"Maybe we should offer to help those who have "escaped the net of justice" if for no other reason than to make Thrune's life harder. We certainly aren't steadfast citizens."
"We need Laria freed. I hate that Saul is offering to buy the coffee house. That's troubling. Forivan can you please work on getting Laria out of custody? I'd like to get her out of the city if she wants to go."
"Jess. Do you know what Setrona may want to talk to us about? Can she be trusted?" she looks to the young bard.
ERADON MANOR (12 Gozran)
Forvian Crowe nods at Davina's words, saying that he'll gather his crew for a planning meeting with the team manager (T'chazzar) as soon as possible. He also adds that the Hellknight Order of the Torrent is renowned for hunting down and rescuing missing or kidnapped citizens of the Empire; he wonders aloud if perhaps they've been seeking some of the Kintargo locals who vanished before and during the Night of Ashes...and if that's the reason they've fallen afoul of Lord-Mayor Thrune.
Jessibel tells Davina that Setrona's a friend of Giveni Henge, owner of the Three-Legged Devil dancehall/brothel where the bard used to work briefly. Both proprietors have a rebellious, anti-Thrune outlook but otherwise seem to be good people at heart. The young bard believes Setrona can be trusted but admits she's not sure why the woman wants to meet with the group.
Setrona's family (Sabinus) was once counted among Kintargo's lesser nobility. She may be the last surviving Sabinus to reside in the city.
Falina listened to all that was said with some interest. The problems of these Knights of the Torrent were interesting. She didn't remember much about the Hell Knights, she'd had few interactions with them, but she did know that she didn't like them. Stodgy uptight fools with boots up their arses. That there was one less order was of little consequence to her, in fact it pleased her to a point, but the fact they were wiped out on orders from Thrune soured the whole thing and made her want to see them survive just for spite. She had to admit that they would make useful allies at the very least.
They made their plans to rescue Laria and decide their next course of action which led them to talk of the person who wanted to meet them. "It seems we have two possible courses to follow other than the rescue of Laria. I think we should gather information about these," her voice took on a note of disgust, "hellnights. Much as I despise their lot they could be useful. While that is happening I think we should meet with this Setrona and see what she wants."
"Setrona...Setrona Sabinus? The Sabinus family used to be lesser nobility. I don't think there are any other members of her family living in the city anymore." Arani says after a few moments of consideration.
"Allright we have our plan. We're going to rescue Laria, find out what we can about these Hellknights, and I think we should have Turl drum up support for our cause. It will make it harder for us to be removed from the playing field if we are really going to be missed or at least someone might come looking for us." she looks to the group and hopes shes right about the support. I hope more support won't bring the wrath of Thrune on us all.
KINTARGO (12-14 Gozran)
Plans are formed...plans are executed.
The rescue of Laria goes without a hitch, as Forvian and his crew ambush a lightly-guarded coach taking Laria and a couple other prisoners from the Villegre watchtower to the Holding House in Old Kintargo for proper interrogation, a trial, and likely incarceration. Jessibel agrees to smuggle out the rescued halflings when the next merchant caravan from her family holding of Cypress Point arrives in the city in a couple of days.
The information gathering regarding the Hellknight Order of the Torrent takes a bit longer than expected, but Turl checks in very briefly to say that a lengthy report will be delivered shortly.
The only thing that doesn't work out well is the attempt to recruit new supporters to the rebellion's cause. In fact, with the lack of a secure headquarters leaving matters in a state of flux, the Silver Ravens actually lose touch with half-a-dozen allies during the hectic week.
ERADON MANOR (14 Gozran)
Turl the dwarf nods once to the gathered Silver Ravens and begins his report.
”Interestingly enough, the Hellknight Order of the Torrent’s origin is linked to the Silver Ravens of old. After the end of the Chelish Civil War in 4640 AR, the original Thrune, Queen Abrogail I, appointed a loyalist named Nemnen Sarini to the post of the city’s lord-mayor. Sarini was a cruel man, but not wholly incompetent: Four years later, his underlings captured and imprisoned the leader of the Silver Ravens—Jackdaw—and Sarini implemented a merciless crackdown on Kintargo’s citizens (not unlike the Proclamations and martial law of our current lord-mayor). The remaining Silver Ravens lost their way when Jackdaw was taken.
