It didn't take long for Adolina to go face first into the ground. Seraphina curses herself for not taking the opportunity to heal the woman earlier when she had the opportunity.
Grabbing her holy symbol, she mutters a quick prayer and sends a burst of healing throughout her companions.
Adolina and Tanjona stab the kyton again, and with a sigh, she falls to the floor and lies still. Farrina continues undoing Hortense’s bonds. The armiger is shaky from blood loss but largely okay. ”Let’s get the hell out of here,” she says emphatically.
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Adolina picks herself up from the floor and nods to the armiger. "Damn right. The Lictor sent us, said you's recognise this." She pulls the short sword from her belt and shows it to the armigers, before checking that Sabo and her men are definitely conscious. Assuming that they are the Ravens beat a hasty retreat, after Adolina has drawn a raven on the wall in chalk.
Tanjona makes sure to impale the kyton thoroughly, and send it back to hell.
Farrina's not a fan of leaving witnesses behind that can identify them, but they never say her real face, so she doesn't make a stink about it.
Showing the armigers Octavio’s sword and revealing its history instantly assuages their fears about your motivations. They follow you out of the Holding House to the Tooth and Nail, where Setrona helps you to secret them in a back room. ”I’ll keep them safe here tonight. Tomorrow, you can transfer them to your hideout, and we can return to Octavio to let him know of your success,” the short woman says. She looks you up and down. ”Looks like you got into quite a scrap. You should get some rest.”
"Good plan. I like the rest part, I'm exhausted. You all take a lot of wounds in battle, are you aware of that? I may not be up front with you, but every cut, every burn, every puncture. I feel them all too. You could try to not get hit you know."
It doesn't take her long to fall asleep that night, passing out once her head hits the ground.
Once the mission to free the armiger has run its course, Farrina sequests herself in her basement quarters and throws herself into her magical research.
The magical illumination begins to flicker as Farrina focuses on the newest diagram she's painstakingly transcribing onto a piece of parchment.
"You're losing focus," she snaps. "Now's not the time."
"I'm tired I need to sleep."
The heavily made-up entertainer tosses her quill down in frustration. "You're going to poop out on me now? Just tell me that you're not going to have a dream about her again."
"She is a dream, so why not dream about her?"
"Oh, f~+! me. Not this again? Do you remember the last time you were infatuated with some bit of fluff? People died."
"That was different."
"Nethys' nipple ring it's different! Bad shit happens when you get the hots for someone. Remember that cute bouncer at the Green Garland? What was his name?"
"That wasn't ..."
"Or the serving girl at the Painted Lady?"
"She was ..."
"I don't care. Whenever someone attracts your fancy, you get stupid and people suffer - I suffer!" Farrina rolls up the parchment and slips it into a protective scroll tube. "I'm not putting up with it any more. Keep your libido in your trousers or I'm turning into a seriously ticked off b!#@&."
The next morning, tongues wag about the jailbreak from the Holding House, reportedly perpetrated by the Silver Ravens! As usual, there is no official acknowledgement from the Lord Mayor's office, though Barzillai has issued a new proclamation, perhaps to draw attention away from his latest setback:
PROCLAMATION THE TENTH
POSSESSION OF POETRY OR PROSE WRITTEN BY THE FOLLOWING AUTHORS IS HEREBY FORBIDDEN AND PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF 100 GOLD PIECES OR IMPRISONMENT: BOSWYTH THE BARD, CHARLETTA D’VANEP, GHENRAIL OF VYRE, AND THE ANONYMOUS MISCREANT WHO CALLS HIM- OR HERSELF THE “POISON PEN OF KINTARGO.” ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING THE WRITINGS OF THESE MISCREANTS MUST BE TURNED OVER TO THE DOTTARI FOR DESTRUCTION BY SUNDOWN.
That night, you return to the Shrine of Saint Senex to inform Octavio Sabinus of your success. Th e lictor of the Order of the Torrent breathes a sigh of relief and packs his gear. "Thank you. With my armigers safe, I can return to the city. Now, only I will suffer the repercussions of my future actions. In time, I will rebuild the Order of the Torrent, but the current clime is inappropriate for such a task. In the meantime, I will pledge my assistance to you."
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"Interesting." Adolina comments. "The Poison Pen hasn't published for weeks. Word on the street was that Thrune had killed him but if this proclamation is out then maybe he hasn't..."
