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”Sure thing!” It’s a relief that somebody in their group has an idea of where to go to ground in this district. Celi spends most of her time in Villegre. She looks around at the streets and landmarks they pass, trying to add them to her mental map of Kintargo.
As it happens, they end up at one of the few Old Kintargo businesses she’s been to before. While Celi buys most of her books at her friend Ayrlin’s store, she’s been to Crissali’s Fine Tomes a time or two before. I think she might actually carry my books here! The gnome smiles and waves at Ms. Crissali as they enter, but she lets Rexus talk to the other wizard uninterrupted.
Besides, there’s a very interesting conversation to eavesdrop on accidentally overhear! Really, Ginetta ought to get a little farther away if she wants privacy. Celi tries her best to look like she’s more interested in the books than what Ginetta and Ghorza are saying.
The women browsing the shelves see a variety of titles of varying levels of interest. Standouts include Vellus Barrin's Extraplanar Explorations, Thelvia's Stylings: An Illustrated Guide to the Haberdashery of Westcrown in the 46th Century, Annotated Directory to the Nine Circles of Hell, and The Horror of Castle Xyr along with carefully secured scroll boxes labeled with various spells. It is all quite organized, of course, but the diversity of what's on sale is quite impressive.
"... and don't disturb any other customers, understand?" Cressali finishes, her voice pitched deliberately to reach the other four women.
"Of course." Rexus replies urbanely. With that, the young nobleman returns, and beckons them to follow him towards the back of the shop. They pass through a door and into a small workroom, large enough for all of them to sit together around a table, if not terribly comfortably.
"I used to come here to study during my time at the Alabaster Academy." Rexus says, a note of nostalgic wistfulness in his voice. Shaking his head, he looks to his four 'guests.' "Now, so long as we're quiet, I think we can spend some time here lying low.
"First, I think, thanks are in order. Once more, I must thank you sincerely for your rescue - I dread to think what might've happened had you not been passing by or, moreover, had decided to let them do away with me. My magic could only handle some of them." Rexus smiles.
"To be completely honest, our meeting was no coincidence. I followed you all from the protest earlier, but in the confusion I rather lost you." He shakes his head self-deprecatingly. "Which is, I admit, not the best start for my request of you. You four have proven yourselves women of exceptional talent, and I find myself in exceptional need.
"Before I continue, however, I must formally introduce myself - my gratitude overrode my manners, I fear. I am, as Adolina mentioned, Rexus Victocora, and until last week's Night of Ashes, I was a noble of this fair city - as she is." He nods appreciatively at her, but his expression is dark. Still, he waits for each of the women to introduce themselves more completely before continuing.
It takes a surprising amount of willpower to avoid simply blurting out, 'Where is Vivia?', but Ginetta manages restrain herself to a simple, "Ginetta Cicerdos of the Kintargo Moonlight Players. Glad we could help."
'Patience,' she repeats to herself as she waits for the others to move through their introductions.
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"Adolina Jhaltera." Adolina says, offering a nod to the rest of the company. "Rexus and I went to school together for a little while."
She doesn't bother explaining the significance of her family name, everyone knows it in Kintargo. So she'd be wasting air and looking like a horrible braggard at the same time. Much easier to not say anything else at all.
”Ghorza…Thurisdottir.” She said, with some hesitation. It felt like sharing her surname was in some way getting her family, such as they were, involved. But there was no way around it, especially when she was in trusted company. ”Former owner of 'Mountain's Edge’ smithy.” She added.
Oh my gods, she's carrying one of my books! Celi bounces a little in delight, but manages to keep herself quiet. Even now, after she's had several books published and selling well enough to support her, it's a thrill to see them on bookstore shelves.
"To be completely honest, our meeting was no coincidence. I followed you all from the protest earlier, but in the confusion I rather lost you." He shakes his head self-deprecatingly. "Which is, I admit, not the best start for my request of you. You four have proven yourselves women of exceptional talent, and I find myself in exceptional need.
"Before I continue, however, I must formally introduce myself - my gratitude overrode my manners, I fear. I am, as Adolina mentioned, Rexus Victocora, and until last week's Night of Ashes, I was a noble of this fair city - as she is." He nods appreciatively at her, but his expression is dark. Still, he waits for each of the women to introduce themselves more completely before continuing.
"I'm Celi Wordsmith, novelist! Formerly of Brastlewark, but I've lived in Kintargo for ten years now. I went to Alabaster Academy too, afraid I don't remember you though. I was pretty new to living among humans and it was hard for me to tell you apart at first, your colors are all so similar. I'm glad to meet everyone properly!" Unlike the rest of the group, Celi's energy has not been decreased one bit by the cold and the violence.
