolled her eyes.
"Oh for crying out loud!"
She did her best to show who she really was.
"This should give you an answer. Also we aren't a gang, but people who want to help our friends and loved ones and save our city from a madman. And we can't do it alone. We're also cleaning up the streets, hoping to make it safer for the people of this city. If the Talons can be persuaded to join us and give up their banditry ways, that means less bloodshed. I prefer not to paint my hometown red."
"Kethaera Nightbreeze? My goodness, that's a surprise. I thought you had disappeared like the others. If what you say is true, and I suspect it is, would you please listen to a dilemma of mine? In return, I'll tell you as much about the talons as I know."
Milani be praised we might not die on a torture rack. If he's honest.
"There is a Tengu named Chuko who leads the River Talons. He's a condescending jerk who's only interested in exploiting people for his personal gain. I've never approved of what he's done, but he's my brother, and my only family. About a week ago, he and his thugs stormed in here during the night. They're forcing me to pay "protection taxes", even though I'm sure they don't give a damn. I'd like to see my brother brought to justice, but that's just it. There is no justice in this city. If I turned him in, he'd either be killed or tortured, and I just can't stand for it. I'd rather he be imprisoned long enough to get him off the Tar, and then I'd want him to do some sort of civil service to start trying to pay back all the people he's stolen from."
"If you can find a way to bring my brother to a humane justice, I'll pay you the protection taxes, support your organization, and give you a discount on my wares. Can you do that?"
Rexandi tries to put her new sword on her belt, fails miserably, drops it, picks it back up and nervously holds the scabbard in hand while waiting for the more experienced members of the team to decide whether they can commit to the weapon-seller's terms.
"The other Talons will object, what will happen to the group if he is removed? Will they scatter or just pick a new leader do you think?" Bazzle thinks a moment "Would you be able to get him to meet with you alone."
"Alone? Not likely. They always travel together, like a flock of vultures. I don't know what would happen if he's removed from the group."
"What if we convinced your brother and the other Talons to turn over a new leaf? Also what if we help you and your brother in making amends with each other? I hate see a family tearing itself apart. Would you be open in reconnecting with your brother? Would that sort of justice be suitable: your brother and his friends making amends and joining us?"
Pylos and Tarnagius reach the War Cage. The door is shut and there is a sign on it that says 'out to lunch'
The Tengu says "Well, sure I'd like to see him, but he needs to pay for his crimes. I want him off the Tar, and I want him to repay Kintargo for everything he's done. That's not something that can be done in a day or two. I want him to be completely rehabilitated. If you can't do that, I understand."
Bazzle lets out a long hmmmmmmm, "Truly you are a good brother and a just citizen. If you set up a meeting we could arrange for him to be taken alive. We could not promise unscathed but gently compared to his other enemies. Do you have a place here he could be weaned from the tar?" He turns to Kethaera, "Otherwise we would need to find a place." He turns his gaze back to the Tengu. "Once clean he may remain uncooperative, perhaps he then might be willing to turn things around. We are not jailors."
"I don't have a place." Says the Tengu, shaking his head. "This shop is all I have, and I don't think tying him up in the basement here is the best idea, considering the traffic I get. The good news, however, is that I don't even need to set up a meeting time. Ravzee, my brother, will arrive here tomorrow night to collect his 'taxes'. That being said, are you certain you're up for the task? I know you said you're the Silver Ravens, having defeated the Red Jills and all, but there's only three of you..." He looks to Rexandi, who's finally figured out how to wear the sword.
"I'm not really a swordswoman," says Rexandi, blushing slightly.
Tarnagius looks inside.
Says he's out. I assume the others are either back at the nest or inside with.. assurances of privacy.
"I believe we should work out something. But with you being his brother, it might take some brotherly love to help him out. I can help you there, if you don't mind me lending a hand and my silver tongue," she says with a smile.
"But I believe that if we can get the Talons to reform, it might go a long way in bolstering our forces as well as to sending a message that we aren't just a band of bloodthirsty rebels."
The Tengu rolls his eyes at the mention of silver tongue. Still, he says "I'll try to help as best I can."
Tarnagius hears some talking coming from the other side of the door. He can't make out what's being said though.
Movement inside. I'm going in.
Tarnagius opens the door and walks in quietly.
Diva? You in here?
Bazzle looks grimm, "Let's bottom line this. We can be here when they come for their cut. Unless some divine intervention or a good bit of diplomacy goes down there will be a fight. We won't push for one but I am not seeing this go as gently as we like. We can work to keep your brother alive. But his fellows will have real swords and even if we come up with a place to house tour brother till he is free from the tar shake outs. We won't have a place to keep the others. Is that how it looks to every one. If we are gonna try and help your brother I don't want our good intentions to over promise. We'll work to keep you safe, subdue your brother and convince the others that this crime don't pay."
Though the Tengu gives a start at Tarnagius' entrance, he regains his composure and answers Bazzle, after giving Tarnagius a short nod. "If you come before sundown, I can hide you in the back room. And you don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself. If you want, I can give you some saps that I have. It would help you with subduing the others. If you've killed the red jills, then I don't think this fight will be too troublesome."
"I like that plan. I want to try and keep the bloodshed down as much as possible, but I understand that if things go south very quickly, I fully understand, but I will do what I can to keep your brother alive."
"I can help with that," says Rexandi. "I can take care of any incidental cuts and bruises and I have a few tricks for immobilizing people."
Are we taking a hit now?
Tarnagius is incredulous.
Bazzle smiles looking at the Tengu, "He is a friend."
He looks to Tarnagius, "We were just reaching a concensus of mutual benefit."
"A hit? But we were just talking about how to avoid killing with this," says Rexandi.
"Well if that's everything... I'd like to get the shop back up and running. I'll see you tomorrow night."
Well then. Tomorrow night.
After getting filled in by the others, Tarnagius spends his off day in the nest drilling with the laborers.
Bazzle strikes up a conversation with Tarnagius, "So I was thinking of our arrangement with the Tengu. Do we have a place where we could set his brother up where he can deal with the withdrawal quietly. I mean we need a quiet semi comfortable prison cell."
If we can get him to The Nest quietly, we could just keep him restrained far enough back into the sewers that the coffeehouse customers wouldn't be able to hear him. We'd need someone watching him around the clock but anywhere we can get an actual cell is going to have way too many people asking questions.
"I know a spell that can immobilize someone in a stick glob of webs," says Rexandi. "If we can tangle him up with it we can maybe knock him out and tie him up."
"We need him wrapped up and out of the picture fast. Then we can count on terror and self-preservation to scatter the other Talons or we will have to take them out." He thinks a moment, "We have committed to helping this merchant and certainly it will weaken the Talons but w7it put us in place to dislodge them from their lair and give us control of it?"
I don't think we can count on it doing that. Last time we went and laid siege to a holding of some gang or another, it went very very badly for us.
Tarnagius scratches his beard.
No, we definitely shouldn't try that again. We need to subdue him and bring him here.
"I understand. Though we have spent two days fishing for info on the Talons because we need a new headquarters."
I only meant all at once. We can get the base again on a later day, but we ought to focus on one thing at a time, so let's get the shopkeeper's brother, get him clean, then deal with the rest of the Talons.
Bazzle nods, "Oh. We are definitely on the same page."