All participants seemed to go for the largest placed target.
Grint has scored 7 points shooting the target.
All the competition today are total failures, as every arrow misses the target. Earning Grint 25gp in prize money.{*}
With much muttering and disappointed sighs there is however a clear clapping sound. A few feet away from Grint stands a young woman.
He sees a freckled face with light brown hair.
"Heya, good shooting there. Nice to see there is at least 1 capable man amongst these "archers", you must have built up quite some muscle there hmm?", she grabs his biceps to get a feel of muscle.
Elsa nods her acquiescence to Grint participating in the contest. Very proper for a man to ask permission.
She notices the woman accost Grint, and watches for the moment, waiting to see what Grint will do.
"Uhm thanks, I guess..." Grint slowly pulls his arm away and tries to continue in a normal conversation.
"I've been training for archery since I was seven, so I guess I've built up some muscle. It must sound stupid and cliche, but have we met before? I could've sworn I've seen you around Kharum before."
Grint seems a bit apprehensive of the woman at first, especially as she grabbed his biceps, but he's trying not to be rude. At a time he glances back at Elsa and makes a face like: What's all this about?
Her response is short as she shakes her head.
"No, we've never met. Dream on mister.
I've only just arrived in Kharum with my friends. We're the closing act on the stage."
With that she goes to the stage, where a group of 3 is waiting for what is likely, their lead singer.
Malena wanders over to where Grint is participating in the archery contest, and stands near Elsa. "Looks like he did pretty well. Is he flirting with all of the performers now?"
"Oh excuse me, I must've been mistaken then. Good luck on the performance."
Grint says as he watches the girl leave for the stage.
Something still feels familiar about her. Can't really pinpoint it...
He slowly walks back towards Elsa and notices Malena is also there.
"Well I won at least some gold pieces with that archery contest." He says as he comes closer to the two women.
He looks back at the stage and listens to the music/performance from a distance.
He may be.... Elsa says with eyes like chips of ice.
Oh, that is nice. Elsa says with sickening sweetness to Grint.
"Hmpf, you've got an odd look in your eyes Grint, you sure you've not seen her before?", she asks with her arms crossed.
Well, he's very popular, how am i going to fix him up to Elsa now?
The performance the group gives is popular with the crowd. The freckled singer is quite talented it seems at dancing and singing. Alongside her are a man playing an exotic looking type of mandolin, one burly with a drum and a woman with a flute.
After the performance of several songs is over and the applause is received, a man walks up to stage,
"Ladies and gentlemen, Kharum thanks you for visiting our annual festival. We hope your stay was to your liking and maybe we will see some of you next year."
Malena will head back down to the docks and set up her fortune-telling stand, spending the afternoon reading the Harrow for visitors to the town. She'll make sure to be done in time to suit back up into her armor and to pick up her weapons before meeting again with the others.
Lyssa goes over to Malena's stand, and watches Malena read the fortunes of her customers. Curiosity takes over, and Lyssa takes a spot in the queue.
"Could you also tell me my fortune?" Lyssa asks when she's up. "I'm curious to see what your cards reveal about me. How much is it?"
"For you, I'll do it gratis," Malena says. "Here, sit down."
She shuffles her Harrow deck, whirling the cards back and forth between her hands as she randomizes their order.
She then pulls out nine cards and lays them in a three-by-three grid in front of her.
Suits, going in standard english "reading" order, and using the order they are on the inside front and back covers of The Harrow Handbook
-- Hammers (Str)
-- Stars (Wis)
-- Hammers (Str)
-- Hammers (Str)
-- Stars (Wis)
-- Crowns (Cha)
Cards:
-- The Beating (NE)
-- The Owl (N)
-- The Forge (LN)
-- The Bear (N)
-- The Winged Serpent (LG)
-- The Theater (NG)
I'm pretty stupid, I only rolled six. Here's the bottom row:
Suits:
-- Shields (Con)
-- Stars (Wis)
-- Shields (Con)
Cards:
-- The Trumpet (LG)
-- The Carnival (CN)
-- The Tangled Briar (LE)
When she's laid out the cards, here is the array
Top Row: The Beating (NE, Hammers: Str) --- The Owl (N, Stars: Wis) --- The Forge (LN, Hammers: Str)
Middle Row: The Bear (N, Hammers: Str) --- The Winged Serpent (LG, Stars: Wis) --- The Theater (NG, Crowns: Cha)
Bottom Row: The Trumpet (LG, Shields: Con) -- The Carnival (CN, Stars: Wis) -- The Tangled Briar (LE, Shields: Con)
Malena taps the column of cards on the left. "These-- The Beating, the Bear, and the Trumpet-- represent your past. The cards are telling me that physical prowess has shaped your past, strength and robustness of body. You received a call to be who you are, perhaps in response to a defeat, perhaps physical, perhaps metaphorical, by something or someone that represented power and prowess in your life."
