Andreas thinks on this revelation.
”While that is a different look, I don’t know that it helps us. ” he whispers. ”Kitsune are not very common in Korvosa, it might be that the two of you are the only ones. That, in and of itself, can be a liability.
“A rare fox-woman that would be willing to enter into such a business arrangement would likely be known to him. Let me think a moment.”
Andreas picks at his beard as he ponders the problem.
”I have an idea. Let’s play on the look as being fey, and we can hope our mark doesn’t know much about such things. You have access to many fey folk that are wanting to ‘play’, and there is a business opportunity with that. Yes, I think we can make it work.
“After all, we only need the rise until we get to talk to him. ”
Vulpina smiles at Kip.
"A second face is often useful. I have yet to find a third."
"It is close enough to the truth, regardless."
She was disowned on the spot when she objected to her own betrothal, insisted on dueling him for her hand, and unmanned him with a hidden pistol. Her whereabouts after she fled the grounds on horseback are unknown.
Or were, you suppose.
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This small ship has seen countless crude repairs—its seaworthiness is dubious, but lashed as it is to the pier, it seems stable enough. The nameplate proclaims it to be the Goldenhawk.
Two hut-like structures sit atop this barge, raucous laughter and periodic roars of victory sound from within.
The large ship tied off to the pier bears the name Eel’s End; its figurehead is a coiling eel with a woman’s head. Several drunkards, sailors, and revelers dance and drink on the large open main deck here, while the aft deck is relatively clear.
A pair of large double doors bearing a complex painting of a spider allows entrance into the stern section of the main deck.
Attempting to move further into the Eel's End ship, you are met with two guards. "Hold it, unless you are expected, the King of Spiders has no interest in visitors."
"Expected? Perhaps not. But your boss will be most unhappy if you prevent him from hearing of the business opportunity that Lady Yulai Reipia will present to him. She doesn't have the time nor the inclination to wait like some petty bureaucrat. If she cannot talk to your boss today, it is likely she will make a deal with one of his competitors.
"I am sure that you don't want that to happen." says Andreas.
Status and stature return to Lady Reipia like an old favorite jacket; where Vulpina had been sharp and spry, her posture is now impeccable, her mouth held thin and a disdainful eye cast about her. She lets Andreas speak for her.
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Luck appears to be on the side of the heroes, as these guards must be inexperienced in shooing away people. "Err.. Uh... Alright then." They open the doors, and you proceed...
This large room, once a captain’s cabin, has been converted into a throne room of sorts. The walls are thick with spider webs, in which scuttle dozens of spiders, some as large as a fist but most considerably smaller. These spiders seem content to stay in their webs and do not venture into the room itself, which is furnished with two sturdy oaken tables surrounded by chairs. Aft, a wooden stage supports a large leather chair covered with cobwebs and scampering spiders. A narrow door stands to port, hanging ajar and revealing a flight of stairs leading below. An iron birdcage hangs from the ceiling like a chandelier.
A hidden trap door lies just before the throne.
Whom you can only assume is Devargo resides in the throne. He is a tall, muscular man with shaggy black hair and a fierce glare. He accents his black leather armor with a steel spidershaped shoulder baldric and a thick chain crisscrossing his chest, linked together in the shape of a spider. Now and then, spiders clamber over his skin, but he takes no notice. Devargo is evaluating six thugs and cutpurses for recruitment into his enforcers. These six thugs are seated at the tables, enjoying a sumptuous meal and loud storytelling.
A steel birdcage that hangs from the ceiling holds a house drake. It appears to be depressed.
"Good day, sir. May I introduce Lady Yulai Reipia to you?"
"Now is her chance... she's gonna blow it."
"The honor is all mine, Your Majesty," she says, bowing low. Her voice is... playful, but not mocking. "I sense you are a busy man," she states, salient eyes glancing over the potential recruits, "so I will skip the pleasantries, unless you would prefer them."
Unless she's stopped, she continues:
"I come before you today with something of a... proposition, of sorts. I have been to many ports these past few years, and in every port, it is plain to me that men who wish to do what you do half as well often have important visitors. Councillors, mayors, duchesses, princes. If you do not have any overdressed everymen frequenting any of your establishments, I shall be surprised."
"What I offer is leverage. A noble face, courtly manners. A woman like me can escort your... entertainments straight to and from the castles and city buildings without arousing suspicion. Thus, you can command higher prices-- delicate matters on delivery, you see. And for the right price..."
She lets that statement hang in the air without a motion, but the wry smile and raised brow paints an image all-too-clear to a mind that makes its work in the gutter.
"Moreover, I do not need to explain to you the inherent value of having an ally-- not simply an asset-- with frequent access to the castle."
"All I ask in return is... ah, ten percent of any such business."
She is careful not to show her true target yet. If she plays her cards right, she might even get him to offer that information himself.
”guess that was ok. ”
”As the lady said, she someone that is good to have as a friend.
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He chuckles to himself. "So two foxes come into the spider den with their entourage, and one thinks to strike up a deal of leverage. You're a fox, what do I give a damn about your supposed leverage? Know what word we use for you? Freak. That's what. If you really think you can offer me what I don't have, then step forward, and ask me again."
His response means he doesn't so far see interest in it for himself.
