Aleixica doesn't sit, but leans against the back of one of the large chairs. "I don't mind you contacting us, but I would like to know how you know who we are? I don't think I've met anyone since I returned to the city who knew me when I was here before."
Bao Xu looks up from his wine as the woman enters the room and his foul mood is immediately broken. After she introduces herself, he replies, "Hey Zellara, I'm Bao Xu. But I guess maybe you already know that? Anyway, I'm glad to meet you. I hear that we might have a common enemy so whatever we can do to help eachother with that problem is good news in my book."
There is a knock on the door and it opens to reveal a slim man in a worn coat, a cudgel hanging prominently from a leather belt. He seems non-descript. The sort of person you'd pass in the street without a second thought.
I believe one of those chairs is for me. I took a monent to ensure our meeting was not shared by others.
You must be Zellara. So lets hear your pitch.
When the door opens, Briar turns his immediately, words of magic on his lips.
Upon seeing Orlando, he relaxes.
He's too small to be a threat and does not look like one of Lamm's men. A latecomer, nothing more.
Briar smiles at Orlando, offering a small measure of welcome.
"This seat here is free." Briar nods to an open chair.
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Zellara holds her smile, taking one of the nearby glasses and pouring herself some of the wine before she begins speaking again, turning towards Aleixica to answer her question first.
"As a Harrow Reader, dear girl, I have many birds that fly on the winds to my ears. Even so, I have reason to remain hidden, you see—a terrible man would see great harm done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. I speak, of course, of Gaedren Lamm, a man whose cruelty and capacity to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched only by his gift for avoiding reprisal. You see, a year ago, his thieves stole this, my Harrow deck, from me. It is important to me, an heirloom passed down through a dozen generations, and also my sole means of support."
Zellara continues to shuffle the deck around on the table, not even aware she is doing it anymore the motions have become so natural to her.
"When pickpockets stole it, my son, Eran, tracked them down. The thieves were in the employ of Gaedren Lamm, and in reward for finding them, Gaedren murdered my son."
Zellara's voice chokes for a moment with repressed tears before she gulps them down and continues with her story.
"I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures. And now, I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if I were to go to them, Gaedren would certainly know of their coming well in advance. Even if they did arrest him—what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay.”
After the well spring of her words runs out, Zellara looks at each of you in turn, expectantly, perhaps desperately. She has stopped shuffling the deck of Harrow cards and her face is slightly flushed.
I am sorry about your son but word on the street? I for one am going to need more than that. Why do you think Lamm is my enemy? And if Lamm stole your deck of cards how did you get it back if you've only just found where he lives?
Thaniel sits back in his chair and things heavily on Zellara's words.
"It's true, he seems to be too slippery for the guards to do anything about. If this Westpier 17 is the very core of his enterprise... we may be able to put him and his lackeys down for good. Except for the children, of course. I... am not entirely certain how to handle them. Still.... consider me in."
Briar speaks plainly: "I am willing to do what I can to take down Lamm and find my brother. I care not for how you knew to find us, nor fear his retribution. I will stake my life upon this, for going home empty, as I am now, would be worse than death.
What would you have us do?"
Briar trembles inside at his words...his thoughts have been of this, but never has he spoke them aloud, let alone to strangers. Briar worries if speaking these words brings him strength or will lead him to folly.
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Looking towards Orlando first as Zellara is barraged by three mens statements at once, she begins shuffling the Harrow cards once again.
"While others may have forgotten Mr. Vissini, some still remember a small band of street toughs wrapped around a charismatic young man's little finger and how they disappeared after two of the boys were murdered. You were in one of Gaedren Lamm's territories at the time, it is not hard to put such things together if you know where to ask. As for my Harrow Deck, I found it by chance some time ago at a fences shop. Apparently he deals with Lamm quite often. That is where the trail to his current hideout began."
Taking a moment to sip at her own glass of wine, she continues after a brief moment.
"As for what to do... well, I have told you were he lives, and I wish to see him pay for the murder of my son. I am willing to help however I can but I am no fighter, perhaps a reading of the cards?
