Xindyra decided to stay up a little longer than the others, leaning against the rail of the ship, looking at the stars.
Her thoughts wandered over the bounty of impressing experiences of late, and what challenge the current city could hold for them.
"Well, i will not be short on stories when i eventually get back home.
I'll probably be able to keep them distracted for a full week, if not more."
She then turns around to head for her cabin, smiling with excitement.
Dr Munroe laughed when Zendara asked for the ship to be ready to leave on short notice. With some irony he remarked, "Sounds like you're going to end up as popular as I am round here. Probably for the best if my name doesn't get mentioned in negotiations... Still I hope you don't stir the ants nest up too much, some of the locals have armed ships. We can handle one or two but not an armarda!"
Next morning at breakfast Braenar walks comes over to your table in the galley and says, "Mornin. I hear you may need us to high tail it, don't worry we'll be ready. Still please be careful, Carina's reputation is well deserved and the ones that run the place are proper degenerates. Oh and as for chickens that's fine, I like an egg fer breakfast now and then!"
In the morning when everyone gathers, Zendara says
Well, let's see. Today we have to get the food, Yukarii is going to deliver that doll, and I am going to visit the mother of that poor boy they are planning on putting to death. What else do we have going on, and who should be involved in what? Should we go together to do all of these things, or split up and meet later for lunch? And are there other things you guys wanted to do?
Yukarii rose and joined the others for breakfast to discuss their coming day. She nodded in agreement with Zendara and said, "Yes, I will need help to find them but that is my polan." Once it was asked if they had other things to do not on the list Yukarii thought about it while she ate.
Marek sat next to her and Yukarii had tucked up tight against his side and lured him into placing an arm around her to stroke her hip gently while she ate. "I cannot think of anything else I need before we leave this place and I think that we will have a full day as it is."
Edwin got up and took some time using magical cleaning to make sure his clothing was presentable. Then he joined the others for breakfast. "Our meeting at the farm is in the afternoon, so let's deliver the child's present and visit the other boy's mother first. I don't like the idea of splitting up, unless we have to."
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Suited up, Xindyra went to the mess(?) for breakfast.
"Good morning everyone."
She didn't mind a specific order of things to do, but there was one place she wanted to go to.
"I'd like to visit that magic shop, expand my formulae list."
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The party resolved to visit Rose Cottage first thing. It was about a mile from the mooring point and the first part involved retracing your steps from yesterday through the fields of exotic plants and unfamiliar buzzing insects and along the cart trail. Rather than heading directly into town you turned right at an intersection towards the interior and up a small rise where there was a lone homestead. Surrounding the this was a low palisade fence painted white and inside was a well tended kitchen garden with a mix of the occasional ornamental plant and neat rows of herbs and vegetables.
Through the grass, a series of slate stones formed a path towards a low white washed thatched cottage. A thin trail of smoke was coming out of the chimney. Next to the entrance gate (held closed by a simple latch) was a letter box.
Outside the cottage door is an old rocking chair which empty. There's a small pond in the front garden inside of which you spot a couple of golden colored fish.
Zendara takes a look at the letter box
(fail)
but notices nothing.
She then walks up to the door, listening a moment before she proceeds.
(pass)
Hearing a door close, she knows someone is inside, and knocks on the door.
Edwin decided that it wouldn't be polite to look through the mail. He walked up the door and listened at the door before knocking, "Sounds like someone's home."
He waited at the door for an answer.
It took a few moment for the door to open, revealing a slim but tired looking middle-aged lady dressed entirely in black for morning complete with a veil. She had bags under her eyes and lines on her face suggestive of tears.
With a resigned sigh she flatly stated, "I don't care how many messengers Mr Gurez sends, the answer's still the same. No. I'm not paying a damn copper, he chose to snatch my poor son. I'm am not liable for execution expenses!"
And with that she slammed the door shut.
Edwin decided that it wouldn't be polite to look through the mail.
Compulsive curiosity though.....
Xindyra does browse the mailbox, but making sure she puts the mail back in order as she found it.
Bills bills bills.....