"And yeah, I know our meeting was no coincidence, we were supposed to meet during the protest. I couldn't find you though." She scowls a bit. "Everyone was too tall. And not looking where they were going. So!" Celi leans forward, pinning Rexus with a surprisingly intense stare. "Where are my friends, Mystery Man? Professor Kirenna Palamindi, Ayrlin Manar, and Lukas Vidoc. Where are they?"
Ginetta is unable to conceal her surprise when Celi announces that she was searching out the man as well.
"And my friend, Vivia Izbasa!" she adds.
Rexus nods courteously at each of the women as they introduce themselves. "It is a pleasure to meet you all, whether for the first time or again." He smiles slightly at Adolina before growing serious again. Lifting a hand, he gently urges Celi and Ginetta to be patient.
"I'm not sure whether any of you have heard, but my parents' estate burnt to the ground that night, and I was only spared by virtue of being at the Academy at the time." Looking down at his hands, he considers his next words carefully. "Many gossips believe that the fires across the city were set by Barzillai Thrune - or at his behest - in order to cow the city's spirit before claiming power. I can believe it myself."
He lifts his eyes, fixing each woman with a pleading gaze. "Now more than ever, Kintargo needs its rebellious spirit, but Thrune's actions have driven many who would be able to stand up to him, such as Lord-Mayor Bainilus and my parents, into hiding. Similarly to your own friends, Miss Ciceredos, Miss Wordsmith."
He looks at the two women. "Now, we were, as you say, to meet at the protest, but fate intervened. I had heard of your respective talents and courage, and thought we could work together, and I'm more certain than ever that is the case." He takes a breath. "I'm afraid I don't know where your friends are, Miss Wordsmith. They were friends of my parents, and I heard from my mother about your talent for writing, so I thought to reach out to you to request your aid.
"Miss Cicerdos... I met Miss Izbasa several months ago, and we've discussed a great deal of our concerns for Cheliax, Ravounel, and Kintargo's future... but I haven't heard from her since the day after the Night of Ashes." The nobleman sounds distinctly pained. "I am sorry. She recommended you to me, as well, as she said you have some... talents. Talents that I believe Kintargo could use."
Rexus looks down at his hands. "My parents, Lord-Mayor Bainilus, and your friends are missing at best, and I fear they may be dead at worst. I cannot hope to bring freedom to Kintargo on my own, but with talented citizens such as yourselves, I have hope that we can. Will you help me? Will you save Kintargo from its diabolic 'masters?'"
The idea that Vivia may be dead isn't something that Ginetta has allowed into the realm of possibilities. To have it laid in front of her so matter-of-factly causes her to go silent.
Her breath comes in short gasps and the room swims.
"She ... she can't be dead," she whispers with a small shake of her head. "She can't be."
Rexus looks at Ginetta sympathetically. "I don't know for certain with any of this, and I hope that all are yet alive. Miss Izbasa is, to my knowledge, a resourceful young woman. She, unlike..." He takes a deep breath. "Unlike my parents and others whose abodes burned down, was certainly alive after the Night of Ashes. I haven't heard from her since, but do not give up hope yet."
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Adolina shoots a sympathetic glance at Ginetta but doesn't say anything. It's not her place to get involved, they aren't friends. Yet? Are we? How do you know? Instead she turns her focus back to Rexus.
"I agree." She says simply. "Kintargo can't... we can't let things continue. I will help, if I can. I'm not much of a fighter though."
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"Allies! Thank the gods. Yes, of course I will help. If my friends are alive, I'll find them. If not..." Celi clenches a tiny fist. "I will avenge them."
Quick as a blink, the gnome's dark mood turns to curiosity. "I'm curious, though. Why approach me? Until very recently, I had little use for combat magic." She had made use of cantrips for everyday things, as so many gnomes do. Scrivener's chant to make copies of her original manuscripts, mage hand to grab things from high shelves, prestidigitation to clean up her messes or reheat a cup of tea gone cold. But Celi hadn't wanted to devote the time and effort necessary to learn more powerful magic. "Not until my friends vanished on the Night of Ashes, and I knew I would have to fight if I ever wanted to see them again."
Ghorza nodded along. In for a copper, in for a gold. She had already shed enough blood that there was no backing out. That, and it sounded like she wasn’t the only one who still required vengeance. Patting her pick, she said ”I’m in.”
Rexus looks as though he's about to comfort Ginetta further, but settles back into his seat when Adolina speaks. Still, before he answers them, he looks sincerely at the half-elf. "I do not want to be manipulative in this, but perhaps if you do join in our endeavor, we'll be able to find out her fate. If you do not wish to, then I promise you that I'll personally seek out information on her."
With that, he turns back to the other three women. "Thank you, Adolina. But I encourage you to take some time to consider - I know you have a level head, but these are trying times. At the moment, your brother could protect you from any legal difficulties you'd face for your actions at the Park. If you embark with us, that... won't be true." He strokes his beard. "Nevertheless, I welcome your help."
