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Elric nods at Shane’s suggestions.
”Illusions to cover our approach is a good idea. From what we have seen, the guards rarely check the water, but they do peek over the side from time to time. Noise is the main concern, though. Can you cast a spell that dampens sound for a short period? That might give us time to take out the guards. Perhaps also something to block the doors, so we can slow down reinforcements?”
He notes the tension between Pava and Audria with some concern.
”As I said, violence should be a last resort. That goes for Barvasi too, as far as I’m concerned. But once we go in, it’s do or die. None of these thugs he has guarding would hesitate to cut us all into shark bait and would probably laugh while doing it. There’s a difference between looking for a fight and being able to win it if it finds you.”
”Look, we have a strong hand with the info we have gathered. We can catch them when they are most vulnerable, isolate their guards and avoid the trap door. We load up on antitoxin and bring a potion of neutralize poison or two, just in case. Perhaps some alchemist fire or explosive surprises to hurl down the trap door if things go south and we need to fight our way out.”
”If Barvasi is really blackmailing the ambassador, then the ideal situation for us would be if he thinks we have been hired by the ambassador to retrieve it. That would limit the risk of reprecussions against our friends. If we leave him alive, that it…”
"I've been called a lot of things, but never common. Besides, not what I said, duckling. Details matter. That's a proper wicked plan though Elric. Cheers.
"Vetoing fire or explosives on the unsound ship lashed to the same pier as four others full of people we're not even looking to inconvenience though. The sight alone might get some other poor solly killed in all the ensuing.
Noted on the fire and explosives. On a functional ship, there is limited risk of a catastrophic fire, but we don’t know the condition of these converted vrecks.”
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Those who have observed Eel's End for the last night and day note that the off-duty guards sleep on deck, in hammocks attached to the rigging, not below decks - although Barvasi certainly has more guards out of sight. Those who have ever been close to the infamous den of vice also remember that none of the vessels making it up are seaworthy and that they stay afloat only by virtue of being lashed together and to the pier.
"Salutations. I am told we have a common foe, and to cut to the meat of it, I have cause against Devargo Barvasi. I hope you do too, or at least mean to frustrate him."
"Shrike. Same." The croaky-voiced elf woman's odd bird mask dips in a short nod, then she returns to her previous total stillness, watching him from behind the mask's concealing black eyes. This frogmaker clearly has fiendish blood he is unable or unwilling to hide completely, which makes her wary. She has never met a tiefling before, though she has seen a few sailors on Chelish merchantmen with red skin, tails, or horns obvious enough to be visible from a distance. But this isn't even the first time in the last day they've trusted a perfect stranger based on nothing more than the word of another stranger, and with a personal grudge against Barvasi he should fit right in. She raises no objection.
The conversation moves on and she observes in silence. The basic idea of taking antitoxin, approaching the Eel's End on a boat protected by illusion magic, and sneaking on deck to quickly and silently take out the guards is broadly fine with her, but it doesn't seem to fit with Elric's statements that violence should be a last resort. And the idea of skipping straight to fighting rather than talking seems to displease Audria. But she agrees with Pava and Elric on one thing, though not with most of what Pava says: she doesn't like the odds of six people making it up onto deck and then down inside the ship without being caught by either the wakeful guards or the ones that sleep in hammocks on deck. And if the thugs catch them sneaking, they'll raise the alarm, and then that's it for a quiet entry or any kind of negotiation. The difference between only intending to take out the guards if they get caught and intending to take them out from the start is a bit academic if they will definitely get caught.
"Could we skip the deck?" Shrike says suddenly. It's the only way she sees to even possibly get in and out without fighting the guards. "His boys stay up there. But the ship's not watertight. Portholes likely as wrecked as the rest of it. Could go in through a window or hole above the waterline."
"That's the idea. I was thinking either the windows in the stern, or some other point. Considering the state of the ship, there may even be a direct way in through the hull. If we can get close enough without attracting attention, I'm willing to go into the water and take a swim around the ship to check. I should be able to do it quickly enough to escape notice of both marine and human predators."
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"Shrike. Same."
Shane can feel the scrutiny. He knows his blue white flesh can be spotted under direct observation this close, despite the hood of his cowl, and the gloves. Ah well. So far, they're still accepting him. So far. And who can blame them for being cautious?
”Illusions to cover our approach is a good idea. From what we have seen, the guards rarely check the water, but they do peek over the side from time to time. Noise is the main concern, though. Can you cast a spell that dampens sound for a short period? That might give us time to take out the guards. Perhaps also something to block the doors, so we can slow down reinforcements?”
"Silence creation, or even dampening, is not currently in my purview" He balks at confessing it, but feigning more spells than he has would only hurt this mission. "minor background noise at best."
