Zybix Sbadidix had been in Bloodcove for two weeks and was enjoying it. It was a fascinating city with a mix of races and species interacting in a wild abandon of trade, commerce and violence. The city felt alive and fittingly, as it was built on the remains of a single giant mangrove tree! Below the streets and buildings played the Fever Sea, only a few yards from anyone at any time. Home to factions and organizations a plenty it teemed with intrigue, double-crossing and secret agendas. Competition and exploitation lurked on every boardwalk, in every counting house. Pirates, huckster, criminals, traders, missionaries, jungle guides filled the pubs and taverns with exotic stories, scents and skills.
It did not seem a home to scholarly pursuits, but Zybix was here for research. The Castellany of the Fever Sea, one of the few bastions of law and order in the anarchic city, had an impressive archive of old shipping manifests and maritime documents. One of them, a list of men aboard the Sea's Widow would be very interesting as the ship was reported to be carrying artifacts from the Underdark itself...
And now, finally, he had a invitation to meet with the Grand Admiral Barzoni himself! A breakthrough....
So now the gnome found himself in the little waiting room, deep in the fortified Castellany, hewn out of the mangrove trunk itself. . The room was spartan with only a few chairs, and a table. Outside two well-armed guards stood, watchful. So the gnome waited.
Zibyx seems frustrated as he waits outside of Barzoni's office. It's been a few hours already, and the Gnome is far from patient. The hot and humid weather makes him sweat, and his explorer's outfit doesn't help a lot in the matter.
Moreover, Father Sullivan had to wait at the entrance, being to large for an human facility. That makes Zibyx nervous. He remembers the screams, the pain, the loneliness as his deep blue eyes seem troubled with sadness... "Stop that you damn fool! Stop that!" he mumbles in his beard. "Be focus on the moment, this is a very important meeting, yes!"
Calming himself, he drys his moist hands on his long brown robe. "So, dear Guards, when do you think the Grand Admiral will be available?"
The guards completely ignore the perspiring gnome and his impatience. He has to wait for nearly another hour until the door opens and a thin man exits, also ignoring the gnome. Wearing a long black cloak he passes through the room and past the guards without pausing. From inside the office Zibyx hears a voice, a deep gravelly one, 'Enter, Master Gnome."
Even as the gnome stands up though, a fat, bearded man enters the waiting room, pushing past the guards. He wears the apron of a innkeeper and has the ponderous belly to match. Whiskers flaring he shouts, "Admiral, that is the second time this week! Something needs to be done!"
From the office comes a man, wearing a military uniform of a simple cut, but fringed with gold braid. He is tall, strong with the tanned wrinkles of a man long at sea. Grand Admiral Harthwik Barzoni.
His voice is cold as ice, 'Enough, Pastell. It is being dealt with." That shuts up the fat innkeeper long enough for Barzoni to incline his head to Zibyx and wave shim into the office.
Once inside he closes and locks the door. The office is small, hacked out of the tree itself, the walls a polished dark wood. The tree rings are mesmerizing.
Behind a desk the Grand Admiral sits and stares at the little gnome in silence.
As the fat man enters the room, Zibyx starts to yell "Beware you fa..." and then stops right in time for the Admiral's answer.
Alright, at least he don't like to waste time, that a good thing to know.
After a short disturbing silence, Zybix remove his hat and make a reverence. "Zybix Sbabidix The Great, at your service Sir! I am currently looking for answers about the Sea's Widow and its mysterious cargaison, if you ever heard of it? Of course I'll be more than happy to return the favor to you, if you think my services could be of use. I have faced many dangers in the past years, from the Djinns of Jalmeray to the perpetual Revolution of Galt. I'm not afraid easily and I tend to do the job the best way I can!"
Finishing his monolog, Zibyx scrutinizes the Admiral's face, looking for a crack in this serious face.
The Grand Admiral's face is unreadable. His long cragged face opens into a brief smile though. "Good. A man of experience."
"Yes. The Sea's Widow. I have heard you are interested and I am allowing you access to the files, if you do something for me."
He waves a large hand toward the door, "As you can tell the city is uneasy. Lately we have had trouble with a minor but loud group of radicals and dissidents. They call themselves the Traveling Chorus." The Grand Admiral twists his lips. "They are a group of bards and entertainers who have taken to illegal activity. Rabble-rousing speeches, vandalism, dissent political views. It is becoming disruptive."
"I'd like you to find these men, identify them, and arrest them if you can." The man leans back in his chair, obviously ready to ponder the gnome's response.
