Once he establishes beyond doubt that the collapse was no accident, Talvek takes a break to attend Lubella's and Aldren's interviews with the other peddlers. Afterwards, out of earshot, he informs them both.
"Well, I wish I could say otherwise, but this was purposeful sabotage. The marks on the stone are clear. I also think there is a new opening into the Wasp's Nest, by how the air moves. We should investigate that as soon as possible, and yes, hire a mason to shore things up and make sure all passages in and out are at least accounted for." He sighs. "I don't think that whoever did this was targeting Bolodino specifically. Rather, I think they were targeting us, our operations. So we need to be extra careful about who we recruit and what we do."
Aldren is satisfied with the reports of the other peddlers. As they leave, he lets them know there will be a service for Bolidino later in the day and encourages them to attend.
He also seems unsurprised by Talvek's findings. "It's what I feared but also what I expected. We should keep this secret for now. And we definitely need a mason. If we find a likely candidate, I can charm him and then ask him of his thoughts on the Thrune occupation and resistance. It won't be a guarantee of loyalty or discretion, but it's the best I can do for now, unless Lubella or Arcos have other tricks up their sleeves. As for the Nest, I think we will need a door into the sewers -- if the Thrune's ever find us, we'll need an escape route -- but something we can secure on our side. Regardless, the Wasp's Nest must be secured and shored up."
Lubella replied, "It does seem that we will need a way to secure the Wasp's Nest from the sewers. We just need to make sure that whoever we hire to do the work can keep a secret."
After lunch, she dismissed the peddlers, so they could ready themselves for the funeral. Before she started her own preparations for the funeral, she had another look around the Wasp's Nest to see if she could detect the unusual air current that Talvek had mentioned.
After that, she washed up and worked with the others to prepare the area where the funeral would be held. Once that was set up, she retired to write a draft of her remarks.
The peddlers depart, unsure what else they can do. They promise to return for the services.
Bolodino deserves as much. Thank you all.
***
At funeral for Bolodino, you are surprised at the size of the crowd which turns out to remember him. Even Vendalfek is seen perched above on a nearby rooftop.
***
Your obvious compassion for their teammate has emboldend the peddlers (they are restored) as a friend of Bolodino offers to join and take his place.
Call me Jocko. I heard what happened. He was a good man. I will do what I can in his place if you will have me.
Meanwhile another team has stepped up to offer their services, hearing the deeds accomplished. A half dozen halfling friends of Laria's from her former Bellflower days.
One steps up.
Howdy! I am Tuck. I am the spokesman for our group.
We are here to help, in any way we can. We are not going to be much help in fights, but we know the city and the alleys and can remain unseen. We want to see Thrune over thrown as much as anyone in Kintago.
After the funeral, you hear word being whispered about the revival of the Silver Ravens
A full dozen supporters are gained to the cause in the day of the funeral.
Bolodino's loss may have been a spark to a flame waiting to light.
Laria offers free coffee after the funeral. Well done, Ravens! you see an uncommon tear in her eye.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
By four o'clock, the funeral congregation was assembled. Lubella took her place in front of the assembly, and spoke, her hands clasped behind her back (she still hadn't worked out exactly what to do with her hands during speaking engagements).
"Friends, we are gathered here today to remember and celebrate the life of Bolodino, who died while working to make Kintargo a better place. Let us honor him by continuing his work, and commit ourselves to improving the lives of all Kintargans.
"In recent days, I had the pleasure of getting to know Bolodino. He always has a kind word for others, and loved regaling us with his sense of humor. He was always ready to lend a hand to a friend, and frequently thought of others before himself.
"O Glorious Dawnflower, the Everlight,
your healing light banishes the darkness,
and fills our hearts with hope.
Watch over Bolodino's soul,
and guide him to his final destination."
After other's had a chance to share their memories of the departed, Lubella led the mourners in a hymn to the setting sun, telling of hope for a new day when the light returned in the morning; she taught them the chorus, and sang the rest herself.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Aldren has put on his best attire, a mix of his noble’s regalia and priestly garments, a resplendent combination of crushed black velvet and golden silks. The triple-dagger holy symbol of his faith rests on his chest. He welcomes the new faces in what he acknowledges are troubling times. When Lubella is done with her words and hymn, He waits for a moment until he has everyone’s attention, then begins with a warm voice and soft smile.
