"The boss doesn't handle these jobs." The thin one replies. "We do the job and we do it well. We'll make it forty gold though. Now talk, or get!"
Adriel is quite certain that the two men aren't going to let her see Vancaskerkin. She isn't sure but given how quickly her request was shut down he might not even know about them. Could his 'boys' be working off the books?
"Fine. 40 gold. His name is Gaedran Lamm. At around 10pm tonight, he will be found drinking in The Dock Masters' Tavern with two of his lieutenants two streets down from Westpier 17. Sometimes he is early and sometimes he is late. Watch him and follow him out, or lure him out, thats up to you. Don't worry about the lieutenants, I only want Lamm gone."
Adriel drops 40 gold begrudgingly on the counter.
"Don't mess it up." She says, before turning her back and leaving the butchers and letting out a breath. She didn't usually have to think on her feet quite so much. Her plan is to turn back up to this place at around 9:45 when she knows the men would have left already so there is less of them here when she scopes the place out. 40 gold isn't too much to pay for that.
In the meantime, Adriel does a little bit of shopping to help prepare with some of the money she repurposed from Lamm.
Adriel spends the afternoon shopping, passing over coin in larger amounts than she has recently (or possibly ever) possessed. In return she leaves with a new blade, a fine new suit of armor and a rather pleasant cloak which keeps her delightfully warm or cool as required.
When she returns to All the World's Meat she finds the place locked up and quiet, apart from a flickering light in an upper window.
The Hummingbird rather than Adriel returns that night, her heavy black cloak pulled up high, rapier in hand.
She skilfully manipulates her set of lockpicks in the door with no issues whatso ever and slowly opens the door to avoid any alarm.
Carefully stepping into the space, she tries to get her bearings based on what she saw earlier today.
The Hummingbird press on through the shop-front, opening the door at the back to reveal a short passageway with stairs up to the second level. Unwilling to take any risks the vigilante investigates the door on her left, before recoiling from the stench of blood - old and new. Straw litters the floor, scattered to catch the drips from the meat as it hangs. Meat hooks are affixed to the walls and ceiling on metal rods. To the north is a low blood-stained table and two barrels of salt, while double doors stand in the wall to the south.
Seeing nothing of importance the Hummingbird presses on into a much larger room which takes up the back half of the building. The room is a killing floor and it reeks of slaughter so strongly that the Hummingbird's gorge rises almost overpoweringly. Meat hooks dangle from a metal track affixed to the ceiling that allows the hooks and their gory loads to be moved easily around the room. In the northwest corner, a large hammer sits on the floor amid a permanent bloodstain. To the south, a bloodstained grill covers a wide hole in the floor. Just north of the grill sit two large vats of water while two large butcher blocks stand to the east next to barrels of salt, and in the southeast corner sits a reeking vat of cast-off meat and bones.
Still searching for actionable intelligence the Hummingbird presses on into a pair of foul-smelling animal pens which take up the majority of the room beyond the killing floor. Each pen is defined by a wooden fence set with a gate and inside each is a long water trough and heaps of filthy hay.
Foiled on the ground floor the Hummingbird heads upstairs and finds herself in a lounge of some sort. A round table sits in this room, surrounded by four wooden chairs. A stack of cards sits on the tabletop. A cabinet to the southwest hangs open, revealing a tangle of dirty clothes and blankets. Four thin bedrolls lie rolled up against the north wall. This room is empty of threats, but also of anything of use, unless the Field Marshal wants to know that her deserters are playing Three Kings Bluff and one of them has been cheating.
If there is anything useful it will be in the room beyond, but the flickering light beneath the frame and the occasional shadows tells the Hummingbird that her target is almost certainly there too...
The Hummingbird searches each room she finds for any clues, but knows she must not linger too long at risk of being caught by any of Vancaskerkin's cronies.
She leaves the cards untouched and puts an ear to the door, hoping to ascertain if there is a conversation or a single occupant.
Aside from the rhythmic creaking of a floorboard the Hummingbird makes out nothing of use.
The Hummingbird looks around the room hastily for a quick hiding place where she could get a good vantage from.