”The Silver Raven named Brakisi engineered the abduction of the lord-mayor’s son, Alvek Sarini. His plan was to hold the boy hostage to get his father to accede to the demands of the remaining Silver Ravens. Instead, a Hellknight of the Order of the Scourge named Reya Naulvaneti tracked down Brakisi, slew him in single combat, and rescued the abducted Sarini scion. Thus did the Silver Ravens of old begin their final fall, and at the same time there arose a new Hellknight branch—the Order of the Torrent, with Reya Naulvaneti as its lictor—dedicated to recovering abductees and investigating missing persons reports throughout the Empire.
”Since that time, the Hellknights of the Order of the Torrent have been the most well-respected and –received of any of the Hellknight orders. They’ve rescued citizens from slavers, pirates, dark fey—you name it. Their most famous exploit, however, happened in Old Kintargo back in 4675. The Order of the Torrent began to investigate a kidnapping ring in the city, one that allegedly had ties to a cult of Norgorber in the city of Vyre. In response, the kidnappers—more of a criminal enterprise akin to a thieves guild, and called the Gray Spiders—assassinated Lictor Naulvaneti. In response, the new lictor—Parthos Yehl—raided the guild’s hidden headquarters and claimed such a convincing victory that no new thieves guild dared to move into the vacuum created by the fall of the Gray Spiders, and so it has remained to this very day.
”Octavio Sabinus became lictor over seven years ago. His record in the role is mixed: there are reports of a high success rate in his rescue missions, yet the man is dogged by vague rumors of corruption and criminal misdeeds. I was unable to corroborate any of these allegations—most seemed to originate from Thrune loyalists—and Lord-Mayor Bainilus never reprimanded Sabinus in regard to these allegations. I have a report that Lictor Sabinus was originally loyal to Barzillai Thrune after his arrival here but parted ways with our new lord-mayor when Thrune brought in Hellknights of the Order of the Rack recently to keep the peace…and consolidate his power.”
After his report has been presented, Turl hangs around to answer any questions. He’s approached by Jessibel, who tells him that she’ll be out of town for a week or so, and that Sabrina will be filling in as team manager for the troupe. Jessibel also tells the other Ravens that she didn’t know that Setrona had any relatives in the city—especially not one who is a Hellknight lictor—and prognosticates that perhaps the fate of Octavio Sabinus may be why the tavern keeper wants to speak with the Silver Ravens.
Falina listened intently to the report, particularly the early portion, and found herself nodding along with the story. When Turl finished his report Falina spoke up, "You're sources are very good Turl. You got the pertinent details of the origin of the Order of the Torrent." Her eyes grew unfocused as she remembered the past.
Falina considered and began, "The loss of Jackdaw broke the back of the rebellion. We couldn't agree on a course of action and all began to splinter and act without consulting the others." She sighed in annoyance, "It made us work at cross purposes."
Falina's gaze continued to be focused on the past while she considered the next part of the story. "Brakisi was a right bastard and only Jackdaw could keep him in line. When he kidnapped that boy it caused many of us to turn on him as well. It was then I first teamed up with Silverbell in an effort to get the boy back. I had already made my bargain and gained my darker side by then and I was one of the few who could have taken him down. We'd worked out for me to meet with him and seduce him. While I kept him occupied Silverbelle was to lead others to get the kid out." Falina sighed in annoyance, "I was all set to drain his soul once I had him in bed but things went wrong quickly. Right as I was getting him into his bed he got the alert that Reya arrived and the whole plan came apart. he went out to fight her and while he did I shifted form and played the part of his victim, a woman bought and kept locked in his room for his own pleasure." She smiled in amusement at the memory, "Reya fell for it as she was all too ready to believe that Brakisi would do such a thing."
Her eyes became focused on the here and now again and Falina said, "What was left of the Silver Ravens split into warring factions after that. We had no chance to stop Thrune's take over anymore and I fell further into the clutches of the succubus. It was months later that Silverbelle tried to pull me back from falling completely to the thrall of the abyss and led to our last mission where you found us."
"That's fascinating." Davina is rapidly taking notes in her notebook about the history and the fall of the Ravens. She also takes notes on Falina's story. What a great plot for my next book. Maybe I'll have time to write it one of these days.
"Jess before you leave. Could we get in to meet Setrona before the tavern gets busy for the evening or have her meet us outside the tavern? I'd hate to have a spy see us when we go speak with her."
Wow, that's quite the report, Leora says to Turl, offering him a beer after all that talking.
Setrona runs a tavern, so she's fine by me. I don't see any harm in meeting with her. Maybe she can put us in touch with some of the former hellknights and maybe they have some news on the folks who went missing on the Night of Ashes.
