Marissel looks down at the cards, a grimace crossing his face momentarily. Finally he reaches down, picking up the eighth card by it's corner, and gingerly looks at it.
Ortik shrugs. "One's as good as another," he says, laying one finger upon the sixth card. He hesitates a moment. "On second thought," he mutters to himself, moving to the fourth card and turning it face up.
Karri: The card you chose is The Peacock.
Zellara folds her hands on the table. "Ah, the Peacock. A card symbolic of astonishing beauty that can only be truly preserved if frozen like a statue. A smart person would move out of the Peacock's way. This card represents a sudden personal shift in attitude or societal change... and by the looks of things, you may be in the middle of it, Karri."
Ortik: The card you chose is The Cricket.
Zellara's lips form a smile. "Isn't that the card I sent to Marissel? Anyway, the Cricket is symbolic of speed and quick passage, be it physical or spiritual. Depending on where--or if--the card is shown in the reading, it indicates a journey with a suitable reward in the end. I wonder how it relates to you, Ortik?"
Lyla: The card you chose is The Demon's Lantern.
Zellara's eyes widen. "Oh, my. The Demon's Lantern... a card of traps, tricks, sleight-of-hand and sleight-of-mind. Those will-o-wisps there? Symbolic of an impossible situation headed your way, Lyla. Of course, it could also mean you'll find a way out of it..."
Jakob: The card you chose is The Locksmith.
Zellara arches an eyebrow. "The Locksmith, Jakob, is a card that represents someone granting you the keys to your destiny: typically tied to a new location, clue or treasure. However, it provides no instruction on how, where or when to use them. It's commonly associated with strange, ancient or magical objects."
Marissel: The card you chose is The Crows.
Zellara winces. Apparently, the card brings up bad memories. "The Crows... they're representative of something dear to you being violently torn away. I think you and I have both experienced enough of that for one life, Marissel. Of course, the card could also foretell of a way for you to avert such a loss..."
Demitri: The card you chose is The Avalanche.
Zellara's face turns serious. "The Avalanche represents disaster. Pure, utter, unthinking calamity, usually in the form of a physical event or panicking crowds. However, it appears you will be especially affected by it, Demitri. Whether as a victim or the one who will play a key role in averting it is too early to tell."
With a wave of her hand, she recalls the cards from your hands. She begins shuffling anew...
"If it's the right reward, then I don't mind going on walkabout," the dwarf says, returning the Cricket to Madame Zellara.
That's a good omen, that. If the cards aren't lying, then maybe the Old Man has a chance...
"That is not what I expected."
"Phew. And I thought card was bad. Great morale boost, huh?", Lyla says, looking at Demitri and Marissel. She winks at Jakob and asks "Wanna trade, blue eyes?"
Marissel waves dismissively as Zellara reads off his card. When it flies from his hands, he brushes them together, glad to be rid of it. You can simply have my card if you'd like it, he says turning to Lyla. Doesn't matter anyway. She's just saying there are hard things ahead, but we can stop it. Nothing I didn't already know.
Marissel's face pulls together in grim determination, Anything else before we go get Lamm?
"Geez, you're even crankier than I am", she retorts. "Hold on, it looks like Ma'm Z ain't done with the good news yet. Now that we've started it, I wanna see the whole show."
Jakob looks at Lyla's card for a moment, contemplating what the fortune-teller said, and then shakes his head with an apologetic smile. The meanings of both cards were puzzles, but his card seemed more like his sort of puzzle. He wasn't one for tricks and traps.
He nodded at Marissel's assessment of the reading. The cards might have power or might not, but they told him nothing specific, nothing he could use, not yet. He did not think them worthless, but whatever value they had was beyond his understanding. On the other hand, he had an address, and that he could use. Simple courtesy told him to allow Zellara to say what she had to say.
Zellara stops shuffling her deck and draws 9 cards. She lays them out in a three-by-three grid.
With a snap of her fingers, the cards rise into the air. She walks over to where you're all seated, facing the cards.
”Let’s see what happened in the past…” The top left card flips over.
”The Uprising. It normally represents being caught up in the grasp something far more powerful than you. Considering where this card is in the spread, it appears you all found new strength after having a brush with this force… I don’t think I need to tell you what force I’m talking about.” She says with a wry smile.
The middle left card flips over.
”The Wanderer… a card symbolic of finding worth in cast-off things. This card usually appears to those who find the true worth in something others regard as being worthless.” She eyes you all. ”Hardly anyone really gave any of you a second glance; to them, you were just other people. Not to me.”
The bottom left card turns over.
”Ah… the Owl. A symbol of the wisdom of the natural order, and how a tragedy that one suffers may strengthen the person as a whole. Sort of like a pack of wolves culling the old, sick deer from the herd.” She sighs. ”There isn’t a single person here who hasn’t lost something to Gaedren Lamm… but it is through that loss that everyone has a chance to become stronger.”