The only hiding place is inside the cabinet, behind the dirty clothes, and the Hummingbird reluctantly conceals herself there.
After a couple of minutes in hiding the door opens and a man matching Vancaskerkin's description heads through the room and down the stairs, muttering something about "damn cheap ale... goes right through..."
The door to the office stands temptingly open.
The Hummingbird takes her only opportunity and slips into the office to try and get an idea of what is in here. She prioritises anything on the desk.
A single large desk stands in the eastern part of this large office, transformed into a makeshift bed by a bedroll and several blankets and pillows. A table and three chairs sit to the west; several papers lie strewn over the table’s surface. One of the papers is pinned to the tabletop by an exquisite silver dagger.
A quick skim of the papers reveals little of interest - Vancaskerkin's handwriting is atrocious and forms the vast majority of the writing, but there is another note in a much better, and more feminine, hand.
My dearest, I am so proud of you. The City Guard is too small for a man of your talents, you should strike out on your own. Food will be a scarce commodity soon and the man who controls the food, controls the people.
With all my love.
Meliya
A heavy tread sounds on the stairs below. The window is open and the Hummingbird might be able to slip out if she's quick - it's certainly less risky than going back to the cabinet.
The Hummingbird pockets the letter from Meliya, she had previously considered entering by the window so knows that it is indeed possible. In a split-second decision, she pulls open the window and slips out through it quickly, before closing as much as possible behind her.
Quickly scaling her way down to street level and makes haste to the shadows to return to her home, checking she is not followed in the meantime.
As swift and silent as a shadow the Hummingbird slips out of the window and disappears into the night. She's confident that she's escaped cleanly by the time she returns to her own home.
Adriel sleeps uneasily that night, as she does every night, her dreams filled of happy memories of Teodore but time and time again he is whisked away from her grasp.
She gives up trying to sleep before the sun rises and puts her mind to the day ahead of her.
At a reasonable time, she heads out in search of Cressida Kroft. It may be that she has not found enough information to satisfy the woman, but that is not for Adriel to say - she wasn't exactly specific with what she wanted to know.
Kroft is relatively easily found - her office in Castle Korvosa is her home more than her actual residence is and the sentries on the gate seem to have been given orders to let Adriel through.
The Field Marshal reads the letter and frowns thoughtfully. "So Vancaskerkin wasn't the driving force behind this. That's both reassuring and even more concerning in turn. Still, you confirmed that he's there so your part is done. Thank you Miss Moonflower."
She pushes a bag of coins across the table and then looks up to meet Adriel's eyes. "I'll double it if you're willing to go with the squad I'm sending to arrest him. They're good men but eyes on the ground are always better than going in blind. What do you say?"
Adriel looks torn. One the one hand, she did everything she was supposed to in order to earn Kroft's trust which should be enough for what she needs. On the other hand, seeing how her guards operate in person would be very useful - if they're anything like the guards she has had to rely on before that might be a deal breaker.
"I'll go" Adriel responds shattering the temporary silence hanging between them. "I want to see how your men operate too before we agree to take this agreement any further. Think of it as a way for them to prove themselves as well."
"Very well," Kroft agrees. "Sargeant Tallow should be here shortly."
Indeed a short, thick-set man with a handsome mustache appears shortly afterwards, offering the Field Marshal a crisp salute. Kroft explains the situation in a few short sentences before dismissing you both. Tallow proves to be immensely professional and polite, introducing Adriel to his squad as 'our eyes and ears for this mission' and otherwise treating her courteously and with a minimum of curiosity.
The mission itself goes well. The deserters on the shop floor run at the first sight of the guard and, following Adriel's lead, the squad moves through the shop quickly enough to catch Vancaskerkin with one foot out of the window.
The problem occurs on the way back to the castle. A rumble issues from below, and a moment later the city street cracks apart and long fissures run across the bricks. The road bursts upward, casting chunks of rock into the air and raining bricks on the surrounding area. The stench of sewer filth and garbage belches forth, heralding the approach of a loud and hungry otyugh, drawn by the chaos and noise of the world above.
The creature wheels around for a few moments and then focuses in on the guards - apparently drawn by the bright red of their uniforms.