After a thoughtful silence, Zybix says: "Well, I know how to circulate inside these group of artists, burglars and criminals. How much violence am I allow to use against them? I can try to handle them softly if you want, but if things escalate, I'll break them. However a few shops could be dammaged from the crossfire..." he adds with a crazy smile.
"But this assignment is perfectly fine with me. I don't like those who abuse other's misery. It seems we have a deal?" he asks.
Barzoni smiles thinly, "This is Bloodcove, we are not overly concerned with law here." Then he raises a finger, 'However, I am concerned with order. I don't want anything that will interfere with trade or business. Rough a few men up, sling a few spell, fine. I don't want a district of the city on fire."
He stands up, towering over the little gnome, "I'll my eye on you. If you fail, I will not be pleased....Now, you have work to do. Get it done."
"Do not worry sir, I'm not used to fail. It will be quickly done!" answers the Gnome.
He then salutes the Admiral and leaves the office. "Alright Zybix, this guys is no joke. You better be focus on the task at hand. Well I can still summon my dear friend if need be."
Zibyx quickly decides to go to the low quarters looking for information about this Traveling Chorus. A few spells, coins and threats should do the trick.
The gnome heads into the seedy underworld of Bloodcove, which is a sizable arena. The first one he visits, because it is closest to the Castellany is the Ten Shrouds a classy establishment in Bloodcove because it has real wooden floors and serves unwatered ale. In any other city it would be a sleazy tavern with a bad reputation.
It is crowded and he learns a good deal. The Traveling Chorus have cropped up a lot in the past few weeks, scribbling anti-Chelish graffiti, staging impromptu political speeches, interrupting trade on the docks with minor magics. Most of the low-lives at the Ten Shrouds think they are trivial annoyances, but a few point it may be leading to bigger things. Zibyx also hears that the Aspis Consortium, the powerful trade group that virtually runs Bloodcove, is looking for the group of bards as well, and hasn't been subtle about it.
The latest cape her hears about is a bunch of hasty graffiti at the Dockmaster's Office. The gnome also hears that at the Shaduk's Ninepin gambling den, he may find some people with more knowledge, if he is willing to pay whatever price they want. Lastly, he hears a rowdy group of pirates off the Last Wave is coming into port tonight and the city is ready for a wild and rowdy time as they hit the bars and streets.
Alright, there were a lots of informations to process. Zybix decided that he was going to visit Shaduk's Ninepin before the night fall and the arrival of the pirates. On the road maybe he'll have enough time to see those mysterious graffitis.
As for the Aspis, Zybix had a few bad encounters with them in the past as he was working with the Pathfinders on an expedition in Thassiolinan ruins. The better plan was to avoid them as much as possible.
"Alright, let's see those graffitis!" says Zibyx while walking in the narrow streets of Bloodcove, always on the look out for a potential agressor or spy.
It is early evening as Zybix makes his way down the wooden boardwalks that make the entire city. Only a few feet below sloshes the Fever Sea, hot as blood at these latitudes.
Zybix, to pass the time as he passes small hovels and bulging warehouses, thinks on the Aspis. The massive trade company is a state within a state in the Mwangi Expanse, he knows that. Controlling the trade from the jungle has made the Consortium very rich. They control entire fleets and armies in the jungle, as well as endless mining, logging and farming encampments. The virtual looting of nature has not earned them many friends among the locals, but most times the Aspis is strong enough and ruthless enough to deal with such troubles.
Zybix doesn't see any graffiti. As he gets into the worse parts of town the boardwalks become rickety and closer to the water, sagging in disrepair. It some places the water comes even with the walkway, sloshing the gnomes feet with warm, salty water, making the way unsafe.
At a corner he sees a man with a small table and three cups. The man is short, dirty and tired looking. Spotting the gnome however he grins and says, 'What to try you luck, sir? Try your luck and follow the ball!" He pulls out a bright red ball and hides it under the cups, moving them around.
"Find the ball, win your money! Easy as that sir, Come on then, try your luck!"
"This place is so... Well, I visited better places in the Underdark. Such misery, and that smell... Desna protect me, for I am a traveller in a very inhospital place." says the Gnome as he walks with a wet sound in what seems to be mud. He hopes it's mud.
Hearing the voice of the poor man, Zybix comes in his direction. "Well, I'm not very observant my good sir, but I'm a player. I don't know if you're aware of a game called "Questions & Answers"? I ask you a question, and you get a coin for each good answer. Catch, it's your starting ante." He then starts to play with a golden coin and throws it a little bit too far of the table, right at the man's feet.