He looks to the others and answers audria's earlier question now that he's had time to consider it, "Spiders might also be about, hopefully not being used as sentinels. You see, Ettercaps have a special connection with spiders, and their lairs are usually guarded by a number of monstrous arachnids. Smaller ones might also be in use. Normally that's the most social ettercaps get. They are solitary aberrations that rely on their traps to catch their prey. When they do engage, they do so with venomous fangs and their claws. Their poison aims to slow down and eventually immobilize their target so.. huzzah for the antitoxin ideas?"| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Audria opens her mouth to point out that Pava has been talking as if a fight is a forgone conclusion when Elric and Shrike intervene. The young paladin takes in a deep breath and tries to get a firmer handle on her temper. Is it just Pava and the way Vencarlo's protege rubs her the wrong way that is getting at her, or is it something else? Is it the thought of facing Devargo Barvasi at all or facing Halvara again that has her so agitated? She doesn't know, and that bothers her more than a little.
Shane sharing his knowledge on Ettercaps brings her back to the conversation.
"Well, I guess them being solitary is good," she says. She hopes that she won't have to face another one again, but it's nice to know that if she does, it's not likely to be holding a grudge for what she did. "Would making our way to Eel's End under the cover of fog and mist work," she asks everyone. "If Shane could make it look like we're just part of the fog bank, that could let us get in close and hide us while we look for a way in. If there's enough room, we could hide under the pier."
She looks down at her armor and grimaces.
"I guess I'll have to leave this behind if we're going to sneak onto the ship to get what we're after," she says as she taps the breastplate.
"Purely sneaking in instead of fighting means that if things go wrong, they'll probably go wronger... But it's certainly a plan if you're up to it, Mage." They look at Shane, hard, then nod. "Try to keep it quiet though, eh Soldier Boy? Unless she's a water bird-" They hook their thumb at Shrike "-I'm the poor soul has to dive in after you if the water gets all sharky."
Audria talking about going without armor clearly troubles them though, worry drawing the rain tattoos down their face out of their clean straight lines. "We're likely to run up against a lot of venom in there, duckling. Please cover up." They quickly shrug off the concern. "'Sides, Ms. Clatterbones is louder anyway."
”Pava is right, Audria. Stealth is important, but not getting stabbed or poisoned is more important. In the marines, we’re trained to climb, swim, sneak and sleep in our armor. You better belive I’ll be wearing mine. You just have to move as carefully as you can.” Elric says, obviously sharing Pava’s concern.
”And you are right about stealth being a risky play too, Pava. We must be prepared to shift gears if we are discovered. Still, even if we are in a straight up fight, I like our chances.” he adds, looking over the assembled team,
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”Climbing *and* swimming? Why I have just the spell for that.” She pulls out a scroll and waves it about. ”’Monkey Fish’ it’s called. What a ridiculous name! But it lets me climb and swim as easy as both. I say ‘me’ as I cannot cast it on others, sadly.” She makes an exaggerated sad face.
She drops the act as she pulls out another scroll. ”I also have a Wood Shape scroll I picked up. Anything you want made out of 13 cubic feet of wood or less. As long as it is crude and has no moving parts. A little dinghy, perhaps? I thought it would be fun. I can prepare extra if needed.”
She puts both away. ”And that is not even getting into my full repertoire. Perhaps a cloud of fog? A little area of darkness? Perhaps you would like me to cast a disguise? The world is your oyster, as they say, and I am the pearl.”
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"That wood shape spell, could it be used to be used to open up a hole that we can climb through," Audria asks. "If we could do that, Elric won't have to swim with the sharks, and if we could disguise ourselves as a bunch of Chelish soldiers trying to be sneaky, we could make Devargo think it was Amprei even if we are discovered and chased off. I don't suppose we could get copies of his guards uniforms?"
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"I'll keep the mask." Shrike has no interest in letting the King of Spiders ever see her face, whether he ends up alive or dead. "Soldiers doing spy-work wouldn't wear uniforms anyway."
Audria seems to have abandoned the half-hearted idea of leaving her armor behind, but just to make sure, she agrees: "Armor's worth the tradeoff here. Might need it suddenly.
"Dinghy. Fog. Illusion. Wood shape. Any or all sounds good." The mask turns to Elric and Pava. "But you're not faster than a jigsaw. Can't help you once you're down there either. Keep it in mind." She remembers how to swim, barely, but didn't learn in the Jeggare. And no matter how good at swimming they are, they aren't better at it than a shark. Anything but certain death on land is wiser than jumping in the water, in her opinion.
"I'm good to go. Whenever there's least activity."
