Rhugarr gives the gnome an appraising glance. Lili gets the distinct impression he's considering how far she would travel if he punted her.
He turns to Cyrus. "She may lack anythin' resemblin' manners, but she's also right. However..." He shuffles over to the crane and pulley, giving it a light kick at its base; a small storm of rust and dust sprinkles down from the crane. "It's clearly rusted. Ye'll be lucky ta get it moved over the hole. Gettin' it movin' twice will be a small miracle--more'n like, it'll topple over once ye add the weight o' the crate to it an' try ta move it." He pauses a moment, brow furrowed. "Dinnae suppose either of you can swim?"
"Maybe there is a better way. After all, they have to be able to retrieve it safely at some point, right? Cyrus, Rhugarr, help me look." She pauses a moment, then looks at the dwarf sheepishly. "Please."
"Good point. There must be something we're missing."
Cyrus perks up. "Wait here."
He goes back outside, climbs into the dinghy, unties it, and rows it underneath the hole. He calls up to the others, "Okay, now do your thing with the pulley, Lili. I am just here as insurance."
With a little elbow grease the two of them manage to push the crane over the hole. With a quick flick of her wrist, Lili latches the hooked rope from the crane onto the crate, and she and Rhugarr lower it easily into the boat.
Once it's safely in the dinghy, opening the crate is a relatively quick and easy matter. Inside, Cyrus finds a darkwood chest unlocked, with several reams of looseleaf paper inside a leather folio, as well as five leatherbound volumes: Practical Thaumaturgy In Accordance with Creation; Geographic Anomalies of the Inner Sea; Under Kaer Maga: A Trial and Travel; Physiology of Dragons: An Illustrated Reference; and Lost Sarusan. The looseleaf papers appear to be cargo manifestos, warehouse inventories, and other financial logs from a dozen different merchant houses and trade guilds. This is clearly the item Guaril requested.
There are, however, other items of value inside the crate as well. Inside, Cyrus finds the following:
- 10 sets of masterwork thieves' tools
- 3 flasks of alchemist's fire
- 1 flask of acid
- 12 jars of various-colored inks
- 1 footprint book
- 1 adamantine weapon blanch
- 3 bags of powder
- 1 deck of marked cards
- 2 sets of average loaded dice
The crate takes some doing to get it up onto the pier, but with Lili and Rhugarr's help, Cyrus manages. Rhugarr nods appreciatively at the haul.
"Them lockpicks alone is worth a pretty copper. Best get that box back tae the creepy shopkeep. We still got three more jobs tae do."
Cyrus hands an alchemist's fire to Lili and Rhugarr, and hangs the third on his belt. He puts the rest of the items in his pack. "I don't need to remind either of you that we are on Society business. Anything we find during the course of our mission belongs to the Society. We may use these items if they assist in the completion of our task, but don't expect to keep anything we don't use."
Once done stowing the items, he nods. "Let's return to Karela."
"Hold on, Cyrus. Does it seem weird to anyone else that Karela would have us break in to a warehouse to retrieve these things? And as an official Pathfinder Society mission? Something doesn't add up. Let me see those papers."
So far as Lili can tell, there is nothing untoward about the papers, and she can find no secret codes or ciphers in the books. They appear to be exactly as they are: shipping manifests and a handful of rather bland tomes (though the one on dragon anatomy has some... highly accurate anatomical sketches).
Lili looks perplexed, then shrugs. "Dunno. Let's go."
The trio returns to the Pickled Imp, with the contents of the crate in tow. Guaril beams joyously at the group; it's like seeing sunshine through a grease-smeared window. [color=green]"Ah, the neophytes return! And successful, I hope?"[/color]
Guaril rubs his hands together. [color=green]"Ah, wonderful! The shipping manifests. And my books!"[/color] He reaches under the counter and withdraws three hefty pouches. [color=green]"Your payments for services rendered. Do be smart and don't report it to the Society. This is just for you. A 'tip,' if you will. And don't worry, I won't forget the service you've done for me. And for the Society! Whether you realize it or not, you have helped them tremendously. Now I'm sure you have other errands to attend. Good day."[/color]
His demeanor is so entirely dismissive, it leaves no question that the conversation is over. He begins rifling through the books and manifests, ignoring the group spectacularly.
Each pouch contains 111 gold.