She snaps her fingers again. ”With the past known, one may now look to the present…”
The top middle card turns over.
Zellara seems particularly surprised by this; she looks from the card, to Marissel, and back again. ”The Crows! Normally a card symbolic of loss, but in this case, it’s a sign. A sign that such future losses can—and indeed *will*--be averted in the future. And considering that this is your card, Marissel—“ She turns to look at the gun-toting elf. ”—you are going to play a key role in keeping such things from coming to pass.”
She turns back to the cards. The middle card turns over.
”Well, yet another card I didn’t expect to see…” Zellara says. Her eyebrow arches. ”The Mute Hag… a card that is symbolic of seeing into the hearts of men. Typically, it’s associated with demonic pacts and dark secrets. I’m talking the kind of secret that a father would kill his own son to keep.” She rubs her chin in thought. ”Why would this come up here?”
The bottom middle card turns over.
Zellara barely suppresses a snicker. ”Oh… I know I shouldn’t be laughing, but that’s just adorable!” She says, pointing out the card’s design. She abruptly clears her throat. ”Anyway, the Bear is symbolic of brute force that cannot be tamed or reasoned with. Considering it’s in the Negative Present portion of the spread, I’d say that your task will be met with complete, forceful opposition. In short, Gaedren’s not likely to go down without a fight.”
She snaps her fingers once more. ”And now, with the present known, what does the future hold?”
The top right card turns over.
Zellara smirks, and looks over at Jakob. ”Well, considering your card heralds a Positive Future, I’d say you don’t have much to worry about. From the looks of things, after this business with Gaedren is done and over with, you’ll be key to making new discoveries. About yourself, about the others here…” She turns back to the cards. ”It’s always the ones you least suspect, isn’t it?”
The middle right card flips over.
”Well, well, well… isn’t this interesting?” Zellara says in an inquisitive tone. ”The Forge is a card that represents strength through diversity. Sure, it’s in the Uncertain Future part of the spread, but considering the circumstances, I’d say it’s trying to tell us something.” She leans closer to the cards. ”If you all make an effort to stand together, odds are you can accomplish anything. And yes, I’m well aware of how corny that sounded.”
The bottom right card turns over.
Zellara pales. ”Oh, my.” She says, straightening herself. ”The Rakshasa symbolizes mental control and dominance. The monster sitting on the back of the slave there—“ She points it out on the card. ”—represents an exterior force imposing itself on another person’s mind. It could easily be as simple as blind religious devotion, but it can also mean something is literally manipulating others from behind the scenes.” She turns to you all. ”This card, in that part of the spread, is an ill omen. Things may be deeper than I thought…”
The cards return to the table. Zellara collects herself and begins putting her cards away.
”Well, thank you all for indulging me. Don’t worry about payment; this one’s on the house.” She says as she works. When her cards are back in her pocket, she turns to you.
Something lingers in the air between you all... a sense of purpose. As if Fate has decided to take a closer look at your motley band, and approves of what it's found.
Maybe there's something to this fortune-telling bulls**t after all.
Lyla is overcome by an impending sense of destiny when Zellara finishes her reading. She can feel her own fate tied to those of the people gathered here tonight, even if she cannot explain why; such is the power of Zellara's harrowing. For the second time in the evening, she looks speechless - which is quite an achievement - but also, more than that; her slightly dropped jaw and fixed stare reveal how awestruck she really is. The halfling girl shakes her head abruptly, snaping out of the trance.
"Wow. That was... well... not half bad."
She looks around, letting her eyes linger on each member of the group. The ragged, dirty dwarf, and his firm resolve; the aloof woman, filled with arcane energy, whose beauty obfuscates the scars poorly hidden under her clothes; the green-haired angry elf, skeptic of fate and such, and yet somehow trusting of their own abilities as a group; the quiet, gentle man, whose imposing build and powerful muscles frame some sort of unspoken kindness; and finally, the disillusioned guard who has painfully learned that sometimes the path of law does not lead to righteousness. That could be as good a family as any she had ever had.
"I guess we're really gonna do this, then?"
Marissel stares for a moment, mouth slightly agape. He shakes himself, snapping his jaw shut, frowning again. He opens his mouth to say something, but seems to think better of it, closing it again, looking stony faced.
Marissel gaze lingers on the pocket where the cards sit. At Lyla's words he turns, looking around the room, and nods. When shall we do it. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready now, and I don't intend to lose him again.
For the first time in a long time, Demitri was filled with hope. It was an odd feeling, he wasn't used to it. But it was a good feeling. Surrounded by others possibly feeling the same. You can almost make out a smile on the ex-guardsman's face. "I'm ready as well. But we need a plan. He's too clever to just go in swords swinging. Something direct but smart."
