”Lovely as these findings are, they don’t answer any questions about our mysterious predecessors. Is there any literature in those crates?” He asks, raising hidden eyebrows at the excitable bard.
Vantine picks up one of the raven figurines and looks it over.
"Hm, magical in some way for sure. Offhand though I'm not sure what they're supposed to do. I can look at them more thoroughly later, but maybe we should finish up down here and get going? It's probably getting on toward lunchtime now."
Vantine does not like to miss meals.
Rexus looks at the Raven. "Perhaps there will be some documents in here?" He hefts the lockbox. "It doesn't seem that heavy, and there definitely are magical auras in here, but it could be scrolls or wands. With Desna's blessing, it will be documentation, though."
"Sooooo...you're an elf, eh?" Jessi asks the masked Raven. "That means you're old, even if you appear young. In my book, that also makes you an expert in history. Do you recall ever hearing about the original Silver Ravens?"
Eventually, the teen gets back to the 'pups' the Raven mentioned.
"'Lovely pups?' More like mangy mongrels!" Jessibel scoffs. "My grandmother's Harcule may be an insufferable savage, but at least she keeps him clean! No doubt the dogs upstairs are infested with fleas, ticks, and worms! Ick!"
When the other crates are opened, Jessi's eyes widen.
"Whoa! These are figurines of wondrous power that can be commanded to life to deliver messages or small items to a specific place. And look--there's one for each of us! It's like we were destined to recover these things!"
”My time to shine is nigh.” The Raven says, setting his shield down and removing his bulky plate gauntlets. ”Metaphorically shining. I’m nocturnal, remember.” Setting the lockbox on the sturdiest of the crates, he squats down in front of it, removing a fine leather case and setting it next to the lockbox. Opening it reveals a set of masterfully crafted lock picks of all sorts, tensions wrenches of various sizes and configurations, and bump keys. Selecting a wrench and pick that look appropriate for the job, he inserts the tools and sets to work. ”If one of you lovely ladies could hold a light for me...“ Light, of course, would be useless in this particular situation. The lock was picked by feel, not sight.
”My dear, I am not that old, nor am I from Kintargo. And those pups are going to keep the gimples away now that they are no longer outnumbered. We just need a way to get them down here...”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Jessibel holds her rapier steady for the Raven...for all of like six seconds. Then she moves away a bit.
"Didn't someone say there was a grimple nest here somewhere?" she asks aloud. "Ah-ha!"
Jessi falls silent as she searches the nest for more valuables, but she keep the light fairly steady, only readjusting it once.
After a couple minutes, the Raven cracks open the lockbox, despite Jessibel's distractibility. In the box, there is a small stack of sheaves of paper, scrolls, and other assorted documents. Four of the scrolls have magical auras - as does one of the documents, oddly, which is visibly not a scroll.
The documents (including the magical one, but not the scrolls) are written in Elven and Celestial script (though the words make no sense) as well as an elegant pictographic language which looks like it was made with a stylus or claw rather than a pen or quill.
Rexus, however, does, and his eyes sparkle with joy. ”Elven, Celestial, and that’s Strix, right there. Coded, of course, but this is indeed what we’re looking for!” He exults, grinning broadly at the others.
Meanwhile, Jessibel finds something of interest - an old, battered book that, upon closer examination, is a journal of some sort. Many pages are damaged - as though cut by claws or a very small knife - a letter opener, perhaps?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Vantine places a Light on the crate the box came from so the Raven can position it as he needs to for work.
As he readies to begin, she also gives him a little massage along his shoulders and neck. "Don't be tense. It will make you nervous, which will make it harder. We have time so take what you need to get it done right. Bydded i'r Pigiad Sawrus ddod â lwc i chi."
Not only her words but also her touch imparts Guidance to the Raven.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Nyxra is quiet for the most part, her brow furrowing as Jessibel keeps yammering on.
...has anyone ever told her that she talks too much?
The Raven shivers under Vantine’s magical touch. It takes him a bit longer than it normally would to unlock the lockbox...
Rexus casts a different spell from the ones he has used before, and takes his chance to read the four scrolls. "Hm... useful spells in these, it seems. Very much harmonized with how our predecessors must have operated."
He frowns. "I can't make heads nor tails of this one." The nobleman gestures with the oddly magical piece of paper. "Lady Jessibel, could I trouble you to examine it?" Rexus proffers it to the bard.
Jessibel doesn't respond immediately, apparently engrossed in the contents of the book she found.
"Hmmm...what?" Jessi asks as her attention returns to the present. Taking the document from Rexus, she scans it with detect magic and tries to figure out what's so special about the piece of paper.