Lili grabs all three pouches from Karela before Cyrus can object and leaves the shop. Once outside, she looks up at him. "What, no speech about how we can't accept this gold?"
Cyrus chuckles. "How long have we been doing this, Lili? I would think you'd know me better by now. The items we found in the crate belong to the Society by right, but this gold is a direct payment from Karela for services rendered. I can certainly find a better use for it than a man like that would have. I don't suppose he would have donated it to the needy if I had refused."
"Where to next? You grew up here, Lili. What's closest?"
All three remaining areas are clear on the other side of the city. The Ascendant Court, where you are to meet Dame Ollysta Zadrian of the Silver Crusade, is only slightly closer to the Docks than the Wise Quarter where Dremdhet Salhar awaits. Both are roughly an hour or more by foot, though a coach would cut the travel time down significantly (down to perhaps thirty or forty minutes to reach). Fortunately, the remaining 3 jobs are fairly close to each other.
"It doesn't really matter where we go next; they're all on the other side of town. Let's get a coach and head to the Temple of the Shining Star."
"Sounds good. I will find a coach."
Cyrus flags down a coach, and the three take a ride through Absalom. The trip over the cobblestone streets is not quite as comfortable as one would hope but it is definitely quicker. Rhugarr spends the trip in silence, staring out at the massive throngs of a busy midday. The crowded sidewalks thin somewhat as the coach turns slightly west toward the Foreign Quarter, then returns sharply east as it comes to the Ascendant Court. There are significantly fewer crowds here, but the streets are nonetheless busy as people come and go from various masses and church-sponsored events. Every other building seems to be a huge temple to one of the major deities. Many of the other buildings are marked as orphanages or smithies.
Perhaps it was a trick of the light in her eyes, or maybe Guaril's greasy aura has upped her paranoia for Creep Factor, but Lili could swear she saw a cherub-faced woman with bright red curly locks watching their coach. She tries to crane her head and look again, but the coach is already past.
Soon you arrive at a towering chapel of simple, well-worked stone, though the alcoves boast impressive gargoyles and the stained-glass windows are clearly works of art themselves, all different iterations of the sun rising. An acolyte greets you as if the trio was expected, and ushers you through the solid oak doors of the building. Cyrus knows this building, if not by experience, then certainly by reputation. The Temple of the Shining Star is the largest temple to Sarenrae in Absalom--perhaps in all of Avistan.
You arrive before a woman in her late twenties or early thirties with dark skin and a wild shock of crinkled black hair, pulled back into a puffy bun behind her face. Her armor is absolutely resplendent, traced with gold and magical runes, but still bears a few battle scars, revealing it's not just for show. An absurdly large sword of equal craftsmanship is strapped to her back. Rhugarr surreptitiously wipes the drool from his lip.
She smiles tightly as the group approaches. “Thank the light of Sarenrae you have arrived! I knew Ambrus would come through for us in the Silver Crusade. I desperately need you to bring medicine to an orphanage and let me know if the headmistress, Gilga Baltwin, is deserving of our charity. Since our quest began, the needy have clamored for our aid, and I suspect some are abusing our generosity. It may sound cruel, but there are plenty of dishonest people out in the world eager for easy gold.
“Do you know of the Silver Crusade? After discovering so many factions splintered the Society, a number of us banded together to proliferate the cause of charity and kindness using the Society’s resources. As it is said, ‘The Dawn brings new light’ and I’ve made it my life’s work to use our recent darkness to bring a new light to the world and to the Pathfinder Society."
She shakes her head and smiles ruefully. "I apologize for straying off point. Will you bring this parcel of medicine to Auntie Baltwin’s Home for Recovery in the Eastgate district?”
Lili's mouth is unabashedly agape as she looks up at Zadrian. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," she says almost matter-of-factly, as if she is simply stating an obvious tautology that need not be spoken aloud.
Cyrus's heart skips a beat at the sight of Zadrian. He quickly composes himself, but he does not chide Lili for speaking her mind as he would normally be quick to do. Instead, he (perhaps subconsciously) stands up a little taller, and says, "See, Lili? Did I not say that the Dawnflower would provide a better use for Karela's money than he would have?" He pulls out the pouch that Karela gave him and hands it to Zadrian. "Please accept this donation to your worthy cause, Dame Ollysta. The Healing Light be with you," he says, grasping his holy symbol.