”Thank you, Lubella. That was a beautiful tribute to a beautiful soul. By now, you all know my faith. I can't offer words as pretty or a song as sweet as Lubella. Calistrians aren’t much for funerals. Or, more precisely, our funerary rites aren’t exactly, uh, traditional.” He coughs slightly, cracks a grin and offers a moment of levity before continuing in a more somber tone. ”But through the succor we offer in times of grief, we learn much about loss, sorrow and sadness. Death is something with which we are quite familiar.” Consoling others when it happens, and then visiting it upon others.
He pauses a moment, his expression a mix of melancholy and sympathy. ”We know well the feeling of having things stolen from you. And to have lost Bolidino is indeed such a theft. It has stolen from Bolidino his life. It has stolen from us a friend and comrade. And it has stolen a sense of safety here in this holy place. And I’d like to tell you is there was a reason for it. To make sense of his death and to give it a reason. But I can’t. It was as senseless as any in this city.
“But, there are a few things I can tell you...” He pauses once more, his voice drops to just above a whisper, drawing people in, making them listen a little more closely. ”I can share with you a secret because we trust each and every one of you. Bolidino’s death was no accident. It was a murder. Someone – something -- weakened the stone to cause it to collapse." He lets that sink in for a moment, then continues in a louder voice to be heard over the inevitable expressions of shock and anger.
"And I will tell you this, too. As a priest and as Bolidino's friend, it is incumbent upon me to seek revenge for those who have been wronged. Bolidino was wronged. We were wronged. I pledge to you and I swear to the Savored Sting: we will find who killed Bolidino and they will pay for his murder!" By the end, his voice is a crescendo. He pauses a moment, takes a breath, then continues in a calmer voice and, once more, with a smile.
“Yet, for now, let us not dwell on his death. Let us instead think of Bolidino's life. And his life was about his friends. About Kintargo. We were his family. And we shared the same cause. To free our friends. To free Kintargo. To free our families. To do better not just for ourselves but for all. For you. For all we love and care about. For all who have been wronged and harmed by the yoke of Thrune oppression. This is what Bolidino gave his life for. So let us honor that and honor his life.
"And so, when you leave here, think not of Bolidino's death but of what he dedicated his life to. Look to your left. To your right. These are the friends Bolidino lived for, whether he knew them or not. For we are all Kintargans. And so, I ask you, if you would honor Bolidino, dedicate yourself to the same cause. Bring others to our cause. For now, we must be as mice in the shadows but in time, soon, we will be a dragon... and we will free Kintargo. For Bolidino!"
On trying to read Jacko and Tuck. Oh well.
On conveying genuine sympathy. Mostly, he's trying just to get people united and ensure any anger is directed not at the Silver Ravens but at the Thrunes.
The new supporters and team members appear to be honest and respected by the others on their team. Tuck is already the spokesperson for his team of sneaks. Lady Lubella, an admirer of the Bellflowers was impressed with your handling of the services and eulogy this afternoon. She asked me to pass this to you. He hands you a small vial wrapped in a pink cloth with a white ribbon.
Jocko gains the leader role more from rememberance of Bolodino and the fact that the remaining five peddlers do not feel worthy.
Later in the evening, Rexus comes down to congratulate you on the success of the team.
I have a portion of good news this evening, possibly enough to balance the sadness. he pauses.
I have decoded the next stack of documents, not including that odd on you found.
He smiles proudly.
Apparently the woman who founded the Silver Ravens was a mysterious elf known only as “Jackdaw,” a figure who, before the advent of the Age of Lost Omens, built herself into a sort of Kintargan folk hero who fought for the rights of the city’s downtrodden.
He waits for the cheers and congratulations.
Well, I thought it was interesting. Anyway, this is still hard work. I am satisfied staying here while all of you are off having your adventures.
What rumors or injustices will you tackle now? What is the next move of the Ravens knowing the history and their aid for those in need?
Lubella thanked Tuck for the potion, "That is most kind. I will save this for a key moment."