She quietly closes the mailbox again, then heads up to the door with the others.
(cue door slam scene)
"Huh, that would explain a few things. Still...."
Edwin called after the woman, "We're not here for money, we want to help you!" He didn't want to say too much, in case the neighbors overheard.
Yukarii was conerned teh woman might slip out on them so she quietly made her way around the house to look for a back door she might slip from. They wanted to help and if she got away there was a good chance they would fail in their task.
The back of the cottage has a lean to which by the smell of it contains dried fruit. The lean to's door is closed as is the cottage's back door.
[ooc]Perception DC 16: The single window's hinges and the backdoor lock have scratches which suggest somebody tried to force their way in presumably unsuccessfully.
The door opened a crack and with an incredulous voice Mrs Harris replied, "Really?! I... Uh perhaps you'd better come in."
She ushered you into the well kept but spartan interior and you where seated and offered green tea and a sort of flavoured rice cracker before she asked, "So uh, how do you think you can help?"
First, perhaps you can tell us your view of the situation. We don't know yet if we can help, but if we can, we would like to. From what we've heard, it doesn't seem like a very just situation, and I thought perhaps you would like free passage away from here, even if we can do nothing for your son. I'm not sure what has been tried so far. Catch us up, and then we can talk about possibilities
Edwin echoed Xendara's words, "The more you can tell us about the situation, the better position we will be in to help."
Mrs Harris sighed, "Well it all started nine months ago or so, Elliot was looking for work. I want to say he's a hard worker and his heart he is, but he's a bit of a dreamer, got his head in the clouds if you know what I mean. Anyway he did a bit of this and a bit of that before landing a job as a tour guide of all things with the Canyon Silver Mine company. There's a number of abandoned mines in the area and the Canyon mine is apparently quite interesting to visit and the owners wanted to turn it into a tourist attraction."
She takes a sip of tea before continuing, "Turns out this venture was backed by the Gurez family and it was intended to be Eloise d'Tarren's first venture into business. She's Castro Gurez's daughter although he never married her mother Karrin. Anyway the venture didn't get very far due to an unfortunate series of accidents, it seems the mine was haunted! It operated for six months and in this time Eloise fell in love with Elliot. Normally this would be a cause for celebration but alas those of Kez ancestry are not welcome here, they blame us for all sorts of things. This is a deep seated prejudice and a traditionalist like Castro Gurez was never going to accept Elliot. They tried to warn Elliot off and he was going to beak it off, but Eloise hatched a mad plan to elope on a vessel bound for Foghaven. Castro's men found out and a cutter was sent to intercept the ship and dragged the pair off. Despite the whole thing Eloise's idea, Castro blamed Elliot at least publicly. Privately I believe he's punishing Eloise for defying him. And to punish her they're going to force her to watch my poor boy getting killed in a barbaric way in a public square. There was talk about them getting one of those mind mages to force her to cast the first stone. I can't even imagine what must be going through their heads and I just don't know what to do..."
With that she starts sobbing uncontrollably.
When she heard the door open Yukarii ceased trying to sneak around since there was no need now. When she entered Yukarii stepped to the side and removed her shoes before pulling out a pair of house slippers and sliding them on. She gave a slight bow to the woman and said, "I am Yukarii. Thank you for speaking with us Harris-san." With that she let the others do the talking for now.
(fail)
(pass)
Zendara puts an arm around the woman while she cries, trying to comfort her.
When she is able to talk again she says
I'm so sorry. I don't know if we will be able to help, but tell me a bit more about when this execution is taking place, and where your son is being held.
Once she gets all the details, she adds
And also tell me, if there is no way to stop it... would you like passage away from this place?
Edwin was moved by the injustice of terrible situation; he tried to reassure Mrs. Harris, "We're going to try to stop him from being killed. As my friend says, knowledge of the details is key to saving him.
"If we are successful, your son will likely need to flee (as will we). We could take him aboard our ship."
"Ah, i've heard rumors about poor miss D'Tarren. A dubious case, for sure."
