Eamae looks thoughtfully at Rexus, "Thrune." she says simply. "They are the bane of my existance. Them and their diabolic worship. By my word, vengeance shall be yours." Her red gloved left hand grips the pommel of her sword tightly. Oddly enough, you notice she only seems to be wearing a glove on that hand. "I will be honored to assist you in freeing Kintargo from the diabolic minions of Thrune." as Em falls silent in thought.
Rexus nods, smiling. "Then you should know this. I recently discovered that my mother, Porcia, was in fact a member of a secret society called the Sacred Order of Archivists, a band of Iroran scholars dedicated to the protection and restoration of history. I learned this the day after the Night of Ashes, from a woman named Laria Longroad, who claimed to be one of his mother’s contacts. I was, of course, dubious of her claims at first. But she had in her possession my inheritance - a coffer of valuables and a note in my mother's hand. Both of these she passed on to me."
"Here, you should read this note."
He holds out a scrip of parchment for the party to read.
If you are reading this, what I have feared has come to pass and I am dead. For many years, I have belonged to the Sacred Order of Archivists and have worked to free Kintargo from Chelish rule. I have learned much about Kintargo’s secret history, and fear the time will soon come when the city needs the return of its Silver Ravens. You have likely not heard of the Silver Ravens - few have. Mentions of them have been redacted by the agents of House Thrune, but during the civil war, the Ravens worked to ensure Kintargo’s safety. They were heroes in their day, and I fear that Kintargo needs their kind again. Do not believe the government’s claims that Lord-Mayor Bainilus abandoned us! Darker things are afoot, and I fear that all who work against Thrune may find themselves in danger in the days ahead.
The Silver Ravens maintained numerous hideouts within Kintargo’s walls during the civil war. I have located one such site—the chambers below a building known today as the Fair Fortune Livery. If you are reading this, I was unable to seek further answers there myself.
Gather heroes to your side, my son, and search below the livery. There, if my research is correct, you will find something to teach you more of the Silver Ravens and their legacy.
Do not let my death be in vain. Stand up for Kintargo. Bring the Silver Ravens back to life!
My love, forever, to you
Porcia
Rexus looks to the group, once they have read the letter. "Will you, then, join me, on an expedition to the Fair Fortune Livery?"
"Truly, there exists some fine stories to be told here, even if it is just a dead end quest in the search of history. Between that, and the fact that my singing career is on hiatus until something big changes, I will most definitely accompany you."
"You can count on my help." Em says simply, fist clenched on the pommel of her sword.
Killian's eyes darken as he reads the letter, and something passes behind them. A slight recollection, perhaps?
"I stand with Kintargo."
He puts his hands on his hips, and nods once firmly.
Aram finished thumbing his pipe full of tobacco and lighting it, before taking a slow draw and contemplating the note. He frowned as he chewed the pipe stem in thought. He had come to the rally not to protest, truth be told, but to search for news of an ally, to search for news of the Ravens. IT seemed he might yet find something useful, and that made the little halfling smile.
"Well if all of these fine people are in, how could I very well say no. If only because I feel I must stay close to the woman who saved me, so I can one day return the gesture!" He smiled at Eamae as he said the last.
The investigator had been standing at the rear of the group, listening quietly to see how the group would react while flipping a silver in her hand. She would have spoken up regardless, but she wanted to see how others would speak on their own first. When Kessa speaks Ariela takes her cue and catches the silver from midair and speaks, "Well if Kessa's going to get herself into trouble again, I might as well tag along and keep her safe I suppose."
When the warpriest looks to her she winks and offers a smile before flipping the silver in the air and catching it again.
Eamae looks at them with a quizzical look, "Do you two know each other?"
Rexus smiles. "Good. I'll make sure it's worth your while. We'll get going in the morning."
He pauses. "The Livery - in case you don't know, used to be a slaughterhouse. But it's best known as a stable. The Juliac family used to run it. We think it was used by the Silver Ravens during the Chelish Civil War. My mother obviously thought there was something to that story, and that there's something there."
Morning rolls by. The group stay overnight in the back room at the book store, where the proprietor sets out bed rolls and linen. In the morning, he brings some hot drinks and food. Well rested, the group make their way to the Fair Fortune Livery. The building is set on the eastern side of the old town, near to the Yolubilis River as it wends its way inland, and not far from the southeastern extent of the old city walls.
Long abandoned and derelict, the building does not present a promising sight. There's no sound, excepting the calling of the gulls as they pass over the river.
The doors to the stable are ajar.
"Well, it looks like we won't be disturbing anyone, right?"
"Hm... I wonder if someone is here." Em whispers.
She peers around the surroundings and listens for sounds of anyone else around the vicinity.
Killian nods at Eamae's whisper. He turns his back on the group, and keeps an eye out for an ambush.
Eamae looks at them with a quizzical look, "Do you two know each other?"
Ariela makes a big show of pouting and shakes her head furiously, "Nononono! That thing in Kazack was TOTALLY not my fault. How I was i supposed to know he was married?!" Letting her ruse drop she begins sighing heavily, "I'm afraid the warpriest is correct. I have a bad habit of stirring up trouble before saves me from certain doom."
Ariela will take 20 + 4 = 24 for perception on the the new location. She holds her hands up and tells the party in a hushed whisper, "Hold it for a moment." If she sees no signs of trouble, she will slip in quietly.
On closer examination Ariela finds that the doors, though ajar, are actually chained across; the chain's lock is visible and just about reachable through the gap in the door.
Ariela takes note of the lock across the door. She points it out to her companions by bringing two hands together and then seperating them in an arc to signify the chain. She points to the gap and to herself and without waiting for Kessa's protest she quietly slips through the opening to the other side.
If able to, she quickly (and quietly) undoes the lock and opens the door for her friends.
