The town of Longacre sits just outside the fringes of the Whisperwood. A few lights shine in the streets and windows, and the occasional snippet of conversation or laughter issues from open doors, but here on the outskirts of town, the night is quiet and dark. Sparse clouds scud across the sky, momentarily obscuring the dim light from the moon overhead. Across a scrubby field, barely distinguishable under the starry sky, a darkened, fortlike compound hunches in the distance.
Cimri points toward the dim structure.
“That’s it--Louslik Tannery. Here’s the job: We break in, sack Ol’ Louslik’s office, take whatever’s shiny in lieu of unpaid taxes, and get out before the sheriff shows up. If we get separated, meet back at the Ash House by dawn.”
Dull moonlight glints across her dagger as she flicks it in emphasis. “If you get pinched, remember: you’re mute. Keep your mouth shut, and I’ll handle things. I got assurances that we won’t take any blame if things go south. But get chatty and I’ll let you rot.” A beat passes and her usual crooked smirk appears. “If you don’t screw things up, we’ll all be drinking on Razelago’s coin come dawn. Let’s do this.”
Standing like a page in the corner, Slenk merely observes what is happening. He mentally catalogs the letters from Fistantus he has in various places on his person. He should be able to produce good reason to be in any area of Longacre. Better to be thought a fool by being silent, then to misstep and prove the fact.
The former slave silently waits for Cimri to indicate why she asked him to be here.
Jerax hates being this close to the Whispering Woods; it always feels like the towering tiefling is being watched from just beyond the deepening forest.
Alixus holds his iron Archstar, reciting litanies to Asmodeus, ”Asmodeus unparalleled, Lord of Law, First among gods, may you bestow a fraction of your mastery of all things as we execute our duties to you. May our devotion prove sufficient, and our actions follow your plan for all things.”
Veda stands beside Cimri as she fills them in on the Tannery across the field. She says nothing in response, just giving an acknowledging "um hmm" after Cimri has finished.
Her fingers play with the handle of the dagger at her belt, trying to get themselves more used to its feel. Veda is nervous and excited, wishing the heist would go ahead and start. Once things are in motion she expects her nervousness to disappear leaving only the excitement.
But when the priest behind them starts droning her concentration is broken.
Veda slides her eyes to the side to catch Cimri's. Their expression conveys approximately why is he even here? to her friend.
Lily felt a warmth in her heart and the faint scent of brimstone filled her nostrils. The warmth was uncomfortable and almost painful, it meant she was on the right track. Robbing a place to collect taxes seemed, extra-legal to her, but Alixus was on board and she knew he knew all the ins and outs of the law. Jerax too and she got the impression he worked for some paracount or something, Lily couldn’t keep the complications of the aristocracy straight. Regardless she was used to robbing people and it got her a step closer to finding her father. She kept her mouth shut and idly touched the hilt of her falchion while she waited for Cimri to give the word.
Ameliya fixed her vivid grey-blue eyes on Cimri and and shot the local tough a winning white smile. "Of course, darling. Silence is golden, as they say, and that is especially true when comes to this brand of skulduggery. Wagging tongues tend to have most unfortunate owners." She let the veiled warning in her words remain veiled. She knew some of the people that Cimri had brought along for this mission and knew they could be trusted to keep quiet. Still, she imagined that wouldn't hurt to remind them of the consequences of snitching.
Having no desire to see her role in this act of blatant sabotage discovered by the authorities of Longacre, the psychic had secured a scroll of disguise to protect her identity. If all went well it would be an unnecessary, but still cheap, expenditure. If not, it would be all the better that some shady looking brown-haired and pock-faced goon was seen assisting Cimri and her assembled party of saboteurs instead of Ameliya Arvanxi, madame and owner of Longacre's newest and best brothel.
You gathered at the appointed time, an hour after sunset, at the Ash House. Either directly or through one of your acquaintances, you'd been contacted by Cimri and asked to meet her at the Ash House for a job.
