"I am already certain the 'authorities' will do nothing to handle Beltias. Further, I am convinced we will come into direct conflict with him one way or another. If Lana prefers to waste time by antagonizing him with meaningless entreaties to the guard, that is fine. He or the rest of his toadies will come to us. Either way, I will have him."
Nemo is surprised when other people actually start asking for her opinion, so it takes her several moments to figure out how to respond.
"...For the most part, I actually agree with Lana. Arnando Rolf asked us to check on Father Padrich. Arnando helped us out greatly for free, so we owed him that much. Then, with his and Father Padrich's lives possibly in danger, Jhonas asked us to investigate those goons, who almost immediately tried to murder us. I mean, one of them stabbed me in the ribs with a shiv; self-defense was justified," Nemo finally says. "As for Beltias, if he wants to pick a fight with us, then I'll be happy to end it. However, until then, I've got my orders to investigate the Blot, so that's where my focus will be."
With the consensus seeming to be to not pursue Beltias any further, the group returns to their business with helping the Gold Goblin turn a profit. Samaritha welcomes everyone back, and is eager to hear how the mission went.
Larur (the floor manager) and Saul gather the group together shortly after their excursion to the mission. "We've had a rough week," Saul says. "After a good start those last two weeks, we just haven't been turning the profit like I'd hoped. I hope you understand, but I can't keep up the same bonus like last week. Hopefully, we'll turn it around, though!" He smiles encouragingly while handing out everyone's share of profits.
Saul sticks around to answer any questions, and leaves with Larur. "I'm serious, Saul I don't know--" "I'll take care of it," Larur and Saul can be heard saying as they leave.
Bluff Spend at least two hours a day cajoling citizens to visit the Gold Goblin and talking it up.
Craft Spend at least two hours a day and 10 gp to create eye-catching advertisements.
Diplomacy Spend at least two hours a day managing the help and greeting customers at the Gold Goblin.
Intimidate Spend at least two hours a day working as a bouncer.
Or Intimidate Spend at least two hours a day threatening customers of competing gaming halls to check out the Gold Goblin. (This is a pirate town, after all)
Perform Spend at least two hours a day performing at the Gold Goblin.
Profession (gambler) Spend at least two hours a day working as a croupier or dealer at the Gold Goblin.
Perception Spend at least two hours a day looking for cheaters at the Gold Goblin.
Arc resumes his normal vigil for cheating patrons, hoping he gets to come down on some rulebreaker.
As the (self-proclaimed) head of security, Nemo joins Arc in his efforts to enforce the rules of the casino.
Thistle continues to maintain order on the floor (and in the lines outside, as needed).
When she gets a chance, she also says to Saul, "Say, you didn't hear back about anyone who's ready to pay money for Beltias to be reined in--the guard or his competitors--did ya? I still feel like it's the right thing for us to do, and I bet I can convince Nemo and Lana if there's cash on the line.
"Also...I heard you and Larur chatting about something. I didn't want to intrude, but it sounded serious..."
During the week, Thistle also checks in at the bedraggled shrine of Cladissa. She attends a sermon, and asks around to see if things are getting better. She also keeps an eye on the webs that she'd noticed before, looking for any sign of whether The Forgiving Failure's displeasure has been abated.
About halfway through the week, a strange phenomenon occurs whenever someone casts a spell. A strange purple mist is generated the moment any spell is cast and lingers around the caster for around thirty seconds. Then the mist rises into the air and dissipates seemingly harmlessly.
After several spells, you notice the pink mist rises in the direction of the Blot.
After roughly 79 minutes, the phenomenon ends and spells no longer generate the strange mist.
=================
Saul reports to Thistle, "Well, I did hear that Cap'n 'Keelhaul' Kellion claims that Beltias was his mutinous first mate. He's got a sizable bounty for the man, and it's said that Beltias has a prominent skull and double crossbones branded on his left wrist -- as a means of identifying him."
As for the Cladissan's inquiry about his private discussion, Saul waves her off. "Just a few debts that are coming due. Nothing to worry about."
He seems worried.
Thistle does find, with great relief, signs of Cladissa's displeasure have lifted from the Mission. It's still a dirt-poor house offering scraps of charity to the hardest cases in the city, but there's more of a sense of perseverance amidst the run-down establishment than she'd sensed before.
Thistle is relieved to see that the Mission is improving, and says a prayer that at some point she can help it grow.
At Saul's mention of Cap'n Kellion, Thistle grins a sharp-toothed grin. "Well, that's promising, eh? Any idea where we might find the good Cap'n?"