Orlando attempts to let no emotion show on his face after this witches revelation.
Bluff
And does an awful job of it.
Every instinct screams at him to just get up and walk away from this right now. Instead he casually sips the wine.
She means that we find him and end him along with any of his men that get in our way. Very well I am in. But we will need information and a plan. Fortunately I have a few ideas as to the first and the second can follow once we know more.
Finishing his drink, Thaniel sets the glass on the table, thinking more on the strange fortune to have come up.
"Knowing where he lives now... that may be more than sufficient help in seeing justice done. You may consider me in. I would agree that we need to know more about this hold up of his. I would not refuse a reading in the meanwhile as we form our plan."
"If the others are willing to help, I'll do whatever I can to make sure Lamm doesn't hurt anyone else."
She realizes the latecomer is obviously as invested in this as she is, and apparently the rest of the strangers. "If you have an idea where to begin," she says, "I'm willing to listen. My master used to say you can't play a tune correctly if you don't listen to it done properly first. I'll be honest, I've never done anything like this before, but if Madame Zellara" -- she bows shallowly in the woman's direction -- "thinks I can help, I will."
Briar listens to Zellara's response to the newcomer's question with great interest. Briar does not consider it too unusual that Zellara would know him and his interest in Lamm (he had been asking about town for his brother and Lamm)...but wonders at the depths of history she would have to know to have information about the newcomer. And judging from the expression on the newcomer, he regards it with awe as well.
Listening to Thaniel's response makes him appreciate his new friend's force of will and desire for action...Briar has found a kindred spirit.
"If there is time, Zellara, I would like a reading as well. However, there is no rush. I have never been read before and such things interest me."
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Zellara gives her cards one last shuffle of the cards before she begins to spread them out along the table face down. Each of you at the table notice that the card backs have the same artistic style as the card they received from Zellara and if anyone were to check, that card would now be out of their possession.
Beginning in the left column Zellara’s voice becomes slightly deeper, her eyes unfocused as if she were concentrating elsewhere. ”The choosing has already been performed, as each of you has already received a card specific to each of you. These cards hold power, passed down from my grandmother to me, and her grandmother before her, the future is the purview of the Gods… but through the Harrow we are allowed small glimpses into the past, the present, and the future. As this is a group reading, it is up to each of you to interpret the meaning each card holds for you. As always, we begin in the past.”
Bringing her fingers to the top card of the left column, she flips it over to reveal The Mountain Man.”Ah. The Mountain Man, signifying an encounter with a physical power outside of one’s control. A boy kept under the thrall of a crime boss, unable to escape from the physical presence of the man who holds his chain.”
Sliding her fingers down to the middle left card, she flips it over to show The Winged Serpent,”The wise couatl, whose understanding bridges the chasm between knowledge and prudence. Knowing when to strike and when to accede in the face of adversity is a lesson many must learn, but never do.”
Taking a short breath, almost a pant except she maintains her relaxed state, Zellara flips over the last card of the left column to show The Desert, ”The Desert, misaligned in his own wasteland. A young man or woman who wanders aimlessly with no direction or conviction, no sense of home or family. He doesn’t need them where he is going.”
Moving her hand back up to the top row, she flips over The Wanderer, “Now we step into the present, with The Wanderer, a collector, of objects, of memories, the mementos that others discard as trash. Those who are clever enough can find the true worth in something others ignore.”
Continuing down the column Zellara flips over another card, “The Waxworks. A place of helplessness and physical entropy. The mind might be willing, but the flesh is frozen in this place of horror.”
Sliding down to the final card of the present, she flips over a card with bright plumage on it, “The Paladin, a fool who stands when he should yield. Unbending as the mountain, slowly whittled away by the relentless tides until he is flattened under the forces that cannot be resisted.”
Moving to the next column of this ritual, Zellara flips up a new card, with a blind old woman, whose skin is wrinkled with age and a smirk of sin, “Now we step into the future with The Mute Hag, the loyalty of a group is unshakable in the face of common adversity. The clear head and the cool mind gives over to the lucidity of speech, such that your desires may be heard as one.”