The Ash House is an old manor just northwest of town. It's a dilapidated structure, having martially burned down nearly sixty years ago. It's sole redeeming quality is that it's outside town and beyond prying eyes.
Cimri is there waiting for you in the darkness provided by a copse of trees and bushes perhaps forty feet from the house.
After about two years under this arrangement, something happened. Usually it was Cimri getting into trouble, but one night Annari got drunk and was arrested for belligerence and public drunkenness. The next day, Annari and Jaks left town to work at a lumbercamp on the other side of the Whisperwood. Cimri was to stay with her aunt.
In the five years since, Cimri has been a troublemaker, in and out her aunt's jail. But, as much of a backwater as Longacre may be, Cimri is known for having an ear to the town's secrets. For those who take take kindly to the town's buttoned down, Iomadae-worshipping ways, she has been a good contact and entertaining companion.
After you gather, she begins to explain. "Thanks for coming. I know most of you. If I don't, you've been vouched for. Here's the deal. You know I keep my ears and eyes open for opportunities. Well, I got one. A new employer with connections to Egorian looking for strong -- and smart -- folks to help keep Longacre in the warm embrace of the Thrunes. For us, there's a nice chunk of coin to be had, and the promise of more jobs to come."
She lets that sink in for a minute, casting a glance over all of you. She's excited and has a bit of nervous energy about her. It's not hard to tell: she thinks she's finally found her way out of this rathole.
"You probably know ol' Louslik, the tanner. Well, it turns out he hasn't been paying his taxes. Apparently he thinks with this 'Glorious Reclamation' rising, Longacre is going to be throwing off its association with Cheliax, so he ain't payin'. My boss wants to send a message. Not just to him, but all of Longacre. Pay up, or else. But the good sheriff is above this, apparently, so... here we are." The angry curl to her lips when she mentions the sheriff conveys plenty about her thoughts.
"If this was a simple heist, I could do it myself." Probably true, as Cimri is known as a decent lockpicker and thief. "But my boss wants the place smashed. And if Louslik or any employees are there, I want some help. So, how about it? You in?"
"How nice a chunk of coin?" Veda asks.
Ameliya had arrived at the ruined remains of the Ash House in a heavy cloak and hood that obscured much of her face and body. It was a necessary cover given the circumstances, though the psychic was loath to hide away her many exquisite features. Of course, vanity had to take a backseat to practicality when it came to criminal activities.
"Oh I am most certainly in, darling," Ameliya purrs emphatically. Louslik had been a thorn in Ameliya's expansion plans for some time now and she jumped at the chance of taking the stubborn man down. Though the madame would have preferred more a hands-off means of dealing the him, Louslik seemed intent to befoul her ambitions with his stubborn refusal to sell his business to her. Worse still, the man seemed utterly immune to her seductions, with Ameliya quickly discovering that she had a better chance of seducing Louslik's horse than the man himself.
Still, it wasn't as if there were no upsides to getting personally involved in such a mission. Having only been in Longacre for a year, Ameliya was still unfamiliar with the town's crime elements beyond her infrequent employment of Cimri, who she knew to be a good source of information. Looking around Ash House, Ameliya spotted some familiar faces. The half-orc Lily was a frequent guest at the Sweet Caress as was the tiefling Jerax. She knew the latter especially well, having entertained him a few times now. Both were formidable warriors and their presence did at least assure Ameliya that they'd be able to protect her if things went astray and her magic wasn't quite up to snuff. Seeing Alixus being here also was a boon in Ameliya's eyes. The followers of Asmodeus and the Ardad Lili didn't always get along but having a devotee of the Archfiend on their side was better than the opposite. Besides, it wasn't as if he was aware of her religious affiliations anyway. To everyone's knowledge she was but a bog-standard worshiper of Asmodeus, no different than most Chelaxians in that regard. As for the halfling and the eerie human friend Cimri had brought along, Amliya wasn't sure what to make of them. She had seen both in town but hardly knew them behind recognizing their faces. That, of course, had to be mended if she had any hope of perhaps using whatever talents they had on a later date.