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”I used to swim the Jeggare as a kid, but you are right. Just like avoiding fights, I won’t go in the water if we can find a viable way in above the water line. And in case swimming is required, there’s a little magic trick to help with that too. I should be able to get a scroll or potion of hide from animals from the Sable Company quatermaster. We can probably borrow a rowboat from the marines as well.”
"We probably shouldn't use a boat that belongs to the Sable Company, not if we want to look like a bunch of Chelish ne'er-do-wells trying to cover up dirt on their boss," Audria says. "Besides, everyone knows how high and mighty anyone from Cheliax is. Would they even think about trying to pin something like this on the Sable Company Marines?"
”We don’t need to pose as Cheliaxian soldiers, just local hired thugs. My idea was just to mention that the ambassador sent us to get his stuff back if we can corner Barvasi alone. But then again, if we’re talking. we’re most likely fighting, so it may not come up”
Based on Shrike's and Elric's surveillance, they judge that the best time to attempt an infiltration would be a little before the fourth bell of the night; at that time most revelers would be gone, extremely drunk, or asleep, and that's also when Barvasi's guard changes. Either before they change, when the ones who have been on patrol for six hours or so are tired, or right after when the fresh shift is still sleepy-eyed and drowsy.
”Climbing *and* swimming? Why I have just the spell for that.” She pulls out a scroll and waves it about. ”’Monkey Fish’ it’s called. What a ridiculous name! But it lets me climb and swim as easy as both. I say ‘me’ as I cannot cast it on others, sadly.” She makes an exaggerated sad face.
She drops the act as she pulls out another scroll. ”I also have a Wood Shape scroll I picked up. Anything you want made out of 13 cubic feet of wood or less. As long as it is crude and has no moving parts. A little dinghy, perhaps? I thought it would be fun. I can prepare extra if needed.”
She puts both away. ”And that is not even getting into my full repertoire. Perhaps a cloud of fog? A little area of darkness? Perhaps you would like me to cast a disguise? The world is your oyster, as they say, and I am the pearl.”
Shane does not hide his expression of respect at the many options Abella offers "A conjured cloud of fog might be better than an illusion of one, though it might hinder our vision as well. Or at least keep it as a back up perhaps should my spell be seen through." He suggests.
He nods at talk of the woodshape and its gift granting access. At talk of jigsaw, Shane says to the others, "I prefer to keep it for combat but I do have a spell that might summon something into the water if ...required. I don't think whatever I summoned would win, but it might lead predators away or at least serve as bait?"
"I was hoping that we could do it under the cover of fog. Unless we can cover the whole river, we'd probably stick out more than if we just tried to be quiet," Audria says. "So if we're going to be hired thugs for this, maybe we should get black cloaks and something to cover our faces. That would help hide out identities, wouldn't it?"
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Acquiring a few dark-coloured cloaks and scarves is no issue, and everyone settles in to await the chosen time for their infiltration attempt.
Around midnight, Shrike's pack shivers. the flap on one pocket flies open, and a pack of cards slides out. Those familiar at least in passing with Varisian customs recognize it as a Harrow deck, a tool of divination and fortune-telling.
A gust of wind suddenly blows through the watchtower, making torches, lamps and candles flicker and almost gutter out. When the flames recover, a ghostly figure floats above the deck. Abella, Audria and especially Shrike recognize her as Zellara, the fortune-teller who arguably set them on the path that brought them here today. The rest see a middle-aged Varisian woman, her dark hair bound in a red scarf with green geometric patterns. Her brown eyes are a little sorrowful, and lines are etched between her brows and on either side of her mouth.
"Please, do not be alarmed." Her voice is soft, barely above a whisper. "I see that your number is not diminished, although some of those I greeted in my house so long ago have parted ways with you." She turns to regard Elric, Pava and Shane. "My name is Zellara. As you can see, I am dead. But please do not fear me, I only mean to help. These other three have done a very great deed on my behalf and for that I am eternally thankful. Now that you have joined forces with them in a common cause, I wish to help you as well." She gestures to the Harrow deck and nine cards fly out of it, hovering in the air in front of those three who have but recently joined this venture, their backs to them so they cannot see the designs on the cards. "Please, pick a card, each of you."
As the three choose their cards, Zellara gestures and the cards flip to face them. She nods to Elric, whose card shows a green swamp, a grasping arm emerging from the water and three coloured light orbs floating above it. "The Demon's Lantern. It evokes the many difficult situations that await you, and perhaps unnecessary confrontations with those who should - or could - be allies." Next is Pava's card, depicting a cockatrice with glowing red eyes whose wing partially covers the fallen head of a statue - or perhaps of someone petrified. "The Peacock, for allegiances that shift as easily as a bird changes its plumage. It may be challenging to asses where someone's loyalty truly lies, but without some measure of trust we will all be lost." And lastly, the ghostly fortune-teller turns to Shane. On his card, a green-cloaked figure in profile opens their cloak a little to reveal four keys tied to a chain. "The Locksmith, who holds the keys to a new destiny. Your fate may originate from the most unexpected sources."