Pulling up the next card, Zellara shivers slightly as a picture of a man awash in blood with a crown on his head appears, ”The Tyrant, a powerful man, a blight on his people and a scourge of honest folk. But his future is uncertain, and those who follow the path may find their chance to overthrow the tyrant of their future.”
Finally, the last card is touched by Zellara, and at this Zellara’s eyes turn milky white, looking up at each of you blankly, her voice turning deeper still, as if she were going further into whatever had hold of her, a cold breeze without source settles over the room for a moment, ruffling your hair and snapping your clothes, strangely not moving the cards at all, except for the last, which flips up to reveal…
”The Demon’s Lantern, a dark force settling over the city, the trickster whose slight of hand is matched only by his slight of mind. The light at the end of the tunnel is not salvation but distruction. A change is coming…”
Zellara slumps forward for a moment as if recovering her breath, her eyes turning back to their normal color and her face is flushed slightly, nervously gathering up her cards and shuffling them back into the Harrow Deck, she looks up at each of you in turn once again,”Such is what the Harrow tells me, though I sincerely hope some of it is not true.”
Zellara finishes by taking her almost untouched glass of wine and drinking down half of it quickly. An oppressive weight that none of you had felt settle on you as the Harrow Reading was performed seems to be lifted from the room, making it seem brighter than before, and a faint chirping of crickets is heard from outside one of the windows.
As Zellara finishes, Briar takes some deep breaths. He feels the need to make himself breathe again...so heavy were the words that were spoken. For a moment Briar almost regrets asking for the reading.
Sitting back into his chair, he repeats the reading to himself, trying to commit them to memory. Some are painful images, difficult to swallow, others must examined again, yet others are crutches and sources of strength and wisdom.
So much mystery and so much danger. If these cards truly hold our fate, are these 5 companions my allies against something greater than Lamm? Are they, no...are *we*, up to that greater challenge?
Briar sits in silence pondering questions that he knows he cannot answer. It will be a few minutes before Briar is able to speak or act again.
Orlando appears to watch the harrowing with interest but in reality his thoughts are elsewhere. "A showman can't help putting on a show." He thinks he has her motivations pegged now if not how she gets her information. "She wants Lamm dead that seems clear enough. All the rest of this ... theatre is just part of who she is." He thinks about the prospect of getting her alone and charming her for more information.
After the reading he gazes at the faces of the others as if trying to ascertain their capabilities. I suggest we conduct initial investigations of the fishery in two parts. Firstly, we try and gather what information we may on the place itself. Who owns it? Is it operated as a business? If so that may give us a convenient opening. Secondly, we place a watch on the place and ... waylay someone going to or from. One of Lamm's men would be ideal although one of the children will do. Then we convince them, magically if necessary, to provide a layout, number of occupants etc. When we make our move we will want to ensure all exits are covered to prevent Lamm from escaping.
Never having put much faith into Harrow readings, yet the gravity of Zellara's words impact Thaniel more profoundly than he would have expected. He sits back in his chair letting it all sink in for a minute before Orlando's words breaks the silence.
"It's true, we have very little idea of Lamm's fishery or what it contains. I'm in agreement that if we manage to either grab someone who works for him, or even pay off one of the children enough to get an honest response, we should have little difficulty determining exactly what is in that building. We should probably also make sure that when we do strike, it's at such a time guard presence on the street is minimal, just to avoid any complications from them."
Bao Xu sits quietly and listens as Zellara tells her tale and the others weigh in on the situation. His mirth is taken away and a dark mood comes over him as Lamm's villainly is discussed and the wine flows.
As Zellara proceeds with the Harrow reading, he finishes the last of the drink and leans in to watch. As the cards are drawn and laid before him, he feels a sense of urgency overcoming him and as the reading concludes and the others begin discussing their course of action, he slams down his cup and stands up from the table, declaring in a loud and slurred voice, "Zellara! We're gonna find this guy. And when we find him, he'll get what's payback comin' to him. You guys want, we could head on down to the tavern and ask around a bit? I know a few guys from the docks who might know some stuff..."