She then shifts her attention to the middle column . "These three cards represent the present. These are perhaps of most interest to me, because it is your present in which I myself am involved. The Owl, the Winged Serpent, and the Carnival. The cards are telling me that whereas your past may have been shaped by physical prowess, making you who you are, what is most important in your life right now is perhaps your strength of mind. Your willpower, your perception, your ability to focus your attention. In Kharoum, with what we've been attending recently, it's no surprise that carnivals are part of what is leading you about, but the other two cards suggest that wisdom and order are important. The winged serpent... this may be a warning that evil outsiders are manipulating events relevant to your present right now, for couatls are lawful and good outsiders that try to protect mortals from the machinations of such creatures."
Malena finally focuses on the right column. "For your future: The Forge, the Theater, and the Tangled Briar. The future is often the hardest to make sense of. The Forge tells me that you are not yet who you will become, that even though you have been made into the person you are by your past, you still face many trials that will fundamentally change who you are and how you approach the world."
Tapping the Theater, she adds, "You should expect others to be watching, and for the trials and your reaction to them to be visible to the eyes of many."
"And," she says, tapping the Tangled Briar, "the path will not be easy, nor clear, and you will find yourself caught up in events that are not easy to understand and that slow you down."
With a smile, she says, "...which, to be frank, sounds like our present right now!"
Malena has a few customers after Lyssa, mainly some sailors who're about to leave after the closing event.
The afternoon is further quiet and rather uneventful.
The plaza is now only partially occupied by its general stalls and the streets have returned to a relative "normal" pace.
After dinner you head for the tree, conveniently you picked up a nail somewhere, and strike it into the bark. After the same procedure, you find yourself at the table with Agent again.
"Good job on taking care of the alchemist issue. You cleaned house, so say the rumours.
Yet since you're here, there is something else you'd like to know of.
What might that be?"
"What you say... it does sound familiar. The part about my past, and my present," Lyssa replies with a soft voice. "These trials in my future? I feel like they have to do with what we've ended up in..."
After taking a deep breath and letting out a deep sigh, Lyssa continues in the same soft voice: "Our cooperation hasn't been entirely successful so far... but... well... I want it to be better... you know..."
Lyssa coughs, turns away from the stand and starts walking. For a moment Lyssa stops to call out to Malena, for which Lyssa uses her usual tone of voice again: "Don't let Elsa know! Or Sabel! Or... that bearded Grint who's been following us around... Got it?! They'll be... laughing and stuff!"
------
"Gals... and Grint-dude, by the way... At the meeting a ship was mentioned. That guy sailed off with an entire ship..." Lyssa stares at the others intently for several seconds.
"Why didn't we mention the ship in the harbor? In case of finding incriminating evidence, or in case of a suspected thread of catastrophic levels, isn't the guard allowed to enter the ship with a warrant? Wait, let me think on that... what was the law in this city? Perhaps we can come up with a legal way to search the ship..."
"If we can get on board, we may be able to find proof the ship we saw in the harbor is the same ship that disappeared years ago. Or perhaps we can link that darn parrot to it! Or, at least, we should let someone who'd recognize the ship that went missing take a look at the ship in the harbor. If it's positively identified as the missing ship, that means we can surely find a legal way to enter and search it. the guards, and thus the law, are on our side."
Lyssa
You've heard sailors more often than not frequent Mary's. She and her staff would likely overhear alot of rumours and gossip. Dockworkers would also be a good source of information, but they'd more likely talk after a bit of coin, since they work busy shifts and time is money.
On the law:
Having a source be suspicious, the city guard would restrain its options and investigate, though they don't always announce it. Provide strong proof and they act accordingly and firmly.
"Okay, so... we could visit Mary's and question some sailors?" Lyssa suggests to the others. "Or we could try the dockworkers. The latter will probably only give info when we pay them."
"I'd rather not go back to the broker, because he'll probably only give info if we do one of the other things he requested. Sabotaging is against the law, so I'm not doing that. And the idea of giving the recipe of the drugs to the broker... what's he going to use it for? I suggest we destroy the recipe. It should never again be used by anyone."
Grint looks at Lyssa with a curious glance and then simply says: "First of all it's just Grint, remember that. Secondly we need to ask the Broker something, it would help us a great deal. As for bringing him the recipe I agree it's not something I'd like to do as well, unless I know it's gonna be use to create a cure but we don't. About that sabotage, it sounds like a simple enough job, if you don't want to participate in it you don't have to, then it's just me guarding the others while we or they do the sabotaging."
Grint then looks to the others as well and continues.