Later that evening, she congratulated Rexus on his progress. "Well done; we shall do our best to follow in her Footsteps!" She had actually heard this information before from the catgirl Felicia, who had been obsessed about learning more about Jackdaw. Still, it was important that Rexus was making progress cracking the code the documents were written in.
"Tomorrow, I intend to finally have a proper look round the ruins of the Silver Star; maybe there will be some clues there about Shensen."
As Rexus delivers his news that evening, Aldren listens and tries to find something useful within the information. A forgotten folk hero... nothing to leverage there with the masses. But perhaps a name to remember in the future. All in all... not much. Teeth flash as he forces a smile, "That's very interesting news, Rex. Thank you." It was the best he could muster.
As for next steps... "I'm happy to join you if you'd welcome the company. I'd also like to talk with Laria about hiring a mason and perhaps a sculptor, fix the cave in and the statue at the same time. Oh, I forgot to tell you in the excitement last night... I heard a rumor that might be of some use to us. There seems to be some trouble in Redroof and Temple Hill. A little bird told me the gangs are acting up and one, in particular, has a boss that seems to have gone off the deep end, the Red Jill's. Might be worth looking into. Gangs follow strong leaders; if we break the leadership, we might be able to step in and turn their energies towards something more... seditious."
While they talk, as quietly as possible, he casts Detect Evil and scans the room.
Arcos smiles at Aldren, ”A bit of subterfuge. I like the sound of it. Perhaps an appearance of Aldren and his families major-domo could help that. If you need a mason, I might have some professional contacts. I seem to recall copying a fair amount of pamphlets for a stoneworker.”
Lubella listened with interest to Aldren's account of gang activity. "That sounds like something we should look into. Cleaning up some of the more objectionable gang activity would be a good public relations move for the Silver Ravens. Let's see if we can find out where this gang has their headquarters.
"That reminds me, one of the things on my agenda is making sure that the word gets out about the ways that the Silver Ravens are benefiting the common people. I'll have to start spreading 'rumors' that are actually true!
"I suggest investigating the Silver Star tomorrow, and then turning our attention to these Red Jills."
Redroof and Temple Hill? That was close to home. And gangs usually preyed on the poor and the defenseless, so Talvek is all for reining them in a little.
"I can ask around about these Red Jills. There's bound to be a few of my friends who know something." Hopefully none of said friends are actually running with the gang, although if they did... hmm.
Arcos is able to find the names of several skilled masons in Kintargo. Some few even attended to the funeral service and were willing to assist with the reconstruction at cost.
So the end of the day nears and finally sitting down for a brief rest, your team collectively recalls several possible leads for this upcoming week.
* Rexus - continues researching papers
* Arcos - Employ masons to repair the wall damage
* Lubella - Explore Silver Star Ruins
* Aldren - Red Jills Gang Rumor
Goodnight Ravens. Laria smiles.
You know. If you keep growing in popularity at this rate, the little Wasps Nest may not be able to hold all of your supporters.
She waves and heads off to retire for the evening.
=== Week 3 - Day 3 ===
[Edit] You Recall the Redroof and especially the Temple districts are also both near Jarvis End where Aldren heard the Rumor...and locale of the Silver Star ruins as well.
Lubella went to talk to Vendalfek after the funeral. "We wondered where you had gone! I was worried about you."
**********
Lubella awoke refreshed the next morning, after finally catching up on her rest. After her morning prayers, she joined the others for breakfast.
After some casual conversation, she turned to plans for the day ahead. "Given that the Red Jills are supposed to be active in the area near to the Silver Star ruins, I was thinking we could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. My idea is to head to the Silver Star and search the ruins as best we can. After we've done that, we discreetly ask around and scout out the area where the gang is supposed to be active, and see if we can locate their base of operations. What do you guys think?"
This time, Talvek sits down to breakfast properly, enjoying the aromatic brew and the delicious baked goods supplied by Laria.
"It sounds like a good plan. I made a list of people I can contact to ask about the Red Jills. And I think we should disguise ourselves before we go out. We are a rather conspicuous group, and before long people will notice."
