Aurelia shivers at the kiss and turns to Nicoleta and whispers, covering her mouth with her hand so her lips can't be read "I like this one. He can be one of my three." before turning back to Vencarlo with a huge grin. "It is a pleasure to meet you in person, Vencarlo. Your reputation of legendary swordplay proceeds you."
To Cressida she asks, "What can we be of assistance with today, Field Marshall?"
”Vencarlo has learned something that could degrade into sanctions, embargoes, or even war against Cheliax if we don’t act now. This problem is a man named Darvayne Gios Amprei, an ambassador from Cheliax whose disdain for Korvosa is well documented, though he’s taken great pleasure in what our city has to offer. Even before this recent unrest, this man was ready to recommend to his government a sanction on trade, or perhaps even an embargo. Vencarlo has learned through his own considerable sources that Ambassador Amprei’s actual goals are to undermine Korvosa’s economy to the point where he can buy up large portions of the city from desperate landholders. He plans to establish himself in a position of power here before advising the end of the sanctions with his allies in Cheliax. We can’t let his bias or personal plans hurt Korvosa. Yet neither can we take drastic action—not only would killing him be wrong, but it’d simply martyr him in Cheliax’s eyes.
“Fortunately, the ambassador has his foibles. Again, Vencarlo has learned that Ambassador Amprei has been making fairly regular visits to a place in Old Korvosa called Eel’s End. This den of vice is run by a dangerous man named Devargo Barvasi, better known in Korvosa’s alleys as the King of Spiders. I’d love to put Devargo out of business, but he pays his vice taxes regularly and never causes any problems—in fact, since he keeps his business constrained entirely within the five ships moored at Eel’s End, he’s actually one of the least of my worries. Truth be told, I can’t decide whether Devargo is a stirge or a kraken. He seems like a bloodsucking pest most days, but sometimes I fear just how far his tentacles have wormed their way into our great city. In this case though, his insidious web stretching across Korvosa’s underworld might be to our advantage.
“Devargo would never let someone he recognizes as an ally of the Guard into Eel’s End, but your group’s a different case. I’d like you to pay a visit to Eel’s End and secure an audience with Devargo. Find out what he knows about Amprei, get proof of any illicit goings-on the ambassador might be involved with, and bring that proof to me. I can use it to undermine any forthcoming attempts by him to get Cheliax to cut us off. Devargo might not be willing to part with his information easily. I’ll supply you with some gold to bribe him, and whatever’s left over you can keep for yourself. Remember: Devargo is dangerous, but so are you—if things get violent, I wouldn’t mourn his passing.”
Cressida hands Aurelia a small pouch filled with 1,000 gp—your funds for bribing Devargo.
"He is a handsome fellow, isn't he?" Nicoleta whispers back with a grin. Her suspicions regarding flattering men not mollified by his attractiveness.
"So, you'd like us to talk to Devargo and find out what he knows about Amprei," she says with a nod. "Should we act on anything we find out, or just bring it to you?"
”Just bring it to me. I’ll determine how best to make use of it,” Kroft says.
"Very well. We'll see what we can dig up from this guy," she says. Her gaze turns to Vencarlo. "Good day to you, Sir," she says. "I have a feeling that we'll meet again."
”Actually,” Vencarlo says, ”I was heading back up to my academy in Old Korvosa anyway. I’d be delighted to escort you as far as the edge of the district, if you’ll allow me.” He smiles and offers his arm to Nicoleta.
"Aren't you the gentleman," the dhampir replies, as she takes his arm. She sends a quick questioning glance at Aurelia and Rozalia.
Aurelia slides into Vencarlo's other arm and with her hand, turns his face towards her instead of Nicoleta. "I'd love to hear some of the amazing stories you surely must have tucked away. Come, share them with us as we walk."
Iolaire is more interested in the man's weapon than anything he says and nods in quiet approval when she sees it. 'A fine blade that's seen use. He deserves his reputation.'
She declines to get involved in the jockeying over Vencarlo however, simply following everyone else out of the keep and then speaking quietly to Roz.
"I think Vox would like to be involved in this. I'll go and leave her a message. Hopefully she'll be able to meet you in time."
When the girls arrive, a familiar figure is waiting in the shadows of one of the narrow alleys. A briefly pulled back hood reveals Vox's white hair.
"Few songs here." She says quietly. "The people are tired, afraid. We should give them a new song to sing."
Roz nods. ”Alright, I’ll fill you in on the gossip later.”