"Shields!" Sargeant Tallow bellows. "Protect the prisoner!"
His squad forms a shield wall, keeping Vancaskerkin backed against a closer shop and Tallow stands in front of them, shooting a glance at Adriel.
"I hope you can use those weapons Miss!" He says grimly.
"Dont you worry about that, stand alongside me." Adriel retorts as she leaps forward with drawing her rapier in one swift movement from its plain scabbard. Unfortunately her rapier does not make contact with the target.
Tallow does indeed stand alongside Adriel as they both fail to achieve anything. Meanwhile the sewage eating monster thrashes wildly! One tendril catches Adriel around the waist and squeezes unpleasantly!
Adriel tries to squirm free but the tentacles hold on tight, squeezing the air out of her lumgs.
Tallow swings at the tentacle holding Adriel but his weapon rebounds from the rubbery limb without effect. Behind him the guards start yelling and bashing their shields, attempting to distract the otyugh.
It seems to work as the creature fails without hitting Tallow, but Adriel continues to be squeezed.
"Get this foul thing off of me!" She yells.
Tallow wields sword in two hands and this time manages to cut into the tentacle holding Adriel. "Rogar, hold him. The rest of you, on me!" He calls and the guards advance with spears outstretched.
The creature recoils as one of the guardsmen jabs a spear into its eye tentacle and bites out at the brave guardsman in retaliation!
The man disappears almost entirely into the creatures maw, provoking roars of rage and anger from his squad as Adriel is dropped unceremoniously into the muck.
Adriel, not bothering to wipe her self off tries to take her revenge so that the guards to not fear she is useless.
Tallow leads by example, cutting through one of the creature's tentacles entirely in his rage! Adriel follows up by skewering the beast's main body and the remaining guard pile in, ramming spears into the creature until it resembles a bleeding pin-cushion. Unfortunately it's too late for the brave guardsman and the small group returning to Castle Korvosa is much more somber than it should be after a successful mission.
Kroft pays up as she promised, offering her commiserations, and Adriel is accosted by Tallow on her way out.
"Err, listen Miss." He says. "There's going to be a wake tonight. At the Golden Drake and I thought, since you were there today and helped us, that you should be invited. So, if you'd like to come and raise a mug to Tobias, we'd like to see you there."
Adriel thanks Kroft tersely given the circumstances. She is not sure of Kroft's appraisal of her own skills but remembering she might need the money and resources if she is to find her son and this job pays well. At least Sergeant Tallow seemed better than previous guards she had previously worked with and been let down by when most in need.
She doesn't flinch when Tallow joins her on the way out, walking stride by stride alongside her.
"Yes, thanks Seargant, thats kind of you to offer. Thats the least I could do to thank him for his aid today. Perhaps you might know of where I could send a donation for part of a collection for his family? I think I owe him that. Im sure his wife and children will need it."
"I'll take it Miss, we'll do a whip-round in the barracks this afternoon and give it to his girl tomorrow. They have a little one on the way too... it's too cruel." The Sargeant frowns, an expression that is somewhat relieved when Adriel hands over a significant collection of gold coins. "That's mighty generous Miss, real kind. Would you like to come with me tomorrow? Jennie would appreciate it I'm sure."
--------------------------
The wake at the Golden Drake is a suitably somber affair for the first hour or so, until the participants have had enough drinks and the mood becomes a bit more jolly, with reminiscences and ribald stories about Tobias being exchanged. It appears that Cressida Kroft heard about what happened and opened a tab at the bar, so the guardsmen are well able to drown their sorrows, although Adriel notices that Tallow drinks very moderately.
There are several guardsmen in the bar and one of them, a sallow looking man whose uniform is filthy, has been steadily putting away ale all evening. He stands suddenly and levels an accusing finger at Adriel.
"Sabina! What are you doing here you filthy whore? Not enough sluts up at the castle for you? Draw your sword and face me! I'm going to cut your ice-b+$@& heart out of your chest!"
The man is clearly incredibly drunk, but he draws his sword with an easy practised motion and the blade remains steady, even as the rest of him sways alarmingly.
"Adriel, my name is Adriel." She replies calmly, holding palms up gently towards the man and stands slowly taking a step away. "Sergeant Tallow invited me tonight to say goodbye."