"No idea," she announces quickly, returning the parchment to Rexus before opening the tome she found again. Before reading further, though, she turns to Vantine, a quizzical look on her face.
"Did you mention a piggysaurus a moment ago? What in the Burning Hells is a piggysaurus?"
"No, predecessors." Nyxra corrects. "Those who came before us."
Rexus is busy examining the papers that the group has found in the box, before placing them reverently back into it - save the scrolls and the mysterious magical paper. "I would like to get to breaking the code on these as soon as I can - I don't know how long that will take, but the sooner I start, the sooner I can finish."
He looks to the others. "I am going to return to Laria at her coffeehouse, and I would like you all to come with me to meet her. I understand if you'd rather return to your homes, though." The sorcerer pauses, considering. "Each of us should take one of these figurines. We'll be able to communicate much more easily that way. But either way, would you care to join me at the Long Roads Coffeehouse?"
Vantine blinks dumbly at Jesibel's question before finally getting what she was asking about.
"Oh. No, I said 'May the Savored Sting grant you luck'. In Elven, that was elven." She points at the Raven. "He's an elf, remember? I thought it would be polite."
Vantine is happy enough to go to the coffeehouse as Rexus suggests.
"I'll come with you Rexus. It's got to be near lunchtime anyway by now. I could use something to eat, and the coffee will be nice after the walk back."
She takes one of the figurines as suggested and turns it around in her hand looking at it. She stuffs it away in her belt purse, too embarrassed to ask how she'd use it to send a message.
"Hmm? Oh--right," Jessibel answers Vantine, still seeming a bit distracted. "I know--learned--Elven back when...I was in school."
"I'll tag along as well, Rexus," she adds with a smile. As the group gathers up their findings and allocates it all for transport, the bard suddenly remembers to tell everyone the Azlanti command word to activate the silver raven statuettes.
To Nyxra she questions, "Do you have any more dried meat to offer the dogs upstairs?"
"Unfortunately, no." Nyxra shakes her head.
”Feed them the grimples.” The Raven says, hefting his figurine in one hand, more interested in the encoded paper than anything else. ”We Ravens are known for our skill with language. I would be happy to assist in the code breaking, but cleaner air and better lighting is certainly needed for critical thinking.”
Aisling smiles as the conversation takes a turn back to where she can actually contribute.
"I think offering the dogs the bodies of the things that have been tormetning them is a great idea." Remembering the earlier waning about lice infestations, she doesn't pick the bodies up directly, instead using her sword to scrape them into a crate. She then picks the crate up to take upstairs.
He looks to the others. "I am going to return to Laria at her coffeehouse, and I would like you all to come with me to meet her. I understand if you'd rather return to your homes, though." The sorcerer pauses, considering. "Each of us should take one of these figurines. We'll be able to communicate much more easily that way. But either way, would you care to join me at the Long Roads Coffeehouse?"
"I will take you up on that, a coffee sounds good right nwo. And, uh, Jessi - you identified these things, rghit? Any chane you could tell the rest of us how they actually work?"
"Really? I'd appreciate all the help I could get, good sir." Rexus responds to the Raven's offer. "We can talk it over at Laria's - that is, if you're willing to come."
As the group manages (laboriously) to get the crate up the ladder, they find that the dogs are waiting for them in the main room. Though they eye the Silver Ravens warily, when the grimples' corpses are dumped in front of them, the dogs rush at them. The chill wind that runs through the Livery and the snow blowing in through the half-opened front doors are a reminder of the long, cold journey ahead of the Ravens.
"I'm more than happy to offer you Laria's hospitality, everyone." Rexus grins and winks somewhat cheekily at both Aisling and Vantine, before growing a little more serious. "I've told her about finding you all, and I think now is as good a time as any to go meet her. We'll need her expertise in running this sort of thing."
He looks around briefly, making sure there are no unwanted ears - though it's somewhat unnecessary inside the old livery. "She is a handler in the Bellflower Network.
While all in Cheliax have heard of the Bellflower Network, which smuggles halfling slaves out of Cheliax and its colonies and into safer havens, such as Andoran or Varisia, fewer know anything more than that. It is obvious why he is being very cautious - to be discovered associating with the Bellflower Network is a long excruciation followed by an execution. Actual members are likely to face something far worse.
"Huh--interesting," Jessibel comments, sounding anything but interested. Then her eyes widen a bit. "Maybe...since Miss Laria is skilled at getting things out of Kintargo, she might know the right people to get stuff in as well, such as silver weapons."