The oracle is content letting Aurelia and Nicoleta hang off of Vencarlo. She trails behind and listens intently, while also stealing glance at the trio’s butts.
”Of course! Let me tell you of the time I helped solve an up and coming Pathfinder named Varian Jeggare solve a crime spree...”
The swordmaster regales you with an exciting tale of adventure as you walk. Though Vencarlo is middle-aged, he has a twinkle in his eye and a bounce to his step that hints at t hints at the inner fire of a man under half his age. His eyes are a cast of deep green like the ocean after a storm. He is of old Chelish blood, and it shows. He wears black leather gloves, and Aurelia and Nicoleta notice that the two smaller fingers of his right hand never seem to bend.
”...and it turned out to be the museum curator the whole time!” he finishes with a chuckle. ”Now, I have told a story, so it is your turn. I would love to know more about you all.”
Aurelia has a pays attention to all of the story and even burst out laughing at the end of it. "No! I don't believe it!" she says with a smile.
"I don't have extravagant stories such as yours, I'm afraid. Just lonely, little old me trying to make ends meet day to day by cleaning up these streets one day at a time." she winks at him with her left eye, clearly insinuating there is more to be told.
She leans forward to look past him to look at her dhampir friend. "Now Peaches over there, whew, she's got some stories for you. Don't you Peaches?" she says, a wry grin spread on her face.
Nicoleta gives the woman a smile back, but Aurelia has been around her enough in the last few days to recognize her predatory smile rather than her friendly one.
"Oh, yes," she begins, looking at the handsome man with a flirty gaze. "Just last week I had these two gorgeous boys come to me to read their fortune - they couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen. They were sure that they were destined to be together and were planning on getting married." She then goes into a dry telling of the Harrow reading she gave them.
"Anyway, after the Liar came up in all three different readings, I suggested that they re-examine their desires. Maybe try a woman or three. That confused them and they asked me where they could find a willing woman on such short notice."
Her smile slowly broadens.
"That was a wild night," she says with a laugh. "All I'll say about it was ..." The woman leans over and whispers something into the man's ear.
"Oh, my," Vencarlo says, blushing. "You certainly seem to be a rather... spirited woman. I admire your, er... tenacity."
As you near the bridge to Old Korvosa, Vox emerges from the shadows of an alley. "Ah. You must be the mysterious Vox. Your beauty is an exotic one, my dear, but equal to that of your companions." Vencarlo bows and reaches for the drow's hand to kiss it, seemingly unfazed by her appearance.
The introduction is short-lived, however, as the sounds of a riot nearby get your attention. A mob of thugs wielding shovels, chair-legs, and other club-like weapons surround a beardless young nobleman. One of the laborers, a burly woman with greasy strings of hair framing her rotund face, jeers and addresses the young man in a booming voice, “Bet’cha never worked an honest day’s wage in your life, eh, Queen’s Man? M’brother had his arm crushed by a barrel on the docks when he was younger than you. Never raised a mug of ale with that wrist again. Wanna know what it feels like?”
Vencarlo scowls and his hand hovers over the hilt of his rapier...
Nicoleta rolls her eyes at the scene, but when she notices Vencarlo reach for his weapon, she pats his arm. "Here, let me," she says. "I've got a way with people like her."
She leaves his side and saunters over towards the crowd. "Yo! Ugly, fat b%&+#!" she calls out in a voice that carries. "You talk a tough talk, but that's easy when you're fifteen to one against a weak little nobleman. You talk about your brother never raising a mug with his wrist; By the look of your belly, you've lifted a few in his honor, haven't you? More than a few, in fact, by the size of it."
She gives a snide laugh.
"I bet you ain't got the balls to face someone your equal one-on-one - much less me. Hells, I'll even give you the first punch. But I'm betting that you're too much of a coward to try me."
"You skank! I'll bash your pretty face in!" the woman bellows, and the rioters switch their attention from the nobleman to you...
Aurelia rolls her eyes. "Must we always resort to violence first?" she groans.
Letting go of Vencarlo, she turns and stares at the woman. "Want to hear something funny?" she asks, but doesn't deliver anything more except a spell to make her laugh.
The woman immediately falls over, cackling with laughter, leaving the other five rioters to stare at her in confusion...
Nicoleta steps in to the nearest of the five that looks like they might resort to violence and promptly beats them to it with a punch to the midsection.
Vox moves in, drawing her long curved sword and slicing swiftly in an attempt to threaten rather than wound...