"Grau, stand down!" Tallow adds, stepping in from one side. "This is about Tobias, not your... come on, put the sword down, we can go back to the barracks together. Adriel's a friend."
Between Adriel's calm demeanor and Tallow's insistence the belligerent guardsman is calmed down and escorted back to his barracks, meaning that the ends on a peaceful, rather than bloody note.
Adriel lets out a long breath releasing her tension, not realising she was holding it before. Not wanting to stay around and impose on the men's wake much more, she sidles out through the hustle and bustle of the bar before it gets too rowdy and heads home.
She wonders the streets slowly, in the general direction of her home but changes her mind after just a couple of minutes. She tries to tell herself that she doesn't want to go home because she is not yet tired enough but she knows that she is also avoiding those nightmares again.
Adriel heads back towards the Fisheries area and heads into a dive bar or two, trying to find anything she can about Lamm's son in as casual manner as she can.
There is a consensus in the dive bars that Lamm's end is good riddance to bad rubbish, especially since the old man worked on such a small scale that no-one is likely to try and pick up where he left off. No-one seems to know much about his son, although there is agreement that he had one.
"I heard he fed the boy to that croc one day." One man says sagely.
"Naww, the boy ran away and lives in the sewers away from his old man." Another man replies.
"I heard that he's a necromancer and Gaedran only lived so long by sacrificing children with his son's help."
The rumors certainly abound!
Giving up on the rumours for tonight, that are getting Adriel nowhere, she gives up and heads on home to try and get some rest, even if it was not all that satisfying.
Early next morning, Adriel heads to find the Sergeant. "Im sorry its early, but I didn't know when you were going to speak with Jennie, and I thought I'd come with you just to offer a kind smile. I know what its like to be faced with raising a child on your own."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Not a problem." Tallow says. He's in civilian clothes and seems to have just come off duty. "She's a baker's girl so she'll be up already. We can go now if you like Miss?"
He leads Adriel down the hill from the castle and into Midland, weaving through the crowded streets until they reach a small bakery. He peers in the window and nods. "Not too busy. After you Miss."
The young woman working behind the counter is brown haired, pretty and obviously pregnant. She's wielding a long paddle to move loaves in and out of the oven with obvious practise, but the size of her belly is making the job difficult and its clear that in a week or two she won't be able to do that either. The older woman kneading dough looks up sharply when Tallow and Adriel enter and then a look of understanding appears in her eye.
"Jennie, take care of these customers. I'm going out back to check on the proving." She says, and waddles out of the shop - giving the three of you some privacy.
"Err, Jennie." Tallow says looking rather awkward. "We, err... that is, the lads and I did a whip around yesterday, for you and the little one." He holds out a pouch. "And Miss Moonflower here, she was with us when it happened and she wanted to give you this as well." He hands over a second pouch, the one Adriel gave him yesterday, and Jennie gasps as she feels the weight and then checks inside.
"I'll just... err... be over there." Tallow says, obviously uncomfortable with the tears welling up in Jennie's eyes and he flees towards the door to examine some tiny cakes.
"Thank you Miss." Jennie says softly. "This... this will change everything for me and the baby. I thought... with Toby gone..." The tears fall freely. "That everything... you're too generous Miss, really you are. Why are you doing this for someone you don't even know?"
Adriel wonders for a moment if accompanying Tallow was the wrong thing to do. Should she be getting involved in other peoples' mess when she has her own to sort out?
No, its the right thing to do.
"I....I know how hard it is to raise a child on your own." Adriel replies, not bothering to hide the pain in her eyes. "I really didn't need that and know that you very much do."
I was vastly overpaid for that job, and this man lost his life over it.
Adriel glances back at Tallow, hoping he is not paying too much obvious attention before opening up somewhat.
"I can't say I know what you're going through, losing a partner with a little one on the way. I know a lot of people will tell you it will all be okay and I don't want to do that because sometimes thing will be hard and that wouldn't be fair to you."
She swallows, trying to find the right words, knowing that they are not easy.
