Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
Declan and Sky noticed that the day crew was different from the late night kids. Which made sense- the kids who had been working late last night were probably still asleep. It was basically the same setup, though. During the day with a lot more traffic on the street, the corner hawker drew most of the attention, but Zander noticed the spotter watching him with wide eyes. The young man stared like he'd never seen a warforged before, though that was not unique to this kid up here in Field Ward.
From the corner boy, who took the money, the single desperate buyer looking to score headed deeper into Flipcoin Alley. Zander also noticed a somewhat larger boy sitting on an upturned crate just loitering but watching a little too closely to not be involved.
***
Zander followed the directions his companions had described and found the clinic easily. The clinic was a little way down Burnt Inn Street on the other side of the larger street from Flipcoin Alley. It was a narrow three-story building facing Burnt Inn Street that looked as if it had undergone recent renovations. A sign over the front door read HOPE in large letters in Common and the same word in smaller letters in Dhakaani- between those two languages, almost anyone in Khorvaire would be able to read that sign.
There were a few people around the small courtyard in front of the clinic- most looked like they were waiting for someone or something but a few looked sick. The front door was open and led directly into a waiting room. A large grey-skinned female half-orc in a utilitarian white dress sat behind a desk next to the door; she looked up as the group entered.
She looked surprised to see a warforged come in the door. "We can't do anything for you, sorry." Her tone was brusque. The intake nurse glanced past Zander at Declan and Skylar. "If you're with them you need to stay outside. Only patients in here." She pushed a clipboard across the desk toward Declan. "Put your name and what's wrong then take a seat."
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
The half-elf, with more clarity on the plan, began to wind his way through the North Ward streets, until they found themselves outside an extremely tastefully appointed Apothecary, with the name 'Rose Apothecary' on the large glass window. Opening the door, Illendur rings the bell, grinning at Idrassa, This will be quite something, be prepared to talk quickly, and you have to get by the judgy face on the first pass, or it'll get stonewalled; unless you can guilt trip them into something...
There wasn't anyone else in the store at the moment and not even staff visible. "One second," called a voice from the back. After a moment a youngish man with short hair came out, carrying a crate of jars. Pat smiled at Illendur. "Oh, Illendur, good to see you." He glanced at Idrassa, his smile extending to her too. "Do you have a new act for us?"
Illendur smiles at Pat, Not today Pat, this is my friend and colleague Idrassa, and she's interested in more economical conversations, I was hoping you'd be able to point her in a profitable direction with some folks. Idrassa, this is Pat, he and Danid run this place. Sort of a multi-purpose venue for the finest folks. Illendur lays it on a little thick a joking way, but with respect to what they do here.
The half-elf, with more clarity on the plan, began to wind his way through the North Ward streets, until they found themselves outside an extremely tastefully appointed Apothecary, with the name 'Rose's Apothecary' on the large glass window. Opening the door, Illendur rings the bell, grinning at Idrassa, This will be quite something, be prepared to talk quickly, and you have to get by the judgy face on the first pass, or it'll get stonewalled; unless you can guilt trip them into something...
Now it was Idrassa's turn to tag along after the half-elf. She was pleased that he had something, but his last comment put her on her guard. But forewarned was forearmed, and she thought she saw an angle.
"Got it," she told him, nodding. "When you introduce me, tell her you brought me by to see her selection of Karrnathi high meadow cheese."
Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
Declan and Sky noticed that the day crew was different from the late night kids. Which made sense- the kids who had been working late last night were probably still asleep. It was basically the same setup, though. During the day with a lot more traffic on the street, the corner hawker drew most of the attention, but Zander noticed the spotter watching him with wide eyes. The young man stared like he'd never seen a warforged before, though that was not unique to this kid up here in Field Ward.
From the corner boy, who took the money, the single desperate buyer looking to score headed deeper into Flipcoin Alley. Zander also noticed a somewhat larger boy sitting on an upturned crate just loitering but watching a little too closely to not be involved.
Zander noticed the various young humanoids that seemed to be involved in the drug-selling operation, and simply made mental note of the tactical setup. Clearly, if one were to wish to take down this operation, one would need to neutralize the larger youth first.
"One would also do well to have additional forces seal off the alley and secure the smaller humanoids before they could withdraw," J'r-V'zz's "voice" spoke in Zander's head.
"Possibly," Zander thought back, "but it seems unlikely that the smaller humanoids would provide much in the way of useful intelligence. Likely, one would need to simultaneously neutralize the larger guard while also sending a strike element up the ally to grab the presumably more senior individual or individuals positioned there. It is also logical to assume that there is at least one additional way out of that alley, so one would want to send an additional blocking force to that position so as to prevent escape of the high-value target or targets."
The psi-crystal could not "see" so far as Zander could, so its tactical evaluation had been flawed. There was a mental sensation that others might have interpreted as a dismissive sniff. Zander simply recognized it as his companion indicating a loss of interest in the subject.
Zander nodded to himself, then continued on to the clinic. If he needed to come back to this point later, he would want to scout for the secret exit to the alley first.