Jakob nodded, his readiness to go apparent from the look in his eye. Tonight he would face Gaedren Lamm. More importantly, tonight, he would find Hannah. He made a sign for luck and stood.
"We find where he keeps the kids, get them out first," he said. "Then we make sure he never takes another."
Zellara smiles, then picks up the map and offers it.
"Well, you know where he is. I can trust you to come up with a plan for this."
She looks at you all.
"Good luck."
"What, you're not coming?"
Zellara smirks. "Oh, don't you worry. I'll be there in spirit."
Her face turns serious. "Besides, I have no combat training. I don't wish to get in your way."
"Agreed. Find.. the kids. Get them to safety and take out all his guards. Then we get to Lamm. We'll need someone to scout all the exits to make sure he doesn't get away."
"Nadia, this is it. Daddy's coming to save you."
"Oh, so you are more like the 'moral support' type" , Lyla teases Zellara. She reaches for the map and starts studying the building and its accesses. "I could scout ahead to see what's the best way in."
"She's the gave us important information type. You should take someone with you, just in case. Is anyone else good at sneaking around?"
The map in question shows that the fishery has a few entrances. There's a loading dock on the north side of the fishery with stairs leading down near the water to another entrance. The west side of the fishery has a couple of windows that open out into the street. A walkway leads out along the south side of the fishery into the harbor to what appears to be a docked ship, with some more windows looking out onto it.
There is no indication as to the rooms inside.
"I see you haven't lost your sense of humour", lyla mumbles to Demitri, without taking her eyes off the map. She then raises her head and addresses the whole group. "Some help would be nice, in case any of you guys know how to keep quiet." She seems oblivious to the irony of her request.
Ortik listens intently as Madame Zellara gives the Harrow reading, nodding at times when she makes her comments on what the cards mean. The appearance of the Rakshasa also intrigued him - was Lamm just a puppet for some other crime boss? Those concerns were set aside for the moment, though, and he cleared his throat after the woman was finished. "Those that can, do; those that can't, organize. We've all lost something or someone to Lamm. He's done as he's pleased for far too long. I'll be your cat's paw in this, Madame, and it looks like you've got the aid of these bloods as well."
"As for footpadding about, I'm not especially good at it, but I might be able to find out more through more unusual channels. Laying my cards on the table - no pun intended, Madame - but there's bound to be rats, cats, and other animals that live around this area. I can speak with them, find out what they know. It'd be skewed to the perceptions of an animal, but it'd be more than we know now."
Jakob looks at the dwarf for a moment, impressed by the company he has found himself in. The old guard, the brusque elf, the dwarf who talks to animals, even the halfling struck him as a competent, beneath her tendency to ramble. The other, Karri, frightened him a little, her face seeming to react to things that he couldn't see. Madness, perhaps, or magic. As long as she's on our side, I don't mind much which.
"I'm better with a more direct approach."
"I am as well. But Lamm is tricky. We cannot take him lightly. I think we should stake out the place, figure out the guard routine before we go in. We don't want Lamm knowing that we're at his doorstep until it's too late.
Karri doesn't react to the Peacock she drew. Her face is a mask, but her mind roils under the Legion. We told you so we told you so. She knows she knows she knows. Let us kill her. Bleed her. Twins she said! Turn to stone! She's afraid of you. Hurt her... The chatter drowns itself in it's own excitement and Karri lets it go, a droning in her soul. So long as it stays inside, she can control it.
She follows the conversation with these odd fellows. Yes keep any children safe. Yes, scout the fishery. Spy on it with rats and vermin.
The only thing she adds is, "I am not adroit at skullduggery, but when you are ready to move, I can incapacitate guards before they can raise any alarms."
The chatter in Karri's soul and at the table continues and she is quiet as she tries to focus on just one.
Standing up on the chair, Lyla rests her left hand over her chin, the right one pressed against the map as she leans over the table to study the situation.
"Alright. I'm a little torn about the idea of a stake out. On one hand, it would definitely be useful to figure out shifts and the amount of people inside... on the other, I'm afraid we might blow the whole thing if we are somehow spotted watching from a distance. I mean, I know many of those guys probably grew up with me, so my cover is blown from the star. It looks like it's the sam thing with most of you guys, right? If they so much as get a glimpse of us, it could be over before it even starts. Hanging around the place for too long, even if we do find a hiding place, could be a risky... you know, getting in and out without being seen and all. I dunno. "
She pauses for a while, still thinking. "What if... hmm. Ok. What if ratdwarf there" she says, referring to Ortik "talks to his little toothy friends to get a sense of the place... like, how many people are inside, what are the 'quieter' areas - can they tell you that? - and then I go ahead and take a better look, while you back me up. After that, we can discuss some tactics... and if you guys are loud, maybe it'd be possible to approach by water, too. Anyway, we'll want to take care of the boat, if they really do have one docked. Gotta take that escape option away from him. What do you say?"