Roz begins to chuckle, and a loud, menacing cackle sounds near one of the rioters as one of her faeries scares the living daylights out of him, leaving him shaken!
The man Nicoleta staggers back, gasping for breath, but is still standing. He retaliates, and the remaining four gather around to try to strike the dhampir with their improvised clubs.
Looking out at the beating Nicoleta is taking, Aurelia looks at the man who is still laughing turns to the dhampir's attacker, staring at him instead.
Aurelia's first victim continues to laugh, while her new target is dazed by her psychic power!
Vox continues to look imprsssive but not achieve much.
Nicoleta grimaces as the crude weapons are turned on her with effectiveness. "You stupid f*%!s don't even know when you're outmatched!" she snarls.
Despite Vox's misgivings, the commoners aren't very hard to hit, and her foe screams in pain as her blade slices into him. Nicoleta manages to take down the thug she previously injured, but fails to follow-up with her second strike.
Rozalia's faerie tricks continue to terrify the superstitious rioters. With all of their fellows incapacitated, the two shaken men flee the scene! It's a simple matter to knock out the remaining agitators.
Vencarlo crosses his arms and nods, impressed by the swiftness in which you dealt with the situation. The nobleman they were bullying shakily gets to his feet. "You saved my life! I am ever so grateful. Here, please take this in thanks!" He slips a gold ring off of his finger and hands it to Nicoleta before scurrying off.
Roz uses a bad touch to heal Nicoleta's wounds.
Vox flicks the blood from her blade with precise motions and returns the cleaned blade to its sheath.
"So." She says, hissing the 's' sounds. "What are we doing here? And who is this? Are we bringing an audience now?"
Nicoleta slips the ring onto her finger with just a casual glance before spitting out some blood. One hand reaches down where some of her ribs feel pushed out of shape. When Roz approaches her, she nods and grimaces as the 'healing' takes hold and she feels things pressed painfully back into their proper position.
"Vox, this is Vencarlo. Vencarlo, Vox. She's helped us out in the past," she says by way of introduction as she stretches to make sure everything is still in one piece.
"Vencarlo is some kind of fencing instructor. We met him in Croft's office at the citadel. He was just escorting us helpless ladies 'cross town. We should bring you up to date on our next mission."
"An audience?" Aurelia says, turning to face Vox? "Funny, coming from the one who only shows up half the time."
As Vencarlo scurries off, she adds "I have a bit of gossip about that one." She snatches the ring from Nicoleta and turns it over in her hands before tossing back, "Nice ring, Peaches."
"It'll be worth some coin to us," Nicoleta replies as she slips the ring back onto her finger. "So what's the bit of gossip you've got about Mister Handsome?"
”Charmed,” Vencarlo says to Vox, giving her another courtly bow. ”I am pleased to meet another one of this city’s loveliest defenders.”
A short while later, you finally cross the Narrows and enter Old Korvosa. ”And this is where we part ways, for now. You can find Eel’s End to the east, on the first pier after the last bridge over the Narrows. I do hope our paths cross again soon. Feel free to stop by the academy any time you wish to... spar...” With a grin and a swift bow, Vencarlo spins on a heel and is gone.
Nicoleta grins and then turns to Aurelia. "Do you think he was talking to you or to me?" she asks. A shrug follows. "I guess he could have been talking to both of us."
She laughs a bit at the thought. "You can tell us what you know about him as we walk, Sweet-cheeks," she says as she makes good on her intentions and begins moving down the cobblestone street.
Aurelia laughs ”He seemed quite taken by your manhandling of the men, I’m sure he was speaking to you, Peaches. As far as to what I overheard, welllllll it’s juicy!” she raises her eyebrows twice and continues ”I remember that the queen’s bodyguard Sabina Merrim’s was one of Vencarlo’s former students, and there was some sort of scandal involving them and a third student.”
"Ooo..." Nicoleta gushes. "I always love a good love triangle. It's like watching a boat slowly crash into the dock. You can see it happening, but you just can't look away." She laughs. "I wonder who the third student was?" She turns to Roz and Vox. "Either of you know anything about it? Guy? Gal? Other?"
Vox knows that the other student involved in the scandal was a man named Grau Soldado. Both Grau and Sabina were Vencarlo's star pupils before the falling out.
"Man. Another top student." Vox replies, white teeth flashing in her dark face. "He likes ones that can handle their 'swords' and 'sheathes'." The flash of levity disappears as quickly as it came. "So? Another crime.lord?"