"But maybe - if you ever want somebody to listen to when you've had a really hard day - then you could talk to me? I know you don't know me, but I know that all I wanted when raising a child by myself, was someone to listen. Just sometimes."
Jennie sniffs and then throws her arms around Adriel as best she can.
"Thank you Miss, that means a lot. You'll always be welcome to come around too, for a bite. I'm a good cook, or baker at least."
Adriel and Tallow leave soon afterwards and the Sargeant bids Adriel goodbye with a handshake. "You did a very good thing today Miss. Thank you."
----------------------------
Adriel comes up blank when planning on on finding any trustworthy leads about Lamm's son. Having been bought up with working hard every day, she throws herself into being busy and finding some work. It didn't matter that she had come into so much money recently, that money didn't truly feel like hers anyway.
For the first three days after the eventful week, Adriel heads back to Tallow and asks for some odd-job contract work. He was a decent man and she wasn't sure if he was taking pity on her after he heard her admission to Jennie yesterday but either way, he agreed. She isn't sure if he is one of the few decent men in the guard right now, but her mind is beginning to open to the possibility that the guard are not all bad.
On the third night, she thanks Tallow for the few days work as he hands over her pay and lets him know to call on her if he ever needs any more help, giving him her address.
On the fourth day, Adriel goes to check in on the children in the Old Fishery to check their well-being but it was clear that they didn't really need her. They are making good strides into their new business that they are using the property for and some of the older ones had taken well to leading the others to be truly resourceful with what little they had. She spends all of her earnings from the past three days on some gifts for the kids; a bunch of nice bars of soap, ten new warm blankets and even a couple of folding chairs to furnish the place. Unsurprisingly, the best-received gift was a large basket of baked goods, some still warm from the bakery.
Feeling at a loss and not knowing how else to keep busy, Adriel then drops in on Jennie, who is so close to giving birth at this point. She helps the widow with some of the heavier duties against the light protests, in the bakery whilst bonding over their mutual stories of raising children. The conversation seemed to do them both the world of good.
After a few normal, and remarkably pleasant, days Adriel receives a message from Cressida Kroft.
New work for my favourite trouble-shooter. It read. See me at earliest convenience.
-------------------------
The Field Marshal is not alone when Adriel arrives, there's a dapper, well dressed man sitting in her office. He rises and offers Adriel a slight bow as she arrives before Kroft makes introductions.
"Vencarlo, Adriel. Adriel, this is Vencarlo Orsini, he's a teacher and an old friend."
"A pleasure to meet you Miss Moonflower, you have a beautiful name and yet it still does not do you jsutice." Orsini steps forward to kiss Adriel's hand and then pulls out a chair for her. "Please my lady, sit."
He takes up his own chair and smiles at Cressida. "I can see why you've chosen her. She seems eminently capable."
"Indeed." Kroft agrees. "Now, to business. Vencarlo has learned something that could degrade into sanctions, embargoes, or even war against Cheliax if we don’t act now. This problem is a man named Darvayne Gios Amprei, an ambassador from Cheliax whose disdain for Korvosa is well documented, though he’s taken great pleasure in what our city has to offer. Even before this recent unrest, this man was ready to recommend to his government a sanction on trade, or perhaps even an embargo."
"Vencarlo has learned through his own considerable sources that Ambassador Amprei’s actual goals are to undermine Korvosa’s economy to the point where he can buy up large portions of the city from desperate landholders. He plans to establish himself in a position of power here before advising the end of the sanctions with his allies in Cheliax. We can’t let his bias or personal plans hurt Korvosa. Yet neither can we take drastic action—not only would killing him be wrong, but it’d simply
martyr him in Cheliax’s eyes."
“Fortunately, the ambassador has his foibles. Again, Vencarlo has learned that Ambassador Amprei has been making fairly regular visits to a place in Old Korvosa called Eel’s End. This den of vice is run by a dangerous man named Devargo Barvasi, better known in Korvosa’s alleys as the King of Spiders. I’d love to put Devargo out of business, but he pays his vice taxes regularly and never causes any problems—in fact, since he keeps his business constrained entirely within the five ships moored at Eel’s End, he’s actually one of the least of my worries. Truth be told, I can’t decide whether Devargo is a stirge or a kraken. He seems like a bloodsucking pest most days, but sometimes I fear just how far his tentacles have wormed their way into our great city. In this case though, his insidious web stretching across Korvosa’s underworld might be to our advantage."
