Yhrrilka frowns a moment, the talk of crime lords shook something loose in her head. "Any chance you know what kind of terms this King of Spiders was on with Gaedren Lamm? Going in there as the ones who took down Lamm could either be a good thing, or fantastically bad."
"I don't believe they ever interacted. The King of Spiders is an 'honest crook' - not that I wouldn't clap him in irons if he ever gave me the opportunity. He's just as dangerous as Lamm was, though. If you're able to meet with him, do so with both eyes open."
"Of course, Marshal. At the risk of sounding crass, Master Orisini, you said you had money to use here. May I ask how much, and do we think he'll go for it?"
"And." Torsten added, somewhat warily "If everything goes belly-up, such as if they've got any informants who tip them off, how much force can we defend ourselves with? Because it sounds quite dangers walking into a spider's web."
"I love the caution, Torsten, but there is nothing to be tipped off. We are going with the intent of reaching a..." Ril pauses, looking for the right word, and then tapping the arm of her chair with her index finger when she finds it. "A business accommodation. That said, if things get a little, uh, messy, that can be looked past, da?"
Vencarlo gives a half-shrug. "Do you think 1,000gp would be enough? I assumed that would be plenty, but I'll be the first to confess that I no nothing of this sort of thing."
Cressida grins slightly at Torsten and Yhrrilka's question. "Walking into a spider's web is definitely dangerous - but so are you. I have every hope that things can be resolved peacefully. But if things get violent with the King of Spiders, I wouldn't mourn his passing."
Yhrrilka reacts to Vencarlo's question with a shrug of her own. "Sure, I guess. Maybe? Sounds like enough to me. I love Marshal Kroft's faith in us, but this is my first time negotiating a deal with a crime lord," the girl admits, a slightly sheepish grin on her face.
"Still, we'll see this through." The young woman's face shows a sudden puzzled look, and, slightly embarrassed, she asks, "This might seem silly, but um, what does one wear to a vice den? I don't want to stick out, but I don't exactly have a huge wardrobe ever since the fire."
Cressida handles this question. "Eel's End caters to anyone, so your normal attire should be fine. You can probably bring a few weapons as well - as long as you don't make a big deal about them. These type of people respect strength and competence, so as long as you know like you know what you're doing, you shouldn't be given too much hassle by the majority of people there."
”Well. Final question from me. Got anyone on the inside? Or intel on the place’s layout? Beats walking in blind.” Torsten said, wondering whether this was going to turn into another bloodbath.
"I'm afraid not. I know where it is, but since there've been no complaints about the property, the Guard hasn't had a reason to go there. Like I said, he's extremely skilled at staying just on the proper side of legal."
Vencarlo pipes up. "Perhaps I can be of assistance. Eel's End is a few tied-together ships attached to the docks at the edge of the Narrows. Very distinctive appearance, but finding it for the first time might be a bit challenging. As luck would have it, though, it's only a short walk from my house, so I know exactly where it is. The noise keeps me up at night. If you'd like, I'll be happy to escort you most of the way there."
Ril nods at Orisini's suggestion. "Yes, that will be fine. Just b sure, when the fires and the screams start, that when the guard comes, tell them we are the good guys," Ril smiles, hoping she projects confidence.
"Aye then. Let's do it." Sven said. He wasn't exactly confident in *how* they were going to do it, but he was confident that they had it in them to give it a good shot. And if all else failed? Why, good old fashioned dwarven diplomacy would suffice. And of course the most traditional form of such diplomacy was a punch to the head. Because how else were empires created?
Vencarlo proves to be an excellent guide. He's quite talkative and truly seems to love the city. He might be wealthy and slightly out-of-touch, but he comes across as a genuinely nice person. He's interested in hearing how you ended up working for Cressida, remarks favorably about Torsten's tattoos, and is mildly flirtatious (in a gentlemanly way) to both Macaria and Yhrrilka.