Mrs Harris nodded at Yukarii, "Nice to meet you." When Edwin and Zendara had spoken she gave you all a dubious look, "What are you going to do bust him out of jail? Not that they have a jail here, they've got him locked up in the old windmill on the edge of town. Of course you can't just walk in there, place is crawling with enforcers... And if you somehow did get him out we'd have to leave pronto, I hope your ship is real fast because Gurez would regard this as a personal affront and will put a bounty on our heads."
Zendara remains silent, letting Edwin continue, he having gone further than she would have.
It was clear to Edwin that they would have to have all their supplies loaded aboard the Dawntreader before they could attempt a rescue. He told Mrs Harris, "I can't make any promises without having seen the windmill. Do you know roughly how many enforcers are there?"
Mrs Harris shrugged, "I really couldn't say for certain. I was allowed to visit Elliot briefly yesterday to say goodbye, and there was perhaps ten mean looking men there, all armed. I didn't see where they're keeping him as they only allowed me to look in from outside."
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As they finished up their questions of Mrs. Harris Yukarii had a thought and decided she would break her silence. "Mrs Harris, do you know a woman named Yuri with a daughter named Tasha? I have a message for them but I do not know where they live to deliver it."
Mrs Harris seems surprised, "You must mean Yuri Kuznetsov, not many Yuri's round here. I don't know her well but she fled persecution just like we did and lives in an apartment at the end of Rudland street, no 6 if I remember rightly."
Edwin wrote down the address and said to his comrades, "We're going to have to split up if we want to have any hope of rescuing Mrs Harris' son. I'm going to head to the farm to try to arrange a faster delivery. Otherwise we won't have any food supplies. Meet me there; you have the directions?"
Okay. I'll go with Yukarii to deliver the doll, and then we'll head over to the windmill and see if it's even going to be possible.
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Yukarii nodded her head and said, "Thank you Mrs Harris." Her gaze went to Zendara then and she said, "Thank you Zendara-san your help will be appreciated."
Clearly feeling a range of emotions Mrs Harris remarks, "Well I suppose I'd better pack. Honestly I don't think I could bear to stay if the worst happens... May St Michael guide your hands and St Agatha guard your hearts."
Edwin took his leave and hurried towards the farm where they had arranged the meeting for the afternoon. He anticipated that the family weren't not going to be very appreciative of him showing up four hours early, but the alternative was simply to let the boy be executed. He was determined not to simply give up without trying to save him.
Yukarii rose when Mrs Harris spoke of getting her things together. She said, "Thank you for listening to us." With that she headed back to the door where she slipped off the house shoes and put back on her regular ones.
Once she was out of sight of Mrs Harris Yukarii began the ritual that would call Yukaari forth. Since they were splitting up it would be wise to have her alter ego ready in case of trouble. When she was done and Yukaari was safely hidden within her form Yukarii looked to Zendara and said "I am ready if you are Zendara-san."
Zendara nods at Yukarii and they head off to find Yuri Kuznetsov, Rudland street, #6
(pass)
Zendara starts out by asking directions to the address.
(pass)
But then she realizes that they can just catch a cab, and she hails one, climbing in and giving the driver the address.
When they arrive, she asks the driver to wait, since they have another destination after this.
Hailing a cab was an excellent idea, saving at least twenty minutes on the trap and the driver knew exactly where Rudland street was. The young man was happy to wait after Zendara gave him a few silvers for his time.
The tenement buildings lining Rudland street had clearly seen better days with plaster and paint peeling from once grand facades. Echoing the dilapidated state of the buildings where the inhabitants, many of whom where chewing that awful leaf with the thousand yard stare that went with it.
No 5 was up a set of worn communal stairs and down a landing that smelled suspiciously of tramp. It seemed vagrants of various kinds liked to chance it although they where not exactly welcome given the venemous looks several of the residents gave a tramp who had been sleeping in the corridor.
Trying to ignore this and focus on her mission, Zendara found herself in front of the light blue painted door of no 5. A quick glance revealed damage from somebody trying to force it that had been repaired. Some of the doors had rubbish piling outside but this one at least had been swept and was clean. She knocked on the door and nothing happened. After she knocked on the door again there was an annoyed female voice from within, "All-right-alright I'm coming..."