***
Zander followed the directions his companions had described and found the clinic easily. The clinic was a little way down Burnt Inn Street on the other side of the larger street from Flipcoin Alley. It was a narrow three-story building facing Burnt Inn Street that looked as if it had undergone recent renovations. A sign over the front door read HOPE in large letters in Common and the same word in smaller letters in Dhakaani- between those two languages, almost anyone in Khorvaire would be able to read that sign.
There were a few people around the small courtyard in front of the clinic- most looked like they were waiting for someone or something but a few looked sick. The front door was open and led directly into a waiting room. A large grey-skinned female half-orc in a utilitarian white dress sat behind a desk next to the door; she looked up as the group entered.
She looked surprised to see a warforged come in the door. "We can't do anything for you, sorry." Her tone was brusque. The intake nurse glanced past Zander at Declan and Skylar. "If you're with them you need to stay outside. Only patients in here." She pushed a clipboard across the desk toward Declan. "Put your name and what's wrong then take a seat."
Zander's head tilted to one side. Skylar and Declan behind him hadn't yet known Zander long enough to recognize what that meant. Then again, neither had the nurse.
"Why would you assume there is nothing you can do for me?" Zander's first question was genuinely curious. "Your sign outside offers "hope." Are you assuming that only those with physical or structural injury require hope? It is my understanding that hope is a word with numerous definitions attached to it. One of the primary of which is "The theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with the help of the gods." Is there an implied requirement that said desire for such a future good requires one to be suffering from a physical malady in order to properly or successfully begin - or conclude - such a search?" Or are you one of those humanoids who believes that Warforged do not have souls, and thus could not possibly benefit from help from the gods? Or that we do not deserve to - or lack the capacity to - feel hope?"
Noticing the look on the nurse's face, Zander seemed to recognize that his questions were not finding a receptive audience. Quickly, he executed a tactical maneuver to change the angle of approach.
"I will exit swiftly," he promised, "but I entered under the auspices of a different definition of 'hope.' That of "wish[ing] for a particular event that one considers possible." I am under the impression that members of an organization referred to as 'The Brands' have been creating difficulties in your efforts to support the needy people of this area. I was," he put no specific emphasis on the next word, "hoping that you could direct me to the correct member of the organization so that I may begin the process of removing the difficulties."
She looked surprised to see a warforged come in the door. "We can't do anything for you, sorry." Her tone was brusque. The intake nurse glanced past Zander at Declan and Skylar. "If you're with them you need to stay outside. Only patients in here." She pushed a clipboard across the desk toward Declan. "Put your name and what's wrong then take a seat."
Declan shook his head at the clipboard and made no move to take it. "My apologies, but we are not seeking treatment." He turned his back to the nurse and leaned on the door jamb, turning his attention on those waiting outside. If there were Brands here, they'd probably be there.
But then Zander spoke with the subtlety of a stampeding Tarrasque. Declan cringed and very nearly facepalmed. Instead, he kept a vigilant eye open for whoever might make themselves known. He uncrossed his arms and stood straight, keeping a hand near the hilt of his thornblade, but not directly on it. They were here to talk, not to fight, after all. But he'd be ready in case the Brands were... less than amiable.
Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
Noticing the look on the nurse's face, Zander seemed to recognize that his questions were not finding a receptive audience. Quickly, he executed a tactical maneuver to change the angle of approach.
J'r-V'zz's threat assessment spiked as the nurse frowned at Zander and reached under her desk for something. From what Zander had observed, her biceps were impressive for a female of any species, and her thick neck and shoulders indicated significant physical strength. The psicrystal rated it as 50-50 whether she was reaching for a weapon or some kind of alarm trigger.
"What?" To Declan and Skylar, she sounded confused, not angry, but they also noticed the hand out of view under the desk. Chances seemed good they were about to get bounced out of the clinic.
"I will exit swiftly," he promised, "but I entered under the auspices of a different definition of 'hope.' That of "wish[ing] for a particular event that one considers possible." I am under the impression that members of an organization referred to as 'The Brands' have been creating difficulties in your efforts to support the needy people of this area. I was," he put no specific emphasis on the next word, "hoping that you could direct me to the correct member of the organization so that I may begin the process of removing the difficulties."
The nurse confusingly both relaxed and frowned, shaking her head. Her shoulders untensed and her hand came back out from under her desk. "Sweet Arawai's nipples, more of you? Why don't any of you just come in and say 'hey, somebody sent us to take care of those punks that've been hassling you.' Host above." She shook her head.
"No, I haven't seen none for a coupla days. They usually come around the first of the month and hassle us til we pay them off. Then we don't see 'em til the next month." As it was nearly the end of Barrakas now, that meant they would be back in a couple of days. "Last time I saw one was last week- broken arm. Mended it an' sent 'em on their way."
She looked from Zander to Declan to Sky. "What happened to that other team? They looked pretty serious; those kids didn't run 'em off, did they?"
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
Illendur smiles at Pat, Not today Pat, this is my friend and colleague Idrassa, and she's interested in more economical conversations, I was hoping you'd be able to point her in a profitable direction with some folks. Idrassa, this is Pat, he and Danid run this place. Sort of a multi-purpose venue for the finest folks. Illendur lays it on a little thick a joking way, but with respect to what they do here.