Nicoleta shrugs. "Yeah, but this one we just need to talk to. Not feed to an alligator."
As she walks along, the dhampir eyes Vox. "So how do you know Iolaire, anyways? You seem to have a lot of trust in her." She waggles her eyebrows. "How is she between the sheets?"
A sprawl of light and sound marks the first pier of Old Korvosa. Glowing lanterns in the shape of dream spiders and coiled eels hang from pilings or lampposts, flickering through all hours of the night. During the day, Eel’s End is quieter, yet the place never truly sleeps, catering to the vices and base needs of Old Korvosa at all hours.
The sound of carousing booms from the elegantly painted barges moored to this long pier. Large signs painted in several languages are nailed to pilings and hang from ropes slung between barges. The closest barge to the east bears a sign that says, “The Twin Tigers—Take the Tiger by the Tail and Try Your Luck!” Opposite that, to the west, a boat’s sign says, “Welcome to the Goldenhawk—No Safer Stay in Old Korvosa!” Further to the southeast is “Dragon’s Breath Corridor—Dream the Dragon’s Dreams at Affordable Prices!”, while opposite that is the “House of Clouds—The Caress of Our Lovelies Will Take You Straight to Heaven!” Only the largest vessel, an old warship to the south, bears no signage at all. Short rope bridges or gangplanks provide access to the decks of these ships from the pier and from the decks of other ships.
This area is essentially Aurelia's stomping grounds, having worked in the House of Clouds for the madame on and off for some time now. "I work there occasionally." she says, pointing at the House of Cloud. "And I'm somewhat familiar with all of the other establishments here in Eel's End."
"What's your specialty?" Nicoleta says with a crude grin. "I know a girl that can take an entire pecta meat sausage and ..." she trails off as her grin widens. "You probably don't want to hear about that though." Giving Roz a wink, she gestures towards the unmarked boat. "That's probably where Devargo hangs out, right? Let's go see if he's home."
A single long structure sits atop the main deck of the House of Clouds—the double doors hang open to reveal a large room decorated with throw rugs, large pillows, and air thick with incense and lit by red paper lanterns. The scent of anise, rosewater, and cinnamon pours forth from smoking bronze braziers set on silver stands, which are carved in the likenesses of slit-eyed serpents and proud hunting birds. Several scantily clad men and women loiter about the barge’s deck.
Rozalia licks her lips. "Do you think we have time to engage in some pleasure before business? I hear that Madame Halvara herself has been known to personally entertain wealthier customers. I've always wondered what sort of service 100 gp gets you!"
The umrarked ship tied off to the pier bears a figurehead that resembles a coiling eel with a woman’s head. Several drunkards, sailors, and revelers dance and drink on the large open main deck here, while the aft deck is relatively clear. A pair of large double doors bearing a complex painting of a spider allows entrance into the stern section of the main deck. Two men in studded leather armor stand guard before the doors.
Aurelia frowns at Nicoleta, folding her arms "I don't do sausage, sorry to disappoint. My specialty is putting thoughts into peoples heads to make them do what I want? Want to see if I can make you walk off the dock into the water?"
Turning to Roz, she considers "I've never seen someone drop a hundred gold on a single girl before, that's ... some serious skill there. If you're dropping a hundred Roz, I have to be allowed to watch what is going down."
"C'mon, I'll take you in." she says, waving them forward.
"A hundred gold?" Nicoleta says in disbelief. "Tell you what, Roz; For seventy five gold, I'll give you a night you won't forget and will leave you sore for a week afterwards."
Roz taps her chin as she considers Nicoleta's offer. She suddenly lurches forward, teetering on the edge of the dock, and nearly topples into the water before she regains her balance! "Gah! Now you're trying to drown me, you blasted faeries?!?"
She collects herself and looks at the dhampir. "Fine. We'll see what you can do later. I guess let's do what we came here to do first."
As you approach the doors with the spider on them, the guards move to block your path. "Unless you're expected, the King of Spiders has no interest in visitors," one says sternly.
Nicoleta raises an eyebrow at Roz's response, never believing for an instant that the woman would take her up on her offer. "Ok then," she says. "We'll discuss details later."
At the guards refusal she turns to Aurelia. "They' look like they're in need of your specialty," she says with a grin. "And no sausage required."
Nodding, Aurelia mutters a few words as she flips her hair out of her face and attempts to charm the closest guard. "I think my hair was covering my face, surely you recognize me now, old friend? We really need to enter, could you please help me out?"