ERADON MANOR (14 Gozran)
Turl gives Leora a big grin and gladly accepts the offered beer. After taking a deep pull from his flagon, the dwarf remembers another piece of information that had slipped his mind.
”There are rumors that a few members of the Torrent Hellknights have been captured and imprisoned by Thrune’s lackeys, but most have gone into hiding,” the dwarf reports. ”Though the Order of the Torrent are based here in Kintargo, they operate throughout the Empire. Most are likely on missions elsewhere and won’t return here if they hear about the lord-mayor’s latest proclamation.”
Jessibel tells Davina that she’s been taking combat training lessons from Setrona for the past few weeks, usually an hour or two either side of noon. ”She usually opens around mid-afternoon, so any time before that should work. The earlier you get there, though, the more likely she’ll still have day-old leftovers from Sweet Tooth that didn’t sell. Oh—Sweet Tooth is the confectionery and bakery shop Setrona’s tavern shares the building with.” To Leora she adds, ”You probably remember Sweet Tooth’s proprietor from our date with the Vashnarstill twins—Luculla, the young woman with an eyepatch that I said looks like a pirate! Her creations are to die for!”
”Oh yeah, one last thing: Don’t mention Setrona’s height. She’s even shorter than me but makes up for it with her big personality.”
*************************************************
TOOTH AND NAIL TAVERN (OLD KINTARGO; 15 Gozran)
The Tooth and Nail looks like a run-down place, with only a handful of narrow, yellowed windows to let in weak rays of daylight. It has no sign, only a worn wooden post near the door with four bent and rusty nails and six wolves’ teeth hammered into its weathered face. Setrona proves to be a middle-aged woman several inches shorter than Jessibel. Her haircut is short and rather boyish, her face freckled but puckish and friendly. She greets the group warily until she notices Leora, at which point she realizes you’re the folks Jessibel said might be able to help her out.
”Ah…when my young student mentioned that she might be able to get word to the Silver Ravens, I figured she knew someone inside the Kintargo Opera House Society who had connections,” the woman says before turning her eyes upon Leora. ”Turns out her source was of a more personal nature, it seems.
”You’ve no doubt heard Thrune’s latest inane proclamation regarding the Hellknights of the Order of the Torrent, right? As it happens, my cousin Octavio is head of the order. Though we have different outlooks, we both love Kintargo and keep in touch. Problem is, since the latest proclamation I haven’t heard from my cousin, and I’ve heard disturbing rumors that perhaps he or some members of the order have been captured. And last night, a regular told me that Thrune’s bringing a torture called doghousing to the city to punish and humiliate his enemies. If any Torrent Hellknights have been taken, they’ll likely be put on display in Veritas Plaza. The prisoners—or the guard dogs, more likely—are fed twice a day, at sunrise and again at sunset. I doubt Octavio would’ve allowed himself to be taken alive, but…well, it might be worth checking out.
“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 almost 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.”
After giving a description of her cousin (tall, scarred, muscular, with short brown hair and a no-nonsense expression), Setrona provides a tray of bread and cheese and takes drink orders, promising she’ll answer any questions to the best of her ability during the meal. She also offers to accompany your group to Veritas Plaza or the shrine if you’d like to have her along, although she warns about traveling openly to the shrine.
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 remember hearing about Saint Senex. She was an oracle of the waves. They find the dead from the sea an recover their bodies and belongings."
"Tell me about your cousin's personality. Will he believe that we're there to help easily? Is there something only you and he would know we can tell him? I'm assuming he's either in the safehouse or going to be doghoused. We know what that's like. We actually rescued Jess from one a while back. I think we can make it early this evening to check out the square." She eats the offered food and drink happily.
TOOTH AND NAIL TAVERN (OLD KINTARGO; 15 Gozran)
Setrona considers Davina's questions a while before offering an answer. "Octavio, like most Hellknights, is dedicated to law and order, so he might not approve of the concept of rebels in general...though at this point I'd wager it's a safe bet that he realizes Barzillai Thrune and his Proclamations are abusing the system and slowly destroying our city."
After another thoughtful pause, the short woman gives an impish grin and says, "He'll know I sent you if you use the following description he once used of me: 'All the piss and vinegar of a fire giant crammed into someone not much bigger than a gnome.'" She also gives you a ring bearing her family crest (a flail whose chain is curled in the shape of the letter S).
Arani chuckles at Setrona's chosen passphrase. "Sounds about right."
Taking the ring she places it in a pocket in her belt. "If that doesn't get his trust nothing will."