He looks to Celi. "As I said, your friends were associates of my mother, as I've only recently discovered - though I'll get to that in a moment. You... are also able to cast magic? I didn't see very much of the struggles you faced, so I apologize if it ought to be obvious." He flushes slightly. "Never mind. I had hoped you, with your skills in writing, might be able to, well, set up a... subtle way of countering Thrune disinformation, in the long term. In the short term, I had hoped your familiarity with texts might help with more scholarly pursuits - investigating the true history of Kintargo and the like."
He looks at Ghorza. "Miss Thursisdottir, I admire your firmness in your decision, but I encourage you to also consider the consequences. I don't want anyone in this endeavor other than people who are wholeheartedly dedicated to the cause. Dragging down someone who doesn't recognize the dangers would not only be wrong, but also extremely cruel and manipulative.
Rexus continues. "After the Night of Ashes, one of my mother's contacts, a woman called Laria Longroad, reached out to me. She told me that my mother was a high-ranking member of a society of Iroran scholars known as the Sacred Order of Archivists. They are dedicated to the protection of the true history of Golarion, and thus - as you might imagine - take serious issue with the Thrune policies of censorship and rewriting." He tents his fingers.
Ghorza laughed, but it wasn't one of mirth. It was cold, and sharp. "With all due respect." She said, with a humorless smile. "These bastards desecrated me shrine to Torag. They ransacked me shop and dragged me into prison. While I was there, they sent letters to me home telling me that I was due in court and then dragged me right back before a judge to tell me that for failing to respond to their summons, that I had broken the law...by being in prison! They leveled fine after fine on me and took me shop. They took me home. They took every last copper piece they could get their hands on. They fooking ruined me." Her anger rose with every word, and she could feel a cold fury creeping into her. "And they made me *thank* them for their mercy, upon pain of torture! Thank them for...for..." Her face flushed red with embarrassment and anger. "I. Will. Fooking. Get me revenge, with or without ye." Her eyes bored into Rexus', as if though she was challenging him to turn her away.
Realizing that she was gripping the handle of her pick, she forced herself to relax and let it go. Sitting back, she looked away. While she had a vengeful heart, she chastised herself for letting it get the better of her. It had been a challenging and emotionally charged day...
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Listening in when Laria Longroad was mentioned, Ghorza raised an eyebrow. She knew the halfing. The dwarf had visited Long Roads Coffeehouse many a time, not only for their coffee, but for the baked goods. It made an excellent breakfast and was a treat worth having when one needed a pick-me-up. It seemed to her that Rexus had recruited more than just this band.
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"I work better behind the scenes." Adolina admits when Rexus cautions her. "I don't need to be me to help. We will need information, I can manage that." Canton would be on her side, her whole family would in fact, but that doesn't mean Adolina is going to expose them to danger if she can avoid it.
Everyone knows about Laria Longroad and her excellent baked good but the Sacred Order of Archivists makes Adolina frown for a moment as she digs through her capacious memory for information. It comes to her eventually and she nods slowly. From what little she knew of Rexus' parents the Order sounds like a good fit for them.
"Do you think the Order was attacked?" She asks. "Your parents are missing and we know a number of anti-Thrune locations were attacked on the Night of Ashes. No doubt the Sacred Order would have been a target too if it was known about."
The conversation moves on around her, but the idea that Vivia might be dead drowns it all in a swirl of emotions and confusion. She closes her eyes and concentrates on what really matters - breathing.
Air in. Air out. Air in. Air out. Steady. Slowly. Feel the filling of her lungs, the rise and fall of her diaphragm. The pounding of her heart fades into a reassuring rhythm. Just as when she would take the stage, everything else falls away except for the role in front of her.
"I'll fight!" she declares in a loud voice. All eyes turn to her and the conversation stops. Her spotlight, but this would be a different role. Not one she hadn't assumed before, but still ...
"I mean ... I can help and I know ... someone ..." She meets Ghorza's eyes. "... that can fight. Her name is Rose."
He looks to Celi. "As I said, your friends were associates of my mother, as I've only recently discovered - though I'll get to that in a moment. You... are also able to cast magic? I didn't see very much of the struggles you faced, so I apologize if it ought to be obvious." He flushes slightly. "Never mind. I had hoped you, with your skills in writing, might be able to, well, set up a... subtle way of countering Thrune disinformation, in the long term. In the short term, I had hoped your familiarity with texts might help with more scholarly pursuits - investigating the true history of Kintargo and the like."