"I'm looking for some graffitis nearby, do you know where I can find them?"
The dirty man smiles, revealing one shiny silver tooth. "Aah, that is a dangerous game, friend." As if to keep his hands busy, he plays with the ball and the cups. 'The militia paint them over quick, they do. They don't like them, it says mean things about them."
The man then stoops and grabs the coin pocketing it instantly, so fast even Zybix can't see where it went exactly. The quick hands go back to the cups.
'Why do you want to see mean things?'
Zybix stops right away his movement, as he was planning to grab his rod, and then smiles to the old man.
"Let's say that I have a buisness plan, and that I need to know more about the players around. I'm an artist, fund of songs, jugglery and paintings. I'm really capable with my hands, and I'm looking to meet those who share my artistic point of view about the militia."
He then throws a few more coins.
The dirty man shrugs and says, "Be careful. Most of them are headed for the noose, if you ask me." Then he ponders, hands quickly moving the ball.
I hear there is some new art down at the docks. Pier 13, but you didn't hear it from me." The man catches the next coins out of the air and then picking up his table, vanishes down a wet street, nimbly skipping over the puddles.
"Alright then, Pier 13 it is."
Zybix quickly follows his lead, always on the look out as he believes that his questions are probably going to draw some attention. Nevertheless, he's determined to catch theses guys and ask them a few questions. And to see if they're the real vilains in this story.
"Something is rotten here, and it's not just the fish! Don't worry Sullivan, you're going to have a dinner soon, I bet my beard on that!"
It is getting late as Zybix heads for the docks. Even now jungle insects are coming out for a night of feeding, and the bats that feed on them. Frogs are croaking from the wooden pillars sunk into the Fever Sea and some tropical fish are jumping.
Even now, as the shadows lengthen, the Docks are busy with ships trying to unload before dark or ships leaving with the falling tide. Trade goods of all kinds flow out of the Expanse from rare woods and raw minerals to exotic magical items and creatures. Dodging crates of resin and chocolate, the gnome finds Pier 13.
The pier is long, made of cheap wood, snaking out into the sluggish water. It is covered with Arcane Marks, glowing in florescent green and yellow. The artwork is a range, some of it quite talented, some of it very crude, like a child's or illiterate. All of it is critical of the Chelish and of the Grand Admiral.
"Go Home" is the simplest and most common but Zybix sees everything ranging from comedic ditties to elaborate drawings of perverse sexual acts scrawled on the splintery wood.
Zybix takes his time while observing the graffitis, to be sure that he doesn't miss anything. He reproduces some of them in his notebook.
"Alright, that seems like the basic Chelish-hatred, nothing new in the world... Nothing that I can personally condamn too."
He then tries to find a rat near the area, to use his Communicate with Animals ability, trying to find out who did this. He also cast Detect Magic on the wall, curious about the author.
Zybix scribbles some notes and drawings. The gnome isn't a great artists but he doesn't have to be. Finding a rat on the Bloodcove docks is an easy task and he soon finds several fat candidates. before he can do anything else he hears an angry voice shouting at him.
"Come back to look at your work?" Three large sailors, all unshaven and worse for wear are coming up the Docks, right at him. Zybix notices all have long knives and one a stout club. 'Looking back at your pretty pictures?"
Zybix remembers there is a reward for any of the Traveling Chorus brought in. It would be a sizable sum for these men.
"Come on good fellows..." says the Gnome. "This is Aspis buisness I'm doing here. Get back to your work and your families will be alright tonight."
"If you don't well... I hope you've got some death wish." he adds as he's ready to call Father SUllivan at any sign of agression.
The name of Aspis is a name to conjure with. All three of the men pale visably when Zybix mentions it, and they back away, hands up.
'Didn't mean no harm, sir." One says, sweatingmroe then the tropical heat deserves. 'Um, carry on. Nice evening." And they all turn tail and vanish, boots thumping on the wooden walkways.
Zybix smiles as he sees the reaction of the thugs. One point for the Aspis, I guess.
He goes on in his investigation, trying to find a rat to communicate with.
Zybix finds a few fat rats on the docks, but they seem wary of the stranger. A life of avoiding cats, dogs and people haven't made them trust anyone at all. With beady eyes they watch Zybix closely.
Zybix focuses on the rat while getting a little piece of meat from his bag.
"Hello there little one. I need a favor, and if you answer my questions I'll give you the biggest piece of cheese you can imagine!"
The rat seems surprised that it is spoken to but answer well enough, in a high-pitched voice (but not quite a squeak). "I prefer sweets to cheese. What do you want, you big slow creature?"