"Yes. Prevent his escape. Don't need him around tomorrow..."
Marissel laughs nudging Ortik in the side. Through the laughter he manages to speak. What do you say, rat dwarf? Can you do it? he chuckles to himself a little longer before finally saying, It sounds like a good plan.
"Good plan, let's do it."
Ortik smirks at the nickname that Lyla's created for him, and nods in agreement. "Chatting with the animals is the easy part, Stinkstick," he says to Marissel, glancing at the flintlock that hangs at his hip. "Keeping Lamm's men in the dark, like Goggles said, that's the rub. I wouldn't mind some cover while I find out what the animals know. Oh, and we'll have to wait for tomorrow. I wasn't exactly prepared to talk with them today."
Karri looks at Ortik and before he can label her with a horrific nickname she says flatly, "Karri." She smirks, but says nothing else.
Zellara's face brightens as she hears you planning your work.
"If you need a place to stay for the night, I have some rooms upstairs."
Looking out the windows, you see that night has fallen. Outside, a couple of people stagger home, buffeted by the icy winds, their clothes flapping wildly.
"We'll make you have the cover you need." Demitri turns to Zellara. "Many thanks for the hospitality."
Marissel smiles, speaking quietly to himself. Stinkstick. . . . heh
Finally he turns to Madame Zellara, I'll accept that hospitality. It may be beneficial to keep most of us in the same spot.
Zellara nods. She moves up the stairs.
"Up here. I have some guest rooms up here."
The two doors on your left lead into guest rooms with two beds each. The door on the right closest to the stairs is another guest room with two beds, and the farthest door on the right opens into a lavatory.
Zellara stands in front of the door at the end of the hallway.
Demitri follows Zellara up the stairs but frowns when he sees the lack of beds. "Thank you, but perhaps I should stay in my own home. There is not quite enough room here."
Jakob follows Zellara up the stairs and drops his gear at the end of one of the beds. He flops down on the bed, making it creak alarmingly, but it manages to support his weight. Within moments, he is asleep.
Marissel follows Jakob into one of the rooms. He likewise drops his gear and flops onto his bed, but in contrast to the large man, Marissel's bed barely notices the added weight. Finally, before studying off to sleep, he stores his "stink stick" beneath his pillow. The smell of gunpowder pulling him off to sleep.
"I'll not turn down room and board on a night like this. Thank you, Madame Zellara, I'll remember this kindness." Ortik chooses the room next to Jakob and Marissel, removing his heavy coat and using the magics he'd prepared to heal his visible injuries. It's been some time since he'd slept on something as comfortable as an actual bed, and it takes some tossing and turning for him to get used to it - eventually, sleep does come, though it's still fitful.
Finding humor in Ortik's practicality, Karri smiles and says, "The good thing about being poor is you don't take long to move." She pats the Dwarf's shoulder and steps past him into the room on the right. She immediately lays on the bed and closes her eyes. The Legion shouts and rails at her, Burn the world! Get up, Fleshling!!! With their familiar chorus she fades into sleep.
Demitri will take whatever room is left after everyone has taken their pick which would leave him rooming with Lyla....
Lyla takes Madame Zellara on her offer. "Yeah, sure, I could crash here", she says climbing the stairs and dragging her belongings. After the rest of the group settles in the first room, she goes to the other one, where Demitri stands. "Hold the door for me, will you?" She jumps into bed, lights a candle and opens her formula book to study before going to sleep. Curled up on the large pillow, she flips the pages carefully till she starts dozing off, and then decides to close the book and set it aside. She blows out the candle and lays there in silence for a while. Then, as she is falling asleep, her eyes closed, Lyla calls for Demitri with a mellow, fading voice. "Chief?" A pause, and she goes on. "Just hang in there. Tomorrow, we’ll get your little girl back..." With these words, she drifts away.
Demitri lays down on a bed that is not his own but has a hard time resting. His thoughts just turned to the next day, a day that was a long time coming. He was going to get his daughter back and stop Lamm from ruining more lives.
"We will. Thank you Lyla." Demitri responds before also drifting away to sleep.
Fireday, 10th of Calistril, 4711 AR
The night passes, the warmth of your beds ensuring a good night's sleep.
The day dawns with the chirping of some creature outside your window. Sunlight streams in through the window, and the wind outside is still. It looks like it'll be a good day, for once.
Demitri wakes to the sound of birds chirping. He lets the sleeping Lyla be as he gets his equipment packed up and on his person. The halfling would be awake soon enough. He'll head down to grab something to break his fast before this tremendous day.
Lyla wakes to the chirping outside, but pays little attention to it. She rolls in bed pulling the pillow over her head and tries to go back to sleep.