She claps her hands, and the nine cards return to the deck, who rises gently into the air and shuffles itself. Nine more cards fly out and arrange themselves face down on the floor in a square pattern, three by three.
"And now, I shall perform a Harrowing for you."
A flick of her hand, and the leftmost three cards flip over, showing from top to bottom a laughing two-headed giant, a dozen blue-skinned hands erupting from the ground to grasp a man who screams in terror, and a sickly-looking woman in a fur robe, upside down.
"In your past - The Joke, The Beating, and The Sickness inverted. The first one signifies a terror that must be overcome, but as the man on the card cannot hope to stand against the giant, this cannot be done by physical means. There is a some monster or fear in your past that you defeated by trickery or artifice. Or perhaps you found your way past a difficult task or person with humour. The Beating shows that at some point in your lives you were under attack from all sides. It can also signify the dissolution of self - again, mentally and not physically. But you persevered and emerged through this gauntlet - perhaps not unscathed, but alive. Lastly, The Sickness. Normally it signifies a disease of the body or soul, but inverted it means that you may have been healthy when most everyone around you was sick. Or perhaps you were one of the few with a functioning moral compass among those corrupted, or indifferent."
Another flick of her hand, and the middle row turns over - all three are upside down. The top one shows two men facing each other, identical in appearance except for their hair and the colour of their clothes. The middle one shows a dusk-skinned man with long pointed ears dressed in curious clothes and holding many trinkets, a blue monkey perched on his shoulder. The bottom one depicts a giant lion with a wizened, human face, with long hair and beard, amidst dunes of sand.
"The Twin, The Foreign Trader and The Desert are all in your present and all inverted. The first one is mostr troubling, as it can mean that this entire spread has a hidden or reversed meaning. It makes the future even murkier than usual. It can mean duality of purpose, of identity, or indecision. The Foreign Trader is a true match here, that is to say that its alignment corresponds to its placement in the spread. This card may be the crux of this Harrowing, and it is the card of spies and peddlers, those who trade in information and secrets. A bargain made under this card's auspices always concludes true, but not all ramifications of the deal may be apparent. The Desert is an environment so bleak that none can survive it without aid, but for those who do find that aid, the journey can lead to great things. However, beware of mirages in the desert - not all appears as it truly is."
She pauses for a moment, brow furrowed as she gazes at the last row of cards. Finally, with a gesture of her fingers she turns those over as well. At the top, a woman with the body of a snake holds a bouquet of wilting roses. Below her, a man in a jester costume and a child - or perhaps a halfling - running from him. The bottom card is upside down and shows a blindfolded and chain-bound man suspended over a pool of molten wax. Zellara speaks again. "And at last, your future. All of these are partial matches or misaligned, which means that they are particularly significant. And they are all chaotic cards, which makes the future a fluid and uncertain place." She points at the top card. "The Liar usually represents love at its most treacherous, but partially misaligned like this could also point to the beginning of a new relationship, perhaps disguised as something much less beautiful. It could mean obsession, unrequited passion, or doomed love. The Carnival is the card of illusions and false dreams. It can heighten the power of the arcane, but depending on such whimsical forces can be risky. For the others, it could mean unrealistic ambitions or imprudent plans. And finally, the Waxworks in a partial match. A place of helplessness and paralysis. The mind might be willing, but the flesh is frozen. The card of torture and imprisonment - perhaps not for you, but for others close to you."
Zellara waves her hand and the nine cards fly through the air to return to the deck as she sighs. "I am sorry that I could not be more helpful. The future may not look very cheerful, and the present may feel challenging, but you draw strength from each other - although it may not come easily at first. For better or worse, your fates are entangled now." She smiles with a tinge of sadness. "I must go now. Keep the Harrow deck with you, and I will try to help you as much as I can."
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The cards coming loose from the pack catches Shane off guard. He readies his hands, in case a spell with somatic requirement must be issued forth and... stops.
"Please, do not be alarmed." Her voice is soft, barely above a whisper. "I see that your number is not diminished, although some of those I greeted in my house so long ago have parted ways with you." She turns to regard Elric, Pava and Shane. "My name is Zellara. As you can see, I am dead. But please do not fear me, I only mean to help. These other three have done a very great deed on my behalf and for that I am eternally thankful. Now that you have joined forces with them in a common cause, I wish to help you as well." She gestures to the Harrow deck and nine cards fly out of it, hovering in the air in front of those three who have but recently joined this venture, their backs to them so they cannot see the designs on the cards. "Please, pick a card, each of you."