Once you've crossed the Narrows and entered Old Korvosa, Vencarlo motions to the east. "Eels End is on the first pier after the last bridge. Look for the lanterns - they're shaped like dream spiders and coiled eels." Once you're pointed in the right direction, Vencarlo gives you a courtly bow and walks away.
Given the directions, Eel's End is easy to find. The pier has a ship and four smaller barges permanently moored to it. While the daylight hour means it's fairly quiet, this is a place that never truly sleeps. Once you get closer, you can make out large signs painted in several languages hanging between the barges. The closest reads, "The Twin Tigers - Take the Tiger by the Tail and Try Your Luck!" Opposite that, a boat's sign says, "Welcome to the Goldenhawk - No Safer Stay in Old Korvosa!" Further to the southeast is "Dragon's Breath Corridor - Dream the Dragon's Dreams at Affordable Prices!" Next is the "House of Clouds - The Caress of Our Lovelies Will Take You Straight to Heaven!" Only the largest vessel (an old warship) bears no signage at all. Short rope bridges or gangplanks provide access to the decks of all the vessels.
Torsten saw the way that Vencarlo flirted with Ril and Macaria, so when the man complimented his tattoos Torsten took it the wrong way. Thinking that the man was hitting on him as well, the dwarf tried to politely keep his distance from the man, avoiding him as best he could.
----
He never thought that he would be so glad to see such a sight as Eel's End. He figured that whatever went down inside the den of vipers couldn't be nearly as bad as spending more time with Vencarlo.
"Right. Time to earn our pay."
It isn't so much that Yhrrilka minds Vencarlo's attentions, but Zohruk's loss is still fresh in her mind. In her mind's eye, she can almost see him smirking at the man, and on the inside she winces. Still, the woman realizes she's of no use to anyone withdrawn and sulking, so she takes it almost as a test of herself. Ril lightly engages with their guide, laughing at his jokes and the like. Not really trying to egg him on, but at least being present and part of the moment.
When they arrive, Yhrrilka says, "Thank you for your company, Vencarlo. We will certainly tell Marshal Kroft how helpful you were."
Like Torsten, she takes a moment to prep. Replying to Torsten, she says, "Let's do it."
Maca nods. "Let's see what we get."
She prays for some seconds, giving a blessing to each of her friends and herself. Then she gently touches Ril, who can feel the warm energy invading every vein of her body.
"We're ready!"
Yhrrilka walks around looking for someone who looks like they're part of the operation here. When she sees them, she kind of puts on her "light-hearted roshka girl" act, and beams a smile at him.
"Hi, how are you tonight? Do you work here? This place is amazing!"
As expected, a "light-hearted roshka girl" promises to be easy pickings for the swindlers who ply their wares here. The three of you are almost-immediately bombarded with suggestions of how to spend whatever money you're carrying with you. Torsten's muscle is sufficient to keep anyone from getting too close, and before long, you're able to pick out the people of actual interest. A quartet of burly men armed with padded clubs are patrolling the pier, and you notice similar-looking individuals on the decks of each of the ships. Security - exactly the type of individual who can get you where you want to go. After a little sweet-talking, you learn that "the big boss is on Eel's End" - the largest ship. Getting aboard is a trivial matter: the main deck's full of drunkards, sailors, and revelers enjoying a likely never-ending party. The aft deck, however, is relatively clear. There, a pair of large double doors bearing a complex painting of a spider allows entrance into the stern section of the ship's main deck. The doors are guarded by a pair of enforcers, though, and it doesn't appear that they're letting anyone enter without an appointment.
Ril approaches the two guards at the aft deck of Eel's End. Trying the "nice" approach again, she smiles and asks, "Good evening, boys. How can we get an appointment with the King? We'd like to talk business with him."
Torsten stood next to Ril, his arms crossed. Looking at the men somewhat warily, he said "Aye. Good time to make coin and plenty of new markets be opening. We're sure he'll be interested." Which was true, he supposed. With Lamm gone conveniently, there certainly was a power vacuum in part of the city. He just wished that he knew how they were going to back this all up.