With some Vudran tea and a croissant in front of him, Arcos nods and says, ”That does seem quite convenient. If you need help with a disguise I’m more than happy to assist.”
"I would appreciate the help, Arcos, last time I tried to do it myself... well. I thought I had done a great job, but the guards at the saltworks did not share that opinion." Talvek grins in a self-deprecating way.
After the big fight you all were spending a lot of time with questions and talking. I lost interest with that boring stuff and tok k a bit of a nap. When I awoke in the morning you were gone. So I made my way back...With a few stops for fun. replies Vendalfek in explanation of his absence.
"Alright, let's get ready," Lubella replied. She drank the rest of her coffee and went down to the Wasp's Nest to prepare her disguise. She once again dressed as a male halfling, using the disguise kit to add fake sideburns and more prominent eyebrows. Finally, she tucked her hair up under her hood.
After perfecting her own disguise, she helped anyone else who needed assistance. Finally, she prepared a sandwich and some snacks, and stowed them in her pockets.
Once the team was ready, she walked to the bridge, taking her usual precautions to time the inspections.
Once the team has their respective disguises in place, you head south over the bridge back to Jarvis End and the burned ruins of the Silver Star.
Scouting ahead, Lubella sees the site remains a sinkhole filled with scorched rubble—the building collapsed into its foundation or basement. Within the short time she watches the ruins, at least one squad of Dottari pass near the location, waving pedestrians away from the site.
Move along people. Nothing left to see here. Keep your distance. This site has been declared unsafe by the City inspectors. Move along.
Lubella crept forward and looked for a good lookout spot: one with good cover and a good vantage point to keep an eye out for more patrols.
Once she had done that, she returned to consult with the others. "I suggest that at least one person acts as a lookout, in case more dottari come by. I'll cast a Message spell, so I can communicate with the lookout. Be warned, the footing looks a bit treacherous in the ruins."
After everyone worked out their plans, she cast a spell so she could communicate with the lookout, and carefully picked her way into the sinkhole.
As they revisit the site of the former Silver Star, Talvek's curiosity stirs. He was eager to look into the Red Jills business, but the sight of the ruins has a powerful draw on him. He feels half like an explorer, half like a rebel for daring to defy the Dottari.
"I'll come with you, Lubella. I'm pretty nimble on my feet."
As they start moving rubble aside to try and find a point of entry, dust gets in his eye and almost blinds him.
Aldren is willing to stand watch and tries to do so from a relatively discreet position, yet opts against a disguise reasoning the guise of his birth would likely be more of a deterrent to harassment than looking as a beggar or nobody. But, that doesn't mean he's going to just stand in the middle of the street. He looks about for a street vendor or open-air shop. If any of those are available, he'll approach and make like he's looking to make a purchase. If not, he'll try to find a place out of the sun from which he can observe the ruins.
The late morning is relatively quiet on the back street, behind the burnt ruins of the Silver Star. The smell of charred wood is still noticeable even two weeks later.
Lubella treads lightly on the treacherous debris, searching for areas sunken below the timbers and stone.
After a half hour, she spots a loose board and pulls up. The entire section of floor she is on collapses downward with a plume of smoke and ash. She fortunately avoids any injury by jumping clear.
Aldren and Arcos hear the noise, as do a few other pedestrians. But so far the Dottari are too far away to notice.
A full hour passes and neither Talvek nor Lubella find anything of interest.
Interestingly enough, Aldren overhears one passerby speaking to his fellow as they stopped at the crashing sound.
It is a shame this place burned and Shensen disappeared. The Silver Star was her pride and joy they say.
The other man nods. I doubt anyone will rebuild on that heap of rubble now.
Lubella whispered to Aldren and Arcos, "I'm going to keep searching for a while longer. There's got to be some something — part of the alter, a Birth of Light and Truth — just something!"
She looked for a way to jump or clamber down to the former basement.
Talvek wasn't about to back out now, so he nods at Lubella and continues poking through the rubble and charred beams. His hands are already blackened with soot and charcoal and his nose itches from the dust, something he endures valiantly as he doesn't want to muck up the disguise that Arcos put together for him.