Pat nodded at Idrassa. "Hello, Idrassa. Just let me put this down." He took the crate over to a shelf halfway across the store before putting it down and coming back to the pair. "So Illendur says you have some business ideas for us? Something about cheese?" The shopkeep was polite, if a little reserved with a stranger with a business venture.
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
Pat nodded at Idrassa. "Hello, Idrassa. Just let me put this down." He took the crate over to a shelf halfway across the store before putting it down and coming back to the pair. "So Illendur says you have some business ideas for us? Something about cheese?" The shopkeep was polite, if a little reserved with a stranger with a business venture.
"Nice to meet you," answered Idrassa. "You have a lovely shop," she added, looking around. She glanced over at one of the shelves. "Illendur mentioned you offer a wide variety of Karrnathi cheeses. Do you mind if I take a look? Oh, is that a Teryk white bitter?" She added, pointing to one large wedge. "That's hard to come by."
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
"Nice to meet you," answered Idrassa. "You have a lovely shop," she added, looking around. She glanced over at one of the shelves. "Illendur mentioned you offer a wide variety of Karrnathi cheeses. Do you mind if I take a look? Oh, is that a Teryk white bitter?" She added, pointing to one large wedge. "That's hard to come by."
Pat's smile widened. "You know your cheeses. Sure, take a look." He continued talking happily while Idrassa looked over the impressive display of cheeses. "Hardly anyone knows about Teryk. We've actually been trying to get the word out. We had a tasting event last month- charcuterie with a mix of tastes, but specifically to get people to add bitter tastes to their menus. It's been selling pretty well since then but I still don't think 1 person in a hundred would recognize it on the shelf."
"Are you a cheesemonger? We've got good relationships with a few in town and around the Sound but Dinad's always happy to meet someone new."
"A cheesemonger? You flatter my tastes," replied Idrassa with a light-hearted grin. Inwardly, she cursed herself. She had just betrayed the wealth of her childhood to Illendur if not to the shopkeeper. She realized belatedly that the scents of the place were putting her off her game, reminding her of long-gone banquets and childrens' games in her parents' hall. But she pressed on.
"No, I just enjoy the finer things when I can," she said. "I just think it's a shame that tariffs put so many fine foods beyond the reach of people who could enjoy them." The gently inquisitive look in Idrassa's eyes made clear the last was offered as a thread on which Pat could pull if he chose.
Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
The nurse confusingly both relaxed and frowned, shaking her head. Her shoulders untensed and her hand came back out from under her desk. "Sweet Arawai's nipples, more of you? Why don't any of you just come in and say 'hey, somebody sent us to take care of those punks that've been hassling you.' Host above." She shook her head.
"No, I haven't seen none for a coupla days. They usually come around the first of the month and hassle us til we pay them off. Then we don't see 'em til the next month." As it was nearly the end of Barrakas now, that meant they would be back in a couple of days. "Last time I saw one was last week- broken arm. Mended it an' sent 'em on their way."
She looked from Zander to Declan to Sky. "What happened to that other team? They looked pretty serious; those kids didn't run 'em off, did they?"
"It seems," Zander said, "as though you do not mind the humanoids known as the Brands making use of your facilities, despite their insistence upon extorting you for already limited resources. Is that the case?"
She looked from Zander to Declan to Sky. "What happened to that other team? They looked pretty serious; those kids didn't run 'em off, did they?"
From the door jamb, Declan shrugged, "Don't know, ma'am, I'm new here. All I know is our job is to get them off your back so you can do your job."
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
"A cheesemonger? You flatter my tastes," replied Idrassa with a light-hearted grin. Inwardly, she cursed herself. She had just betrayed the wealth of her childhood to Illendur if not to the shopkeeper. She realized belatedly that the scents of the place were putting her off her game, reminding her of long-gone banquets and childrens' games in her parents' hall. But she pressed on.
"No, I just enjoy the finer things when I can," she said. "I just think it's a shame that tariffs put so many fine foods beyond the reach of people who could enjoy them." The gently inquisitive look in Idrassa's eyes made clear the last was offered as a thread on which Pat could pull if he chose.
Pat frowned and shook his head. "Don't get me started on tariffs." He went on in spite of what he'd just said. "You know, I'm a local boy. Throneport born and bred. And I don't mind the whole Ward thing, to be honest. The Aundairians are fairly nice and they generally have a light touch. But the fees they charge on importing non-Aundairian goods is criminal, really. It's a 50% tax on anything not made in Aundair!"
"That's not to say Aundairian goods aren't excellent. They make the best wine on the continent, bar none. But we had to stop importing my favorite ice wine from the Mror Holds because it was just too expensive to carry anymore. It's cheaper to import from Stormreach than from Thaliost! It's insane." He closed his eyes and huffed out a breath through his nose then took a second to calm down.
He smiled and shook his head again. "Sorry, it's just been a tough adjustment. Like I said, don't get me started on tariffs," Pat chuckled.
Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
From the door jamb, Declan shrugged, "Don't know, ma'am, I'm new here. All I know is our job is to get them off your back so you can do your job."
The big nurse shrugged. "Damn shame. They looked like a tough bunch."
"It seems," Zander said, "as though you do not mind the humanoids known as the Brands making use of your facilities, despite their insistence upon extorting you for already limited resources. Is that the case?"