"Greetings to you all, my fellow patriots of Thrune," she says warmly, making sure to look everyone in the eye but letting her gaze linger on Jerax for a bit and giving him a calculating smile. "So, since we're about to ruin traitorous old Louslik's tannery together, I believe it would be wise that we know a little more about each other's abilities, yes? I, for one, possess psychic powers distinct from divine or arcane magic. For instance, if I so desire, I can assault one's mind with this gift and leave them reeling. Or I can charm them into submission. Of course, those are but two examples of my power. I can do much more if needed," she finishes coyly, letting that mostly true factoid sink in.
Lily nodded as Veda asked about the pay, "Is it a shares then? Yer boss gets a share, ye get a share, and we get wha exactly? And how smashed do ye want tha workers?"
The towering tiefling looks at all the assembled. The cleric. The childhood friend. The noblewoman. The asmodean newcomer.
"Okay, Cimri", Jerax began. "You've assembled over half the people in Longacre worth an actual damn. If they wish to be part of this enterprise, I shall as well, if nothing else to make sure everyone walks away", frowned the antipaladin.
"One of my larger concerns is that this is a stealth mission, and The God of Law did not create me to be..subtle. What exactly do you want me for?"
Alixus strides into the room. His red and black robes are immaculate, and his black hair is similarly well-maintained. He surveys the assembled party with dark eyes well-trained in sensing the skills and motives of others.
He was certain of Jerax’s value. An unholy warrior pledged to serve the Archfiend was a great boon, and though the reality of his infernal blood was unfortunate Alixus had cared little for his empire’s prejudice towards tieflings. Ameliya was known to him as well, though to an admittedly lesser extent.
The other three were mostly unknown variables. He had heard of them, but lacked anything beyond a passing familiarity.
”Well, isn’t this an interesting gathering. The movers and shakers of Longacre, as it were. Those truly loyal to House Thrune and Cheliax. Blessed are those who serve in the name of the one true master. To stray from the appointed path is an affront against Him, and an affront against Him cannot be tolerated.”
Cimri nods to the question about the payment. ”Fair question. Not shares. Straight payment for services regardless of what he’s got in his office. It’s a hundred gold to each of you for working as ‘revenuers,’ the rest goes to the boss. It’s taxes, not a payroll heist. But... we find anything else we want to take, it’s ours.”
Jerax does not detect any deception in her previous comments nor her answer.
Veda smiles approvingly upon hearing the sum.
It might be enough to leave town on. I'll have to ask around and see what people who've been to Westcrown have to say.
Since the payment question is settled, Veda shifts her attention to the other people gathered for the job.
The slip I've seen around in town a few times. Always figured he had regular employment with someone considering his clothes. But he was with some of the others that time I stitched they friend of Cimri's up. Maybe he got thrown out for pilfering the silver?
The half orc stopped by a while back and talked to dad about recent burials. Thought her father might have died here or something like that...
Everybody must know Lady Ameliya by now. But what's she doing here? She's gotta be filthy rich. What's 100 crowns to her that she'd be coming along?
No real surprise to have a tiefling along, except he seems to be an Asmodean. Unless he's wearing the symbol to BS people into not hassling him. Looks kind of familiar though... Not that I've ever seen more than a handful of tieflings.
I suppose the priest is along to make sure that taxes go to the right place. Otherwise him being here makes no sense at all. Taxes or no, this isn't a law abiding kind of outing.
The slip listens quietly and finally speaks. ”To be clear, we are being deputized in some way? I would not want this tax collection perceived as banditry. If so, I am in. While smashing isn’t my thing, I can certainly bend the odds well enough in our favor as a team.”
Alixus chimes in after Slenk speaks, ”I cannot emphasize his question any more. If we become lawbreakers, then we are little better than the rabble of this town.”