At the mention of the debts, Thistle doesn't pursue it, but when she gets a chance to chat with Larur she raises it again. "Hey Larur, Saul mentioned some debts coming due soon. Can you tell me a bit more? He seemed worried..."
When the purple mist occurs, Thistle stops her work on the front line and gawks at the sky. "Woah...guys, guys, do you see that? Do you think the mist is drifting toward the Blot?"
"I can't tell, did it?" Arc replies curiously.
Lana takes absolutely no notice on the goblin’s rantings, instead focusing on continuing to manage the establishment.
Saul shrugs. "The docks, of course. Well, when he's in port. But Riddleport's a regular stop for him, so you'll just have to ask around or get a dock runner to let you know the next time he comes in."
==================
Larur looks up from his desk in his office just off the floor of the gaming hall. He scratches his thick beard but gives Thistle a smile. "Saul borrowed a fair bit of coin to renovate this place. I don't know how savory those loan sharks are; he won't let me know who they all are. The payments keep coming up randomly, too. It's making it hard to manage when a whole night's profit disappears to keep some collector off our backs.
"If he's sounding worried to you..." The dwarf frowns and leans back in his chair, looking pensive.
Lana groans. ”Of course he did,” she says as she punches the bridge of her nose in frustration. He then goes to seek out Saul.
Once alone, she shuts the door and turns to face him. Her serpent slips out from the collar of her dress, curious as to the frustration of his master. She stares at him and puts her hands on her hips as she asks ”Alright. Out with it. Who did you borrow money from and how much?”
Saul starts at the intrusion, but he quickly recovers and puts on a rakish smile. "Hello, Ms. Constantine. It's a pleasure to see you, too."
He leans back in his chair and swings his key-shaped stump of a hand in a sweeping gesture. "This building was not what you would call cheap. It was only remotely affordable because of its state of disrepair. So getting it into condition that people would even want to enter much less gamble took even more coin," he states matter-of-factly.
He looks her in the eyes. "It's being handled, my dear. True, it's one of the more unsavory aspects of my position. It might be best for you and your companions to leave it to me, so they do not have to object to what they otherwise don't know. Unless you think you could talk them into making some demonstrations? Setting some examples? A few shows of force, perhaps?"
Lana sits opposite him. ”Or something else entirely, perhaps,” she says, her eyes never leaving his own as she leers at him. ”What are the details of the loans you have taken out?”
"A few small loans here and there, most of which are taken care of," he admits before drawing a breath. "And one for two thousand gold from Lymas Smeed," he says in a rush.
She sighs and narrows her eyes. ”Did he specify rates? Payment completion dates?”
Saul nods reluctantly. "They're... less than generous. Which is why paying it off rapidly is to my-- er, our benefit. And why less scrupulous folk would sabotage the ability of the borrower to make those payments."
He sighs. "It's a dirty game, I'll admit. And one I look forward to leaving, but on my terms. I don't plan to let shifty loan sharks drive me away from my comfortable retirement.
"Can I count on you, Ms. Constantine?" he asks, looking earnest. "My plan won't work without you and your companions."
Lana settles back in the chair. The cobra slithers out of her dress and onto Saul’s desk, coiling itself around various items without disturbing the items atop it.
”I cannot vouch for what the others are willing to do. I’m not above taking whatever means necessary to achieve my goals. But, I can also offer you another solution,” she paused and leans forward. ”I can write a request for a loan from a legitimate lender in Sandpoint. My family has strong influence there, though I’d prefer to maintain a modicum of discretion in that regard. Assuming I can receive the loan, I can buy off your debt in return for a fair percent stake in the goblin.”
She paused and added ”If the loan is not granted, then we can pursue more…unscrupulous means of canceling the debt.”
Saul sits quietly for a long while, deep in thought. Lana can see the gears turning behind his eyes as he considers her offer. Finally, he nods slowly. "That seems... very generous of you, Miss Constantine. I'd be foolish not to let you at least explore your connections."
He rises, and extends his good hand. "I wish you success."
”Ill write up a request. Find a messenger you can trust to be discreet and that you know can safely make the journey.”
Lana then heads to her room, the cobra close to her heels. Once back in her room she drafts a letter:
I hope this letter finds you well. You know me to not be one of the same nature as my father and his verbose overtures, so I will keep this brief. I write to you on a venture of personal enterprise that, I hope, you will aid in maintaining its discretion from my father. Being a business partner of his, I’m certain you can appreciate exactly why I prefer to keep him out of this.