She looked at Zander and nodded. "Nobody outside this neighborhood gives a damn about the people who live here. I'd give out medical supplies for free to anybody who asked, if I had unlimited resources. So they come by looking for money, we don't have any, so we give them what we can- antitox, blood block, soothe syrup. Maybe they sell it, maybe they use it, I don't know. If they sell it, good for them. I don't know if half those kids have enough to eat at night. If they use it because they didn't want to come in here, well I wish they felt like they could come to us for small things as well as the big stuff but I get it."
The nurse frowned, glancing at Sky and Declan, who at least looked like they might be familiar with the situation. "If you don't live here, you don't understand what it's like. I'm glad the charity decided to put this clinic here, but half the people think it's a scam, half don't want to take handouts, and the other half will only come if they're this close to dying. So yeah, we treat anybody who comes in those doors who needs help. I'm not turning anybody away if I can help it. I couldn't live with myself if I had to step over a kid who couldn't walk from a broken leg because his big brother decided he needed to rob the clinic to pay for bread and soup to keep them alive another day."
Zander's head cocked again.
"Those who do not wish to take 'handouts,'" he began - he recognized the term from his time in the poorer sections of Sharn - "would it be possible to offer them tasks to do in exchange for their medical assistance? Stocking supplies, for example, or maintenance on the building. Perhaps even community education - telling others about the clinic and encouraging attendance, for example?"
Solving that problem wasn't really included in Zander's mission profile today, but it was a question that he felt compelled to ask, even while the part of his mind that analyzed tactical and strategic problems was churning on those issues.
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
"That's not to say Aundairian goods aren't excellent. They make the best wine on the continent, bar none. But we had to stop importing my favorite ice wine from the Mror Holds because it was just too expensive to carry anymore. It's cheaper to import from Stormreach than from Thaliost! It's insane." He closed his eyes and huffed out a breath through his nose then took a second to calm down.He smiled and shook his head again. "Sorry, it's just been a tough adjustment. Like I said, don't get me started on tariffs," Pat chuckled.
Idrassa chuckled along, then turned more serious. "Listen," she said carefully. "If I could offer you an end run around Aundairan tariffs, would you be interested? Not quite a smuggling operation," she clarified. "Just...a door they haven't noticed to close yet."
Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
Zander's head cocked again.
"Those who do not wish to take 'handouts,'" he began - he recognized the term from his time in the poorer sections of Sharn - "would it be possible to offer them tasks to do in exchange for their medical assistance? Stocking supplies, for example, or maintenance on the building. Perhaps even community education - telling others about the clinic and encouraging attendance, for example?"
Solving that problem wasn't really included in Zander's mission profile today, but it was a question that he felt compelled to ask, even while the part of his mind that analyzed tactical and strategic problems was churning on those issues.
Nurse shrugged. "Most people who live around here spend their day trying to scrounge together enough money to feed themselves or feed their habits. Even the ones who aren't working themselves to the bone already don't normally think about needing medical help until they're sick or they fell off a ladder. We do- what do they call it?- outreach, yeah. But most of what we get is supplies; they don't send us money to do other stuff. Maybe they should, I don't know."
"And where would you rather go, to a talk by a physician who'll tell you what we do or to see the beautiful Inspired on the other end of the Ward who gives out free food?" She snorted. "I know where I'd rather go. Khyber below, my husband is working on that big egg thing they're building and I'm still half jealous he gets to see them every day."
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
Idrassa chuckled along, then turned more serious. "Listen," she said carefully. "If I could offer you an end run around Aundairan tariffs, would you be interested? Not quite a smuggling operation," she clarified. "Just...a door they haven't noticed to close yet."
Pat chuckled. "Yeah, that would be great wouldn't it?" He cleared his throat and looked around at the otherwise empty shop, then looked at Illendur. He took a step closer to the nobleman and dropped his voice. "Is she legit?" As far as criminal conspiracies went, Pat did not seem cut out for the trade. Pat looked back at Idrassa. "I don't know. This all seems a little... sketchy."
Illendur smiles at Pat, She is indeed, I've utilized her services in the past. I'd call this an exploratory conversation to gauge market interest. Just need to line up a few other pieces now that we know there's a potential buyer interested. Isn't that right Idrassa? he looks back to where she stands.
Illendur smiles at Pat, She is indeed, I've utilized her services in the past. I'd call this an exploratory conversation to gauge market interest. Just need to line up a few other pieces now that we know there's a potential buyer interested. Isn't that right Idrassa? he looks back to where she stands.
"That's it exactly," Idrassa responded. "Pat, I'm not here to give you the hard sell. I'm hoping we can put something together, but if we can't, I'll walk away and never mention it again. Though I may come back to do a little shopping," she added, gesturing around the store.
She smiled. "But think it over. Whether we do this or not, somebody in the gourmet food market is going to figure out some loophole and milk it for all its worth." Idrassa left it unsaid that that person would be the little shop's competition.
Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
Nurse shrugged. "Most people who live around here spend their day trying to scrounge together enough money to feed themselves or feed their habits. Even the ones who aren't working themselves to the bone already don't normally think about needing medical help until they're sick or they fell off a ladder. We do- what do they call it?- outreach, yeah. But most of what we get is supplies; they don't send us money to do other stuff. Maybe they should, I don't know."