Ameliya turned to cleric and gave him an understanding nod. "You have a point dear Alixus, but consider the greater predicament that Longacre faces. Tax evasion is writhe in town and mounting. Alas, our town sheriff seems content to allow Louslik and other like-minded traitors to continue to not pay their dues. In light of that horrendous dereliction of duty we must serve as the law... in our own unique fashion."
The slip nods at the priest and listens to the Lady. He ponders for a moment and adds quietly to add some context. ”Of course if the Sheriff were corrupt and twisting the law itself to shield this citizen from paying taxes, we may be within our rights to take action. It may even be our duty. I read once of the Code of the Paladin’s of Abadar which states, ‘[i]Corruption in the courts is the greatest corruption of civilization. Without confidence in justice, citizens cannot believe in their countries, and civilization begins to disappear. I will root out corruption wherever I find it, and if a system is fundamentally flawed, I will work to aid citizens by reforming or replacing it.’ While I am certainly no mythical champion of law and order, the tenant may be applicable. And the fearsome Hellknights wear masks when dispensing the Justice of the Prince of Law. It may be best if we did the same.”[/I)
"It's a good idea', Jerax starts, "but a mask wouldn't do much to hide my identity." The 6'6" tall tiefling holds his arms out from his sides to emphasize his point.
Cimri shrugs slightly but doesn’t evade the question. ”No, we’re not being deputized. Right now, the law is the sheriff and the sheriff doesn’t have it what it takes to send a message to the rest of the people in Longacre. If she did this, it would be quiet and on the side, nobody would know about Louslik’s disloyalty. I think, on the other hand, our boss is a cutout for someone higher up. I can’t really tell you more on that right now, he can when we’re done, but I have assurances that if anyone is caught, they’ll be out by morning...as long as they stay silent.”
Lily adds matter of factly, "Protection rackets don' work unless ye make an example out o those tha don' pay." She gived Cimri a long look, "Yer on tha level Cimri but I'm used to getting articles. Can ye do tha?"
"Yer on tha level Cimri but I'm used to getting articles. Can ye do tha?"
Alixus studies Cimri for a moment. No common tells, nor any indication of doubt or nervousness. ”So, we are to have some legal protection, despite the dubious standing of the action. I must say, it is both the way of my Master and the way of our nation to ensure compliance to what has been said through the written word.”
He pauses to produce an inkpen and parchment before saying, ”I am authorized by both Cheliax and the infernal bureaucracy of Hell to issue contracts. If we were to draw up a contract, I would be willing to commit fully to this endeavor.”
Cimri is clearly a bit confused by Lily's reference to "articles", but Alexus seems to follow the thread of the half-orc's thought so Cimri goes with that.
After a brief pause during which she considers her response, she says, "Look, not meanin' any offense, you want to draw up a contract of some sort to make yourselves comfortable, I'm not going to stop you. But if you think everything done in Cheliax is written on paper, I've got some prime Azlanti artifacts to sell you. Sometimes the powers that be want deniability, triangulation, setting up others, whatever. Me, someone offers gold, I don't ask too many questions. An' puttin' it in writing? To me, that sounds like evidence. Boss said if we got nipped to stay quiet. Putting all this on paper seems kind of self-incriminating and not all that 'quiet'. But, you want to pinky-swear, maybe take a bit o' blood from my finger while we do it, fine. I ain't afraid of that. But if you don't want the job and aren't interested in what's next, I ain't gonna stop you."
Lily's eyes glaze over a bit when Alixus goes into details but comes around to Cimri's view. "Will ya swear yer proposal over tha Red Pentagram. An' tha ya yerself willspring us if we ge' caught? Tha's good enough fer me."
"Cimri", motioned to the caper handler, "you must have scoped the place out beforehand. What kind of obstacles will we rail against?"
Cimri's answer to the priest's sounds completely sensible to Veda. Besides, Cimri is a friend and paperwork is a drag. She shrugs the idea off.