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Kip seems completely unfazed by being called a freak.
Kip has no reason not to trust this ...thing in front of him, except for the spiders everywhere, him not seeming to like him or Vulpina, and the dream spider lanterns, but other than that nothing. As guard Kip stays to the back, unless otherwise noted.
Andreas waits to see what Vulpina will do.
Lady Yulai gives a wry chuckle, as if she finds being called a "freak" to be absurd. Either he is obtuse, or he is negging her.
Either way, she is not here on her own behalf.
"Surely you have noticed that the current political situation in this city is less than stable, yes? So let me speak plainly. A change in regime may very well decide that your vice taxes are not enough to keep your operation afloat, as it were-- or it may simply up them. I am hardly a businesswoman myself, but I know that any entrepreneur eyes risk with one eye that hungers and one that fears."
She smiles. "Eloquent as I may be, I have heard it said that a silver tongue speaks more softly than a persistent flow of gold."
"What I am asking for in return is... information. On one Darvayne Gios Amprei, you see. We have other ways of obtaining it, if necessary, but... well, this is what one might call a calculated risk, if you do not mind my dabbling in economics for a moment."
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Devargo seems to be mildly entertained, a smile cracking along his lips and vanishing the frown he once had. "Well, I suppose I do indeed have information on one so called Ambassador Darvayne Gios Amprei. I keep it in my quarters. While these letters I have brought me plenty of... Income, so to say, I am sure that sooner or later the ambassador will find some way to render them useless as blackmail material."
He leans back in his throne, looking comfortable with himself. "Of course, I can't part with them for any price. Lets say, one-thousand and five hundred gold coins."
"One thousand five hundred? Hmm. I've only budgeted for half that," she says. "I might be able to meet you somewhere in the middle..."
Vulpina nods. "A pleasure doing business, Your Majesty. Kip, can you prepare the man his fee?" she asks.
After all, if he decided to cross them at the last minute, Kip would be the only one who needed to be up-close and personal to do his work.
"While my people are busy with the coin, I am happy to wait while one of your staff fetches the letters for you," she says. "Is there anything beyond what is written that we should know? I suppose it would all be inadmissible hearsay, regardless, but... well," she smiles, "one does develop an ear for gossip at court, if you happen to be so inclined."
Her eyes flash mischievously, and she raises a dainty paw-like hand to her smiling lips.
"Unless, of course, your staff are not allowed in your quarters. In which case... well, we shall have to simply exercise our patience!"
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Devargo takes the money from Kipp when the Kitsune approaches the throne and hands it over. He has an amused smirk on his face. "Heh... 'Meat'. Coming from Freak." He weighs the sack of coins into a scale, moving little adjusters in. "One thousand, as agreed." He stands up, and claps his hands once in what seems to be delight. When he claps his hands, four enforcers enter the room.
"Thank you for your generosity, and entertainment. I would ask that you wait here while I retrieve what is promised." Devargo goes through a door and disappears.
Inside the cage, the house drake weakly calls out to you.
"Help... Me..."
Devargo returns several minutes later with a stack of two letters. "Your evidence of fraud and scandal; the Ambassador's love affair. Perhaps you have heard that Ambassador Amprei was, and still is, married to a rather important and big deal of a Chelaxian Noble." He smiles as he holds the two of the letters between his fingers.
"When I first heard the rumors of Amprei's lack of faith, I decided to pay him a visit. Of course, it was just a friendly proposition to open a trade line with Cheliax. I even gave him a lovely gift basket of my finest product. When the snob refused, I decided to have him consider an offer he couldn't refuse." He hands you the letters.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Pleasure doing business with you. Now get out."
Vulpina bows, a smile upon her face. "Of course. Much appreciated," she states.
And with that, she's ready to go.
Once they're a short ways out, she whispers a message to the party behind her hand:
"If this is worthless, we shall simply return and let Kip call the shots."
Andreas moves over to the house drake in the cage. In draconic, he whispers, "Who are you, little one? Why are you in this cage?"
Andreas looks closely at the drake, to see if he looks healthy.
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Andreas needs no medical expertise to discern the house drake is injured. It appears to have been tortured over a long period of time.
It calls back in Draconic in a whisper.
"I am Majenko of the House Drakes. Devargo has me caged to here to torture me. He is entertained by hurting those who cannot defend themselves, thus he keeps me in this cage."
"Majenko, I will see what I can do. Hang in there." whispers Andreas.
"We need to do something to save him!"
Vulpina's brow furrows a bit.
I cannot help but suspect that those brutes are here to eject us swiftly. If we do not move soon...
Well. Hopefully I am swift enough on the draw to keep him from escaping.
"Ah, I can understand. A man who likes his toys." says Andreas, unsure if the price was legit or not. "That's unfortunate. Damaged goods, and all.
"But, maybe, just maybe, I can come up with a better deal. What if we were able to bring you in an imp? A 'toy' that could be far more fun. IN fact, you could have it change into many different forms, allowing you to ... play ... with it, many different ways. I've been ... experimenting... with them, and they can be quite educational."
"You think we could animate an imp, or something like that?"
In draconic, Andreas says, "I am sorry, little one. There is nothing I can do right now. But perhaps I can find some of your cousins to help free you?"