Celi visibly perks up as Rexus describes why he recruited her. "Ah, I see! I would be delighted to help your public relations campaign, and I love both mysteries and history. Kintargo's history is both!" She smiles at him. "As for the spellcasting thing, don't worry about it, I didn't get a chance to cast any spells on those thugs. Couldn't get a clear shot with my color spray. Most people don't realize that I'm a wizard, even when I do things like grab a book off a high shelf with mage hand. They seem to think that you can't be both a writer and a spellcaster." To be fair, Celi hasn't ever corrected their assumptions, mainly because (until recently) she thought of herself as a writer first.
Ghorza laughed, but it wasn't one of mirth. It was cold, and sharp. "With all due respect." She said, with a humorless smile. "These bastards desecrated me shrine to Torag. They ransacked me shop and dragged me into prison. While I was there, they sent letters to me home telling me that I was due in court and then dragged me right back before a judge to tell me that for failing to respond to their summons, that I had broken the law...by being in prison! They leveled fine after fine on me and took me shop. They took me home. They took every last copper piece they could get their hands on. They fooking ruined me." Her anger rose with every word, and she could feel a cold fury creeping into her. "And they made me *thank* them for their mercy, upon pain of torture! Thank them for...for..." Her face flushed red with embarrassment and anger. "I. Will. Fooking. Get me revenge, with or without ye." Her eyes bored into Rexus', as if though she was challenging him to turn her away.
Oh, poor Ghorza! "That's terrible, Ghorza! All that just for worshiping your people's patron god." Celi scowls. "Yet another reason to get rid of Barzillai Thrune."
"I know Laria! Long Roads Coffeehouse has excellent pastries. Pretty good tea too, for a coffeehouse." Celi doesn't drink coffee. Not after what happened the first (and last) time she tried it. "As for the Sacred Order... well, we're all rebels here now, right?" She looks around for confirmation, then continues. "All three of my friends are members. That's why I blame Thrune for their disappearance. Three members of an illegal secret society, vanishing all at once? You don't have to be an engineer to do that math. I'm not an Iroran and not interested in converting, so I wasn't an actual member. More like an affiliate, someone with a shared interest in the true history of Kintargo and Cheliax." Celi sighs softly. "So I didn't know everyone in the Order, and I don't know where their secret archive is. But Kirenna introduced me to some of her Archivist friends. A couple of them, Ayrlin and Lukas, actually like me. Many humans find gnomes off-putting, so I've found it difficult to make friends in Kintargo."
Rexus grows even more sorrowful at Ghorza's tale. "I... see. Things are worse than I'd ever imagined, then. I am terribly sorry that you had to go through such a horrific experience." He says, sounding pained. "I can't even imagine how it must feel." He hesitates for a moment. "But I want to do more than vengeance - I want to free Kintargo itself from Thrune. I think that that will be the best sort of vengeance, yes?"
He looks to Adolina, nodding. "I understand, though from what little I saw at the protest, you're still much more skilled with a blade than I am." He offers her a tired half-grin. "I would appreciate your expertise, no matter what it is, though no less than I would appreciate your support - emotional and moral."
The nobleman's smile fades once she asks about the Sacred Order. "I don't know. My mother was Laria's only contact with them, so she doesn't know whom to look for, and, well, I only just heard about them this past week."
He continues. "But, if Barzillai had any sense that the Sacred Order of Archivists existed, I have no doubt that he would have struck at them as well. I hope he hasn't, because I don't think any of the buildings burned during the Night of Ashes had any association with the Order, I just... don't know."
He looks at Ginetta, then smiles. "If this Rose is as skilled in combat and as dedicated to the cause as Miss Izsbasa implied you are, then she would be most welcome to help."
Rexus sighs heavily, then nods at the gnome's words. "I, too, have only just came into my own magic." He looks at her thoughtfully. "Although, I thought it took at least a few years of study to develop the skills of a wizard. Regardless, both your spells and your expertise will be very welcome.
"Ah, so I guessed right. I knew my mother occasionally patronized Mistress Manar's shop, so I'd hoped that you might both be acquainted with the Order." He nods slowly. "But I hope that in our endeavors, we'll be able to truly come to claim one another as friends."
"In any case, as I was saying... I was rather dubious when Laria told me about my mother's identity, until she showed me this." He pulls a coffer out of his clothing, opening it up. "My inheritance, such as it is." He removes a sheaf of paper from the box, then hands it to the women. "This is what prompted me to reach out to you both - Ginetta and Celi - in the hopes that we could begin rebuilding the Ravens."
"I was planning to gather others before attempting to investigate the Livery, but with you all - and your demonstrable fighting skills - I think we might be able to do it sooner than I expected." He smiles, an expression of genuine excitement for the first time since they've met. "We'll be able to take the first step in reclaiming Kintargo for her people! To recover lost history and reclaim a legacy of a Kintargo before the diabolic empire claimed it!"