"I don't need no contract."
Alixus huffs, ”Well, I suppose verbal affirmation will suffice. What my compatriot asks is perhaps more pertinent. If we are to do this, we cannot go in blind. To know thy enemy is to know their weakness, and to know weakness is to know the the path to annihilation.”
Ameliya admired the commitment to the legal process but saw no good that come from signing a contract with her name on it. A verbal affirmation on the otherhand seemed perfectly suitable. "I'm willing to make a verbal agreement, but I would suggest that we focus on the question of whether we'll have to fight our way through all of Louslik's workers," she asks Cimri politely. "It is after sunset, so I imagine most of the tannery's workers have gone home, but that is only speculation on my part."
Cimri nods once, then again, as if to emphasize that a decision has been made. "Good, good. And yeah, I swear to be loyal to all of you for this job. As for scoping the place, let's head that way now. We can decide how we want to handle it once we're there."
Standing at the edge of the field with Cimri and the others, you see the tannery in the distance. "I don't know much more than you do. Nobody goes here unless they have to on account of the stink."
Jerax does his best to keep low and see what his darkvision tell him.
Lily sizes up a nearby tree. She takes off her hide armor to free her limbs and begins climbing. Lily hated climbing in the rigging, too many times she had fallen on her ass and embarrassed herself but she didn't have any better ideas.
While not trained in it, Alixus is naturally quite perceptive.
As the group grew closer to the destination, Slenk quietly began an incantation and suddenly his features changed significantly and he now resembles an entirely different halfling with black bushy hair and an entirely different face. While many slips are beneath notice, no one would mistake this slip for Slenk.
Cast false face.
He then tries to observe with the others.
Following the others as they all made their way to their target, Ameliya searches her mind for any pertinent information about Louslik's tannery that could aid them in their mission.
Veda tries to recall things she heard about the Tannery and/or Louslik.
Between Alixus and Veda, you're able to figure out the following. The tannery is surrounded by a 10 foot wooden palisade.
There is a night crew that works at the tannery. Louslik handles the business's accounting well into the evening, and Shaul and Pippa Umbre, a pair of elderly gong farmers, come and go throughout the night, bringing loads of night soil from Longacre.
A portion of the palisade surrounding the tannery has been damaged by repeated impacts from inexpertly steered work carts. This has opened a narrow gap in the palisade near the beamhouse that is out of the way, and could be squeezed through with a bit of effort.
Veda speaks up with a plan of sorts.
"The Umbres will be in and out with their cart all night. We'd do best to time things so we go in right after they've left. That way we have the most time without being interrupted."
"There's a gap in the fence we can go through. It will put us right close to the buildings without having to cross a lot of open ground inside the fence. If we want to avoid Louslik later is better. He works on his books in the evening."
Jerax nods. "Sounds good to me." The antipaladin looks to the cleric for confirmation.
Ameliya looks to Veda, impressed by her information."A good plan. And a good eye, too." With that said, the psychic began to count each point on her fingers. "So we have our point of entry, our optimal time to strike, and a fair understanding of what will await us inside. Unless anyone else has an anymore insights, I'd say we are good to go."
Slenk nods silently assenting to the plan and sits crosslegged to wait.
Approximately an hour past midnight, you hear the sound of a cart coming down the dirt road from Longacre. Once it comes into view, you see two people guiding it towards the tannery. When they reach the gate, one of the pulls a lever that loudly releases a mechanism and the gate swings open. They bring the cart inside and the gate closes behind them, again squeaking on its hinges before the mechanism loudly clanks shut.
Lily waits patiently until either something happens, one of her companions makes a move, or an hour before dawn.
About a half hour after they arrive, the pair exits through the gate again with the cart in tow, this time the pots within it clanking and banging with an empty ring. A few minutes later, the racket had faded as the cart and its minders trundle back towards Longacre.
Lily draws her Falchion and begins stalking towards the gap.