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Macaria, with all her gypsy seer looks, gently moves between both guards and stares at them directly. "In yorr ice I can see... a wealcy futurr. Many beesness, yorr boss verry happy." She used to impost the accent when she was forced to work for Lamm, but that ended long ago... she hopes she's still good enough at it to charm a pair of bullies. Winking ambiguosly, she looks at the doors as if they would have to open by theirselves at the sights of her.
The guards shrug indifferently. "The boss get plenty of business propositions ... from people with hard figures and a proper business plan. Nobody gets to just waltz in and waste the King of Spider's time with vague promises of new markets and coin."
Macaria stand before the thug with apppp&&. Fff
Macaria stands before the thug with a bored face, all of a sudden her accent gone. "Alright then, let's show our cards. We want to talk to him, just ask him some questions, and he has much to gain from it." She shrugs. "We want nothing harmful with your boss. If we did, we would have dismantled this business as fast as we dismantled Lamm's" she finishes, snapping her fingers as an indication of how much time they'd need to turn the place upside down.
"Aye. And can't say that yer boss would be too pleased with ye boyos if ye just turned us away without him knowing."
After Macaria states their intent in what Ril sounds to her as more straightforward language, she says, "Thank you, friend. I could've been clearer, I guess."
Turning back to the guards, Yhrrilka's face gets a bit more earnest, "Guys, this is a straightforward thing. No one is..." she pauses, looking for the words, "...no one is jerking anyone around." Trying for a joke, she nods back toward one of the other boats. "It was my understanding that's in that one down on the left. This, this is business."
The guards stare silently at you for a long moment before nodding and opening the doors. You walk inside to find yourselves in a throne room of sorts. The walls are thick with spiderwebs, 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. Trapped inside is a sad-looking house drake who looks at you with pleading eyes.
Seated on the throne, idly watching a half-dozen thugs playing knivesies is the KING OF SPIDERS
"Quite the audience chamber that ye've got here." Torsten remarked as they walked in. "Lamm had a gator, ye have spiders. Both send a message, I'd say." Torsten said, resisting the urge to shiver at the menagerie of arachnids.
"Nay a criticism, mind. A'int nobody survive for long in this city if they aren't feared. Now, we won't waste ye time. I'm Torst, this is Ril and she's Marc. Came here for business. City's in right shyt. The watch is stretched thin enough to break, and Lamm be dead. That sounds to us here like there be room to expand. And we're nay dumb enough to think that swoopin' up territory ourselves would go unnoticed. So why take that kind of risk when there could be a...franchise, as ye would. As yer reputation proceeds ye, we figured that if anyone had the ambition, it would be the King of Spiders. Aye?"
Torsten confidently strode forward as he talked. He gestured with his hands as he did so, emphasizing that he had come unarmed by making it clear that no weapons hung from his belt. It was a sign of coming in peace, as well as confidence. The latter, he figured, would be essential in dealing with a man who obviously trafficked in fear.
Torsten nodded, and then continued. "Easy enough, easy enough. Y'see, Lamm. He had himself a profitable little criminal empire, because he used children and he sold drugs. Profitable enough. But nay gonna stay that way. Our vision is that of real coin. Cheliax coin." Torsten said with a smile. "Cheliax has been part of this city since it was founded, and Cheliax has never forgotten it. Plenty of trade goin' back and forth. Goal is to make a right solid smugglin' operation out of Lamm's old territory. Get fashion comin' in, and both thileu bark and Janderhoff steel goin' out. Time's right to set up shop now, aye? Watch won't be lookin', and by the time they get their shyt together, we can have things locked down right good. Best part of it? They'll never see it comin.' Lamm's operation was perfect for it. While his workin's were known to those with their ears to the ground, the middle and upper class never knew shyt about it. And usin' kids as eyes and ears? Bloody perfect for knowin' when the law does show up, as nay anybody takes the wee ones watchin' and runnin' for anything. Long term, why line the Queen's pockets with taxes when it can go straight to us?"