At the other side, Ariela can see that the building leans slightly to one side, its roof precariously propped up by aged wooden walls. The air reeks of stale urine. Broken desks, scuffed tables, and torn chairs crowd the thirteen horse stalls, all of which are covered with a healthy layer of dust. A grated-off alcove along the southeast wall seems to house the only relatively intact wares.
There are three dogs here, one a particularly large one. None of them seem to have noticed Ariela at this point .
Zakli figures he can just step in, as slight as he is, and joins Ariela on the other side. Seeing the dogs, however, he returns to the "safe" side of the doors.
Aram casts around him for any gns of hostility, as they are probably not not meant to be here at this locked building.
Aram uses Perception.
He shook his head before he sighs and moves up to the door stepping up beside Kessa. He coughs lightly before speaking, "Allow me my dear!"
He steps forward and with a flourish of his cloak begins to mutter arcane words to himself, as he begins to tinker with the lock.
Aram tries to pick the lock.
Ariella takes note of her surroundings and quietly moves back through the opening to the other side. Once through she explains everything she saw, especially the large dog.
Ariela steps back through without issue, so that all of the group is now back outside the building.
However, the chain remains unbroken and the lock remains locked. The efforts are sufficient to alert the dogs who run, barking and howling towards the door.
Aram, with his arm through the hole yelps slightly before jumping backwards, behind the taller party members. He brandishes his staff and grits his teeth.
"Bloody pooches. Won't find Aram Grey feather no easy supper!" He paused for a moment before turning to the others. "Actually... aren't these dogs likely the guarddogs for the Ravens? Maybe we should go easy on them? Knock em out rather than kill them, yes?"
Killian nods at Aram's idea.
"I'm sure that would, and pardon the Tengu joke here, ruffle a few less feathers, but how to you suggest we do so?"
Aram reached out towards the Tengu before stopping, puzzled. "Well just... hit em with the non sharp part of your claws I suppose? Like..." He throws back his cloak and draws the rapier from his belt, beginning to mime bonking something on the head with it. "Try to hit them where you wont kill them, right?"
"Well, they know we're here now, should be break in?" says Eamae, pulling her large bastard sword out. "I think we can try to hit them with the flat of our blades, but it would be much more difficult. But I am open to suggestions?"
"Maybe I have a little something prepared..." Aram frowns, patting the large ragged tome he carries. "But I was keeping it for an emergency. Well... we will see."
"Announce their presence? They would appear to be just stray dogs to anyone who does not know the significance of the area, I would think. And this city is not too bothered about clearing out strays, so who would look twice at them. The noise they make though, now that could be invaluable as an early warning system I would think!" Aram shrugs. "Besides, why kill a stupid animal that is just guarding its home from invaders? Isn't that what we are trying to do? Stand up to a force that is bigger and more dangerous than we are? No... I think we should just give them a quick bump on the head and see that they don't wake up till we are gone. Who knows, if they are strays, we might just make us some new friends!"
"That sounds like as good of a plan as any I have heard. Let's do it. How can I help, Aram?"
"Well you are obviously a man of subtle talents my dear Zakli. I wonder, do you have any magical abilities that might help us better communicate with the beasts that we mean no harm? Does your magics expand in to the realms of the Divine? This is very impolite and I'll hope you forgive me but... what incantations do you have at your disposal?"
"Incantations? Magic? Well, I suppose the sound of my voice can be quite enchanting... However, most gnomes do have some limited ability to speak with animals, but that doesn't necessarily make them helpful or friendly. But I can certainly try. Alternatively, I might be able to make them thing they are seeing other things."
Eamae peers through the doors, "Perhaps you could scare them away? We may not have a choice too."
"They were clearly here for alarm and guard duty. Our hosts know we are here," The investigator shoots a sidelong glance at Kessa as it pertains to her noisy lock jangling technique, " and we should now take care proceeding as we've lost the element of surprise."
"Well, if the element of surprise is gone...." Eamae starts pulling at the lock.
The lock breaks, and the door is now open. The dogs lunge through to attack the party.
Rexus stares as the dogs make to burst through the door. "What do I do?" he asks, in a panicked voice. "I have some spells, some knowledge. I can cast colour spray, if you give me room ..."
Killian draws his pair of kukri, and then follows Kessa's lead. He moves the other way, trying to avoid any spells getting thrown. Once in position, he lays into one of the dogs with his blade.
"Good to see that my tactical advice was so easily discarded!" Aram growls as he stepped forward, throwing open his book and beginning to mutter under his breath, aiming all of his will at the three creatures.
When his spell clicks in to effect, he points at the ground and barks out one sharp command. "SIT!"
Zakli sits.
At Aram's command, all three dogs immediately sit and look back at him expectantly.
Aram grins before stepping forward and nodding softly, pulling some of his rations from his bag and tossing them at the feet of the three dogs. He moved slowly up to the big dog, offering his hand out to the creature to sniff, hoping to put him at his ease.
"You are a beautiful boy aren't you? Just doing your job. You do not want to hurt us. I know that. You are just doing what your masters say. Or maybe you really are alone, all alone in this big ugly world, just trying to take care of your friends. Don't worry, we won't hurt you buddy!"
The dogs, in particular the large one, eye Aram warily, obviously contained only by the spell's effects. They look very hungry, very bedraggled and rather fierce. They evidently aren't well looked after and have been making their home in the derelict building.
Aram grins slowly, steeling himself and nodding. "Maybe you do want to hurt me boy, but you wont!" He threw another ration at each of their feet, stepping back to show he was no threat, but keeping close enough to show he was not afraid. "No. I'm here to help now. When this nasty magic wears off we will have an honest interaction you and I, and when I leave here you will come with me. I'll clean you all up and keep you fed. Don't worry about that."