Being called big and slow is odd for the gnome but the rat doesn't run off.
Zybix smiles at the small creature. "Big and slow... You are true my friend indeed. I'm looking for the ones who did this" he says, pointing his fingers to the graffitis.
Sometimes the answer can come from the most mysterious places, that is a lesson I remember well.
"Anything you can remember, smell or tell me that could be of use would be great, and should be rewarded with the best candies I can find! Hell, I'll even buy you a small house if you can find them for me!"
The rat nibbles the bit of meat, while fat, it is obviously hungry. The long, thick tail swishes back and forth as it eats. "You lumpy things all look the same to me. There were a bunch of them, maybe ten." A pause, more nibbling then, "They smelled odd. Like honey. I like honey, but they didn't drop any."
Zybix smiles at the rat's answer. That was exactly what he was looking for. "Alright little one, do you think you'll be able to follow that smell? In exchange I can give you whatever you want to eat!"
The rat sniffs the air, then shakes the small, long head. "Not enough to track. Smell is all gone. Thanks for the meat." Then is vanishes into a pile of old rope and moldy crates.
From behind him Zybix hears more voices. Coming this way are a dozen militia men, paint buckets in hand. At the head swaggers a thin younger man, with a casters component pouch.
Zybix quicly escapes in the town, as he does not want to have a chit-chat with the militia. He then goes right to the Gambling Den, curious to learn more about this mysterious gang of rebellious artists.
Depending on their morals and their way of doing things, it is possible that I associate myself with them, if they can provide me the same service the Admiral promessed me... We'll see!
Zybix cuts through the curving, winding streets avoiding anyone. It is night now, and the way is dark and tricky. Zybix manages to avoid ending up in the ocean though and finds himself outside the Shaduk's Ninepin gambling den. It is a low, ugly looking building, painted a sickening mustard yellow.
Outside a large, armed bouncer looks Zybix over and says, 'Who are you?'
"Hello my good friend! I am Zybix Sbabidix The Great! I got gold to spend, stories to tell, and games to win! I am also an adventurer who is looking for partnership in this mysterious town! Will you be kind enough to let me pass?"
Lets be polite here for now!
The man takes in the grandiose titles with a jaundiced eye. He waves a hand at Zybix, "Don't cause any trouble or I'll get angry. You won't like me if I get angry." He opens the rickety door and the gnome steps inside.
The gambling den is damp inside, as if the whole place is rotting. It is dark and warm, lit by a few smoky fires in charred fireplaces. It is crowded though and loud, full of curses, cheers and laughter. He spots card games, games of stones, dice, even a chess game going along at the back. He also sees quite an assortment of illegal and legal drugs being used and scantily-clad women who could only be cheap prostitutes. Doors at the back wall lead to small private rooms.
A few of the gamblers eye Zybix closely, but no one says anything.
Zybix come inside with a great smile on his face. "Aaaaah, smells like home in here. It reminds my hometown of Glubarx! Colors, smells of alchemicals...things? Anyway, let's get down to buisness!" he says as he go to the bar. At the same time he do a quick move with his hands while using his Rod of Silent Incantation.
After spending a little time on the latrines, Zybix starts to wander in the tavern, trying to spot someone of importance or who can serve as an intel dealer. He quickly observes the gambling's tables, the red faces of the people wasted, the prostitutes, looking for an artist, a painter, a mob patron.
Zybix is hit with a roiling waves of thoughts and emotions from the denizens of the gambling den. Thoughts about games mostly, of course, people trying to calculate odds, read tells, figure out a bluff. A few thinking of how to steal a drink or slide an ace out of a sleeve. One or two prostitutes thinking how much to charge the men. He detects a few who have some depth to them, one is a shady looking man playing at cards in a dark corner while another is swapping stories and dice near one of the smoky fires to a large crowd.
As Zybix walks the room, one of the back doors opens and shuts quickly, so that the gnome can't see inside. A powerfully built Bonuwat steps out, dark skin gleaming in the firelight, eyes scanning the crowd. He doesn't do anything else however, just eyeing the patrons.
Zybix quickly focuses his attention and his spell on the Bonuwat. Well well, an indigenous, that is the kind to hate the Chelish armada. Let's see what is in your head you big muscles!
Zybix scans the crowd a bit, still picking up a random collection. He scans the Bonuwat man who catches his eye, smiles then vanishes back into the room. Zybix notes his spell doesn't seem to penetrate to the back gambling room. Something is stopping it.
Interesting.