The crime lord chuckles in amusement. "You seem to have no shortage of ambition yourself, good sir. I don't normally take kindly to people coming in uninvited and ruining my entertainment with wild 'get rich quick' schemes, but you're proposing something more than that. You've also done me the favor of showing me a flaw in my security. Please excuse me for a moment." He calls for the doormen. "These three fine individuals have a rather interesting proposal for me. What they don't have is an appointment. And yet they were able to enter anyway. Why do I see no injuries on them - or on you?" The doormen begin to stammer an answer but are immediately cut off. "Your only job is to make sure nobody enters without an invitation. Clearly that task is too difficult for you. Luckily, I did have a position open up recently for dockside bruiser. One position." The King of Spiders gestures toward an empty knivesies table, and the other thugs force the two ex-doormen onto it and tie their right wrists together. A single dagger is thrown in between them, and the chaos begins.
Ignoring what promises to be a very messy game of knivesies, the King of Spiders casually resumes his conversation with the three of you. "So, a high-end smuggling operation using Lamm's old network. A clever idea. That's stepping on the Arkona's toes, though - and trying anything with them risks angering the Cerulean Society. Too ambitious for me, I'm afraid. Besides, I've got my own Chelish revenue stream already. If you aim to try this venture, I won't stand in your way as long as you keep it away from Eel's End."
Torsten watched the two doormen march off to meet their fate with disgust on his face. He tried to hide it, but the sound of two men stabbing each other to death was too much to hide. Still, he managed to keep his attention on the King of Spiders.
"Can't help but think that this is alot like the game of knivesies over there, only between us and the Arkona." He tried to force a smile. "And if we come out on top, then there may be a position open?" He added. "Well, I'd say that it's fair 'nuff. Don't want to push our luck, but by the abyss, if that was to stop me then I wouldn't be standing in the Den of the Spider King without weapons or armor, now would I? Heh, so here goes. Kids and beggars. They hear things, ye know? Hear things that get said when nobody pays them any mind. Things such as when watchmen are coming. Is this the sort of thing that could make a business relationship between us? And before ye think me to be talkin' out me arse, I ask for a moment. I'm honest enough to say that information trading is much like selling drugs, aye? Sell anythin' fake and ye get rightly knifed. And if ye want anyone to buy, then ye need to give a free sample. One of the Lamms was pickpocketing in the Heights, and he came back with more than just a pretty bauble. Came back with information." Torsten said, a glint in his eyes. "Overheard his mark saying that Cheliax is gonna put sanctions on Korvosa right soon, and when they do it'll be right easy for them to start buying up pieces of the city once the people here are desperate enough. Bit by bit, until it's too late." Torsten smiled. "It's what got us the idea on smugglin', ye see? We don't have the resources to compete in a game like that. Way over our pay-grade. But once there's sanctions, or even an embargo, goods to and from Cheliax are gonna be worth more than a Torag blessed mine." He waved a hand, absentmindedly. "Lots of information comes in when people don't think they're bein' listened to. So, while ye won't be part of the smugglin' business, are yer ears open to this?"
The King of Spiders gives a cruel smile. "I'm always in the market for valuable information - particularly where Cheliax is concerned. My current source's usefulness is starting to come to an end, so I'll be looking for a replacement. If your 'sample' proves accurate, I'll consider your proposal."
Things are not going the way Macaria was envisioning, but since Torsten seems to be driving the conversation with resolution, she doesn't want to step in and spoil it all. owever, she stands ready in case they reach a dead end...
Torsten smiled at this. "Solid gold for solid information. We'll get to work setting our racket up, and look forward to earning a place in yer court."