"And where would you rather go, to a talk by a physician who'll tell you what we do or to see the beautiful Inspired on the other end of the Ward who gives out free food?" She snorted. "I know where I'd rather go. Khyber below, my husband is working on that big egg thing they're building and I'm still half jealous he gets to see them every day."
On Khorvaire, the last decade has seen increasingly strong ties between Q’barra and the Inspired lords of Riedra. The Inspired entered into a number of trade agreements and treaties, and even sent troops to help defend their Q’barran ally. Currently these garrisons are quite small, but the Inspired promise additional troops if New Galifar should require them.
Within the Five Nations, Inspired are typically only seen in large cities, as ambassadors to kings and nobles or missionaries of the Path of Inspiration. The state religion of Riedra believes dedicated and hard-working souls ascend a ladder of spiritual evolution over the course of many lifetimes, traveling from beast, to nonhuman, to human, to changeling, to Chosen, to the angelic spirits that act in the next world to guide lesser beings through the Inspired. Missionaries of the Path of Inspiration sponsor public works to improve their communities and provide food, medical aid, and other support in return for work and adherence to the tenets of the Path.
The people of Riedra believe that the Inspired are divine avatars, sent to guide and protect their nation. Most are willing to die for their Inspired lords, as Riedra is an empire of wonders, glory, and more than anything- peace, plenty, and safety. Kalashtar communities in Khorvaire, however, tell a different story, saying they are refugees from an oppressive empire controlled by dark powers, calling the Inspired tools of otherworldly powers.
The Inspired of Sarlona speak a language called Quori, which they say is the language of the angels of Dal Quor, while the lesser classes speak Riedran, which combines Old Common with a scattering of Quori words and phrases.
Much like the otherworldly kalashtar, western scholars believe the Inspired are a created race, developed over time from the best strains of different species. While they appear to mostly be human, they show signs of having been engineered much like House Vadalis's magebred animals.
Magnificent domed cities called up from the formless void of dreamstuff spread across the inside of the ring of dreamscapes, allowing the quori who live there easy
access to their food supply—the psychic energy of dreaming mortals. Beyond the cities of the quori, a roiling boil of dream-born landscapes melt, burn, grow, and dissolve without any rhyme or reason.
As her friends and colleagues went about some deals, negotiations and drug-dealing surveillance, Jixel stayed home. There were a few reasons for this, and they weren't to do with cowardice or simply wanting a day off, oh no. Cheese! A delivery was due, and although leaving the Minotaur to handle it would have been fine, the ratfolk was excited and refused to miss the opportunity. Furthermore, there was much to do around the Manor, and Jixel hadn't even properly set up her bedroom yet. There was still restoration work to do too, and a lot of planning to deal with.
As she finished her morning meal and had waved everyone goodbye for the day, the contented feeling of an imminent cheese arrival was overtaken by something else. A sensation of cold and darkness...
Where was Ash? What had happened to him? How did she feel about this Tabaxi and the cat-loving Tiefling? Was it time to learn more about her employer? In many ways, ignorance was bliss... but it was also pretty annoying. The curious and equally nervous side of a rat's nature, wanted to start a bit of sniffing around. It would begin by observing the courier of the delivery! Every now and then she'd peek out a window too, hoping to notice if any passers by moved suspiciously or seemed to be staking the place out. Yes, her employers knew too much...
"And where would you rather go, to a talk by a physician who'll tell you what we do or to see the beautiful Inspired on the other end of the Ward who gives out free food?" She snorted. "I know where I'd rather go. Khyber below, my husband is working on that big egg thing they're building and I'm still half jealous he gets to see them every day."
Declan raised an eyebrow, "What in Khyber is an Inspired doing here of all places?" But then he remembered their charity. He turned to the intake nurse and said, "Why not ask them to do that here? They support public works, right? What better way to get your message out than to have an Inspired outside your door."
He frowned behind his gaiter again, "Though that still doesn't solve our immediate problem. Maybe we should come back when the Brands come to collect their... dues?" This said more to Zander and Sky than the nurse.
Jixel - North Ward
Where was Ash? What had happened to him? How did she feel about this Tabaxi and the cat-loving Tiefling? Was it time to learn more about her employer? In many ways, ignorance was bliss... but it was also pretty annoying. The curious and equally nervous side of a rat's nature, wanted to start a bit of sniffing around. It would begin by observing the courier of the delivery! Every now and then she'd peek out a window too, hoping to notice if any passers by moved suspiciously or seemed to be staking the place out. Yes, her employers knew too much...
Eventually, a buckboard wagon with 'Hintram Imported Cheeses' full of wooden crates clattered over the cobblestones toward the back of Trollskull Manor. Jixel heard the knock on the back door and Goggh climbing up the steps from the basement to greet the merchants- the big man was many things, but quiet was not one of them.
One last look out the windows failed to show Jixel any lurking spies as she turned to go investigate the cheese delivery.
Declan, Sky, Zander - Field Ward
Declan raised an eyebrow, "What in Khyber is an Inspired doing here of all places?" But then he remembered their charity. He turned to the intake nurse and said, "Why not ask them to do that here? They support public works, right? What better way to get your message out than to have an Inspired outside your door."