Aldren nods at the two passers-by, "Sad indeed, but who knows what will happen in the future, hmm?"
He whispers back to Lubella, "We could hear that out here but, fortunately, 'we' does not yet include the dottari. Be safe."
"Sorry about that; I'll try to be quieter!", Lubella whispered in reply to Aldren. "I'm OK — I managed to jump clear in time." I've got to be more careful; that could have been bad.
Talvek and Lubella go back to work, digging through the charred timbers and stone.
Lubella finds nothing much of interest and starts to wonder if there is anything left when she hears something.
Talvek has found a large beam sitting upon an iron box of some sort. He goes to move it, and the weight tips over and he almost falls under the beam and burnt floorboards.
While laying prone where he landed, Talvek sees the coffer is now uncovered.
The 'trick' will be able to extract the coffer without causing the entire floor to fall into the basement and burying everything.
Aldren and Arcos seem to be almost alone in the streets as most people have wondered off to the food court or home for their mid-day meal.
Just when their boredom at watching the empty streets almost overwhelms them, Arcos smells something other than burnt timbers.
Could it be? Definitely Fresh Cinnamon rolls.
A woman carrying a basket and bouquet of flowers approaches him, whispering his name.
Arcos? I hardly recognized you. Is that you? What are you doing standing here?
He immediately recognizes her as Julessa the baker from a couple weeks ago before Aldren joined the merry band.
"Aldren, Arcos? I think Talvek found something!", Lubella whispered. She carefully picked her way through the debris to get a closer look.
"Are you OK, Talvek?", she asked the young tiefling, when she saw that he had fallen. Once she determined that he wasn't hurt, she whispered again to the two above, "It looks like a small box! Now we just have to figure out how to retrieve it."
She looked at the area, trying to judge the stability of the area, and how easy it would be to approach the coffer.
She talked to Talvek, "OK, I think we have two options: one, we could carry the box out unopened, or two, we could open it and remove some of the contents to make it lighter. Can you figure out if it's locked?"
Talvek examines the iron coffer and attempts to open it.
Ever one to find treats and hedonistic delights, Aldren’s nose goes into overdrive at the smell of the cinnamon rolls. A flick of the tongue keeps a bit of saliva from slipping from the corner of his mouth. ”Mmm. What is that heavenly smell?”
Talvek does not see a lock on the coffer. So it will probably open. The biggest problem is he cannot reach it easily without toppling into the ruins. Lubella approaches but her smaller size seems to cause less of a disturbance to the rubble.
Julessa looks over as Aldren approaches and mentions the rolls.
Oh, Aldren? Is that you too? What's with the disguises? Wait! Are you on some sort of mission? Funny thing is...well, I was just thinking about all of you. Well, this morning I received this bouquet of roses from a somber looking street urchin who, when I questioned him, said that a nice man wearing a hooded cloak paid him 3 gold coins to deliver the roses to me. she pauses.
At first I was flattered, maybe one of my customers was playing a joke. However, I found this within and immediately thought of Laria and Lubella. Will you be seeing them? I thought it was important so I was going to deliver it personally...and then I ran into you both here.
My Dear Ravens—
You are not alone in your fears for the nest we share, but for now, my flock and I must remain quiet and hidden. The time will soon come when we must meet, but until then, keep building your contacts and resources. Do not rush into opposition against our common enemy. The time to retake Kintargo will come, but to strike too soon will be to lose the war before it even begins. Recruit. Prepare. Remain strong in your patience. We shall speak soon.
—The Rose of Kintargo
Lubella studied the area around the box. "The rubble looks pretty unstable. Hopefully, my lesser weight will allow me to get to the box without triggering a collapse. I better take off my armor to reduce my weight some more."
She took off her chain shirt and draped it over a sturdy beam; she laid her crossbow and quiver down. "OK, here goes!", she said. She touched her holy symbol and said a prayer to her goddess, then gingerly edged her way towards the box, concentrating on her footing.
"Be careful. Here, hold on to my cloak."
Talvek unclasps his cloak and holds one end of it, offering the other for Lubella to grasp. Hopefully, this will ensure her safety even if the rubble collapses.