After a moment's thought he added "Y'know. Before we leave. Seein' how yer current source's useful is comin' to an end and all. If there is information concerning him that ye'd like us to check into, some direction would help us in settin' up our boyos. One thing I know when dealin' with Cheliaxians, is that they never just have one plan and their tongues be as slick as the devil's. Our boyos an' lasses, they do best when their eyes an' ears be given direction."
Ril exchanges a brief glance with Macaria, raising an eyebrow at the other woman. This whole turn of events was going places she hadn't expected either, but like Maca, she trusted Torsten's conviction in what he was selling.
"Ambassador Amprei? I wouldn't mind finding some more leverage on him. The letters I've been using have brought me plenty of income, but I only have a few left. Put a couple of your Lamms on him and see if they can find something else I can use."
"It's a pretty dangerous gamble, but it seems it might work... who might have think a dwarf could be so twisted? I'm happy he's on my side. I hope he is."
Maca still doesn't want to add something, else she tells more than Torsten has in mind. Hopefully, he'll brief them about it more deeply later on.
"Aye, right enough. We'll get 'em to work right away. But we wouldn't want to duplicate what ye know, it'd be right embarrassing to come back with information that doesn't do ye any good 'cause it's in yer hands already. Would be have to see those letters first, get us on the right foot for this."
Torsten kept his composure, his body radiating the focus and ambition of a merchant in the middle of making a deal. But his mind was racing. They were so close to getting this right. The man he was talking to made him sick. If they could get their hands on these letters, then he had a plan on how to use them to bring the 'king' down. He didn't know if it was going to work, but it was certainly worth a shot, as it was men like him who made life so hard for commoners like him.
"They're messages of a rather scandalous nature. Afraid I can't show them off, as the contents might upset the ladies." The King of Spiders gives Torsten a wink.
"They're messages of a rather scandalous nature. Afraid I can't show them off, as the contents might upset the ladies." The King of Spiders gives Torsten a wink.
A bit sensitive to dismissal as "just a girl," Yhrrilka bristles. "At Floodmeet, I've seen the ranking Priestess of Dretha perform the Spring Rites, and she was in her mid forties if she's a day older than me," Ril shudders at the thought of someone that old (in orc years). "Condescension demeans us both."
The King of Spiders, like any crime lord, is unlikely to give away anything tangible for free. Such material is a valuable commodity for men like him. If you can make it worth his while, though, he'll almost certainly hand the letters over.
"Heh, well if these two were anythin' like that I wouldn't run with 'em. I'm nay in the business to share coin out of charity, aye? I've seen the greenskinned lass do things violent enough to make a dockside brawler lose his lunch. And the other? Well. Muscle 'aint everythin." He said knowingly. Torsten glanced over at the game of knifesies, seeing how it was going, and then turned back to the underworld king. "Look at it like an investment. Ye said yerself that the usefulness is comin' to an end. So why not make it work for ye even more by usin' it to get new knowledge that earns more?"
"I might be inclined to part with it, but I'd need something for collateral. You're well-spoken, but still an unknown factor, after all."
”How ‘bout an even thousand as collateral? Returned with the letters. A show of our confidence in bringing results.” Torsten said.
The King of Spiders steeples his fingers for a long moment before nodding. "Very well. Please wait here." He leaves the room but returns a few minutes later with two envelopes.
As it turns out, Ambassador Amprei isn't secretly working with the King of Spiders - he's being blackmailed. The letters you receive are extremely racy missives from a member of Cheliax House Sarini who's having an affair with the ambassador. While there's no real political leverage that can be extracted from this, the fact that House Sarini is notable for its unpredictable violent and macabre sense of humor means Ambassador Amprei could possibly lose his life if the contents became known. Cressida passes the letters to a clerk for safekeeping. "These should work perfectly if we need some leverage. Thank you for your assistance."
As you go about your business, Korvosa begins to destabilize again. The whispers that Queen Ileosa ("the usurper") was responsible for King Eodred's death have shifted. Apparently he may have actually been murdered by a local artist. An investigation is swiftly launched....