"Well we asked the Broker last time about who we thought was behind this, Joseph Valux, he may or may not be the leader of this problem. If we'd ask any questions I'd like to know what he wants actually, it's hard protecting against someone if you don't know what or who they are after."
Elsa smiles approvingly at Grint defending himself. Except of course if he takes that tone with her, she would have to teach him manners.
Is there no third way? Can we not do this without the Broker?
"Well we can, but it would involve snooping around that ship if it's still in port or convince the guards to conduct a search for us. Depending on how we want to procede we'd best talk to either the guards or try to get more information from the sailors and dockworkers at Mary's."
Grint looks around at the others. "If any of you have another good suggestion don't hesitate to speak up."
"Aren't you basically saying what I said I'd prefer a minute ago?" Lyssa says to Grint, letting out a sigh as she shakes her head. "So... since we seem to both like the plan of asking around at Mary's or the docks, shall we try that first?"
"I'm absolutely not going back to the creepy Agent guy. And don't you dare do anything like sabotaging!"
Sabel retreats to her home to get some well needed rest.
"I vote for a visit to Mary's. The broker is a bad option and the guards already made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with us. My second choice is to do some snooping around."
The last past she said with a mischievous smile.
Malena says, "Yes, let's visit Mary's and see what we can learn there. It will probably be in service to the greater good to do the Broker's tasks if necessary to learn what's going on with all of this, but I also am uncomfortable with turning the recipe over to him. As for sabotage... well, it would depend who we were sabotaging."
Throwing a sidelong look at Lyssa, she adds, "...but we really should avoid doing that as well. We do not want to become as big a problem as the problem we are investigating, rationalizing all the way that what we're doing is right even when it's not."
You head back to Mary's. Business is still ok, but it certainly has become easier to walk around. As you come in Mary notices you and waves.
"Hello, nice to see you again.
Things have been normal between the last time you were here and now. No thieves, an occassional asspincher i got to hit with my tray and the regulars have opportunity to frequent my inn again.
Have a seat and tell me what i can do for you."
In a whisper she tells Mary that they want some information from the sailors and dockworkers.
"I will split up here, we are looking for some specific information. Which would be better from the sailors and dockworkers."
Sabel moves from the group and takes a seat at one of the tables already occupied by several sailors. She looks at the others hoping that someone will follow her to the table. She will small talk with them until someone joins her.
There are two tables visibly occupied by small groups of sailers and dockworkers.
Sabel sits down at the table with the sailors, whom are pleasantly surprised a woman other than Mary comes by the table.
"Well, a young woman to join our table, that's a nice change. Care for a drink? Where do you live, do you have sisters?"
A firm slap across the scalp comes from a man next to him.
"Quit it, you're married, have you no decency?"
He turns back to Sabel.
Grint looks at the others with raised eyebrows.
"I'm not gonna follow her to that table, I'll keep watch at the door. Last time we were in here people stormed in and out."
Grint quietly takes a place in the corner of the inn close to the door. Having had a close encounter with a door before he makes sure he is at least 10 feet from it. He keeps his bow in hand, but makes no apparent notice to use it.
Lyssa, still heavily wounded from the last battle and her clothes splattered with blood, walks over to Sabel. "Do you have some of that magic healing stuff left for me? I want to help, but I feel like I'm about to collapse..."
And I want to be battle ready, in case something happens here... again.
Sabel stands and lays her hand on Lyssa's shoulder.
"Of course, stand still for a moment."
"This should patch you up for a bit! I can't use it too freely though I am afraid, we never know what this day might bring us."
She sits down at the table again to resume the conversation.
"Come Lyssa join me with these fine gentlemen."
She turns to the sailors again, first replying to the sailor with a wink.
"I live in this city and I have no sisters. Mind if I ask you some questions? We are looking for a man called Joseph Valux. Do you know him? And do you perhaps know is whereabouts and business?"
What the sailors share with Sabel
Some surprised looks show on the group's face.
The flirty one shows disgust.
"Aye, i've heard of him. Former privateer captain, a skilled one he is. Always seems to find his way."
"Name's Verner, i be the 1st mate of the ship The Silver Maiden, she's docked at the harbor, the others are part of her crew. Prior to this i was a sailor for Valux several years back. One day he took aboard a wizard. Things went downhill from there, we saw the captain less frequently, he would be "discussing" important matters with the wizard.
We took prisoners one day, but over the course of a week he sent them to the cabin where the wizard was. When they came out...they seemed like human slates. Not remembering a thing they did. The 1st mate back then drilled the ropes into them so they'd be part of the crew."
"Verner, you've never told this, this is a new one."