He frowned behind his gaiter again, "Though that still doesn't solve our immediate problem. Maybe we should come back when the Brands come to collect their... dues?" This said more to Zander and Sky than the nurse.
The nurse shrugged. "They'll be back in a couple days, yeah. They always come by on the first."
Zander's head cocked once more, but then it straightened, and he nodded. Tactically, there was no advantage to remaining at the clinic, and strategically, there was significant opportunity to improve the situation for themselves by remaining mobile, and possibly engaging in reconnaissance-by-fire away from the primary objective.
"It seems likely that we will improve our position by relocating and re-allocating our resources until the expected time of engagement," he said. "Is there a specific individual or individuals who engage in the extortionary activities?"
Declan, Skylar, Zander - Field Ward
Zander's head cocked once more, but then it straightened, and he nodded. Tactically, there was no advantage to remaining at the clinic, and strategically, there was significant opportunity to improve the situation for themselves by remaining mobile, and possibly engaging in reconnaissance-by-fire away from the primary objective.
"It seems likely that we will improve our position by relocating and re-allocating our resources until the expected time of engagement," he said. "Is there a specific individual or individuals who engage in the extortionary activities?"
The nurse nodded. "It's always Snow and his crew." Idrassa's contact had named Snow as one of the Brands' 4 crew runners. There was no description given but Skylar remembered seeing a white haired older boy during their stakeout- he hadn't been guarding the drug house but he did come by near the end of the night with a bigger young man who struck her as a bodyguard/heavy.
The nurse nodded. "It's always Snow and his crew." Idrassa's contact had named Snow as one of the Brands' 4 crew runners. There was no description given but Skylar remembered seeing a white haired older boy during their stakeout- he hadn't been guarding the drug house but he did come by near the end of the night with a bigger young man who struck her as a bodyguard/heavy.
Declan nodded, he glanced to Skylar who had described the boy along with the other ones she had named. A show of strength would likely be all that was needed. And perhaps a parlay. "What time of day does Snow typically arrive? It would be best for us to be here before him."
Declan, Skylar, Zander - Field Ward
Declan nodded, he glanced to Skylar who had described the boy along with the other ones she had named. A show of strength would likely be all that was needed. And perhaps a parlay. "What time of day does Snow typically arrive? It would be best for us to be here before him."
The nurse laughed. "I doubt any of those kids are awake before noon. I've never seen one before lunch."
Declan, Skylar, Zander - Field Ward
Declan nodded, he glanced to Skylar who had described the boy along with the other ones she had named. A show of strength would likely be all that was needed. And perhaps a parlay. "What time of day does Snow typically arrive? It would be best for us to be here before him."The nurse laughed. "I doubt any of those kids are awake before noon. I've never seen one before lunch."
Zander nodded. "That gives us a tactical advantage, then. We should go, and allow the clinic to function as intended while we seek to increase our advantges."
Jixel - North Ward - Trollskull Manor
As soon as the ratfolk heard the grinding of wagon wheels, she abandoned her fruitless mission peering through the manor's front windows. The cheese! The cheese! She hurried oh so quickly to the rear entrance, near literally bumping into Goggh on the way.
"The delivery! We can't miss it!"
In a flash, she was at the loading area with a huge grin on her face, and waved to the driver.
"Hello friend! What do you have for us today? Goggh here will help us load it in."
Were they delivering so much cheese that a minotaur's heavy lifting might be required? Hopefully!
Jixel - North Ward - Trollskull Manor
Goggh and the driver both chuckled at Jixel's infectious enthusiasm. "Well, let's see what you've got." The driver reached over and picked up a clipboard, flipping through a few pages of loose paper before finding their order. "Trollskull Manor, Trollskull Alley, North Ward. Here we go."
He stood up and clambered down out of the buckboard's bench, tapping the various cheeses as he read them off. "King's Own cheddar, one wheel." The cheese merchant tapped a big wheel encased in red wax.
Goggh grinned as he lifted the nearly 40-pound wheel of cheese out of the wagon with no discernible effort, revealing his very sharp, very un-bovine teeth. "I make the best pub cheese you've ever had. You have the cream cheese?"
The driver briefly scanned down the list and quickly nodded, tapping a rectangular wooden crate full of paper-wrapped bricks of the soft cheese. "Rencelaw Dairy cream cheese, 1 crate." Goggh nodded at Jixel, grinning like a schoolboy who just happened to have the teeth of a wolf. "Could you grab that?"
Up close, Jixel could see that the bed and sides of the wagon were etched with faintly glowing runes. Reaching in, one instantly felt the difference between ambient air temperature and the cold inside the cart.
Declan, Skylar, Zander - Field Ward
Zander nodded. "That gives us a tactical advantage, then. We should go, and allow the clinic to function as intended while we seek to increase our advantges."
The nurse shrugged. The tough-looking woman looked like she could weather any storm. "We'll see you when we see you."
Ash the cat slinked up the gangplank onto a ship the name painted onto its prow declared was Heartbreaker. Ash didn't know a lot about ships but as far as he could tell this one seemed boringly utilitarian. He did pass by a watchman standing guard near the gangplank- the sailor looked alert enough but it was late at night and there were more than enough shadows for cat-Ash to hide in. Plus what was he going to do, draw his sword on a cat?