After handing off the pouch, his gaze lingers on hers for perhaps a beat too long before he catches himself and clears his throat. "Pardon me for straying from the topic at hand. Of course we would be honored to deliver the medicine and vet Headmistress Baltwin. It will be done with all haste." He takes the medicine and bows deeply.
Ollysta chuckles and bows her head slightly at Lili. "Thank you, miss. You flatter me."
Ollysta smiles patiently at Cyrus and hands him the parcel. "Thank you, Master Cyrus. Ambrus mentioned your skill at arms was rather impressive for a recruit. And your heart is certainly in the right place. By its weight" she hefts the coin purse "I'd say this is quite a generous donation. But we all do as we can for the Dawnflower and her cause." She hands Cyrus a small slip of paper with an address. "You will find Auntie Baltwin's Home for Recovery here. Please do be courteous, even if you find suspect behavior. This is strictly an observe-and-report situation. Deliver the goods regardless; with a bit of luck they will still reach the children's hands. But try not to be confrontational if you can help it." She glances between the three of you. "Any more questions I can answer for you before you go?"
Cyrus hands the paper to Lili and turns back to Zadrian. "Thank you, Dame Ollysta. We will report back when it is done."
Once outside, he says to Lili, "Lead the way! There is charity to be done!" He can't hide the goofy grin on his face.
Lili looks up at Cyrus bemusedly. She desperately wants to make fun of him, but she saw Zadrian too. If she were into humans, Cyrus would have some competition. For once, she decides to leave it alone. It's nice to see Cyrus have a feeling.
She looks at the address. "Easy. It's this way."
After a half hour walk or so, the trio arrive at the outskirts of the Eastgate district, less than a block from the orphanage. The estate is hard to miss; it's a large two-story house with an impressive yard. It looks as if it might belong to a wealthy merchant or minor noble, except even from here it's clear the building is in minor disrepair--a roof gutter slightly askew, a few posts missing in the fence, and so on.
As you approach, Rhugarr holds up a hand. "Mayhap someone aughter talk tae the neighbors. Couldn'a hurt ta learn more aboot this woman afore we go in." Despite his words, his face clearly says, Not It.
Cyrus nods. He leads the party around the neighborhood, knocking on doors and speaking with passersby. He sees no reason to be cagey about their mission; he explains that the temple intends to help the children and wants to ensure that the donations find their way into the children's hands.
After minutes asking around , Cyrus gains the following information after chatting with neighbors and other locals.
1. Miltivis, who runs a nearby market, claims he’s served Auntie Baltwin for over 30 years, and while a good customer, she is quite demanding and often rude to the other customers. He says she’s kept his supplier of fine whiskeys in business for decades.
2. Gilga Baltwin’s neighbors Travost and Tirelle Anthos are frankly tired of the noises the children make and the retinue of cats—though they do appreciate the latter’s mousing skills. They admit to being happy when Auntie Baltwin sends the children “off into the town” during the day, as it gives them a few hours of peace and quiet before they return in the evening.
Cyrus leads the party back to the orphanage, considering what they've learned. "There is no crime against drinking, provided she isn't shirking her duty to the children. We might need to learn more what the children are doing when they go into town."
"I will try to get some of the kids to talk to me. They'll probably be more open with me than Mr. Grumpybeard and Shinyarmor Longhammer the Brave."
Cyrus nods. "Let's do this." He approaches the door and knocks.
Nearly swarming with cats and children, this fine upper-class home appears to be clean and in good condition considering the number and ages of its inhabitants. Three young boys shoot marbles in the dirt near the side porch, and inside strewn toys and more cats lie about on the floors. A few children take care of chores, while coughs and sneezes softly erupt from the children’s dormitories upstairs.
A withered old woman shuffles into the entry hall just as you come in. Her wrinkled skin is riddled with liver spots, and her iron gray hair is pulled into a disheveled bun. Her teeth are yellow and rotting, her eyes water, and her hands shake, yet she studies the trio with a shrewd gaze.
Finally, she says, "Wipe yer feet afore ya come any further. Can I help you?"
At the sight of Lili, she gives a horrible grin, revealing the extent of the stains and holes in her old teeth. "Oh, hello sweetie! What is your name, hmm? Are ya here to spend some time with Auntie Baltwin 'til yer feelin' better? Eh?" She leans forward and tries to pinch Lili's cheek. Her breath is awful.