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"You are welcome Lictor." Adolina replies, returning his sword. "It will be an honor to have you fighting for Kintargo by our side."
"Those names are familiar to me, but I just can't place for what reasons." Seraphina recalls when she reads over the proclamation.
"It could be possible that they are dead or imprisoned and their works are still circulating, or that they are laying low."
At the Shrine, the oracle nods in thanks to Octavio's support. "We look forward to working with you in the future."
You smuggle Octavio back into the city to reunite him with his armigers at the Tooth and Nail. Soon after you return, though, there's a polite but firm knock at the tavern's door. Setrona gives you a puzzled look as she moves to open it.
On the other side of the door is a dark-haired half-elf woman, dressed in the red-and-black uniform of a Chelish naval officer with rapier and pepperbox firearm sheathed at her sides. She greets the room with a thin-lipped smile and a twinkle in her eyes.
"Good day! I am Lieutenant Elia Nones of the Chelish warship Scourge of Belial. Captain Sargaeta requests the company of those citizens who so ably liberated a certain gathering of wrongfully imprisoned Hellknights from unjust incarceration. I’m afraid attendance is compulsory."
Tanjona carefully and smoothly leans over from his card game to grab his trident, which is leaning against the wall, and mutters, "Dis place gettin' entirely too well known to too many devil-worshippers."
Farrina laughs. "Boswyth, D’Vanep, and Ghenrail have been dead for ages. What is this? More of their attempt to purge history?"
~~~~~
"Hon, I hate to break it to you, but I don't even take a piss if it's compulsory. Ask me nice and I'll consider it."
Seraphina quickly looks among each of her companions and whispers with worry evident on voice "How does she know we're here?!"
Elia frowns at Farrina, her hand drifting to her pistol. "I should mention that I tend to make a fair amount of noise when I’m put off, and I suspect you’d rather avoid drawing the wrong kind of Chelish curiosity here, no? Captain Sargaeta is impressed with you, and merely wants to ask for your aid in a delicate matter. It’s not often the Captain displays this amount of respect. I suggest you come with me, if only to marvel at a sight few people ever see—my Captain’s restraint."
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"Consider the situation." Adolina suggests from her position lounging on a chair near the door. "If, as you suggest, this is the hangout of a rebellious group rather than simply a place for a working man or woman to spend hard earned coin, then there might be... issues with your Captain's approach. Sending someone who, by their own admission, 'makes a lot of noise' would surely be the last thing such a group would want. Threatening them if they do not comply would also surely not be a way to earn their favor. If your captain were truly interested in meeting surely it would make more sense to send a letter, perhaps arranging for a meeting at a neutral location - rather than demanding that these hypothetical rebels place themselves completely at an unknowns mercy."
She shrugs and stands to meet Ella. "Frankly this seems like a rather bad attempt at a sting - a vague promise delivered by an intermediary, a meeting at an unknown and likely dangerous location. We are all loyal citizens here of course, but any rebel group hearing your offer would probably deserve to have their heads cut off if they went with you. I bid you good day madam. Please convey our respects to your captain, even though this is clearly not the tavern that you want."
She returns to her table but speaks just as Ella is leaving. "I trust my friends because of the dangers that we have been through for each other. I think if I expected them to go into danger for me, but never did the same for them then they wouldn't trust me - and that would be justified! People who want trust make an effort to earn it, and sharing a danger is a good way of doing just that."
Elia sighs in frustration and asks you one last time to accompany her. When you decline, she gives up. "Very well. I will leave you to your drinks, then." She turns on her heel and departs.
Later, Adolina's informants fill her in on Captain Cassius Sargaeta. His ship, the Scourge of Belial, has been moored in Old Harbor for several days. People speak of the captain as "a rare individual, eccentric, but a man of refined tastes, from a noble Ostenso family." He has made a name for himself hunting Shackles pirates as far south as the Eye of Abendego. He has been visiting Kintargo often of late, and rumors suggest that he is not a big fan of Barzillai Thrune in particular and the whole Thrune dynasty in general....
Later, when the coast is clear and they have some additional information, Serpahina asks confused "So, let me get this right. It's possible that Captain Sargaeta knows who we are and wants our help for purposes we possibly would agree with, but it appears he's an idiot that doesn't understand how secret organization against corrupt rules are supposed to work. Is that about right?"
Farrina grins as she deals from a deck of well worn cards. "That's pretty much it," she says. "Any 'rebels' would be a fool to follow up on his invitation as outlined."
