"Oh THANK you Jo! Frank just came here on his way to some overtime job he agreed to, and he told me everything. Words can't express..." and she gives up trying, pulling Jo in for a big kiss.
Jo respod the kiss happily - That is great, a shame that you are not avaliable anymore. Nevertheless, I wish you a happy life with frank.
You return to the Mandrigal base to collect your payment, 150 gold pieces (each), as well as a key, given out with a quick, almost imperceptible smile from Vivian, granting you access to your first official Mandrigal safehouse.
While you're not as excited as you would've been a few days ago, upon checking out the place and the equipment cache it contains you're a bit more enthusiastic.
In a few chests, you find an assortment of useful supplies, clearly labeled for your convenience:
-A wand of Infernal Healing
-3 Wayfinders
-6 Ioun Torches
-2 scrolls of Knock
-4 vouchers for Mandrigal's Workshop (you can get any one item enchanted with a +1 bonus, or a magical item of equivalent price by trading in one of these)
The next day, a runner is waiting for you with a letter initialed "AB".
I heard what you did with Pahtsee, that was some good work. Guards picked him up late last night and now he and a bunch of his cronies are rotting in jail. Honestly, I'm just glad he's off the streets. I've been keeping an eye on some of your buddies, and they seem to be up to something in the Upper Quarter, some old mansion there, they seem to be welcome. New development, I THINK. One of my eyes say they saw them carry a bundle in there a few days back, vaguely human shaped, but small. Thought it might be something that interested you, since I get the feeling you don't like these guys, and I heard about that kidnapping at the Festival...
Cheers,
AB
I am the only one that feels uncomfortable with somebody knowing that much about us?
No, but when the Lady beckons, the call must be heeded. Sate her appetite on the souls of your enemies, that she may be full when she turns her gaze upon you.
Korak speaks without raising his eyes from his book, some sort of guide about divine beings and their magic.
"I say we go after the kidnapped girl. I'm sure her wealthy father would be grateful for the safe-return of his daughter, even if it's just her corpse. He can probably afford to pay a priest to bring her back. Even if we can't save her, we can still find out what kind or person would need such an specific sacrifice, whoever it is, they must be big game. I'd rather know who they are before they decide they need a sacrifice with... uh... unusual bloodline."
He then pauses for a second and finally looks up.
"Besides... Beating up evil cultists is always fun!"
"Okay, fellow rogues, here is my idea!" says Korak with an devilish smile on his face "I'm sure this Blackwell guy has enough dirt on his own, being a politician and whatnot... But I've got a better idea..."
He unfolds a scroll on the table, then points the abandoned mansion on the map of Myrial.
"2 Birds. 1 Stone. Why not spread rumors that Blackwell is behind the kidnapping? Using Jo's honeyed tongue and recently acquired ability of impersonating others, we can make sure Blackwell is in fact seen in the mansion's surrounding area." he says, indicating the Sorceress' enchanted hat with his chin.
He then looks Jorriko.
"We won't let her go alone, of course. No, no... Blackwell should be being followed by us. So that we can properly claim favor from the girl's father! we can allow our selves to be seen following 'Jo-Blackwell'. This way her father will know we are the ones who saved the girl!"
Korak smiles once again.
"But it doesn't end there... We can use our informants to spread the rumor. We can ask around too! "Is it true that Blackwell as seen around the old mansion?", "Is lord Blackwell really a dark cultist?". Other people may not know the answer, but they will now have the image of evil cultist Blackwell on their minds. And they'll surely spread the news!"
The Barbarian drinks half his bottle of his ale before continuing.
"Best of all? You, Jorriko can warn the drow of the 'authorities' imminent arrival at the day we and the men of the girl's father go there. They may be powerful, but are they willing to go against the soldiers of one of the wealthiest men in the city? Probably not. Which means they will have to escape, leaving behind whoever got the girl. And suddenly, your pet drow owes you a favor!"
Korak rests Bread-Slicer on the table before saying his final words.
"So... What do you guys think?"
I like it. When do we start?
I like it. When do we start?