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"The Fair Fortune Livery... that was owned by..." Adolina pauses, the small frown furrowing her forehead again. "The... Juliac family I think. But it hasn't been active in decades. At least. Canton was looking at buying it a little while ago, but when it became clear that the whole site would have to be razed he thought better of it. Visiting shouldn't be a problem, but tomorrow." She looks around the rest of the group. "Things need to die down today, and maybe some holy water would be wise."
Ghorza looked around, seeing that everyone had their reasons for being where they were. That, and Rexus was a most charming host, in getting them to agree to join a budding revolution. "It would make sense to move quickly to it. The authorities will be attracted to the square, so their eyes will be here. But afterwords? If there is information that would aid us, then they might get the idea of eliminating anything that could lead to more disturbances."
"Well you have friends now." Adolina says firmly, offering Celi a smile that makes her face suddenly much prettier. "By the way, I meant to ask, are you the author of 'One flew over the Strix's Nest'? I didn't want to assume but I love that book."
Celi beams up at Adolina. "Yes! Oh, I'm so happy you liked my book! It was a bit of a risk including strix characters, given the historical tensions between humans and strix and how little we know about their society. But they're just so fascinating, I simply had to try it."
Rexus sighs heavily, then nods at the gnome's words. "I, too, have only just came into my own magic." He looks at her thoughtfully. "Although, I thought it took at least a few years of study to develop the skills of a wizard. Regardless, both your spells and your expertise will be very welcome."
"Whoops, it seems I was unclear. That's why I prefer writing, I can edit my words for clarity before other people read them. I learned the basics of wizardry as a child. I simply saw no need to go further until recently." She really hopes that nobody here is familiar with how long it should take for a wizard to learn more powerful spells. While the Ritual of Beckoning isn't precisely illegal, it is extremely risky. Some might even say foolhardy. There's no way of knowing whether you'll get an empyreal lord, one of the Eldest, a demon lord, one of the Great Old Ones, or something even worse. Celi got lucky with Nocticula.
"Ah, so I guessed right. I knew my mother occasionally patronized Mistress Manar's shop, so I'd hoped that you might both be acquainted with the Order." He nods slowly. "But I hope that in our endeavors, we'll be able to truly come to claim one another as friends."
"In any case, as I was saying... I was rather dubious when Laria told me about my mother's identity, until she showed me this." He pulls a coffer out of his clothing, opening it up. "My inheritance, such as it is." He removes a sheaf of paper from the box, then hands it to the women. "This is what prompted me to reach out to you both - Ginetta and Celi - in the hopes that we could begin rebuilding the Ravens."
It's nice to think that the people here might want Celi as something more than an ally, but she's not going to hold her breath on that. She knows quite well that she lacks most gnomes' force of personality, their ability to win people over.
The appearance of documents distracts her from her thoughts. Celi utters a quick cantrip, a phrase in the ancient tongue of the first gnomes, and points at the sheaf of papers. It obligingly floats over and places itself in her hands. "Hmm, what have we here..."
Rexus nods at Adolina. "Yes, the Juliac family... that was it. I'd forgotten." He chuckles dryly. "But I concur - we should prepare first. The protest has stirred up the dottari like a child throwing a stone at a beehive. Moreover, I am, well..." He gestures at his bruises. "Hardly in the best of states, and could use at least a night's sleep."
He looks to Ghorza. "I very much doubt that the dottari - or, indeed, anyone in the city other than ourselves - is aware of the Livery's status as an old Ravens' hideout. With how many he's caught now, the prisons and processing houses will be working hard, so I don't think they're likely to do any major activities today."
Celi's words earn her a nod of understanding. "I see. Well, it's excellent news. Hopefully, we'll not have need of our spells in the Livery, but it's best to be cautious."
"Either way, to finish my sad little tale, my mother apparently reached out to Laria just before the Night of Ashes, expressing serious concern for the future with Lord-Mayor Bainilus' disappearance. Laria thought she was overreacting, but... well. The Night of Ashes happened, and Laria decided to reach out to me personally. Fortunately, she found me before any authorities did." He looks away, clearly fighting back emotions.
Coughing, he clears his throat. "To further our preparations, I have some things that you might be able to use to start funding the expedition, such as it is." He spins the box around to reveal its contents to all four women. Inside, there's a pile of gold coins , a Victocora signet ring, a silver dagger of fine quality , and a pair of leather bracers with vigilant-looking hawks on them.
Finally, there's a key forged from a shimmery silver metal - is that mithral? - which Rexus removes. "This is of... sentimental value to me, but the rest you can use or sell to fund our efforts. I'm... not exactly the best one to do so at the moment. I imagine the dottari would be keeping an eye out for me, even if not very carefully."
"The bracers are enchanted." Rexus explains. "They create a field of protective force around the wearer's body - though it is not much, it is something more than going unarmored."