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"Precisely." Adolina agrees, still mulling over her spy reports. "It seems as though he might be a genuine ally. As long as he never, ever, attempts to use subtlety again. Do people mind a meeting on our terms? Somewhere in the city and quiet so that he has to bear some risk as well? My people can set it up."
Tanjona leans back in his chair and idly rolls his head side to side as he says, "Maybe he was desperate enough that he felt he had no other moves to make beyond the risky one. He can't leave the ship, he's a successful pirate hunter but an enemy of Thrune, he's not the kind of guy who's going to be popular with the Paracount Lord-Mayor. I'm curious to see what his next move is. Does he do something stupider? Or does he just sit and stew on his ship? Or does he wind up arrested?"
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"Let's see how he responds to an overture in kind." Adolina suggests, before swiftly penning a message.
To Captain Sargava.
A little bird told us of your inclination to meet. However your methods were... crude and entailed no small danger to our feathers. Therefore the Silver Raven's propose a compromise. A meeting, at the docks, midnight. Three days from now. A risk shared is our mutual assurance. If you accept, hoist the Infernal flag upside-down on your foremast at noon tomorrow. If we do not see the sign we will assume that you have rejected our offer.
She sketches a raven in lieu of a signature and shows the letter around. "Will that work? Watching the ship is simple enough, it should be safe if he is genuine and getting away from an ambush would be little trouble either."
Assuming the group agrees Adolina seals the letter and hands it off to one of her men, to hand off to another man, to hand off to an urchin, to deliver to the ship for a silver piece. Standard spycraft.
"Does he do something stupider? Or does he just sit and stew on his ship? Or does he wind up arrested?"
"In either case," Farrina says, pulling a card out of the deck and balancing it edgewise on the tip of her finger. "It's an S E P."
Seraphina wrinkles her nose, confused "Whats a SEP, Farrina?"
"Someone Else's Problem," Farrina replies with a smirk.
"Oh." Seraphina says with a nod, as if that makes perfect sense.
She slides the hair that had fallen over her eyes out of the way, tucking it behind her ear. "By someone else, you mean not us, right?"
Farrina grimaces just a bit before her smile returns. "Yes, someone else not us," she says.
The next day, your lookout reports that the Scourge of Belial is flying the Chelish flag upside-down. It seems Captain Sargaeta has accepted your offer to meet.
***
You law low for the next couple of days. Rumors swirl around Kintargo about murders occurring near the south wall of the city and children going missing from tenement buildings. There's also a rumor that Barzillai Thrune has hired some sort of Tian specialist to track down those pesky Silver Ravens...
***
On the appointed night, you creep out after curfew. Dodging dottari patrols is second nature at this point, and you soon find yourselves on the docks of Old Harbor. Elia Nones is there to meet you, nodding in greeting. "The captain will see you now. As you might imagine, he's had a short fuse these last few days, so I'd recommend you avoid interrupting him when he's speaking."
She steps aside, and Captain Cassius Sargaeta steps forward. His uniform is pristine, and his neatly trimmed goatee adorns a well-defined jawline. There is a superior air about him, and he scrutinizes you silently with a cool and dispassionate gaze. He appraises you for an interminable period before he finally speaks. "I can’t deny my disappointment. I expected more... towering giants out of myth, someone more... grandiose.
"In any event, I do have need of a group of your skills and resources. Lord-Mayor Thrune’s proclamations have, shall I say, impacted my interests in the city. I cannot venture onto land to take care of... well, let’s call it a ‘personal matter.’ I could send my crew to attend this, but I would much prefer sending someone with whom I have plausible deniability, should they fail in their task. Would you be interested in providing me with aid? I daresay that people in your position could stand to benefit from having a captain in the Chelish navy owe you a few favors, hmmm?"
"Now there's a handsome fellow, don't you think? I bet he, at least, has a brain in his head," Farrina whispers to herself. She steps forward. Currently in the guise of a tall Mwangi man, she crosses her arms.
"So your offer is that we do a dangerous job for you, which you'll potentially let us take the noose for and in return, perhaps you'll do us a favor sometime in the nebulous future?" she asks in a deeper voice than normal. She makes a show of considering it. "Hmmm, we'll have to think about that."
We should do it.
The f#&+ we will! This is just suicide on a platter, Francis. Wait. You're not trying to impress that air-head, are you? That's it, isn't it!