I am purchasing a share in a business in Riddleport, and time is of the essence. If you would be willing to lend me some gold in the amount of three thousand pieces, it would secure my stake in the business, which is in fact quite profitable, as well as provide me the means to return to you via teleportation once I provide enough coin from the profits and my own adventures to repay you in lump sum once the repayment is secured.
With love and affection,
Lana Constantine
She then seals the letter with a wax seal and her signet ring before handing it off to Saul.
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After making sure that she's alone and that her quarters are secure, Nemo begins to pray.
"Hey. It's me. Sorry for the silence; I've been... busy."
She sits in silence for a moment.
"I've found myself in interesting company these days," Nemo says. For the next several minutes, she goes on to recount her recent experiences. "So Saul is trying to rebuild after losing almost everything, Thistle plans to make Riddleport a new center for Cladissa's faith, Arc is intent on bringing the rule of law to this city, and Lana... Well, to be honest, I have no idea what Lana's ambitions are these days."
More silence.
"I don't see us becoming friends. She... doesn't seem to think much of me. If memory serves, Gal's the only one who gets along with her these days."
Nemo sighs.
"I don't know if the Blot is going to amount to anything. I mean, the entirety of the Cyphermages are confounded by it. Archmage Silva is probably the only person in the region who could solve this mystery, but he's away with Mom hunting Runelords."
Nemo sits in silence again.
"On a related note, the others are well... more or less. Shiloh is apparently immortal now. Ariel is a delight; she's currently touring Varisia with Galatea. Gal is... trying to reconcile with Kallie. It's a shame, really; they used to be so close. Otherwise, Gali spends her time tending to Silvie, who is an absolute cutie. I miss them all very much."
Nemo sighs once more.
"I think that's all for now. Hopefully, we'll talk again soon. Thanks for listening to me ramble. It's... always nice to know that someone cares about what I have to say."
After Nemo opens her eyes, she studies the holy symbol is her hands for several moments. She sincerely doubts that anyone in Riddleport would recognize it. Before tucking the trinket away, Nemo says one final prayer.
"She will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and Death shall be no more."
With that said, Nemo goes to investigate that phenomenon she noticed earlier about the magical purple (pink?) mist drifting toward the Blot.
Saul takes the sealed letter with a nod. "All right. I'll get this on its way. Thank you."
=================
Nemo's investigation into the strange mist doesn't find a lot of useful information. Because it only affected spellcasting, most of the dockworkers and other common folk of the port town didn't even notice it. Most of them, when explained what it was, just shook their heads and dismissed it. "More blot weirdness," some called it, but as the weeks had passed with nothing more than some random strangeness, most of the anxiety over the phenomenon has faded just like the pink mist.
=================
A couple days after the strange mist, Saul gathers everyone in the main gaming hall in the morning, a few hours before the Gold Goblin is set to open.
"Everyone, Larur didn't show up to work this morning. I sent a runner to his apartment, but it was empty -- ransacked, it looked like."
He gives Lana a look, then addresses everyone. "I'm worried that it might have something to do with a delivery he was making. He was making a payment to a moneylender that had come due..." He shakes his head. "I can't imagine Larur running out on us. He's had access to far greater amounts of coin if he'd wanted to try something like that. I trust Lymas far less. Well, I don't trust him at all.
"Lymas Smeed's place is on Rat Street. Do you think you could, you know, go check it out?"
Lana sighs. ”I suppose theorizing on the multitude of reasons for this strike would be a pointless effort. But if the payment isn’t recovered and delivered, then we will be facing bigger problems.”
She looks to Samaritha as she stands and asks ”Can you try and tend to my duties here while we are gone?”
Saul nods in grim agreement with Lana. "Indeed we will."
Samaritha hops up and clears her throat. "Yes, yes I'll cover for you. Just promise you'll be careful."
Finally, chaos rears its ugly head!
Arc leaps to his feet, brimming with energy. "Yes!! I'm on it, sir!" The armored warrior salutes, grabs his pack, and slings it on as he thuds and clanks quickly out of the Goblin and towards Rat Street.
***
Once there he grabs the first weak or old looking person he sees by the front of their clothing, lifting them slightly to look directly into his visor. "Smeed. Where!?"
The random civilian Arc finds cows visibly and points a shaking hand toward a townhouse crammed in among the tenements on the street. A small, dirty alley runs along the western side of the townhouse. There's a front door with a sign above it depicting a stack of gold coins. It has a name below it: RAT STREET LOANS. A small placard hangs off the door knocker on the front door that says, "By Appointment Only."