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"I can p-purchase a wand." Adolina suggests. "It would work longer than buying potions." Meeting no resistance to the idea she collects the coins from the table and then seems rather touched that the other ladies start chipping in their own contributions (ill gotten as some of them may be).
Her only other action is to push the Victocora signet ring back across the table towards Rexus, although when their eyes meet she seems incapable of actually expressing why she has acted that way.
After giving instructions for finding the Fair Fortune Livery and proposing an early morning meeting she gets up, nods politely to everyone and takes her leave without any further ado - crossing the Bleakbridge and heading home for a change of clothes and to collect some of her petty cash before she sets out again for a little shopping.
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That night Adolina sleeps terribly, the soft, wet sound of her blade piercing flesh playing over and over again in her dreams. A little after midnight she rises and makes her way across her immaculately ordered room to where a row of beloved childhood toys sit on a shelf. Instinct selects a round, brown bear with a large shiny patch on his nose from a long-ago accident and when she returns to bed with her ursine protector held tight, she sleeps better.
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The next morning she is outside the Livery exactly at the time she suggested. This time a cloak (which can be easily removed) forms her outer layer and beneath she can be seen wearing a fine suit of leather armor, with key reinforcements in a dull metal. The armor isn't flashy, but its quality is obvious to those who know what they are looking for.
"R-r-ready." She says, trying to smile and project confidence.
When Adolina arrives at the livery, she finds a familiar figure leaning casually against a nearby wall. Green eyes smile at the young noblewoman from behind a wooden mask with roses carved around the edges. Her figure is wrapped in tight leather armor and a rapier hangs from one side of her belt while the hilt of the silver dagger Ginetta received is slung on the other side.
Pushing off the wall, the woman saunters over to Adolina, her boots clicking on the cobblestones.
"So, Lady d'Jhaltera, we meet again? Avoiding late-night solo jaunts through dark alleys, I hope?" she questions in a voice filled with bravado. She looks down into Adolina's eyes with curiosity. "Miss Cicerdos informed me that you have a pressing need to explore this livery and another blade would not go amiss. The least I can do is place mine at your service." She bows low.
Rexus chuckles, shaking his head at Adolina's response. "No, don't worry about that. I don't have much attachment to it, and I already have one myself." He pulls out another copy of the signet ring from within his clothes. "We'd be better off selling that one to fund our cause."
"Does anyone else want the bracers? No? Okay then." While Celi can cast her own mage armor, she can only cast two spells of that level per day, and the spell only lasts for an hour. It would be nice to have at least a little protection after her mage armor expires. She accepts the bracers, which shrink to fit her much shorter and skinnier arms. "Good workmanship. Brown isn't my color, but they should fit under most of my shirts and coats." There isn't a single bit of brown, black, or gray anywhere in the gnome's current outfit. Even her boots and belt are dyed the same purple as her hair, and her backpack is bright blue.
Once it looks like everyone is getting ready to leave, Celi turns to Ghorza. "You said that the dottari took everything you had... would you like to stay at my house? It's a bit cluttered and all the way in Villegre near the university, but I have a spare bed. A human-sized one, so it should be comfortable enough." She had bought a two bedroom house, intending to use the second bedroom as a study and more space for bookcases. But she and Kirenna had developed a habit of hosting one another for dinner and discussion, and it made more sense for her friend to stay over instead of braving Kintargo's streets at midnight or even later. So Celi just took out a bookcase and added a bed to her study.
The thought of those evenings is bittersweet, as always since the Night of Ashes. If you're still alive, hang in there, Kirenna. I'm coming for you.
Her cheeks flushed, Ghorza nodded. Running her hand through her hair she said ”Been crashing with family to stay off the streets. But…me aunt had a wee one. I’d hate for this to come crashing down on her. So, what I’m trying to say is thanks. I appreciate it.”
While truly thankful, she couldn’t stand it when humility was so humiliating. She had once prided herself on being fairly well off. To be reduced to relying on the kindness of others fanned the flames of vengeance that burnt in her heart. She wanted nothing less than to drive the Cheliaxians out of the city and to rebuild her life. That, and to ensure that she was useful enough to the cause to earn her keep.
"You're very welcome! I'm glad I can help. Too often, I can't." Celi smiles at her new roommate. "Hope you're a better cook than I am. I know the techniques involved in cooking and I have plenty of cookbooks, I just... get distracted." And then dinner is burnt. At least she can use prestidigitation to cover up the burned flavor.
"If there's nothing else, then I will see you tomorrow at..." Rexus considers for a few moments. "Quarter past nine, I think." He grimaces. "It'll take me a little while to cross Bleakbridge and get to the Livery." Rising, he offers to shake each woman's hand. "Now, I think we ought to refrain from imposing further on Miss Cressali's hospitality, and be off."
With that, the four go their separate ways, splitting off as they best see fit.