Aldren smiles in surprise when he recognizes Julessa then winks at her, "And I'm sure still no rum in your rolls!" He takes a glance at the note with a furrowed brow, then hands it to Arcos for his inspection. "Interesting. It would seem someone thinks we're up to something."
Aldren gives Julessa a quick inspection on the off chance it someone in disguise pretending to be her. He also tries to think a bit critically about the scenario Julessa is presenting to see if it adds up and makes sense.
Lubella carefully slides down a beam while Talvek holds her via his cloak. She is able to reach and open the lid of the iron coffer without difficulty. However, her attempt to use mage hand does not seem to work on the contents of the box.
There appears to be 4 rolled vellum scrolls and 7 small glass vials of different colored liquids in the box. Unfortunately, more than she can carry in her small hands and climb back up.
Aldren senses no deception from Julessa, but she seems concerned.
Her story seems plausible but leaves Aldren wondering who else in the city would be aware of their activities.
She looks a bit uncomfortable and looks up and down the street. She sighs and hands you the basket and note with a warm smile.
Well, I don't want to interrupt your important work here. And I need to get back to my bakery. So if you could deliver this note to the halfling women, that would save me a couple hours. It was nice to see you both. Please stop by when you have more time and we can catch up on events. Enjoy the muffins. And Aldren, try to save some for the others!
Unless you try to stop her, she nods and with a quick wave, she turns and heads back west to the Owl Bakery.
Lubella examined the coffer for inscriptions; maybe that would give some clue about what was going on. She cast a spell, and tried to figure out why Mage Hand wasn't working on the scrolls and vials.
She presented her holy symbol and said aloud, "The dawn brings new light," in case there was a religious phrase required.
She whispered to Aldren and Arcos, "Anyone have some rope?", and then to Talvek, "How about you, Talvek — have any rope?"
Lubella casts a different spell and concentrates on the items in the iron box. All of the items radiate magic, which may explain their resistance to the mage hand moving them.
She notices there is a small engraved image of a bird on the lid.
Looking around in the immediate area lends no clues of a religious nature or restraints other than the box's weight or debris around it.
Lubella tried manipulating the engraving on the lid to see if it was some sort of mechanism.
The bird is fairly crude outline engraved and she cannot tell a specific type. It does not appear to be mechanical or magical in nature.
As she speaks the name, nothing happens as far as she can tell.
Lubella said to the others, "I think there's some sort of magical ward on the coffer, but I can't figure out what it is. There's a crude engraving of a bird on the lid, but I can't begin to guess the significance. I don't know that Shensen would have had any specific knowledge of the Silver Ravens, other than the historical tidbits that we know about."
She took the Raven figurine out of her pocket, and tapped it on the lid, not expecting it to do anything. Because Shensen was an opera singer, she tried softly singing a fragment of one of the works that the bard had been known to perform.
"I don't have any rope, sorry." Talvek calls back to Lubella, squinting to see what she's doing. And what is taking her so long, his hands were starting to cramp up.
"A bird, you say? Shelyn has a bird as Her symbol, does She not? For an artist, it would make sense."
He remains still for a few more moments as the halfling fiddles with the box. "You sing beautifully." he whispers as the song fragment ends.
Aldren senses no deception from Julessa, but she seems concerned.
Her story seems plausible but leaves Aldren wondering who else in the city would be aware of their activities.
She looks a bit uncomfortable and looks up and down the street. She sighs and hands you the basket and note with a warm smile.
Well, I don't want to interrupt your important work here. And I need to get back to my bakery. So if you could deliver this note to the halfling women, that would save me a couple hours. It was nice to see you both. Please stop by when you have more time and we can catch up on events. Enjoy the muffins. And Aldren, try to save some for the others!
Unless you try to stop her, she nods and with a quick wave, she turns and heads back west to the Owl Bakery.
Sensing that Julessa truly is the same woman he met before, Aldren returns the smile and relaxes a little. "Thank you, Julessa. It's very much appreciated. And we seem to be doing alright. Had an incident, our first casualty, but are managing. Lubella and Talvek are well, too." As for saving the muffins, he grins and shrugs, "Hopefully they'll be back in time."
