"I'd just as soon have a meet and greet with Devargo. The way he had that pseudodragon caged was against all that is good, and he should be punished. Besides, you tell me he wasn't breaking the law, blackmailing the ambassador. The boss said if anything went wrong, she wouldn't shed too many tears for Devargo. I say we go back and uncover his wrongdoings for all the city, and the Guard, to see." Roj is pretty agitated by his experience at Eel's End. He'd always been determined and stubborn, even to the point of hunting Lamm by himself when the Guard wouldn't help, and to back away from a man of such vileness as Devargo Bavarsi was against his nature. "Look, there are five of us now, the party on board may be ending soon, and justice begs to be delivered. Besides, if we go back, Borden gets his profits back and we get a feather in our caps with Kroft."
"At the very least, can we wait until tomorrow to report in? Maybe the Dawnflower will let you see the right path forward."
Having said his piece, Roj steps back and stops talking, a slight flush growing under his facial hair.
Wow Rojerick... never thought of it that way but hey, he's an evil bastard - world may be better without him. You get me within 30 feet of any guards to the ship an' I can try to fuddle their brains and get them to let us onboard and for them to wander off, then its just a simple matter of clearin' the place. If we have our friend here join? It becomes easier though he may want to rest up... Say a midnight raid?
"Whoa, wait just a minute there!" Gwen is taken by surprise by Rojerick's and Borden's rush. "I am all in favor of a strike against that son of a b!7c4, but let's think this through, shall we? First things first, why don't we take a look at those papers and see what we have for *you know who*. Devargo will still be there tomorrow night, so we'll have time enough to deliver our findings to our contractor and also gear up for a night strike! Let's not rush headlong into this thing lads!"
"He'll be there tomorrow night, and the next one, and the one after that, and so on. Kroft already said she wasn't going to do anything about him, but we can." Roj looks away. "Okay, I said I'd wait until tomorrow to let you think about it, and I will. Let's get to Zellara's and see what the papers say."
Erik listens with increasingly wider eyes as the three strangers casually discuss taking down the Spider King.
"Who are you lot?" He doesn't sound horrified. If anything, he sounds even more excited than before. "You're planning a scam on the Chelaxian ambassador. You're talking about killing Devargo as if it wouldn't be all that much bother, and just because you don't like him. Are you master criminals of some kind?"
As they continue to make their way along the twisted streets of Old Khorvosa, Erik watches the alleys and street behind them to check if they're being followed. An old habit, but one which he'll probably never be free of.
Gwen bursts into a joyous, smug laughter.
"Master criminals? No kiddo, that we aren't. Besides our paladin here might take offense, so be careful what you say! Now COOL, that we are! And loyal citizens of Korvosa. Devargo and his lot are bad for this city and its people; someone will have to take care of them sooner or later. Why not us, eh?"
"Paladin?" Erik glances at Rojerick, clearly revising his opinion of the man. Then he narrows his eyes. "If you're loyal citizens of Korvosa, then you ain't intent on scamming the Chelaxian ambassador, are you? No." He looks from Rojerick to Gwen. "What is this then? You work for the government? You looking to force the ambassador to do something to the city's advantage?"
Erik's mind is clearly working through everything he's heard. "Wait, no, you ain't with the city. From the way Rojerick spoke, you ain't with the guard. Cause the Guard, they can't touch Devargo. He's sucm, but he don't break the laws, and he pays his taxes and dues. You're working for a contractor. So you're hired help. The city hire you to help with the Chelaxian ambassador then?"
Roj glances at Erik and Gwen, eyes narrowed. "We'll talk about what we are and why we want the ambassador later, at the ghost's house. Devargo doesn't break the laws that anyone knows about, but from what he just said, he's been blackmailing that ambassador. That seems like a crime to me. Between that and the disgusting things his other ships sell, that's more than enough to satisfy my code. And as for the others, Gwen and Borden and Basil all know what the good path is, and it's not on me to force them down it. All I can do is try to guide them, with a helping hand."
The gang arrives at Zellara's house, tracking through the fine layer of dust near the entry. Inside, cobwebs, dust bunnies, and uninviting-looking furniture are all that can be seen. A few mildewed tapestries hang from the walls, and six stiff-backed cushionless chairs surround a rough wooden table. Roj sits himself in one of the chairs, leaning forward onto the table.
"Okay, boy. You're Erik. I'm Rojerick, this is Gwen, Basil's the strong one in the back, and Borden's the talker.
I've been a devotee of the Dawnflower for a good fifteen years, and she's allowed me to use her divine strength as her hand. Don't like to talk about myself that much, but I've got a daughter I'll need to return to here before too long, so let's make this quick.
I don't claim to be following exactly what's been going on in the city since the king's death, but we're...assisting the Guard, with direct orders from Field Marshal Kroft. Supposedly, there was some issue with the Chelaxian Ambassador trying to hurt the city, and also supposedly, these papers we got should either make it more clear or give Kroft a reason to get rid of him. That being said, our methods for acquiring the papers were less than ideal, and I'd very much like to deal with Devargo more directly. Now, tell us who you are, and I don't mean just a name. Why were you in that rats-nest?"