Shane lowers his hands, and mutters, "Fascinating. A spiritual infusion or phylactery like effect in a Deck of Cards? I.. oh my manners."[/B] He introduces himself, "Shane Driscoll, a pity we could not meet when you were alive, Mistress Zellara." To anchor herself like this, and maintain sanity? Worthy of respect A head tilt.
The tiefling eyes the floating cards, then taking a breath, plucks up the third one from the left even as the other two pick theirs.
He finds it fascinating. Not like there were no Varisians at the Acadamae, so he had seen such card tellings before, though many none Varisians thought it mere chicanery. However, nothing like a spirit attached to add legitimacy to such.
And lastly, the ghostly fortune-teller turns to Shane. On his card, a green-cloaked figure in profile opens their cloak a little to reveal four keys tied to a chain. "The Locksmith, who holds the keys to a new destiny. Your fate may originate from the most unexpected sources."
Shane gazes at it intently, memorizing it, then nods, "A chance influence destiny sounds most helpful now."
Then, the cards are returned and the harrowing begins. The past, the present, and the future are offered up.
The comment
Or perhaps you were one of the few with a functioning moral compass among those corrupted, or indifferent."
makes him blink to be sure. That DOES remind me of the Acadame, come to think of it. THough I'm sure I had a cough now and then, morally speaking. But I tried. And I did not give in to evil. I may have the face of a devil, but I will strive never to have the heart of one.
The present alarms him more. It seems to scream deception and trickery, and worse, mistaken perception. As an Illuisonist he is aware how dangerous that can be. Let's hope we're the deceivers rather than the deceived... if there must be such.
Then the future unfolds so to speak. The idea of love where it is not expected sounds like the best of options for the Liar; the other ideas mentioned less so. The Carnival has his interest at the line 'It can heighten the power of the arcane,' warning aside! It is the Waxwork that has him worried most. he has few friends. He would never want one knowing torment for his sake.
Zellara waves her hand and the nine cards fly through the air to return to the deck as she sighs. "I am sorry that I could not be more helpful. The future may not look very cheerful, and the present may feel challenging, but you draw strength from each other - although it may not come easily at first. For better or worse, your fates are entangled now." She smiles with a tinge of sadness. "I must go now. Keep the Harrow deck with you, and I will try to help you as much as I can."
"Thank you for a new, to me, arcane experience, madame Zellara. I..." Then he remembers something she said at the start..'those I greeted in my house ' And he remembers what he was trying to do when he first met a certain Shelynite, "Pardon me, this must sound vulturesque , but... if it not offend, might I have use of your house for a time? I'm looking for a residence, and prices are, frankly, insane. And another bolt hole may be crucial for us in the future regardless."
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Audria pauses getting ready when Zellara's deck comes flying out of Shrike's pack. She isn't sure if she likes that she's getting used to this happening or not.
First Garret, Nicolai, and Lina, then Pip and Dal. It seems that Abella, Merula, and myself are the common thread. I hope that is a good sign and not a bad one.
As Zellara gives her reading, Audria grows more and more unsure of this plan. True it is the one that gives them the best chance to doing what Field Marshal Kroft asked of them and seeing Devargo Barvasi thrown into a cell, but she feels her stomach tying into knots. What if he found out about Audria talking to Jessica the other day? Could she be in peril? What of Dal? She hasn't seen him since leaving the Sanctuary to get Eliana so they could see Hommel and Brekka with Trinia, she realizes with a pang of guilt.
Dendren! I keep forgetting to ask about him, but is now the time to bring him up?
She screws her eyes shut and takes in a deep breath. One thing at a time, Bartholomew had once told her. Take things one thing at a time. She does her best to push the doubts and worries away, to focus on the task at hand as she finishes putting her hair up in a tight bun at the base of her skull. There will be time to ask questions and find out what happened to Dal later. Now, she only needs to worry about doing her part in this.
For all her efforts, though, a small voice of doubt remains.
"You know that this plan will fall apart," Halvara whispers in her mind. "It'll be all your fault when it does, and I shall relish every moment of it."
Audria shakes the thought away and pulls up the scarf she'd bought over her nose. She needs to focus, to clear her mind, she tells herself as she pulls the hood of the black cloak over her head. Still, Halvara's voice remains.
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Nips at Heels goes almost entirely still when Zellara appears. They bow their head respectfully, but still manage to look like they're barely holding back from climbing the walls or shimmying through a crack until they didn't have to be in her presence.