Lana disregards her wards gruff methods. Though they were effective in their barbarism. When the cowering man points out their destination, she turns and heads that way. Once near, she pauses only long enough to allow one of the others to take point before following along, her staff clicking against the path as she follows suit.
"Thank you, citizen." Arc says, setting the man back down gently. "May the Five give you strength," he adds with a small nod before rushing off after his sister.
"Want me to go around back?"
Thistle scratches her head. "Hmmmm. Hadn't thoughta that. Maybe we at least look if there's a back door...but I'd say we all walk in together."
Near the back door is a pile of barrels and old crates containing refuse and garbage. Hastily hidden away in that pile is a green cloak with a sable trim. You recognize it as Larur's cloak. It is slashed and bloodstained.
Shortly after searching around the back of the building, Nemo presents the group with a slashed and bloodstained green cloak with a sable trim.
"...Larur's cloak," Nemo says grimly.
"...Chaos."
"We must be cautious. Ready to make our entrance?"
There is a back door as well. From a short distance away, you can see both doors have locks on them.
Arc looks at Thistle. "Even with Larur's cloak here you would go through the front? Can anyone pick this lock?" The Hellknight points at the back door.
"It appears that no one in our group knows how to pick a lock," Nemo observes after a long moment of silence. "So how about we break down the door the old fashion way?"
Arc shrugs and punches the door.
"You have to use a little more muscle, Arc. Like this," Nemo says with a slight grin.
Lana actually snickers when the Kailani girl shows up Arc in a show of force. ”Maybe you actually do have a bit of Constantine in you. Our family never was known for its physical prowess.”
Given that they knew their wayward man had clearly met a violent fate, Lana retrieves a scroll and performs the magic upon it, shielding her serpent with a magical ward.
The back door splinters and cracks open to Nemo's well-placed kick. She is rewarded with a strong smell of animal fur and dung. With the door open, they can see the back room of the lower floor of Smeed's townhouse is wide open and covered in straw.
The source of the animal reek makes itself known by a loud screech. A small but ferocious-looking primate with a pronounced snout bares its canines menacingly at the intrusion.
From further in comes a ragged voice, "Hey! Who're you lot!? I'll gut all o'ye for intrudin'!"
Hmm... If this guy has any brains, then he'll probably call for help, Nemo thinks. Better take this chance to prepare.
With a wave of her hand and some chanting, Nemo magically reinforces the courage of herself and her allies.
A large sweaty man, sporting a patchy beard and a stub of a cigar, appears in the doorway. He gulps down a potion and draws an ornate scimitar.
"Wait. You all are Saul's cronies! I'm gonna gut alla you with Nella here!" he threatens, brandishing his scimitar.
”Oh, hush,” Lana says snidely as she steps in to get an angle on the ape. She angles her staff in its direction and sends a fiery beam of arcane energy at it, engulfing it in fire! It doesn’t suffer long before it slumps to the floor, still burning from the intense heat of the eldritch fire that struck it.
Thistle feels a familiar wave of blessing wash over her and thinks, Oh right, Nemo's here!
So emboldened, she darts up and attempts to knock Nella from Smeed's hand with her own scimitar.
"What, you mean with that scimitar on the floor over here?"
As Lana's familiar slithers to get behind Smeed, the portly man is surprisingly deft with his scimitar, Nella. He cuts deep into the viper!
But Thistle's nimble swordplay divests him of his weapon!
Arc shoves in to the stinking back room, looking incredulously at Nemo under his helmet. "How the?! When did she even get here?
He tries to punch Smeed in the face, hoping to knock him out.
Arc's fist is just off, landing on Smeed's shoulder where his armor absorbs the blow.
"No one touches Nella! 'Less they feel her edge, and you all are about to!!"
He leans his portly frame down to pick it his dropped scimitar, dropping his guard.
With his weapon back in hand, he stabs out at Arc although he gives the witch who fried his pet baboon the stinkeye.
Lana’s eyes turn as fiery as the ray she fires at the fat man, but in her rage she misses him wildly, the arcane fire striking a wall instead!
Though Lana's aim is slightly off, the portly man proved an easy target. He screams as the flames sear his flesh.
By pure warrior's instinct, Nemo nearly moves to fight Smeed alongside Arc, but something brings her pause.
...Lana's snake is still alive?
Given the severity of the serpent's wound, she had reflexively thought that Lana's familiar had been killed by Smeed's attack. However, upon further inspection, it appears that she had been mistaken! After contemplating her options, Nemo opts to heal the snake.
"Drop your weapon and surrender, Smeed," Nemo orders bluntly.