As an aside, the teen adds, "To those of you uncertain of visiting Laria, I'll have you know that my family used to order a dozen pastries from her shop every Sunday, and pretty much everything we ever got was delicious. I even got sent to pick them up occasionally once I got old enough. We fell out of the habit of weekly orders around that same time, mostly because the bakery started short-changing us two or three pastries per order. Shame on them!"
Jessi tries to keep a straight face while saying this last bit but fails miserably.
"Soooo gooood!" she coos with a grin.
Supposedly, she has a circle of lovers that she regularly sleeps with in sequence, but Jessi doesn't know any of them. She's also relatively informal to those who know her well, which, alas, does not include the Lady Aulamaxa.
Jessibel--more scatterbrained than usual--eventually gets back around to answering Aisling's question regarding the silver raven wondrous figurines. She tells the Iomedaean the command word to activate it (the Azlanti word for 'freedom') and tells her friend the basics of using the figurine. "You simply give it a message or some other small object and give it instructions on where to fly. The directions need to be precise, however, especially if it's a destination you don't know by heart."
"Oh, I know the place well also. My mother's shop isn't too far away, so before I moved to Jarvis End I was there regularly. It's always delicious! Laria is an absolute delight, a doll!"
Vantine has no reaction to the Bellflower Network revelation from Rexus. Although maybe a light seems to go on in her eyes, like a piece of a puzzle has fallen into place.
Aisling looks uncomfortaable as Rexus shares the secret. "I'm graeful for the trust you're shoiwing in us, but that information makes us part of the crime now we know about it." She sighes. "Oh well. Let's go and meet this pastry cook. If they're as delicious as Jessibel says then maybe I won't turn her in to the authorieties."
Seh sees the looks she's getting. "What? It was a joke." Aisling's sense of humour is at a slight angle from most peoples.
The Raven waits at the bottom of the ladder to be the last up, swapping his old cloak for the keen new magical one once he is alone before heading up. ”And how does a scoundrel such as yourself come to be associated with such fine people as are in the Bellflower Network?” He asks Rexus. The Bellflower Network? However did he come to know them? How long has he been working at this? To Aisling he says ”The joke is on you, lady Talbot. I am already a wanted criminal!”
The Raven offers his arm to Jessibel before they step out onto the icy streets. ”Where, my dear, did you attend school? Lady Docur’s?”
Nyxra nods knowingly with a glance at Vantine. "Shall we go?"
Jessibel takes the Raven's offered arm. "Well, I had a slew of private instructors early in life. And last year I made it through Lady Dioso's Finishing School, a small private institution in the Greens."
"I've most recently had training in the arts at the Silver Amphitheater in Jarvis End and was working toward possibly joining the Kintargo Opera House Society when Thrune moved in and ruined everything!"
"But enough about me. What crime are you wanted for, sir, if I dare ask?"
Rexus gives Aisling an odd look, before shaking his head slightly. "The journey will be long, cold, and wet - to say nothing of the fact we'll need to meet dottari at least once on Bleakbridge. One of Barzillai's new ideas, no doubt."
Indeed, the bridge between Argo Isle - the island that makes up southern Kintargo - and the mainland, where its northern parts lie has traditionally been free to use. When Barzillai arrived, he instituted a tax of 3 copper pinch for each traveler who wished to cross the bridge.
"That said, only one of us looks suspicious enough to stop." Rexus nods at the Raven. "So when we cross the bridge, I recommend you keep your head down, good sir." With that, he leads the group out into the snows of Kintargo.
The journey to the bridge itself is fairly straightforwards, as the Livery sits on a road that leads north through Redroof to Bleakbridge itself . Of course, "straightforwards" does not mean "easy," because the snow has continued to pile up whilst the Silver Ravens were undertaking their first mission. Though soft and fluffy, it is still a hinderance to all those who try walking on it, and more than once Rexus has to catch himself using his cane.
Finally, after fifteen cold minutes, the group reaches the southern end of Bleakbridge. Rexus looks at the others. "Ready, everyone?"
Once the Ravens have indicated their assent, he continues across Bleakbridge. Here, at least, the snow has been cleared away, and kept well clear by traffic across the Yolubilis, so travel is easier. One of the dottari at the checkpoint situated in the middle of the bridge looks up from his position. "Payment, please." He says, with the air of a man who would really rather be anywhere else than here. Fortunately, the Raven manages to evade the sole attentive dottari's gaze as Rexus pays for all of the Ravens' passage.
"Have a good day. Or, well, as good a day as you can in this Gozreh-forsaken weather." He says, waving the group onwards. For today, at least, the group has encountered no difficulty on their way across Bleakbridge.
It takes another miserable, wet half-hour of traveling through Yolubilis Harbor and Villegre before the group is close to the Long Roads Coffeehouse.