"How about this dawn? We go to somewhere close enough to the mansion that people can associate the location to the path Jo'll be taking (disguised as Blackwell), but far enough that the actual mansion-dwellers will not take notice. We'll follow her unnoticed by passerby's, just to make sure she's safe, and Jo pretends to be trying to do the same, but she'll intentionally let herself be seen by a few people. She'll be wearing Blackwell's face, of course."
"Later, at night, we'll go together to a few taverns. And ask the patrons and employees things like 'Did you hear Blackwell is a cultist?' or 'Have you seen Blackwell near the old mansion?'. Jo can even ask these question while posing as different people."
"We wait 2 days for the rumors to spread, and then, we can go to the girl's father. And tell him what we... ahem... 'found out'. He offer our services, and ask only that he send a few men to accompany us. Just enough of them to convince your drow friend that staying and fighting is a bad idea."
Korak thinks for a few seconds.
"By the way... How are your forgery skills? I'd like to find a few letters with Blackwell's signature on the mansion."
great. Even better if I can get a sample to copy.
great. Even better if I can get a sample to copy.
"Big-shot politician like that? Shouldn't be difficult. We do have friends in the city guard now... If we don't, we should really find some."
Jorriko comes up with few ideas for helping Wallace. The only things you can think of are the obvious: Magic from some of the temples in the city, or the Arcanium.
Fortunately, his knowledge of other things is more complete.
He recalls hearing about a document displayed in city hall, signed by the legislators who passed a new law, one banning slavery in Myrial (from about 5 years ago). While the law is mostly ignored due to its very loose interpretation of slavery and the overall weakness of the government, it will serve Jorriko's purposes fine, as Blackwell was one of the people who signed the document.
After studying the scepter for a while, he's also assured that reactivating the defenses poses no danger...to them at least. It becomes attuned top the holder of the scepter and anyone they consider as allies, making the defenses harmless to them (though not their enemies).
While the defenses are currently fairly weak (roughly the same strength as when the group came in), it seems that they can grow with the holder of the scepter, so more powerful creatures can manifest more powerful defenses as it draws on their experiences and mental reserves to create stronger illusions and fabricate more powerful constructs, traps, and creatures.
Ok people, where do we start?
Jorriko spends the next few days forging an absolutely flawless document incriminating Blackwell in the kidnapping of the elven girl.
In the meantime, Jo and Korak wander around town, spreading rumors, Jo constantly changing her appearance and location, with Korak "persuading" a few local bar hoppers to spread the word as well.
By the end of the first day, whispers were circulating.
"Did you hear? Blackwell was behind the Festival kidnapping!"
"That strait-laced politician with the holier-than-thou attitude? I knew he had to be up to something on the side."
And similar were spreading through the town like wildfire.
By day 2, it was an "open secret". Almost everybody in the city had caught wind of it, and the guard was forced to open an investigation against the very man who was trying to make it easier for them to clean up the city.
The group spends the next few hours putting the finishing touches on their preparations, Korak and Joriko covering themselves so no inch of their skin shows, with menacing masks covering their faces (pulled helpfully from the wardrobes of their new base), and Jo changing her appearance to be entirely unrecognizable from her normal self.
Jo does as korak say, dos that need a roll? I take 10, for a 24 in Gather information.
(Although, Korak shoudl be more specific in what is in the letter IMHO)
My men will answer to the signal of: thorn.
Jo disguises herself and pays a messenger to go to the Elven man, who you now know is named Allaiendil Tac'rauthulaunderiod.
The messenger heads to the other side of the city, in the Court Sector, and delivers the message Jorriko thought up to Allai's small office near the courthouse.
We have been tracking leads about your daughter and we may have found her at this address. We believe her to have been kidnapped by a wizard and his bodyguard. Send a response team, and we will provide over watch. If you are afraid this is a trap, feel free to bring as many men as you deem needed, however do not trust this information to Blackwell. He may be involved.
That done, the three head to the mansion after waiting about an hour to be sure Allai got the message.
Then they move quickly and quietly through the city, making their way to the mansion, ending up at the back door just before day breaks, the gloom still spread over the estate's lawn and shrouding the area around it almost completely in shadow.