Shortly afterwards, Adolina has to head to Villegre herself to pick up some supplies from the Newt Market, where she's able to find much of what she's looking for.
The next day is slightly warmer than the previous, but it is still bitingly cold, and the journey to the Fair Fortune Livery - especially for those who don't live on Argo Isle - is deeply unpleasant. Nevertheless, they all make it sooner rather than later, and by quarter past nine, all four are close by to the Livery proper. It sits alone compared to its neighbors, over twenty-five feet from the next closest building. This is perhaps unsurprising, given that it used to house horses and other animals.
Rexus is slightly later than the other four, and he leans heavily on his cane as he arrives. "Gods, I hate this weather. A cold snap, or so the Gozren I asked told me." He shivers, then smiles wryly. "Apologies, ladies. Good morning to you all. I..." He trails off, looking at Rose in bemusement. "I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure, Miss...?"
"Rose Nightfall," the woman declares her identity with a sweeping bow. "I have been informed by Miss Cicerdos that you and your associates may have need of someone of my talents. So I am here to offer them."
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"So, Lady d'Jhaltera, we meet again? Avoiding late-night solo jaunts through dark alleys, I hope?" she questions in a voice filled with bravado. She looks down into Adolina's eyes with curiosity. "Miss Cicerdos informed me that you have a pressing need to explore this livery and another blade would not go amiss. The least I can do is place mine at your service." She bows low.
A truly poised noble would accept Rose's presence here with equamity, maybe a pleasant smile and would make small talk while gracefully reiterating their gratitude. Sadly Adolina is not one of those nobles.
She does manage not to gape. That would be undignified but of all the people she was expecting, her surprise saviour was not one of them. That being said her mind starts putting pieces together rather quickly.
"Did Ginetta ask you to look for me?" She asks. "After the opera? I'm grateful of course but there's no way you were there by chance and are now here. You were waiting for her weren't you, and then stepped in to help me?" The flow of ideas lets her words run smoothly. "You must be friends. Good friends. How on earth... No, I'm sorry, that's none of my business."
The arrival of Rexus and the others helps ensure the situation doesn't become any more awkward and Adolina clamps her lips shut so that she doesn't start blurting out all the questions that have been building up for the last few weeks.
Morning dawns almost as cold as the day before. Celi makes sure to bundle up in her warmest clothes, idly wishing she could afford to hire a hackney for the trip to Redroof. Alas, she has to save what gold she has left for food. At least she owns her house in full.
It's a long, cold walk to Fair Fortune Livery, especially for people with short legs. The exertion does help to warm her up though. Celi waves at Adolina, but pauses when she spots Rose. Who is that, and why does she have the dagger Rexus gave us last night? Well, there's one way to find out. The masked woman gave them her name, but that doesn't say anything about whether they can trust her. "Hi, Rose Nightfall! Why do you have Ginetta's dagger?"
Rose turns to the gnome addressing her.
"You must be the talented Celi Wordsmith," she responds. "I've heard that you're quite the author." Gesturing at both blades on her belt, she continues, "As I had allowed her the use of my blade for protection yesterday, the accommodating Miss Cicerdos is allowing me the use of her dagger for our foray into the livery today." She shrugs her shoulders. "Unfortunately, while she would like to assist you herself today, there are a number of reasons why that would be ... problematic. So I've kindly offered to take her burden upon myself. I hope that's acceptable?"
Arriving with Celi, Ghorza was feeling quite well. The food was of impeccable taste, and leaving aside the magical nature of it, she found that to be enough. And to have a bed to sleep on rather than a couch? It was a luxury she had dearly missed. Even better, they were working towards vengeance! Everything about the day was a positive.
And then…she met Ginetta. Or Rose. It was the same person, but she was so different. The way she talked, the way she held herself. It was uncanny, in that if she didn’t know they were the same person then it would be so easy to not realize it. And that was disconcerting. Taking a deep breath she chalked it up to humans just being humans and decided to fall back on the old adage, that if it wasn’t broke then don’t fix it.
”Aye, glad to have ye here. Everyone.” Patting her pick, she said ”Hopefully no blades will be needed today, but it’s good to be ready.”
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Celi thinks for a moment. Why isn’t Ginetta here to introduce Rose to the rest of them? Unless… of course! ”Ohhh, you’re her girlfriend!” A forbidden romance! One or both women must have family or a boss who disapproves. ”Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I know humans can be weird about same-sex relationships.” A beautiful and talented opera singer, and her secret love for a mysterious masked vigilante! Ooh, this is giving her ideas for a new book.
Rose turns to glance at Adolina, confusion evident in her eyes. She chuckles before turning back to Celi.
"I can neither confirm or deny what relationship I may or may not have with Miss Cicerdos, but I will trust you not to spread any salacious rumors." She follows up the statement with a broad wink.