Lili briefly considers playing along so she might have a chance to speak to the children unsupervised, but something about this woman makes her think better of it. She takes an involuntary step back from the woman. "My name is Lili, and I am 64 years old." Her usual mirth is nowhere to be seen.
Cyrus sees Lili's discomfort and speaks quickly. "Headmistress Baltwin, my name is Cyrus Blackstenius, and these are my compatriots Lili Quicklight and Liuetenant Rhugarr. We are here at the behest of the Pathfinder Society and The Temple of the Shining Star. We have the honor of delivering medicine and other supplies to assist you in your noble pursuit. Before we discuss an ongoing arrangement, might we have a tour of the facility?" Cyrus flashes his most winning smile.
Auntie Baltwin blinks in confusion at Lili for a moment, then momentarily scowls, particularly at Rhugarr, despite the dwarf having not said a single word since entering the building. But at Cyrus' words she smiles again--an unpleasant sight--and pats him on the arm. "Of course, Mister Cyrus, of course! I understand, the temple wants to make sure old Auntie Gilga's not some ne'er-do-well. Terrible world we live in, when such types is allowed to skulk about and take advantage, yes! Come, come."
She begins leading the trio through a very slow tour (her gait is practically a crawl; it is clear she has arthritis or some other joint-damaging disease) of the estate. Her left hand trembles slightly all the while.
The estate is impressive in size, with over a dozen rooms between two floors and an attic. She doesn't take you into any rooms during the tour, but several doors are open and can easily be seen into. Many of the rooms hold multiple beds. Not all of them are full, but the ones that are have children lying in them, mostly sleeping, some with coughs or visible rashes or blemishes. "This dormitory and the next on this side, them's the sick dorms. I do my best to keep the wee ones apart from the healthy childrens, but you know how kiddies are. They'd be elbow-deep in each other's noses if ya let 'em." She gives a wheezy chuckle that ends in a cough. All through the tour, she is unendingly polite and smiles often (much to everyone's chagrin). When Baltwin isn't looking, Rhugarr gives Cyrus and Lili a meaningful look. It's clear the dwarf doesn't trust her.
While the old woman is incredibly off-putting, nothing in her demeanor states clearly one way or the other whether or not she is disingenuous. Glancing over at Rhugarr, the dwarf shrugs helplessly. It is clear he can't get a bead on her, either.
After the tour, Cyrus asks if they can speak in her office. On the way to the office, he catches Lili's eyes and nods in the direction of the dormitories.
As he sits, Cyrus hands over the package of medicine. "Headmistress, thank you for your time today. It is our pleasure to provide this donation to your children. Going forward, the Pathfinder Society and The Temple of the Shining Star are considering a recurring, substantial donation of time and resources to assist your children. Therefore, I trust that you understand that we may have to discuss some sensitive topics before we make a decision." Without waiting for a response, he continues, "Please forgive my bluntness. I have some experience with medicine and health issues and I have noticed two things that are troubling to me. First, I cannot help but notice that you have many of the hallmark symptoms of alcoholism. That is not a crime, but it could contribute to neglect of your children's needs. I will need to see ample evidence that this is not the case. Which brings me to my second question: I noticed on the tour that many of the children have minor illnesses that can be treated mundanely. In other words, these specialized medicines we are delivering today are unnecessary. Will you please go over what you are doing to treat these children?"
Lili sees Cyrus's gesture and slips off while they continue to the office.
She returns to the dormitories and enters.
It does not appear that Auntie Baltwin has noticed Lili's disappearance.
For some reason, any of the children Lili tries to talk to clam up immediately, as if they sense something off about her. Even the cats run away.
Auntie Baltwin gives Cyrus an odd look. "Don't got an office, young man. This is my home, not some bank or summat. But we can sit in the parlor."
She leads the two back downstairs and seats them before easing into a large over-stuffed chair that looks well-used.
At Cyrus' confrontation, a look of sheer panic falls over her face before she can compose herself. She sniffs derisively at the paladin. "Then clearly ya don't know so much about medicine as ya think. Just cause the sick'uns here now don't need that medicine, don't mean the next children won't. That's damn foolish." Her tone softens and she looks down at her hands. She grasps her shaking left hand with her right. "As to the drinking, well... I'm old, Master Cyrus, very old. I love taking care of all the little'uns, of course I do, but it's hard on me nerves, ya see. So I have a nip now and then to calm m'self. Ya don't have no children of your own, either of you, I expect, or you'd know how a handful they can be, just a few of 'em. And I have a whole big house of 'em!" she adds pleadingly.