A moment later, he whispers back to Lubella, "Rope? No, bondage isn't a forte of... oh, for carrying... no, sorry. Arcos, do you have any?" He takes a bite of a cinnamon roll, then adds, "By the way, we have cinnamon rolls and muffins... Maybe... Arcos is eating all of them." He winks at Arcos and tries not to laugh as he takes another bite.
Lubella is able to pull each of the scrolls and vials out of the coffer, but still unable to manipulate them with mage hand.
Talvek remembers some religious training or rumors that the Silver Star was not only owned by Shensen (herself an outspoken critic of Thrune), but that chambers below the music shop served as a shrine to Sarenrae.
Eventually, Lubella is able to pack the items and with Talvek's help is extracted from the rubble, leaving the iron box in its charred prison.
Aldren approaches and helps the two out of the ruins while Arcos watches Julessa depart while savoring the flavor of cinnamon.
You are able to eventually pull everyone out without incident and have uncovered a cache of items as well as a strange note from Julessa.
Lubella was puzzled about why her spell wasn't working, when she finally remembered that magic auras interfered with the incantation. Duh, that's what I get for not paying attention in class! Now I feel like an idiot!
After taking the items and climbing back up, she retrieved her gear and rejoined Aldren and Arcos. "Can either of you read these scroll?" she asked, showing them what she and Talvek had found.
"Do I smell cinnamon?", she asked, feeling hungry all of a sudden. She examined the vials to determine their properties.
"That was successful, thanks to Talvek's keen eyes!", she declared. "Let's see if we can find out more about the Red Jills."
She made her way to Jarvis End and started discreetly asking around to see if she could find out where the gang had their headquarters.
Lubella was able to determine the three of the potions.
You suspect, by color and smell the first three and last four are of similar natures, respectively.
Once the Ravens are re-assembled and the new items stowed, Lubella's inquiries around Jarvis End about the Red Jills is met with shut doors and hushed tones. Don't go messing around in business like theirs if you know what's good for you. And others Why do you want to know?They are very secretive and selective you know.
"Ahhh, now I understand why you were so keen to go delving in this place!" Talvek suddenly pipes up as Lubella is pocketing the items in the coffer. "There used to a shrine to your goddess down below! Or so the rumours say, at least."
The tiefling then helps Lubella up and moves to join the rest once their expedition is concluded, taking care to remove soot marks and other incriminating dirt from both their persons before emerging into the street again.
"Julessa was here? Oh, shame that I missed her! I might visit her later at the bakery, though." As Lubella proposes their next course of action, he nods somberly. "Yes, I Have a few questions to ask them myself."
Lubella replied to Talvek, "Yes, she is the leader of the local Sarenrite community, or was, until she disappeared. It would have been interesting to find something like her personal copy of The Birth of Light and Truth; perhaps it was destroyed in the fire, or maybe she took it with her when she escaped." If she escaped.
Her quest to find information about the Red Jills was not turning out to be easy. Undeterred, she continued her inquiries to see if she could find someone willing to talk. She stopped in at a local pub for a meal, and talked to the people there.
She looked over the note from the Rose of Kintargo. "Whoever it is seems to have some knowledge of the Silver Ravens," she said, before handing the note back to Aldren. "I should drop by the Owl Bakery in the next couple of days. Julessa had some interesting ideas about distributing food and medical care to the poor."
Further delving into the location of the Red Jills proves fruitless as the afternoon pushes into evening.
Stopping for a meal at a local pub, the questions regarding the Jills is met again with stern warnings.
Look, sirs. We don't want any trouble. We are gonna have to ask you to leave.
They do not even ask you to pay, (but you are welcome to leave it on the table).
As it approaches dusk, while heading back over the bleakbridge, you are able to avoid the scrutiny of the Dottari using your usual tactics. However, there are about twice as many guards patrolling the bridge this evening for some reason.
Listening to the other patrons and pedestrians as you cross.
I heard there was a raid by the Spiders or someone down at Sallix and the Dottari are being extra cautious like. says one old codger hefting a pack of wooden handles.
Bah! It's just the Thrune tightening his hold on the city. He ain't needing a reason...mark my words! replies another merchant closing his booth for the night.