"Quiet man, let me finish. Part of the crew abandoned the next time we hit Magnimar's docks and told the authorities, leading to an investigation and Valux's dismissal. He vanished with what was left of the crew and the ship. Me and some of the guys here are part of those who abandoned the ship. As for his whereabouts.....if i didn't know better, i'd say he was docked here. The sails aren't up when docked naturally, but i saw this very large ship down at pier 3 that showed similarities in design. But still i'm steering clear from that ship. If he is in town, he'd be stocking supplies and /or recruiting."
Lyssa, would this give use cause to search the ship?
"Thank, Sabel," Lyssa says as she takes her fast healing salve from her backpack, and applies one use on her wounds.
Lyssa puts the salve back in her backpack while listening to the sailors.
"It gives us cause," Lyssa replies to Elsa, "but not necessarily the right... unless... Alphonse said that, officially, it's no option to deputize us. However, he did approve of us aiding the city. Seeing how Alphonse is from the founding families, who make up the law of this city, I don't believe there should be a problem for me. Also, we have several leads that indicate the people on that ship are criminals. According to the law, criminals have to face justice."
Verne looks with interested eyes, though he hasn't quite heard the part of any deputizing and Alphonse's response due to his friends chattering, he's putting some 1 & 1 together from the latter part.
"Why are you looking for him? Are you vigilantees, bountyhunters?"
Lyssa laughs and shakes her head. "I'm not quite sure, as I'm not even sure how we ended up in the midst of this. I think it started by someone stealing prize money from the lottery, and we just went after him."
"For me it's a matter of defending the law. Valux is breaking the law, and that's not to my liking. Why do you ask, Verner? Want to help us catch the man? You can help us by providing more information about Valux."
The other sailors are somewhat following the conversation.
Verner sits back a little with a serious look on his face.
"If you are you are either foolish or very brave. I have little to no doubt that wizard is still with him. The damn man had this bright red parrot with him. Valux himself isn't the burliest man, but he's very mean with a cutlass. Unshaven but likes to dress well. But you can count on it he'd prefer to fight alongside the wizard. What the wizard himself is capable of, i have no idea."
Sabel nods to the new information.
"This is some really good information!"
Sabel turns around and waves for Mary.
"A round for this table please!"
She turns back to the table again.
"I personally think we are both foolish and brave. But we got really pulled into this problem, so there is no going back now. I assume you are not volunteering? We need some more direct information first so I think we are gonna help them with loading or someone must sign up as a new recruit."
The table is now awkwardly silent as glances are exchanged and glide back at Sabel.
"I believe you genuinely want to do what you just said. Those 2 should hang, okay then. As for loading or recruitment, that excludes 5 of 7 of us, we'd be recognized by face. These last 2 though," (looks at a young man and an athletic type),"could help out. They're nimble and fast.
We're on shore leave for the time being. I don't know the time schedule for the assumed ship's stay, but the man's been a tight-schedule type, get what you need and get going. When you know the how and when he's doing recruiting or loading, let us know in on your plan."
They're... very eager to help us...
"How can we contact you? You'll be here all day?"
Lyssa
Verner is being honost, maybe even eager to see Valux gone. From their looks you can tell they hold a disgust towards Valux.
"Oh no, not at all. We'll be here in the evenings, as we are lodged here, a small price to pay considering our wages and normally sleeping in a hangmat. Today's our 1st day of shore leave. We plan to visit the districts of the city as much as we can."
"Hmm, okay," Lyssa replies with a nod.
She then turns to her comrades again. "I like Sabel's plan. What about you? We'd only have to figure out where the recruitment's taking place. Perhaps the dockworkers at other table can help us. Or perhaps Mary's heard some rumors."
Sabel turns around again and looks for Grint.
"Grint! Come over here for a minute. We have some leads and very willing people to help us!"
Gritn shrugs, shoulders the bow and walks over to the table where Lyssa and Sabel are talking.
"So what's up? What's the new information?" He says as he strolls down to the table. He keeps standing though and greets the men at the table with a simple greeting: "Evening men."
Lyssa quickly summarizes what's been discussed.
"You also like Sabel's plan?"
Elsa nods in agreement. We should try it.
"Usually recruitment is done in places people look for jobs. Cities we've frequented back then, i'm assuming this one too, should have an office of some sort. Maybe the beautiful Mary knows."
He raises his hand to draw Mary's attention and asks what he just mentioned.
"Oh, that's not hard to find. There is an office like that at the central plaza. They hire help for pretty much everything.
Know what, the clerk there is a regular, tell him i sent you and you just might find your qeue shorter."
Sabel looks around the group while proposing her plans.
"I propose we first go to the market to sell everything we found so far. Afterwards I say we go to the central plaza to see if they are hiring there. After that we could go back here to discuss what we should do."
Malena nods. "Sounds like a plan."