She sighs. "Oh, hells. I s'pose you have a point there. Tell ya what. I'll... I'll see someone about... about getting help for the drinking. Just, please, Master Cyrus. Don't take it out on the children by denying 'em medicine." Her expression is pained, and she looks to be on the verge of tears.
Lili frowns at her utter lack of success with the children. She begins to leave the dormitories, dejected, but suddenly has another idea. She heads to the dormitory with the sick children and begins looking around for items that might be a child's "woobie".
Lili manages to touch the dollie of one sleeping girl without waking her, and gets a strong sense of misery--but not traumatic misery. Merely the everyday misery of being sick: stuffy head leading to fuzzy thoughts and difficulty concentrating; aches and pains across her body making moving a chore but not particularly agonizing; and constant sneezes and sniffles.
She tries again two more times and gets roughly the same results. So far as her object reading is telling her, the children are not being mistreated. It does not appear Auntie Baltwin mistreats the children, at least not the ones Lili checked.
Rhugarr looks somewhat chastised by Gilga Baltwin's words, but Cyrus isn't so sure. He gets the sense she isn't lying, necessarily, about being willing to seek help for the drinking, but not because she genuinely wants to be a better person. He strongly feels like she's only willing to do it to get Cyrus--and anyone else looking too closely at her--off her back. What she may be hiding, exactly, is hard to say.
Lili sighs heavily when she finds the stash of medicine. This isn't definitive proof that Baltwin is withholding or otherwise misusing the medicine, but it doesn't look good. Why hide it? And the fact that they are from three different charities is potentially damning as well.
She returns the medicine to its compartment as carefully as possible and returns to Cyrus and Rhugarr. She asks Headmistress Baltwin to excuse them for a moment and tells the others what she found (being sure to include that she does not believe the children are mistreated or unsafe).
Cyrus considers what Lili tells him in addition to what he has learned in his conversation with Baltwin. When Lili tells him she returned the medicine to its hiding place, intending to try to catch Baltwin in a lie, he shakes his head and asks her to go retrieve it. He doesn't want to resort to trickery.
After a few more minutes of discussion, he returns to the parlor.
"Headmistress, I have come to a decision. I firmly believe that the children here are well-treated, and that is a point in your favor. However, you have not been entirely honest with us, and that gives me pause. Lili found your stash of medicines from other charities, and I do not believe that you intend to seek help for your alcoholism in the best interest of the children. However, I have not and will not lose sight of who our charity is intended to help: the children themselves. I believe you feel the same way but have some vices that prevent them from being your first priority. Therefore, my proposal to The Temple of the Shining Star will be to provide you supervised medical care for your children. This will necessarily mean that we will be able to provide less overall care, because of the need for a cleric or doctor's time in addition to the medicine itself."
He pauses and looks her in the eye. "However. I will further propose that this arrangement is on a trial basis. If you show actual and concerted effort in addressing your alcoholism and if the representatives of the temple are convinced of your priorities, we may proceed to a more hands-off approach."
"I feel the need to stress that this is unorthodox and I do not speak with ultimate authority of the temple. This is simply the proposal I will make. Someone will contact you soon with a ruling."
He makes a show of placing the medicine boxes on the table. "As a show of good faith, I am leaving this with you. Ensure it is put to good use. Thank you for your time."
Full-blown panic sweeps over her face as Cyrus talks. When he's finished, she stands and waves her cane threateningly at the trio. "Ye snoops and vagrants! Stickin' yer nose in my belongings! Criminals! Get outta my house! Yer not welcome here! Git gone!"
She is clearly no threat physically, but is also just as clearly adamant about you leaving immediately.
Lili snatches the medicine off the table. "You tried, Cyrus. Let's go."
Cyrus stands his ground and stays calm. "You authorized an investigation to determine your worthiness of our charity. I am giving you a chance because I believe you care about the children. My offer still stands but if you run us out of here, I will be forced to recommend rehoming the children instead."
She isn't listening now. She shrieks at the top of her lungs, "Guards! Help! Intruders! Thieves! THIEEEVESS!" Some of the children peek their heads into the sitting room to see what's going on, watching the trio with fearful eyes. The old woman has a surprisingly strong set of lungs, and you have no doubt her voice is carrying to through the open doors of the home to the street.