Briar smiles as the drunken dockworker throws his weight behind the plan.
At least he's an energetic drunk. His breath will probably lay Lamm flat with one blow.
Looking at the rest of the group, Briar feels a bit of excitement. "Agreed. Let us find out what there is to know about this and do necessary scouting. We, obviously, want to avoid hurting innocents and the guard. Like my friend here, Bow Shoe, I'm happy to do whatever I can to help."
Thinking aloud, Briar continues, "Do we want to do our research and come back tomorrow before dusk to finalize our plans? Go in tomorrow night?"
Briar realizes that if it were up to him, he'd go right now.
"Let's not get too excited, Briar. I have plenty of tragic stories about heroes who try to rush in to confront a villain without being ready. I agree we should meet again tomorrow, but only to discuss what we've learned. If the time is right to go in, we can, but let's not commit ourselves to anything right away."
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Zellara smiles towards the group as she listens to them begin to plan.
"You all may return here tomorrow night if you wish to, I will not be around tomorrow, but the house is safe enough. I want to thank each of you for helping my son find his rest, even if you do it for your own reasons. You may stay here as long as you wish tonight if you do not have a place of your own."
Briar appreciates Zellara's offer to help all the more.
"Yes, Aleixica, if it were up to me I would go right now. However, that probably is not the best idea, nor the wisest. Let us do what we need to do to prepare and research and meet back here before dusk."
Briar continues, still thinking aloud.
"I plan on finding the place on the morrow and finding a good route in and away. In addition, when I come back on the morrow, I'll be ready for war."
Maybe the day will give some of us a chance to sober up as well.
"Be careful, everyone. If you all go to this warehouse, you could tip Lamm off! I don't think more than two people -- preferably people he wouldn't know -- should go anywhere near there, and even then, they should be careful! I don't know how many of you know him personally, but I've seen some of the terrible things he's responsible for."
"Perhaps one of these someones which he doesn't personally know could keep a subtle watch on the place for sometime? Just to see who is coming and going from there. I'm not a terribly well connected man around the city, so I wouldn't know who to trust personally for information about him."
My forte is gathering information. Let me deal with this task here. The wrong questions to the wrong people at the dock may just alert Lamm to our intentions.
I would suggest others find a convenient location to watch the fishery. Not too close. Just close enough to see the comings and goings. That way if there is an opportunity to pick someone up then it can be taken preferably with a minimum of fuss.
I would not like to assault the place without any information at all. He could have a dozen guards for all we know.
Briar listens to Orlando's words with keen interest.
So people talk to him so readily? A useful ally is one who can make friends.
To Orlando: "Forgive me, I did not catch your name. I am Briar Kaleseder. Well met."
Briar rises from his chair, circling to the back of it, putting both hands on the backing before speaking again.
To all: "And, if no one objects, I will do a quick scout of the location. Some say that elves have keen eyes and I happen to believe that to be true of me. What would you have me look for?"
To Orlando: "Gather your information about Lamm and his pier. If you can and wish, as a favor to me, ask about my brother as well, a elf mage named Thorne. I would hear more about him."
Briar looks around the room for additional thoughts and comments.
Briar listens to Orlando's words with keen interest.
So people talk to him so readily? A useful ally is one who can make friends.
To Orlando: "Forgive me, I did not catch your name. I am Briar Kaleseder. Well met."
Briar rises from his chair, circling to the back of it, putting both hands on the backing before speaking again.
To all: "And, if no one objects, I will do a quick scout of the location. Some say that elves have keen eyes and I happen to believe that to be true of me. What would you have me look for?"
To Orlando: "Gather your information about Lamm and his pier. If you can and wish, as a favor to me, ask about my brother as well, a elf mage named Thorne. I would hear more about him."
Briar looks around the room for additional thoughts and comments.
Orlando introduces himself with a slight blush for having forgotten.
Scouting sounds like a useful expenditure of time. Certainly I will see what I can discover about your brother.