Erik's all wide eyes as they enter the fine old house, trying to take in everything at once, even craning his neck to peer into empty rooms as they pass them, checking out the ceiling, restraining himself from peering under the table.
They sit, and he hops into one of the chairs, interlacing his fingers before him on the dusty table's surface. Rojerick speaks, and what little levity he might have harbored evaporates. There's something not quite grim about Rojerick, but rather grave and dignified. Something that makes Erik sit a little straighter, and adopt a serious expression himself.
That and how it turns out they're taking direct orders from Field Marshal Kroft herself.
"I - well. Where to begin." Erik takes a deep breath, glancing at the others, and then bites his lower lip and begins. "I'm little more than you see. Born and raised in Old Korvosa, I spent most my life just trying to survive. Street gangs, avoiding the guard, stealing a little here and there to get by. You know the story."
He swallows, clearly getting to a part he doesn't normally discuss. "Where things took a left turn for me was when I came into some schooling in the arcane arts at the Academy. I kind of fell into it accidentally, you see. Case of mistaken identity. And - to be honest - maybe I didn't enlighten my masters as quick as I should. Either way. Turns out I had some aptitude for magic. Wizarding. Enough that they didn't look too hard at whether I really was Harold Lumptious Grengie the Third. When they finally did, however, I had to scarper pretty quick."
Erik scratches the back of his head in a bemused fashion, grinning at them. "I think they're still a little mad at the Academy. Ah well."
He shrugs and continues. "Anyways, I was back on the streets with my 'spellbook' and nothing else. And I've been looking for an opportunity to increase my learning." He looks earnestly at each of the group. "I'm not going to spend the rest of my life on the streets. Which is why I consulted an auger last week, and asked where I should go for an opportunity to make a real difference. She said to go to Eel's End, so, there I went. Been there three nights running."
Erik shudders. "Storming awful place. With worse people. And Devargo? He's real twisted. If you want to take him down, I'm more than happy to help."
Gwen smiles sympathetically at the young wizard.
"Sounds like you're a rather resourceful guy, Erik, and I think we could do well together. Besides, I've had my brush with the Guard in the past, so far from me to judge you!
But now, I'm so curious about those letter, let's read them! I wonder what the Chelaxian Ambassador is up to? Nothing good, I guess!"
While she's talking, Gwen takes the 65 gp from her pocket, splits them and puts one half before Erik:
"There you go mate. I haven't forgotten you see."
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The letters are pretty scandalous. They are from a woman from Cheliax who it would appear is both high ranking, and married. The fact that the Ambassador hasn't gone to the guard probably tells you as much about what would happen if these were discovered as the contents. But the contents are pretty naughty too.
Basil raises his eyebrows at the contents of the letters.
"Wow. You would think that someone in such a public position as the ambassador would know not to leave evidence like this..."
"I can't say for sure, but it was fairly common knowledge King Eodred was boinking every beautiful young woman he could find. Perhaps this ambassador didn't think his letters would be a problem in Korvosa under Eodred's rule until Devargo enlightened him. Do you think these will be enough to satisfy Kroft, or should we look for more when we raid the Spider King?"
Seems enough to me.
"Yup! That should be more than enough to help Kroft "persuade" the Ambassador that working for Korvosa instead of against it might be in his best interests. Gotta say, this Chelaxian Ambassador is a naughty boy!
Ok, I say we bring these to Kroft, then plan for the strike against Devargo. What do you say guys?"
"I agree that we should bring the letters to Kroft, just in case something happens tonight... I would not want the letters to be lost or damaged."
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A trip into the Citadel is easily achieved. Croft meets you personally after a short wait to take the letters. She gives them a quick scan over, and blushes as she reads them, quickly passing them to an aide to remove to the Citadel Safe.
"They should work perfectly if the Ambassador decides to attempt to put pressure on us again. Thank you. I have a further small reward above the bribe money."
She hands Gwen a small purse.
"There doesn't seem to be much else I have for you to do right now. Things have settled down for the moment. I would appreciate it if you could check in here every day or two, or leave me some way to contact you though."
Gwen asks Kroft if she can still sleep in the barracks. This way she'll be ready if and when something comes up and inform the others.
"Yes ma'am, I like hanging out with the boys of the Guard, and that makes me readily available should trouble arise."
As they walk away from Kroft's office, Erik's all energy and excitement. Fortune really has favored him; through one stroke of luck, he's aligned himself with political players who are being showered in gold, and given missions of national import.
Trying to control his eagerness, he looks up at Rojerick as they exit into the street.
"So, with a couple of days to do what we want, you still thinking of hitting Devargo? If so, I've got some ideas on how we could pull off this hit!"
Erik frowns. "Though, what's our goal, exactly? Just to kill him? And take all his stuff? Or are we trying to shut down Eel's End altogether and sink the boat?"