"Good to see you again!" Leora greets Setrona. She orders a beer and enjoys the bread and cheese.
"That would be awesome if you came with us, if you're able! Seems pretty straightforward. Except the part where we break someone out of a doghouse or sneak out to the shrine." Leora frowns, thinking about how they can break a second person out of a dog house.
"I hope it doesn't go like last time." Davina mutters under her breath.
VERITAS PLAZA AND ENVIRONS (15 Gozran)
Leora's idea to hit some nearby taverns pays dividends: One local claims to have watched the morning feeding of the doghousing victim. He says the dottari announced to the crowd that he was an outlaw Hellknight from the Order of the Torrent, and that the dottari showed the crowd the captive's armor--a scale mail base with a fish motif (scales, flutes on the helm and the like)--so they'd be able to recognize an outlaw Hellknight should they see one.
Moving to Veritas Plaza itself, you find a newly-built platform there with a similar set-up to the doghousing you thwarted when you rescued Jessibel: Again, two feral hounds are chained to wooden poles just beyond reach of the nail-festooned doghouse. A shadowy figure can be seen, lying unmoving, inside the doghouse.
Beyond the two dogs, there are several other guards present. Four are dottari, but dressed unlike any you've previously seen patrolling the city streets. These guards wear similar black leather pants and boots but don darkened chainmail armor and wide, face-hiding leather hoods painted with the vestige of a leering devil. They are armed with halberds and longswords.
Four Hellknights of the Order of the Rack are also present, one standing motionless at each corner of the doghousing platform. Clad in the typical Hellknight plate and wielding heavy steel shields, these fighters are armed with gleaming longswords and likewise have longbows for ranged combat. These knights stand still and at the ready, displaying a discipline unlikely to be found in the green recruits allegedly being trained in the courtyard of Kintargo Keep: These men appear to be well-trained veterans.
As feeding time arrives, one of the dottari excruciators calls out to the captive, offering him one last chance to disclose the location of his order's lictor and spare the fellow his harsh punishment. The Hellknight prisoner laughs bitterly and says he'll see the dottari in Hell first.
"That is an ugly fight if we pick it." Arani whispers to Davina after a quick head count and assessment of the square security.
"Yuck. We had a hard time when we broke Jessi out, and there were way less guards. I can conjure some mist for confusion, and maybe summon an animal to distract or keep the dogs busy. Any other ideas?" Leora quietly asks the Ravens.
She wonders if the additional security is because they were able to break Jessi out, or if it's because the hellknight is a much more important prisoner.
"If you throw up mist I can add to the chaos with thunder and smoke arrows. Might help to confuse the dogs as well." Arani replies.
"I don't think we want to pick this fight. Just look at the Order of the Rack. They aren't easy targets. Even with the confusion of the mist and another animal, I doubt those Hellknights would move from their posts."
"Okay, so how should we play this?"
"Hmmm... couple of ideas to throw out there. Could wait until night and see if there are less guards or try to catch them during changing of the watch. I have that wand of silence. We have some Chelish guard gear, someone or multiple someone's wear it and could sneak in or cause some confusion. Falina, what tricks do you have up your sleeves for distracting these guys or maybe taking them out of the fight? "
"If we wait 'til night the prisoner will already be executed," whispers T'chazzar. "We need a distraction, or a way to keep those plate-armored knights tied up - a web or grease spell perhaps - while we make the break."
Falina, in a disguised form as normal for these operations, brushed her currently long auburn hair back as she considered what they could do to rescue the hellknight. "I'm afraid I don't have spells like that but maybe I could cause a distraction." She smiled slightly as she asked, "What do you think thru would do if some attractive woman came through and starting dancing?" Falina smiled wickedly, "I know of a dance from Katapesh that uses seven filmy veils. Do you think that would be distracting enough?"
"Heh, it would likely draw enough attention to get the regular guards by surprise...not sure about the Hell knights though." Arani comments.
VERITAS PLAZA (15 Gozran)
As you scan the set-up and begin forming tentative plans, one of the strange dottari moves in for the sunset feeding while two of his comrades temporarily hold the chained dogs at bay. The captive armiger manages to grab a handful of food and scamper back into the doghouse without getting bitten, but the dogs claim most of the small feeding.
A vast majority of the citizens watching the cruel spectacle are horrified by the punishment. They likely wouldn't oppose anyone trying to help the prisoner, but would they actually help out...? Probably not, as they're unarmed and no match for trained excruciators and Hellknights.