"Glad to be of service, Marshal. And the coin doesn't hurt, either," Yhrrilka grins as she acknowledges Kroft. "Please let us know if we can provide any further assistance."
As they leave, Ril says to her friend, "Torsten, maybe it's just my derevenshchina upbringing, but for the life of me I couldn't make out where you were going with that maneuver with the King of Spiders. Nicely done. You don't think he'll come back on us after that?"
In the aftermath of that venture, Yhrrilka then spends the next few days doing what she can to contact any of her former clients to inform them of their new venture. "Yes, the new place is called Zellara's Mark, on Lancet Street. Yes, still Master Torsten and I. Well, that's an interesting idea for a design. Come by the shop and we'll talk about it…"
”I’m sure he will.” Torsten said, somewhat glumly. ”But, I have something of a plan. Just need to work it out, run it by everyone. But the gist of it goes like this. We forge letters between the ambassador and the Arcona family. Make it seem like the Ambassador is working with them and wants to use them to break away from the Spider. It would sow dissent in the criminal underworld. And the fookers bloody deserve to play knifsies with each other.” He sighed and rubbed his temple. ”I’m from here, Y’know? We were in a fook load of danger back there. If he didn’t believe the part we were playing, then we’d have been well and truly dead. Or he’d be. Got to say, our trio is right hard in a brawl.”
Shop Update
As you well know, the opening of a new business always sparks interest - at least at first. After the initial boom, though, it's sometimes hard to predict how successful the long-term prospects are. Zellara's Mark has the advantage of word-of-mouth from former clients, but the location change (and its proximity to Lamm's former territory) might turn some people away.
The day after your grand opening, you're visited by a trio of burly men wearing rather distinctive overcoats: the Dusters. They aren't a major player but are rumored to have ties to the local Sczarni. It seems these fine gentlemen are offering to keep an eye on your shop when you aren't around. Keep it from getting robbed or vandalized. There's a lot of crime in the area, after all, and it would be a shame if something were to happen to such a promising new business venture. Did you know that a tattoo parlor much like this one burned down a couple weeks ago? Such a shame. The Dusters are very good at their job, though, and can guarantee nothing will happen to Zellara's Mark ... for a reasonable rate, of course.
Torsten took to the opening of the shop like a fish to water. Filled with a purpose, the dwarf felt alive. Moreso than even when risking his life in combat. With a warm smile, ready jokes, and a flair for being part of the community, he came across as being genuinely authentic in his love of the community as well as his skill as a tradesman. The fact that he was not alone, and had true companions at his back, only increased his confidence.
------------
When the dusters came, Torsten let out a booming, side shaking laugh. Wiping a tear from his eye, the burly dwarf looked at them and said "Boyos. I'm gonna tell ye a wee story. Y'see, there once was an old man. He thought he was a wolf, but really he was a lamb. Y'see, he was used to bullying children and beggars. Then he made two women and a man angry. Next thing y'know, his entire operation was destroyed and his body was never recovered. And those three? They went to the hounds and told them that they had killed the lamb. And the hounds laughed, for they were told that they couldn't kill the lamb even though they wanted. The hounds did more than look the other way, they heaped coin and praise upon those who made troublesome people vanish. But the three were not done yet, for the lamb had troubled them and they wished to rebuild. So they went to the Spider, for the Spider was a great King. And the three had an audience with the Spider, and told them of their ambitions. So the King in the Webs gave them an audience. And when the three left, they were shorter in coin, but wealthier in influence, for there are many doors in the shadows to those who know how to find them. And the three reopened their business. But when they did so, some dusty puppies came yapping at them. The three had already killed the lamb. They had taken coin from the Hound for doing what they wanted to but could not, and had given coin to the Spider. And now, what exactly is it the pups offer?" He finished, with a confident stare directly into their eyes.