When we leave Orlando will apply himself to gathering information about the fishery and Briar's brother from some of his usual sources.
Dip Gather Information - Fishery Take 10 = 20 hours
Dip Gather Information - Thorne Take 10 = 20 hours
As Briar mentions scouting, Bao Xu slaps him on the back and says, "I'm with you buddy! Maybe we can grab a drink after we scope the place out. I've never met an Elf before! Is it true that you guys live forever? Anyway we should get going. You can take some tips from me Briar, I'm as stealthy as a mouse and as perceptive as a... mouse with good eyesight. Anyway, see the rest of you guys tomorrow or something."
Wincing from the slap on the back, Briar tries to seem pleased at the prospect of Bao Xu accompanying him, but there is not much he can do about it.
"Oh...yeah...that sounds good, Bow Shoe. Uhm...yeah. More drinking, eh?" Briar forces a weak smile and ponders what to do next.
In a move equal parts submission and inspiration, Briar will quickly drink the rest of his wine, letting most of it dribble down the front of his once clean tunic.
Might as well play the part. Two drunks about the docks.
"Let's go get some bottles of wine, Bow, and you can show me the docks and Westpier and take a night time look at our destination. I may or may not join you for the night of drinking and gaming, as I intend to check out the Westpier again in the morning."
Briar will wait a few minutes and chat with everyone before leaving, making small talk and discussing possible strategies before leaving.
Briar will head to a local merchant to buy a two bottles of cheap wine, though Briar will engage in only a moderate amount of his own.
With Bao, Briar will walk along much of the length of Westpier, from numbers 12 to 20, taking a break to relieve himself near #17 and the fishery in question.
, drunkenness, disinterest
Briar intends to make another pass by the fishery in the morning, more quickly this time, to see things in a better light.
Upon leaving for the night, Briar mentions that he will be back at dusk tomorrow and ready to plan what's next.
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”Aye! I’ve heard of that Westpier 17. Bad bit of business that, seems the fisherman who owned it got attacked and killed by a devilfish, nasty sort those devilfish. The building is in escrow still and no one has laid claim to it. I expect it will fall back to the city and then it will sit for another few years before those layabouts upstairs decided what to do with it. Why do you ask friend?”
After finishing your drink with him and dissembling you move on to the docks in an attempt to find out more about Briar’s brother Thorne but no one seems to know anything about him. Elves are far too rare in the lower districts to go completely unnoticed so it stands to reason that Thorne was disguising himself. Many of the dock workers however also tell you that a surly looking man in fancy clothes runs a shop filled with children who serve “dock-dumplings” for the poor who can’t afford a fresh fillet of fish. Rumors have it that all of the children are pick pockets and thieves and deserve the hard toil they work under.
The old double doors in the side of this weathered building are tightly closed, with a drooping signpost hanging above. The sign it once displayed is long gone, leaving behind only a single short length of rusted chain. A cold breeze from the water blows onto the shore every so often and making the chain rattle. The whole place is as quiet as the dead.
As the day wears on the sun eventually dips back down into the horizon, and each of you make your way to 3 Lancet Street once again, this time there is no welcome for you. The walls have been bared of their tapestries and the furniture is barren with a small sheen of dust over it. It seems that Zellara has made good on her word to not be there, and has picked up her belongings to take them someplace else. The door is unlocked when each of you get there.
Briar will attempt to arrive early...perhaps mid-afternoon. He is excited to get going on this.
He will be dressed in his armor (heavy shield not yet equipped on his back) and armed with...his chalkboard. He will have his dagger and shortbow as well.
Briar will spend some time drawing with chalk what he saw as best as he can remember it...openings/doors and windows, along with paths and streets nearby.
As people come in, Briar will explain both what he saw and respond to any questions as best as he can answer them.
knowledge local to see what she knows about the pier.
diplomacy to see if there are any rumors about the area.
Aleixcia arrives as the sun's setting, this time wearing leather armor and with a bow and quiver full of arrows over her shoulder. Her hair is pulled back from her face with a leather tie, revealing burns scars on the left side of her forehead.