"I have no desire to kill him if it can be avoided, but his 'Eel's End' is an affront against goodness. If he will not yield, my code is clear."
Roj looks back at Erik. "I believe we should spend some time finding out more about this man. Our meeting with him was quick, and Kroft could not tell us much of use."
Actually, with Erik in the party we should probably split the reward in six parts, that is five of us plus the "bank". (500+400)/6=150 gp each, including the party fund. Is everybody ok with this?
Erik, you also have the 32.5 gp from Gwen.
Edit: did we buy that partially charged CLW wand? If so, who's keeping it?
"I believe we should spend some time finding out more about this man. Our meeting with him was quick, and Kroft could not tell us much of use."
"That's a great idea Rojerick. Let's split up and gather some information about the man and his business; we can meet here tomorrow after lunch and compare notes. What do you say?"
Actually, with Erik in the party we should probably split the reward in six parts, that is five of us plus the "bank". (500+400)/6=150 gp each, including the party fund. Is everybody ok with this?
Erik, you also have the 32.5 gp from Gwen.
Edit: did we buy that partially charged CLW wand? If so, who's keeping it?
Basil goes looking for information sufficient to placate Roj...
Does Gwen know anybody who hangs around Eel's End a lot?
If so, she goes to find this person/persons and tries to uncover something more about any misdeeds perpetrated by Devargo.
Diplomacy aid basil
Diplomacy aid basil
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Rojerick decides the others have their part of the search well-in-hand and elects for a different method. He first goes home and cooks dinner for his daughter and himself, and then goes to the Bank of Abadar. Looking around, he tries to locate a cleric to talk to. If and when he does, he sits down and begins talking.
"Greetings. I am Rojerick Alandsson, and I've come here on behalf of the Korvosan Guard, as their agent. My associates have been hired by the Guard as contractors, and we seek the Lord of the First Vault's aid. I'm looking for any information you might have on Devargo Barvasi that would allow us to conduct a search of his Eel's End facility. The Field Marshal said he was as clean as anyone else, but something smelled funny when we visited him today. It wouldn't have to be conclusive enough to arrest him, just enough to get in the door legally. Is there anything funny in his records at all? I'm willing to pay any fee you may have for accessing that information."
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Basil approaches Roj.
"From what I have been able to gather, Devargo, behind the thin veneer of his somewhat shady 'businesses', is also the city's major supplier of the illegal narcotic shiver, responsible for the destruction of countless lives. I trust that is sufficient impetus for you to want to see him... eliminated?"
He then pauses thoughtfully.
"I also heard that he is fond of spiders, and has an almost preternatural control over them. Before he head in to beard him in his lair, it might be prudent to each consume a vial of antitoxin..."
"DRUGS? That slimy, b45t4rd son of a b17ch!!! I knew it, I KNEW it. I wonder how many young lives his poisonous dealings have taken! We can't let this go on now, can we? Can we?"
Never mind, it's a matter of principle anyway ;-)
Roj thanks the banker and returns to Zellara's to meet everyone else.
When he hears the news, a scheming grin crosses Roj's face. "Yes, Basil. That is an excellent reason to bring him down. I went to the Bank of Abadar and discovered a connection between him and the Arkonas. Is anyone familiar with them?"
"If not, I'll tell you what I know. What time are we beginning the assault, and what's our plan?"
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The Arkonas are one of Korvosa’s oldest noble families, and thanks to their strong ties and regular trade with the distant country of Vudra, one of Korvosa’s wealthiest. Rareand exotic imports from Vudra guarantee the Arkonas’ continued wealth, and it was on this backbone that the family rose in power to become the de facto rulers of Old Korvosa, the large island just north of the city proper. The family’s own open acceptance of all manner of vice has certainly influenced the growth of Old Korvosa, yet it keeps things under relatively tight control nevertheless. Viewed as heroes by much of Old Korvosa’s lower class and as troublemakers by most of the rest of the city.
Erik sits on the corner of the table at Zellara's, eschewing a chair. He's frowning and tapping his fingers on his knee.
"Here's what I've got in terms of a plan. I go in first, in disguise. I'm pretty good at that." Erik tugs at the shapeless cap he's wearing on his head, and suddenly he transforms into a weathered adult halfling, a perfect illusion right down to the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes.
"I position myself as before in the throne room, and then you lot approach the ship peacefully. Since you've already done business once with Devargo, there shouldn't be any problem gaining a second audience. We know he hates private audiences, so we won't get him alone, but you can get right up to him. Then, at a pre-determined signal, you all attack him and take him down before he knows what's going on, and I can use magic to keep the rest of his men either stunned, off balance, or perhaps even get them to run."
Erik rubs at his chin. "A judicious use of ghost sound could make it seem like guards are fighting outside, and Color Spray can knock out those that don't abandon ship."
Anti toxin - The pathfinder society believe in such measures and recommend them. I think we need a side trip to an appocrathy and drink 'em before we start the festivities - we go tonight. I got no qualms about killin' Shiver pushers.