"We'll have to confer about this," she says to the captain.
No, we don't have to confer. The answer's 'no'.
Farrina turns to the others, her eyes rest on Seraphina for perhaps a little longer than the others. "Should we do this?" she asks.
No! We should not!
Seraphina doesn't wait for Adolina to speak and takes up a dialogue with the Captain. "That definitely sounds intriguing to us, doesn't it?" Looking back at her companions after her statement, she turns back towards Sargaeta and adds "Though I have to admit, this is quite a dangerous position you're putting us in. I think we would require something from you up front."
Tanjona looks disgusted at the idea of even entertaining this notion. To the team he says, "Dis fellah wants mercenaries, not rebels. How does dis help our cause? He seems think dat because we are slippin' around evadin' Thrune dat he can just pay us to go fetch his laundry. Screw 'im."
Farrina seems to suffer through an internal struggle for a moment before speaking up again.
"The Captain's right, though. It could really benefit us having a Cheliaxian ship captain owe us a favor. We should at least listen to what he wants us to do," she says.
Seraphina looks between Tanjona and Farrina, quite surprised that Adolina hasn't spoken up yet. "I want to hear what he is going to offer us up front to do this and then we can decide if it's worth it."
Looking to Tanjona, she nods to him and says "He's got a point though. I don't want to do something just because someone wants their adversary knocked off."
Captain Sargaeta shakes his head. "It's nothing of that sort. I simply want you to deliver a message to a friend of mine who lives in the Greens, a man named Marquel Aulorian."
"Marquel's father is a grasping little prig currying favor with the new leadership in a most unseemly manner. I've grown worried that my friend is in danger, due to complicated political views. The letter must be delivered to his hands alone, preferably without his father's knowledge of the delivery. Once the message is delivered, you are to return to me and deliver the recipient's reply--verbatim. In return, I promise you my friendship and support, as best as I can give it.
"I can give you 150 gp now as a gesture of good faith. The favors I will owe you if you complete this task for me are worth more than any amount of gold, though, I can assure you."
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"He's yet to explain why he wants to talk to Marcel." Adolina points out to her friends. "The Aulorian's are higher nobility, with roots in trade, not that that tells us much, but it doesn't explain his interest in the whole situation."
Adolina seems to be almost deliberately non-commital in this situation, leaving it to the rest of the group to arrive at consensus.
"Just a moment." Seraphina says to the Captain, pulling her friends aside.
"While the gold is appreciated, it is not enough to sway my opinion on the matter on its own value. I think we should deliver the letter. Message delivery, while not directly aligned with our purpose, is not as devious a task as he had initially obfuscated its potential purpose to be. Securing his favor could outweigh the concerns I have for this being a waste of our time."
"I'm not sure how much value there is in a favor from a captain who can't leave his ship and whose ship can't leave port, and who isn't even clever enough to obfuscate his own movements in hiring people to do dirty work for him, but if you say so, then all right."
Seraphina nods to the group before returning back to the Captain "My companions and I will agree to the terms outlined here. We will accept the payment up front, deliver your message safely along with their response, if any, back to you. We will expect you to heed our call in the future when we require your assistance. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Sargaeta says. He gestures, and Elia steps forward to hand you the letter (a fine parchment envelope with a plain black wax seal) and a scrap of paper containing a few notes about the Aulorian estate. It details that Marquel Aulorian's room is on the second floor near the estate's western gate.
After leaving the meet, Seraphina tucks the envelope into her bag and says "Well then. Should we maybe do a little scoping out of this estate?"
Farrina takes the paper with the instructions on it, glances over it once to memorize the information and then hands it to Seraphina.
"Yeah, let's check this place out. We can either try to sneak the letter in or bluff the letter in," she says. She buffs her nails on her tunic. "Bet you can't guess which option I'd choose."
Farrina's glamour vanishes revealing the burgundy blouse and lavender skirt she's currently sporting. Scarves in a cerulean blue adorn her neck and wrists. A wide belt in an animal print top off the collection. Although, what animals come with an eye-tearing violet hide and have yellow spots, who knows.
"It's been a while since I've dressed up," she says with a grin. "But if you want to take lead on this, I'll follow along behind unobtrusively."
Seraphina has no problem with either plan and nods to Adolina when she mentions being her maidservant. "Works for me."
She turns to Farrina and states "Have at it. Be safe, please."