Her eyes widen as she sees the empty room. "When she said she wouldn't be here tonight, I didn't think she meant she would be taking all of her possessions with her. I wonder if this is really her home at all?"
After the group disperses, Thaniel realizes he has terribly little in order to contribute to their information gathering, and thus spends much of the day pacing in his rented room... practicing his swordsmanship on occasion, but simply too anxious to sleep in anticipating of what's to come. Inevitably, as evening sets in... he travels to Zellara's home, yet is slightly surprised to see it as barren as it is. Regardless, properly outfitted and armed, with additional dark blue bandana in pocket to conceal his identity once things turn to violence. He'll take his same place at the table and listen to anything that has to be said.
It seems Lamm has simply taken over the building while it sits in escrow. It also appears as if it is being operated as a shop. That may provide us an opening although personally I'm still more inclined to pick up one of the residents and question them.
Bao Xu arrives around the same time as most of the rest of the party, in much the same state as the previous evening only having remembered this time to fill up two jugs of grog before leaving and has both of them on his person, though he has already emptied one by the time he comes to Lancet street.
Seeing Briar's chalkboard drawing, he walks over to the elf and says, "Hey buddy!" slapping him once more on the back and admiring the chalkboard. "That looks pretty good!"
After Orlando tells the party all he knows, Bao Xu chimes in, "More questioning? C'mon man, let's just bust in there tonight. It seemed pretty quiet at nighttime and we've pretty much gotten a lay of the place. Let's smash down the door before old Lammy gets wind of all of our questions."
Wincing again at the slap in the back, Briar arches his neck and shoulders repeatedly, hoping to ease the sting. Despite that, he readily agrees with Bao Xu, "It was pretty dead last night...this morning, there were people around. Seems to me that we could go in this night and get ourselves some answers."
Briar is not so sure his back can handle Bao's enthusiasm and makes a mental note to stand behind, rather than to the side or in front of, him in the future.
Maybe I'll just keep my shield on my back when Bao is around...it just might do more good there.
"I don't know what you mean by questioning, but I'm not going to let anyone hurt any of Lamm's children. It's not their fault they're being used by him. If they aren't around at night, I think that's a good time for us to go."
"Hmmmm... how many ways into the building are there? There has to be something better than bust down the front door."
"I don't know what you mean by questioning, but I'm not going to let anyone hurt any of Lamm's children. It's not their fault they're being used by him. If they aren't around at night, I think that's a good time for us to go."
He will keep them close at night. I will bet they stay in the fishery. And noone is speaking of harming any of them. I am seeking to avoid that.
"Thaniel, I only saw what I sa....w...." Briar stops speaking as Declan enters, draws in the dust, grunts, and speaks.
It has returned.
"Good evening, Declan. I'm glad you could make it." Briar will offer a sincere smile, still trying to gauge the whole of Declan, yet unsure of what is offered.
"With no further questions, maybe we should go? It is night and I wouldn't want Lamm to be denied the pleasure of my presence any longer."
With that, Briar will get his chalkboard and gear together, answering any questions as he prepares to leave.
"Agreed. Perhaps we should do this swiftly in order to maintain an element of surprise. If Lamm were to know that a group has come together to put an end to his schemes, they'll ready themselves. It sounds as if the man has grown quite comfortable, feeling untouchable. That may work to our advantage.
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Briar's sketch of Westpier 17 takes form on the chalkboard. Showing a general layout of the area around the build, along with all the doors and windows.
Bao Xu cracks his neck and looks at his companions, "Alright, so we're going then? We should go in that side door, I say. Element of surprise and all that. Thanny, you want to take up the front and I'll keep close behind?"
"That sounds reasonable. All I ask is that should things start to look grim, please do not kick me in the back of the knees and flee." With that, he stands, ready as ever.
"Won't Lamm simply be able to escape from a different door if we all go in the same way? I don't like the idea of fighting alone, but maybe we should find some way to keep the other doors from opening?"
"Also, I'm much better with a bow than a sword. I don't know if you really want me in the middle..."