When Zellara disappears they finally let out the breath they'd been holding. "That was- That was just about the scariest burning thing I've seen in my life. How'd the spook get mixed up with you? She's... Wind and Sky, I know the ancestors can come among us, but she was right, bloody, here and-"
They realize that they're babbling, and chomp down on the inside of their lip.
"Stones and Cinder. This all Matters, doesn't it?"
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"Thank you for a new, to me, arcane experience, madame Zellara. I..." Then he remembers something she said at the start..'those I greeted in my house ' And he remembers what he was trying to do when he first met a certain Shelynite, "Pardon me, this must sound vulturesque , but... if it not offend, might I have use of your house for a time? I'm looking for a residence, and prices are, frankly, insane. And another bolt hole may be crucial for us in the future regardless."
The image of Zellara has almost completely faded, but her voice answers quite clearly. "If you wish to make use of my house you are welcome to do so, although it isn't much. The key... the one with the bird mask has the key."
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"She and her son were killed by Gaedren Lamm," Audria answers Pava. "She wanted justice, so she found those of us that had been wronged by him in one way or another. She told us where to find him, and we went and ended him and his goons. I don't know who put them up on pikes after, though they had to fish Old Man Lamm out of where he kept his pet alligator. After that, Zellara told us that something bad would happen to Korvosa, and it would seem that hasn't changed. Abella, Shrike, and I are have been through this together, so far, and I hope that is a good thing."
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The image of Zellara has almost completely faded, but her voice answers quite clearly. "If you wish to make use of my house you are welcome to do so, although it isn't much. The key... the one with the bird mask has the key."
"I'll treat it with respect. Thank you for your generosity and assistance from beyond. I hope before all is said and done you know peace."
Then he looks to Pava, "And it would seem it matters greatly. I had sought a measure of Justice myself. But Audria says it is a matter of the whole city in danger. That would explain , as much as strength of will, how Zellara has stayed on this much by use of her deck. Necessity is another reason spirits can linger. If that's the case, with Zellara still in the full of her prophetic power, then the need must be great. Intimidatingly so."
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Shrike does not twitch when she feels the wind rise out of nowhere and her pack move on its own to release the Harrow cards. The unexpected breeze that heralds the ghost's presence feels familiar, reassuring, just as it did when she was wandering Zellara's garden looking for her son's grave. She nods her head briefly to the manifested spirit with respect, but not alarm. I guess you really can get used to anything.
As she listens to the Harrowing, she reflects that she really should have thought to ask the ghost's advice in the first place. It probably only would have been a vague fortunetelling like this one, but it's always possible she would say something directly useful, either with her words or with a guiding card.
She doesn't know how to interpret the single cards drawn for their three new colleagues, but perhaps the cards will have meaning for them as the twins and the cricket did for her. During the Harrowing, the explanation of the column of cards Zellara reveals for their pasts is uncomfortably meaningful to her. The middle column for the present seems relevant too: they are supposed to recover some secret information from a dangerous place that appears to be a venue of entertainment and revelry but is actually something much darker. And she and Audria at least are doing it by concealing their identities. Pretty clear there. The future seems especially bleak. No one will be imprisoning or torturing any of her loved ones if she can do anything to prevent it. But that means she has to be there. She has to be watchful. Not napping on top of a tower while her friends are beaten and murdered in the street. Can't be everywhere.
An idea occurs. Barvasi keeps his girls imprisoned by debt and fear. Holding information and official-seeming papers over people is how he operates. In fact, most of his business, besides shiver, is in gambling debts, blackmail, and trading information. An additional determination starts to take shape in her mind. Maybe fire isn't such a bad notion.
Zellara waves her hand and the nine cards fly through the air to return to the deck as she sighs. "I am sorry that I could not be more helpful. The future may not look very cheerful, and the present may feel challenging, but you draw strength from each other - although it may not come easily at first. For better or worse, your fates are entangled now." She smiles with a tinge of sadness. "I must go now. Keep the Harrow deck with you, and I will try to help you as much as I can."
"Thank you." After a moment she adds, "Never know what to ask you. So I didn't know what to tell them to put. On the stones. Sorry."
"Thank you for a new, to me, arcane experience, madame Zellara. I..." Then he remembers something she said at the start... 'those I greeted in my house.' And he remembers what he was trying to do when he first met a certain Shelynite. "Pardon me, this must sound vulturesque, but... if it does not offend, might I have use of your house for a time? I'm looking for a residence, and prices are, frankly, insane. And another bolt hole may be crucial for us in the future regardless."
The image of Zellara has almost completely faded, but her voice answers quite clearly. "If you wish to make use of my house you are welcome to do so, although it isn't much. The key... the one with the bird mask has the key."