Ash had lost the man he'd been following once the man made it onto the ship and there were stairs up, stairs down, an open passageway toward the bow and a closed set of doors toward the stern, but cat-Ash's keen nose told him the man had gone aft up a set of stairs onto the aft castle lower deck.
Heading up the steep ladder onto the aft castle, Ash the cat found himself on a large open deck with a large capstan attached to a chain, probably the anchor chain. Another pair of stairs led above to the next deck- the aft castle true- where there was the ship's wheel, nearly as large across as a man. There was also another closed door here, and Ash was pretty sure that's where the man had gone.
There were a pair of sailors here, one looking down at the main deck and the other looking out over the pier.
The sailor looking out over the railing was almost within arm's reach as Ash hopped up onto the aft castle lower deck. He looked over at Ash the cat. "Hey, kitty. Bit late for you to be wandering around up here." His voice was friendly enough but Ash still got the feeling he was about to be given the bum's rush.
Jixel - North Ward - Trollskull Manor
The uncontainable excitement was just uncontainable! Jixel was bobbing up and down like she was at some kind of rat-rave dance party!
"A wheel? A whole... wheel?"
She clapped her little paws together. Usually when one received a gift, the elation of the surprise kind of wore off. Not with this wheel though, because the whole event... yes... event in Jixel's mind, just kept on giving. Her large dark eyes blinked in Goggh's direction.
"Wait. You ordered cheese too? You're a con... connoisseur or whatever they call it? Why didn't you tell me!"
Oh wait. There were quite a few good reasons why one shouldn't tell a ratfolk that you were storing cheese, and also making delights from it.
"Pub cheese? Is that a thing or are you having me on?"
The delivery man might have thought he was safe in all this, but that soon changed. Jixel's attention soon turned to him too, as she waved a claw near the runes.
"Ooo!"
She drew her hand back, and then popped it back inside.
"Ooo! This is genius!"
Looking to the nice gentleman who'd driven these treats around to them, she smiled. The kind of smile a rat with a whole wheel of cheese might have.
"How does your cool thing work? It is your invention? Who got this magic to stick to the wood? I simply must know more!"
There was a lot going through her head right now. One of the many ideas was learning the secret to this cold transport. Imagine if you could make that commonplace! A cheese-cooler in everyone's home! Anyone who could pull that off, would surely have a hell of a lot of cheese.
Jixel - North Ward - Trollskull Manor
"Wait. You ordered cheese too? You're a con... connoisseur or whatever they call it? Why didn't you tell me!"
Oh wait. There were quite a few good reasons why one shouldn't tell a ratfolk that you were storing cheese, and also making delights from it.
"Pub cheese? Is that a thing or are you having me on?"
Goggh laughed, looking almost as delighted as Jixel. "You've never had pub cheese? I practically lived on it for a while, back when I was a kid. Makes it so you can almost ignore stale bread. Which we, I will make sure of, never serve in this establishment." The enormous bar manager gestured inside with his horns. "I'll whip you up a batch soon as we're done unloading."
The delivery man might have thought he was safe in all this, but that soon changed. Jixel's attention soon turned to him too, as she waved a claw near the runes.
"Ooo!"
She drew her hand back, and then popped it back inside.
"Ooo! This is genius!"
Looking to the nice gentleman who'd driven these treats around to them, she smiled. The kind of smile a rat with a whole wheel of cheese might have.
"How does your cool thing work? It is your invention? Who got this magic to stick to the wood? I simply must know more!"
There was a lot going through her head right now. One of the many ideas was learning the secret to this cold transport. Imagine if you could make that commonplace! A cheese-cooler in everyone's home! Anyone who could pull that off, would surely have a hell of a lot of cheese.
The driver smiled at Jixel; her enthusiasm was hard to resist. "No idea how it works, miss. I just know if it breaks down we talk to our Council rep and they call the Wagon-makers Guild and they send someone down to fix it." Jixel easily picked out the thin strip of metal that ringed the inside of the wagon's sides. It bore a repeating phrase of arcane runes; she didn't know all of them but what she did recognize were some figures students of arcane magic used to learn a spell that allowed them to project a ray of freezing cold air from their fingertips. The magical runic phrase, repeated over and over again on the strip of metal, almost looked like it had been stamped in rather than each rune individually etched.
The driver ticked his clipboard. "I've got you down for a couple more cheeses, too, miss. Um, this Aundairian Manchego," he tapped a much smaller wheel of cheese than the Cheddar wheel, this one covered in grey wax, "this Idiazabal sheep cheese," a small box branded with a pasture in front of a tall mountain, "and... here, this Cabrales blue," this one was the smallest wheel yet, and wrapped in some sort of dark green leaf. Even with the tub of cream cheese, Jixel could probably carry all them at once by herself.
Had they been there, Idrassa and her new friend Pat probably would have taken note of the fact that every one of the cheeses was either locally made or imported from Aundair.
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
Illendur smiles at Pat, She is indeed, I've utilized her services in the past. I'd call this an exploratory conversation to gauge market interest. Just need to line up a few other pieces now that we know there's a potential buyer interested. Isn't that right Idrassa? he looks back to where she stands."That's it exactly," Idrassa responded. "Pat, I'm not here to give you the hard sell. I'm hoping we can put something together, but if we can't, I'll walk away and never mention it again. Though I may come back to do a little shopping," she added, gesturing around the store.