Rexus’ eyebrows arch upwards. ”She did mention your name. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Nightfall. I am Rexus Victocora - please, call me Rexus.” His lips twitch upwards, clearly suspecting that the name is an alias of some sort. ”But… I don’t see Miss Cicerdos here. I had hoped she might be able to help us as well. Not that I believe you unworthy, of course, but the more warriors here the better, I think.”
He looks to the others, shivering slightly at a sudden breeze. ”Adolina, Miss Wordsmith, Miss Thursisdottir, it’s good to see you all again. I hope you’re all ready to do some exploring.” He considers the Livery. ”And possibly some breaking and entering.”
”Yes, quite.” Rexus agrees with Ghorza. ”I would rather not see any violence happen on our little excursion, and if ghosts are about, I hope they are those of our predecessors.
The interplay between the gnome and the vigilante seems to amuse him. ”I shan’t pry, then.” Abruptly, he coughs heavily, and rubs his hands together. ”Alright. Let’s get in there and out of this wind.”
The Ravens(?) advance towards the Livery’s front doors, which is chained shut with a heavy padlock. The doors are, however, cracked open - wide enough that Celi could fairly easily slip inside, while the larger women and Rexus would need to squeeze through - no easy prospect. Even from outside, however, the scent of stale urine is strong enough to be offensive to anyone stepping close to the doors.
”Of course.” Rexus sighs. ”Wouldn’t want it to be too easy.” He glances at the women. ”I don’t suppose any of you have talent at opening locks?”
"Anyone able to pick this lock? I hear something inside. Whimpers. A growl...we should get in there and see what's what." Ghorza asked. She waited...
"Three or four somethings, I would surmise," Rose offers, stepping aside and drawing her blade as Ghorza attempts to open the door with shear force.
"I could squeeze in there... but I hear a dog. A big one." Celi looks at the others. "If none of us knows how to pick a lock, I suggest we choose someone to learn. That seems like a vital skill to have for our current occupation."
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Adolina shakes her head. It's something she probably could learn - her dexterity has always been good and she read a book on the subject once, but it wasn't exactly the kind of thing that Lady Docur's school encouraged in their students so she never tried.
How does one even buy lockpicks anyway?
The doors swinging open with a crash snap her out of her reverie and Adolina draws her rapier, trying to steal herself for more violence.
"Something's inside?" Rexus looks troubled. "And one or more dogs?" He falls silent, still thinking as Ghorza gives one of the doors two solid kicks that snap the chain, and throw open the door.
The stench of stale urine grows even stronger as the doors swing open, and the Ravens look inside carefully. Even the two women without the ability to see well in the dark are able to see that the stable is leaning precariously to one side, held up by aging wooden walls.
More troublingly, she sees the outlines of three dogs - one of whom is a huge mastiff, the other two of whom are significantly smaller. They don't seem to be moving to attack... yet.
There are, more concerningly, three dogs in the area, all glowering at the opened door. One is a tremendous mastiff, its fangs bared in a snarl, while the other two are smaller mutts of some sort or another, both of whom have their gazes fixed on the doors. All three dogs have hackles raised - they are ready to fight.
All three of the animals look skeletally thin - they're starving, but aren't making any move to attack.
A series of loud barks echo through the Livery, coming from the southern part of the building, which is promptly followed by several more from the north. It sounds like three different "voices," such as they are.
"Ah. Well, it seems your assessment was correct, Miss Wordsmith." Rexus says unsteadily. "... I would very much prefer not to harm any animals. Do you suppose they're standing guard for someone?" He sounds distinctly troubled at that thought.
"Hounds. Starving." Ghorza said, her pick in her hand as a precaution. "Anyone have any food to throw to them? The only way I can think of for getting past them without having to put them down."
Rexus considers. "I do have the spell that I used to knock out those thugs that attacked me yesterday. It might work on the dogs. Unfortunately, it lasts only a short time. They might be unconscious for almost a minute, or only ten or so seconds. They'll still be rather helpless for the following period, but it still won't last very long."
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"It would be simple to buy some food." Adolina says from her position at the back of the group. It's clear to her that the others can all see better than her so it makes sense for her to stay in the light. "There's a butchers perhaps two streets from here."
One of Adolina's odder hobbies has always been to memorise things, like the declensions of azlanti nouns and the shops on the streets of the city. She got the hang of the Greens by age seven and since then has memorised most of the shops on most of the major (and no so major) streets all over Kintargo. It's mostly useless trivia but knowing where all the shops are, not just the best, has come in handy a few times. [Mostly for emergency snacks.]
Rose reaches into the sash around her waist and produces a small coin pouch before tossing it to Adolina.
"If you can make it back before I can get through three renditions of Nine Times A Night then I'll buy you dinner," she offers with a wink.
She starts in on the ribald lyrics.