As the deck's final cards return to it, Zellara's image fades, and it becomes inert once more, Shrike lifts one hand and catches it before it falls more than an inch. She holds it for a second, the card edges warm and worn smooth in her hand, then tucks it away in the same pocket of her pack. The mask turns slightly toward Shane, studying him.
Just like a ghost to talk in metaphors. The key to Zellara's house is still under the mat, where she has replaced it each time she has been there or used it to quickly change. But he won't know where to go without help. She had been a little worried the spirit would be angry at his brazen request, but since she seems to accept the idea, it seems it will suit everyone well enough.
A wizard's house should have a wizard to live in it. And someone needs to tend the garden.
"That was- That was just about the scariest burning thing I've seen in my life. How'd the spook get mixed up with you? She's... Wind and Sky, I know the ancestors can come among us, but she was right, bloody, here and-"
They realize that they're babbling, and chomp down on the inside of their lip.
"Stones and Cinder. This all Matters, doesn't it?"
It seems Pava isn't all bravado. Understandable. Shrike had been alarmed by Zellara herself, the first time she understood she was talking to a ghost.
"She and her son were killed by Gaedren Lamm," Audria answers Pava. "She wanted justice, so she found those of us that had been wronged by him in one way or another. She told us where to find him, and we went and ended him and his goons. I don't know who put them up on pikes after, though they had to fish Old Man Lamm out of where he kept his pet alligator. After that, Zellara told us that something bad would happen to Korvosa, and it would seem that hasn't changed. Abella, Shrike, and I are have been through this together, so far, and I hope that is a good thing."
"I'll treat it with respect. Thank you for your generosity and assistance from beyond. I hope before all is said and done you know peace."
Then he looks to Pava. "And it would seem it matters greatly. I had sought a measure of Justice myself. But Audria says it is a matter of the whole city in danger. That would explain, as much as strength of will, how Zellara has stayed on this much by use of her deck. Necessity is another reason spirits can linger. If that's the case, with Zellara still in the full of her prophetic power, then the need must be great. Intimidatingly so."
"Yes. Take you there later." The brief croak is in response to Pava as much as Shane. But her next words are just for Audria and Abella:
"Where's Dal?"
To her knowledge, he didn't go to the show as Kroft suggested, but he had agreed to take on Barvasi. She had been assuming the frogmaker had other business than attending light entertainments, and could take care of himself. But it's now been thirty-six hours since she'd seen or heard from him. He wasn't an intimidating or physically powerful person. If he had been investigating on his own and been caught... The final card and its drawing of a chained main held upside down over the bubbling pool flashes in her mind's eye.
Audria tenses at Shrike's question. She'd been wondering the same thing as she'd been getting ready.
"I-- I don't know," she admits. "I don't even know where he lives nor how to get in contact with him. He'd always met us at the Sanctuary."
She thinks about what Zellara said, and her thoughts begin to mirror Shrike's own.
"Y-you don't think he's in trouble, do you," she asks the vigilante as her hands tighten around the haft of her halberd.
Shrike's silence is its own kind of answer.
Right. Remember, one thing at a time.
"I hope Dal can forgive us. We'll have to look for him if we don't find him while we take care of this," Audria says before turning to the others. "If we're ready, we should probably get going."
"Right, yeah." Pava still keeps the spot Zellara appeared Firmly fixed in their peripheral vision. "Let's go."
Taken aback, Elric tenses when the harrow cards float out of Shrike’s pack, but the calm reaction of the rest of the group persuades him to wait and see.
He listens intently to Zellara, his brow furrowing slightly when she presents his card.
Conflict with allies - that does not bode well for our upcoming raid, especially given the different attitudes towards dealing with Barvasi. On the other hand, prophesies and fortunes have been notoriously unreliable since the death of Aroden. Best to stay altert and be ready for anything.
He bows slightly to the ghostly form of the fortuneteller.”Thank you for your council.”
Once she is gone, he shakes off the experience and turns his attention to the mission ahead.
”We are ready. Our plan and intel is thorough, but remember that no plan survives contact with the enemy. Stay calm and watch each others backs, and we’ll all make it back safely.”
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Armed with a loose plan and fresh brooding material, the party crosses the Narrows again to look for a boat. Although the hour is late (or early, depending on how you look at it), they do manage to find a fisherman willing to rent his boat - for five gold crowns.
"...Y'see, if I don't take the boat out today, that's at least two crowns I'm not makin', plus wear an' tear, plus warranty on them breakable bits, plus last-minute bookin' fee... it all adds up, y'see."
It's a fleecing and he knows it, but there are scant few alternatives around at this time of night. The boat is more of a dinghy - no sail, and only one pair of oars - but it fits everyone, albeit a little tightly.