Vantine keeps her head down inside her hood and walks as quickly as she can given the conditions. When she notices Rexus having difficulty making his way in the snow, she catches up to him and takes his arm to support him. She's not strong enough to carry part of his weight, but she's steadier than a cane.
She doesn't say anything to him at first, but after they've walked in silence for a little while she speaks up to him.
"I'm so sorry about what happened to your home. I know what the letter you showed us said, but do you have any hope for your parents' survival? Maybe since there were no witnesses?"
Rexus hesitates, leaning slightly on Vantine. "I dare not hope yet... it is possible that my parents survived, but I have heard nothing of our servants, and I worry for them as well." His voice is raw, and somewhat soft - all the softer for the curious muffling affect that the snow has on their surroundings.
Jessibel seems to enjoy the snow, squatting every so often to scoop up a handful and crush it into a snowball. She occasionally sneaks a peek at Vantine and Rexus (the only two in the group she thinks she has a chance of besting in a snowball fight), but when her friend moves to support the orphan nobleman, Jessi has second thoughts and aborts her attack.
Besides, I need to act more mature if I'm to be an actual rebel, she figures. In light of that distinct possibility, Jessi considers what if anything she should tell her grandmother about her new friends. Nothing just yet....
”That is quite the resume!” The Raven extols of the young bards education. ”If I’d known I was in the presence of a future star of the stage, I would have been more polite! As for my claim to fame...” He shrugs. ”Insurance fraud, mostly. That is what they claim, anyways. All true, of course! Someone builds a ship. The keel warps or cracks before it can be finished. Ship can’t sail with a damaged keel, backbone of the ship - or so I’m told. Wouldn’t it be such a shame if the unusable ship were burned to ashes before the purchasers of the ship realize it is unsailable? The shipwrights get coin to rebuild the ship lost to arson, the purchaser of the ship gets a seaworthy vessel...eventually. I get paid. Everyone wins! Really I do not see why it is considered a crime at all. It is like minting free coin!” He ‘taps’ the air in front of his face where his beak would be were he wearing his physicians mask. ”Also the mask. Crime in most places to wear such a mask if you are not a licensed physician.”
At the bridge he takes Jessibel’s arm once again, head down, cloak pulled around himself to hide his armor, shuffling along like a frail old man who needs his shaky steps to be guided. His fingers itch as they pass the toll collector. How easy it would be to lift the apathetic man’s purse off of him, but if the Raven failed he would have to push the toll collector off of the bridge, and it is far too early in the day to be pushing dottari off of bridges. He squeezes his escort’s arm to control his troublemaking urges until the group is free of the tempting target.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
"That sounds pretty reasonable to me," Jessibel admits, ignoring (as usual) that inner voice that's warning her that the Raven is a scoundrel and as such should be avoided. "A victimless crime, if it's even a crime at all."
Her face twitches as a frown forms on it. "Lord-Mayor Thrune has personally seen to it that my meteoric rise to the top of Kintargo's celebrity circles has been put on hold," the teen grouses, "but I've already managed to get one foot in the door. I wonder if folks might recognize my face while I'm out and about doing rebel things--it's rather attractive and memorable, don't you think? I should probably look into finding a mask myself."
After a pause, she inquires innocently, "Are you in the market for a sidekick?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Raven stops and faces Jessibel, looking her up and down. ”Hmm. An interesting thought...” Should he encourage such a young woman to engage in this kind of behavior? Would it be irresponsible on his part, or is she mature enough to understand these rebellious actions? Blood would be shed to free Kintargo; how would he feel if one he directly encouraged lost her life? ”I do not quite see it...” He lifts one corner of of his cloak, holding it over the bard’s face so as to obfuscate her eyes. ”A-hah! Now you look the part! But looking the part is only part of the play.” He sweeps his cloak away from Jessibel in a billowing arc. ”Can you be menacing and mysterious?”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Overhearing Jessibel's and the Raven's conversation, Vantine smiles to herself. That would be SO CUTE!
She resists the urge to squee in delight.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Well...I can be a menace when I draw my rapier...to friend and foe alike!" Jessi answers with a grin. "And I'm a trained actress, so being mysterious shouldn't be much of a challenge."
Aisling follows along behind the others, cold and tired. the adernalijne that got her through the last few fights has worn off, replaced with an empty tiredness. She hugs her cloak around her tightly. AS she listens to the masked man brag of "victimless" crime, she doens't have the energy to argue the point. But she wonders what she has got herself into, and the companions she has got herself surreounded with. Going up against the might of Thrune with a few people who seem to see it as a game is a quick way to a slow and lingering death.