The door opened to reveal a slim tired looking woman in her thirties with crow's feet in the corner of her eyes. She looked at Zendara and blinked, "Err. Look if you're after Ivan just like the other two this morning, I still don't know where he is."
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When they arrived at the tenement Yukarii looked at the place in interest. She hadn't been quite this close to such an area since her arrival in this part of the world and it was quite...interesting. She did her best to look past it and it wasn't the worst place she'd ever seen so she decided there was no need to be concerned.
When the woman answered the door after Zendara knocked Yukarii bowed slightly and then said, "No Yuri-san, we have not come to find Ivan." Yukarii met the woman's eyes and said, "It would be best if we came inside to talk about this. Would that be acceptable Yuri-san?" The whole time she spoke Yukarii was calm and doing her best to come across as trustworthy. She knew what would come next would be very hard.
Zendara remained silent, letting Yukarii handle it, but ready to back her up if needed.
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Like Zendara, Xindyra lets Yukarii do the talking.
Instead she takes a quick look around them.
Mrs Kuznetsov falls silent for a moment and pales before sighing deeply, "I suppose you must."
She ushers you inside and a small child with an angelic face hides behind her mother as she asks, "Mumma what do they want?" Mrs Kuznetsov didn't answer this, instead sternly instructing the little girl to play with her toys in her room. The girl sullenly started to withdraw and was about to defy her mother when a sharp look sent her running.
Inside the apartment is very small but spotlessly clean and tidy which was remarkable considering the circumstances. You follow her into the kitchen where you're invited to sit at the table where she regards you dubiously and states, "You’re not here to find Ivan but you are hear because of him... He's never been the most reliable, uh, partner but when didn't turn up last night I knew something had happened. What did he do this time?"
Yukarii stopped inside the door and, like before, changed her shoes for house shoes while leaving the regular shoes at the door, before continuing inside. Yukarii saw Tasha behind Yulia and smiled at the little girl before watching as Yulia got Tasha to go to her room. and smiled sadly as after the little girl was gone.
Yukarii followed Yulia to her kitchen and listened to what the woman said. When Yulia asked what Ivan had done Yukarii said, "I am sorry to tell you that Ivan was killed last night by his employers. They thought he had betrayed them."
She made a small sound and stood perfectly still as a tear ran down her cheek. Her voice when she spoke was barely a whisper, "Oh gods Ivan... I always knew he'd leave me, just not like this. I hated what he did, he told me he was planning to retire. I made him promise and now, and now." She swallowed before continuing, "And now they killed him for it. Whatever am I going to tell Tasha? She thought the world of her papa. But then he missed her birthday and she was crushed."
What a strong woman.
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Yukarii was relieved the woman was taking this as well as she was, most people would barely be holding it together, this was good for Tasha. Yukarii decided to push forward with what she had to say, "It gets worse Yulia. Ivan's soul is trapped at his place of death, he can not accept it, and his thoughts are all about how you will take Tasha and leave him and he will never see you again. If his unfinished business is not resolved then he will become a trapped soul, haunting that alley at best. At worst..." Yukarii's voice trailed off. The at worst scenario was very bad and she did not want to voice it.
Tukarii reached out to place a hand on Yulia's forearm and said, "His unfinished business was Tasha's birthday present. We found it tossed in the garbage by his killers who mocked him for it." Yukarii gave the woman a sympathetic look and said, "We found the gift and restored it to it's original state and, with your permission, I would like to give it to Tasha. If you want I will do my best to explain what has happened to her and why her daddy can't give it to her himself."
Yukarii hesitated a moment and then asked Yulia, "I know this may not be my business but do you have a way to provide for Tasha and yourself? If not I might be able to find a job for you both on our ship. We are heading to some ancient ruins and someone to help with book work and cooking and cleaning would likely be appreciated by those in charge. The only problem is we would have to go and talk to Dr Monroe-sensei now and you likely would not get to come back here as we will be leaving around noon today."