It takes a few attempts to row it out into the Jeggare and orient it towards Eel's End.
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Audria pays for the rental, not wanting to waste time haggling even if 5 crowns is far too much. She offers to take the oars.
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Shane eyes the fisherman, and keeps his hood low, glad he's changed the color it, and pays an extra gold on top of the five already offered, and whispers, to the Fisherman, "those we work for will be pleased for your silence. No one wants on THEIR bad side."
He leaves the nature of who 'they' are up to the Fisherman's imagination. Maybe the fellow will think a noble house is playing games , or some local criminal gang? Either way, if it shuts him up, better still. Maybe even if he doesn't believe him, the Fisherman will still consider the gold enough to ensure silence. In this world, one never knows.
***
Once they're out on the water, Shane uses the silent image spell to create a fog of sorts to pass through, fog and mist. It is soundless, but hopefully the ambient sound of the real water will cover for that.
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"Aye, aye, mute as the fishes, me. They nicknamed me Silent Lem, they did. Why, you ain't gonna believe this, but once this cousin of mine... well, cousin by marriage actually - his marriage, not mine, hehe - so this cou- Oh, I see, leavin' already? Well, good fishin' out there! An' if you want disposal, that's 'nother five crowns, if ye catch my drift. Hehe." The fisherman kindly helps everyone get into his boat, then stands on the pier waving his dirty neck kerchief at them.
That old salt is a liar, through and through. Loquacious Lem is more like it, Audria thinks as she climbs in and resists the urge to thank the man for his help. The Chelish were not known for their manners to their lessers, after all.
Audria pays for the rental, not wanting to waste time haggling even if 5 crowns is far too much. She offers to take the oars.
'Silent Lem' clearly has the entrepreneurial spirit of a true Korvosan, whatever his real name is. Not Lem, that's for sure. Shrike shakes her head at Audria's offer, steps into the dinghy and settles herself on the bench that holds the single pair of oars without comment. Although awkward at first, with strokes too shallow to do much or too deep even for her strong shoulders, she grows comfortable with directing the heavy-loaded boat in a few minutes of steering it around the area of its original mooring. Then they are off. As they come into sight of the Eel's End and the unsettling illusory fog rises around them, she concentrates on dipping the oars into the water in a smooth and silent rhythm, never letting them break its surface. The boat slides over the glassy river as soundlessly as though it, too, is nothing but a momentary trick of the mind.
Audria takes a seat near the front of the boat after Shrike decides to row. She keeps still to avoid ruining the vigilante's masterful work sneaking them up to the ship with nary a sound. While it would be a waste of a spell, perhaps they could get in without needing Shane's illusion.
Elric spends the last few hours prepearing his weapons and armor. He makes sure to fasten all his gear so there is no risk of loose objects making noise. Using dark paint, he shades his face and hands to reduce the visibility of his skin.
At the boat, his dark brown cloak looks almost black in the dim moonligth and he’s wearing a black scarf that he can easily pull up to conceal his identity. He takes position at the tip of the boats bow, his longbow out and ready.
When they get under way, he keeps a sharp lookout.
Pava waits, long legs coiled up beneath them, the rest of their long body taut as a hunter's bowstring as the ship draws closer and closer...
Shrike manages to mask the sound of the oars dipping in and out of the oily waters of the Jeggare among the naturally-occurring splashes of the waves lapping against the pilings of the docks. With a slight wind at their back, the boat glides near the former warship, it's stern almost close enough to touch.
The sounds and sights of late night revelry drift to those keeping a lookout; a slurred argument on the deck of the House of Clouds, someone's too-loud laugh, tone-deaf singing and the clomping of heavy boots as Barvasi's enforcers make their rounds. It does not seem like anyone has noticed their presence yet.
Elric motions for Shrike to bring them in close, keeping a sharp eye out for possible ways to board the center ship.
Shane wonders if Lem will soon be spreading insane stories about Queens spies or the like, oh well, best to focus on the here and now and follow the lead of those far more used to this sort of thing than he.
Audria's grip on her halberd tighten as the approach. Seeing the way the ships are moored and hearing the continuing revelry, she thinks it would be better to use the Eel's End to shield them from most of the eyes out there. She taps Elric's shoulder and points to the ship's stern.
"Do you think we should go there? Seems like we'd be less likely to be seen. Less eyes," she whispers.
”If our intel is accurate, the stern should be where Barvasi’s “throne room” is located. It is likely to be empty at this hour and have access to his private quarters, so it’s a good option. However, we must be careful about the trap door.” he whispers in response.
There are two rows of portholes above the waterline, but they are too small for someone to squeeze through. The stern rises from the water at an angle, flaring upwards; a climb up the slippery wood would be a tricky proposition.