She smiled. "But think it over. Whether we do this or not, somebody in the gourmet food market is going to figure out some loophole and milk it for all its worth." Idrassa left it unsaid that that person would be the little shop's competition.
Pat gave Idrassa a little frown and a tiny shrug. "I'm not saying yes, but what kind of loophole are we talking about? I don't want to get the shop mixed up in anything illegal. We've worked hard to put this place together, I wouldn't want to risk losing it."
Declan, Skylar, Zander - Field Ward
Zander nodded. "That gives us a tactical advantage, then. We should go, and allow the clinic to function as intended while we seek to increase our advantges."The nurse shrugged. The tough-looking woman looked like she could weather any storm. "We'll see you when we see you."
Zander gave the nurse a nod, then turned and headed out the door of the clinic.
Once they were outside the clinic and had moved away from any bystanders, Zander turned to the two who had accompanied him.
"It would likely be tactically advantageous to find this 'Snow' humanoid and neutralize him far from the clinic, while he is not expecting attack. However, it may be more strategically advantageous to 'send a message' by neutralizing him and his unit publicly and forcefully while in the process of their extortion attempt. The latter course will likely invite reprisals, however, which will also need to be neutralized, and will require us to dedicate resources here at the clinic until such time as the enemy is fully neutralized. If that is the course to be followed, we would do well to utilize our time in scouting the battlefield, strengthening defenses, and setting likely ambush locations. Alternatively, it is possible that a quiet neutralization need not involve violence - which was the primary goal of my mission here. Regardless, whether through violence or negotiation, discovering this 'Snow' humanoid's place of safety and invading it unexpectedly would provide us with an advantage. That would require employing our time in locating said place of safety. Which strategy do we intend to employ?"
Declan frowned at Zander's assessment. He wasn't wrong, per se, Dec just didn't think it would be as simple as the warforged suggested. He looked out over the sea of humanity that was the Field Ward and shook his head.
"I do not think we will be able to locate Snow, nevermind his place of domiciling in this labyrinthine multitude." He considered their approach, and how he would do it. "A non-violent approach would be preferred. Violence would beget violence, and we would be risking reprisal without posting a permanent guard. I do not believe we have the resources to do that."
He fell silent in thought for a moment as the three of them moved through the Ward towards the Trollskull. "I believe we may be able to parlay with them on the first of the month. At least learn why they pressure the clinic, and what would incentivize them to cease." He nodded in acquiescence of one point, at least. "Snow will have backup and the confidence that comes with it. He will probably threaten violence against us, and believe he can prevail. We must be able to... dissuade that line of thought by word or action."
Idrassa, Illendur - North Ward
Pat gave Idrassa a little frown and a tiny shrug. "I'm not saying yes, but what kind of loophole are we talking about? I don't want to get the shop mixed up in anything illegal. We've worked hard to put this place together, I wouldn't want to risk losing it."
Idrassa held up her hands placatingly. "No, there's no risk of that," she observed. "It...the truth is, we're making arrangements to transport goods through Field Ward." She smiled at Pat's obvious alarm. "Relax, the place isn't well-governed at this point, but it's not as dangerous as it's made out to be. We're talking to people who can get things done there, keep shipments safe. And they're just people," she added. "They're just looking to get through the day, same as the rest of us. A few coins on a cartload is good for them, and could be good for you if it's your cart." She shook her head.
"And don't worry about any legal trouble for the shipments, she added. "The rules for moving between the established Wards are laid out, with inter-country tariff costs applied. But Field Ward? The rules aren't clear. The worst they can do if they catch on to what we're doing is close the loophole. They can't fine you with a law they haven't bothered writing yet."
Ash cursed mentally. Just his luck! Of course there was a marginally more alert sailor in his path. He wanted to know what the man he was following was doing, but not enough to get tossed overboard!
But maybe there was a rim he could balance along on the outside of the ship. He puffed up a bit and grumbled, hoping to give the sailor second thoughts about trying to grab him while he took a quick look around for possible ways around to the back of the ship (where he expected there to be a window - good for listening at even if it wasn't open) that didn't involve swimming.
Luckily, it wasn't hard to see the many lines and railings and ladders and barrels and boxes and other places to duck away from the sailor. There was the other sailor to take into consideration, but he was still looking down at the main deck at the moment.
Ash put his tail and nose up as though he were disinterested in the sailor, and trotted into the mass of boxes and barrels, which he hoped would serve three purposes: allay the suspicions of anyone who'd been told to watch out for a big cat following the man in question, and get him close enough to the cabin to hear what was going on inside - perhaps through a window? And finally, if he couldn't hear from there, it hopefully offered a "safe" way to climb up to the railing and clamber around to the back of the ship, where there customarily was a window or two into the aft cabin.
He tucked himself into a convenient cranny out of sight, and began nosing about.
Cat Ash lost the sailor for a moment as he ducked behind a barrel. Through the closed window he heard "...have Kabelund plant it this weekend."
"There you are! C'mon, kitty." The sailor lunged in between a pair of barrels but Ash the cat was far too quick.