“Devargo would never let someone he recognizes as an ally of the Guard into Eel’s End, but your group’s a different case. I’d like you to pay a visit to Eel’s End and secure an audience with Devargo. Find out what he knows about Amprei, get proof of any illicit goings-on the ambassador might be involved with, and bring that proof to me. I can use it to undermine any forthcoming attempts by him to get Cheliax to cut us off. Devargo might not be willing to part with his information easily. I’ll supply you with some gold to bribe him, and whatever’s left over you can keep for yourself. Remember: Devargo is dangerous, but we don't need him alive. If you have to defend yourself I wouldn’t mourn his passing.”
Kroft turns to a chest behind her and pulls out three bag. She counts a few coins in and out and then pushes one of the bags to Adriel. "A thousand gold. In platinum for easier carrying."
"Any questions before you go?" Kroft asks. Vencarlo meanwhile stands and dusts of his trousers.
"I will accompany you if I may, Lady Moonflower." He says. "At least to Old Korvosa. I have business nearby and it would be nice to get to know you better."
Adriel stays quiet as she lowers herself into the chair that Orsini offers. That is until Vencarlo Orsini states that she seems "competent" - at this she scoffs lightly. "Well thank you for openly stating your opinion on my abilities so, but I promise you that my competencies cannot be told merely by my looks and name alone."
Luckily Kroft continues with the meeting before Adriel can hear Orsini's reply.
At first, Adriel considers asking Kroft for more pay, knowing that this indeed sounds dangerous, but cannot find the right words to explain herself, so doesn't bother, and settles for asking a quick question instead. "What exactly does Devargo like himself if I tried to get on his good side?"
As Adriel goes to head out, she inclines her head slightly as Vencarlo Orsini asks to accompany her. "If you were heading that way anyway, I do not see why not."
Pulling her cloak around her shoulders, Adriel cannot help but add; "Perhaps you could regale me with stories of your competance." shooting the man a sly grin.
"Well..." Vencarlo begins with a smile. "Did you hear about the time I saved the king's life? It was some years ago now and I was little more than a boy..."
Vencarlo proves to be a really rather charming fellow who wears the blade on his hip with easy grace. Adriel sees at least one potential incident disappear as the man in question considers Vencarlo's blatant confidence and decides not to test his luck.
"Thank you for how you dealt with Grau." Vencarlo says suddenly, "He was a student of mine, a special talent before..."
He shakes his head and as Adriel and he finally emerge from the Narrows, he points. "You can find Eel's End that way. The first pier on the left once you cross the bridge. Good luck Miss Moonflower, I hope we meet again one day soon."
"Oh, that was no problem. I didn't realise that you were at the wake, I presume you knew the guard. Im just happy that the goodbye didn't turn nasty, that is not what Jennie would have wanted for him." Adriel says graciously.
"I hope we meet again sooner rather than later." Adriel is not quite sure why she replied that way - the words just seemed to slip out but they were not unwelcome to her.
She crosses the bridge walks over to the first pier, keeping her head high, not letting any sign of weakness show as she approaches the Den of Vice.
"I wasn't there, but I try to keep an eye on Gru when I can." Vencarlo replies. "And I look forward to our next meeting." He leaves Adriel with a bow as she proceeds towards the Den of Vice.
The sound of carousing booms from the elegantly painted barges moored to this long pier, even during the day it appears the merriment never ends. Large signs painted in several languages are nailed to pilings and hang from ropes slung between barges. The closest barge to the east bears a sign that says, “The Twin Tigers—Take the Tiger by the Tail and Try Your Luck!” Opposite that, to the west, 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!”, while opposite that is the “House of Clouds—The Caress of Our Lovelies Will Take You Straight to Heaven!” Only the largest vessel, an old warship to the south, bears no signage at all. Short rope bridges or gangplanks provide access to the decks of these ships from the pier and from the decks of other ships.
Finding Devargo is going to be interesting...