"As much as of don't enjoy it, I would likely have to take out the dogs first. They're trained to kill and I doubt I could get them to stand down. Besides, if they get our scent, there goes most disguises" Arani whispers, tense as a bowstring.
"So...distraction then attack?"
"Yes, but what distraction? Falina can keep them occupied briefly I'm sure, but those hardcases in the armor are not going to stay enticed for long, barring some kind of magic or a real problem for them to deal with like a fire or a crime in progress."
Drawing out a thunder arrow and a smoke arrow, Arani grins " All of the above."
VERITAS PLAZA (15 Gozran)
No one seems to have noticed Arani draw two arrows from her quiver.
Davina nods in agreement, and moves up next to a guard while trying to look unassuming and nonthreatening.
Wile the others had stood around discussing their plans for the attack Falina had disappeared to prepare for her distraction. Just as they were preparing to attack the crowd's attention was drawn as music started playing. It sounded like some kind of woodwind playing a sliding tune that slewed between the various notes rather than hit them all precisely and carried with it a definite percussive beat of a big drum.
As the music played the woman, who must be Falina, was dressed in a series of seven scarves. Where she got them from is anybodies guess and she began to dance as she slipped through the crowd. Given the sinuous way her body moved it was clearly not a dance for children to see and the few children there were quickly being shielded and rushed off by their mothers. As she began to dance in earnest it seemed the mother's were right as the first of the scarves came off and she continued to perform.
VERITAS PLAZA (15 Gozran)
Falina's distraction works...to a degree, at least. Two of the dottari excruciators move toward the dancing woman, calling out for her cease her display or at least take it elsewhere.
Cayden, please help us here, we're up against pretty stiff odds. Leora remembers one other spell she has that might keep one of the hellknights out of the fight. She pretends to mix a potion in a flask and casts a spell on the furthest hell knight she can see across the square.
VERITAS PLAZA (15 Gozran)
The Hellknight Leora targets with her spell stiffens only for a fraction of a second before turning his masked head this way and that, trying to spy whomever just tried to enspell him. Leora does benefit from a tiny bit of good fortune, however, as no one nearby is capable of discerning that her 'alchemical' spell was, in fact, divine in nature.
T'chazzar's white teeth stand out against his blue-black skin for a moment as he considers his options, seemingly unhappy with how this is likely to go. Then an orb of darkness suddenly surrounds the leftmost excruciator, hellknight, and hellhound, and all bets are off. He draws his swords in anticipation of violence.
Davina quaffs her extract of Expeditious retreat, and then stabs the excruiactor with a dagger.
As everything erupts into chaos, Arani does her part to add to it, sending a thunder arrow streaking toward the other hellhound with deadly accuracy.
The arrow strikes with a cacophonous boom, the blast of sound washing over those nearby.
VERITAS PLAZA (15 Gozran)
Although Arani's arrow explodes where she wanted, it doesn't have anywhere near the effect she'd hoped for: dog, hellknight, and excruciators all seem startled but unaffected by the thunder arrow. Davina takes advantage of the clueless excruciators to stab at a passing foe, but the wound she deals is but a scratch.
As the excrutiators approached her to drive her off Falina found herself disappointed in the way her performance turned out. That was about the time that the fighting started and all hell broke loose. Rolling with the ensuing chaos as she was apt to do Falina grabbed onto the excrutiator who had reached her she screamed at the explosion of sound and begged, "Please, save me from whoever did that!"
VERITAS PLAZA (15 Gozran)
As Falina escalates the drama and subterfuge, the Hellknights to the north move a bit closer, guarding the middle steps up to the platform, drawing their longswords. The one in T'chazzar;s darkness effect clanks around some but doesn't emerge from the murk just yet. The dogs bark furiously at the magical darkness and the exploding arrow, but are chained to posts atop the platform and are no threat yet.
Only the nearest Hellknight, unaffected by Arani's arrow, steps up to Davina and hacks at her with his longsword, all the while demanding that she surrender. His attack, sudden and efficient, cuts deep into the aasimar's side .
for
T'chazzar steps up to help Leora against her foe. Unfortunately, pushing through the crowd takes its toll.
"Uh oh... are we in over our heads?" Leora mutters to T'chazzar, as she sees how badly Davina is wounded from just one of their foes. Surprised at the speed of the Hellknight's response, she's unsure how well this fight will go for the Ravens.
She mixes something in her flask as she begins casting a spell. "A pinch of this, and shaken, not stirred..." Leora tries to use the cover of the crowd around her to keep the enemy from getting an opportunity to stab her while she works.