Under her cloak, her hand holds tight to her holy symbol, as if hopeing for some guidance.
Finally, the group arrives at the Long Roads Coffeehouse, with Rexus leading the way up the stairs and into the building. The dining area that greets the Silver Ravens proves to be the warmest place that they have been since leaving their respective homes and domiciles earlier in the morning. Only three of the nine tables closest to the massive oven are occupied by small groups of red-faced patrons, but each patron seems quite pleased with their placement, and each holds a steaming mug of coffee, the scent of which wafts through the building like a perfume.
A bar dominates the western half of the room, with a large baking area nestled behind it. Behind the bar and in a very visible place hangs the legally mandated portrait of Queen Abrogail II, and a small amount fresh pastries sit in display on the back wall, beneath her malefic gaze.
A sturdy halfling woman tends the oven with the ease of an expert baker, pulling out a tray of fresh pastries as the Ravens enter. She brushes her short blond hair out of her eyes as she sets them on the bar, a bright smile of recognition appearing on her face.
”Truly, the gods have blessed me today, to see so many old friends showing up at the door together. Let’s get you warmed up in my office while we catch up on old times.” She says in a surprisingly deep and powerful voice for a halfling. The woman, who Vantine and Jessibel recognize immediately as Laria Longroad, owner and proprietor of the Long Roads Coffeehouse, takes a coffeepot off of a small fire, pouring six mugs, puts them on a platter along with the freshly baked pastries, and looks at one of the patrons.
”Noravia, keep the others in line, would you?” She grins at the woman, winking cheerfully.
”Hey, Laria, she’s liable to grab some of the pastries for herself!” One of the other patrons grouses good-naturedly.
”Oh, you be quiet.” Noravia slaps the man lightly on the back of his head. ”Go on, catch up with your friends. We’ll keep an eye out here.”
With that out of the way, Laria leads the group behind the counter to the north, where two doors stand. She opens one and ushers the Silver Ravens in. There are two benches, each wide enough for three people to sit, as well as two chairs - ones sized for a halfling and another for a human.
Rexus sinks into the chair, exhausted, as Laria shuts the door behind her.
”So, these are the people you spoke of, Rexus?” She asks, her tone still friendly, but now much less familiar. ”I recognize Lady Aulamaxa and Vantine, but… who are the rest of you?”
Rexus nods slightly, but doesn't introduce the Ravens, the rare lapse of his usual courtesy showing exactly how drained he is.
Jessibel bows deeply to Laria, scooping up the biggest pastry on the tray in the process. "So good to see you well," she says politely. "I will make the assumption that your baking is as good as ever as well." After careful consideration, she takes a mug of coffee as well, but uses it mostly to warm her hands. She takes a seat on one of the benches.
So interested is she in attacking her pastry, the noblewoman fails to notice how exhausted Rexus is.
Aisling is tired and cold, but she hasn't forgotten her manners. "I am Aisling of House Talbot, I am glad to meet you. Rexus has told me about you, and Jessibel has told me about your bakig skills."
Vantine continues to help Rexus along even after they enter the coffeeshop. She does change her posture and position so it's less obvious to onlookers to preserve his dignity should such a thing matter to him.
She helps him take his seat and sits herself beside him on the bench. Vantine passes the first warm mug that comes to her on to Rexus, and gives his thigh a reassuring squeeze under the table.
"We'll get you warmed up in no time."
When Laria's hands are free of hot things to spill and she's within reach, Vantine pulls her over. She gives the halfling woman a friendly hug and kisses both her cheeks.
"It's been such a long time since we've seen each other! I'd ask you how you are, but I'm sure you're at least as sweet as ever aren't you?"
The Raven bows, hood still up and in place despite moving indoors. ”I was never given a name, but my friends call me Brunswick.” He takes a coffee and sits next to his protégé.
"I certainly hope they are, Jessibel." Laria winks cheerfully at her, apparently dropping the formalities already. "Aisling, good to meet you." She shakes the noblewoman's hand with a firm grip.
Laria returns the hug that Vantine gives her with a soft giggle. "It is good to see you too, Vantine. You look as lovely as ever."
Once she is released, the halfling woman looks to the Raven. "Really now? Funny, but you don't look like that to me."
Rexus chuckles dryly, before breaking into a cough. Finally, he manages to speak. "The Raven. He's been establishing himself as a figure of freedom and justice of late."
"Ah, I see."
Vantine perks up at the Raven's mention of a name other than 'The Raven', curious to know more.
"You have friends?"
”Of course not! Ravens are solitary creatures.”
Vantine frowns, now confused.
"So nobody actually calls you 'Brunswick' then?"