Adriel heads to the Goldenhawk first, hoping that is it some sort of place to socialise and tries to pick out any information about the location of Devargo.
Unfortunately she doesn't gain much from the carousers in the area.
Adriel's rather clumsy enquiries don't go unnoticed and soon she finds herself confronted by three burly looking men with an oddly official air about them.
"What are you doing here Miss?" One of them asks, rather politely. The two others behind him however add an air of menace to his words.
"Simply look for a conversation with your boss. I think I might had something he would be interested in." Adriel says with a smile, trying to be as charming as possible.
The guards look at each other and then one of them nods.
"Come with me please Miss." He says, and leads Adriel onto the unsignposted ship at the end of the pier. Another guard falls into position behind the vigilante - clearly they aren't entirely convinced by her charming act.
After a short trip through the ship Adirel and her escorts reach a 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.
Sprawled in the chair 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. His signature weapons—gauntlets fixed with blades over the knuckles—glisten with poison. Now and then, spiders clamber over his skin, but he takes no notice.
"So... what do we have here then?" He asks in a languid drawl. "My men wouldn't have brought you down here without good reason."
Adriel feels a darkness rise within her as she takes in her surroundings. This is clearly a vile monster masquerading as a man, having given into many vices at the expense of others quite some time ago.
"Mr Devargo I assume?" Adriel says, in greeting and takes a confident step forward holding out her hand in greeting. "My name is Miss Moonflower, its a pleasure to meet you. Your name is famous around these parts."
"I have hear that one of your clients might be of interest to me. Amprei, Im presuming you have heard of him?"
A birdcage hanging from the ceiling rattles and Adriel is surprised to see a house drake, one of the friendly dragons that infest the rooftops of the city and fight a running war with the cities imps, locked up inside. The assembled thugs and thieves laugh at the sight and Devargo glances up with a scowl.
"Quiet or I'll feed you to the spiders." The drake subsides in obvious fear and the crime lord returns his attention to Adriel. "And why, exactly should I be interested in your interest? As you no doubt know, my clients make me a lot of money, so if Ambassador Amprei was one of them, then I'd need a very good reason to divulge information."
He just has divulged some information and from the smirk on the crime lord's face he knows it. This seems to be an elaborate game for him, and one where Adriel doesn't know all the rules...
Doing her best to ignore the house drake, who has likely done nothing to earn its current predicament, Adriel weights up her situation.
"Well, one customer for another might be a fair deal. And I might know one or two things you will find interesting myself." She reaches in the inside of her pocket and pulls out one of the money bags she had created earlier containing 20 pp and weighs it in her hands, awaiting a response.
Devargo beckons for the pouch and looks through it.
"Not bad Moonie, not bad. Now the Ambassador has been very profitable for me, another... four of these and we have a deal."
Once Adriel hands over the rest of the money Devargo grins widely. "You see lads, this is how you do business with class! Wait here Moonie and I'll get you what you've paid for."
Adriel spends a couple of awkward minutes with the lackeys watching her in amazement until Devargo returns.
"So the Ambassador Amprei was having with the wife of an important noble back in Cheliax. Apparently, the ambassador and this woman have been corresponding since Amprei was first stationed here in Korvosa. When Devargo heard these rumors, he paid the man a visit. I attempted to befriend the ambassador, giving him plenty of gifts. I even proposed opening a line of trade with Cheliax. The ambassador refused and had me escorted from his home, me!"
The crime lord grins and Adriel has to admit the expression makes him charming. "Couldn't let that stand could I? So I acquired several of his letters to his paramour. He's been learning the value of the written word ever since. Can't put a price on his career, that one. Fortunately for him, I can. Anyway Moonie, a pleasure doing business with ya. If you ever want to lose the stick in your arse or have mine instead, you know where to find me!"
The lackeys whoop and holler at his crudities at the man who escorted Adriel into the ship in the first place leads her out once more.
Adriel bristles at the unpleasantness and vows to herself to return and at least free the poor house drake if she ever has a moment.
She spends a considerable time on her way home to make sure she loses any tail that she may have gained, stopping in any crowded square or market she can find before she heads back to Kroft to arrange a clandestine meeting to share the information.