Aust Thale said:"She's Dead, I killed her. There was no choice. You should have warned me she was a wererat!"
Aust Thale said:"YES! Where is Jabbar? He needs to hear this as well. In the middle of moving her body, I ran into another surly bunch delivering late night reserves of ale to the tavern next door. Only it wasn't ale. It was an ugly half-drow named Chuth and some hired-help looking to burn something down, likely this place. I framed them for the girl very loudly on the street. They scattered, and I followed them. He mentioned Noro to his guys when he didn't realize I was within earshot. His guys panicked at the Vulkyrie's horn. Chuth tagged one of them with a poison touch of some kind. The Vul guards got a couple of Chuth's goons and I put an arrow into Chuth to keep him from cutting them down. Probably didn't do them much of a favor. The Vulkyrie will interrogate them. Probably eat them or put them on slave duty for the trouble. Chuth is tough. He peppered me with a poison crossbow. Dunno what happened afterwards. I left in a hurry. Hopefully the Vulkyrie ate him. Not counting on it though."
Aust steadies himself, and he rises from his chair. Reaching first for a thick rag to protect his hands, he pulls the were-rat's poison dagger from his pack and the poison crossbow bolts from his quiver, placing them on the table.
"Dagger is the girl's. Bolts are Chuth's. Careful with them. All are poisoned. The bolts are particularly nasty. Now, would any of you possess a healing potion or two? Or perhaps one of you possesses healing spells? Actually, at this point, I'd settle for a bottle of wine."
Aust Thale said:"Yes Sergeant, right away." Aust says deferentially. "Please come out of the rain.""
He acted natural, which was to say, his actions and motions were calm and deliberate. Fear was a luxury. His study of the Drow, particularly Drow males, had taught him a certain philosophy regarding survival. In their matriarchy, males were some mix of sex toy, soldier, and slave. Yes, yes, there were frequent exceptions to this rule, but exceptions were about pragmatism, not the ideal. Aust had thought about that a great deal when he disappeared from his family. Sparing his parents the inevitable war among siblings. Leaving the elven lands for Vulkh. For all practical purposes, it was exile. Being self-imposed didn't make it any less so. You figure out how to survive, and you adopt a serenity about the choices you make and don't make.
Aust was a marked elf. He was hunted. If it wasn't the Vul, it would be someone, or something else. If the rhat was correct, barring a minor miracle or major blessing from a priest, he was going to become and remain a lycan. Or worse. Noro would likely want his head on the same platter as Jabbar. Chuth would undoubtedly want his pound of flesh. The worst the Vul could do would be to torture and kill him. At this point, if lycanthropy was the other option, perhaps being tortured long enough to turn would work in his favor.
~High Ones.~
He wanted to speak, but he knew better. They were vain creatures who demanded submission. He would comply. After all, the guards accompanying them were doing their jobs. He would do himself and everyone else in the room a favor if he gave the Vul exactly what they wanted. Abdul always seemed honorable. Opening the door was compliance. Invitation was respect. Silence was...fear. And that's what they wanted. So be it.
~Silence Aust. Be quiet.~
He gave Abdul the opportunity to speak.
Aust Thale said:Aust takes the briefest of moments to think about his response, only half listening to Jabbar in his exchange with the Sergeant. Jabbar's heart is in the right place, but he isn't paying attention. The Vul outside don't care about his gods, or Abdul's. They care about order, and more specific in this instance, what the hell dragged them out into the rain. The poison still lingering weakness in his system, he eyeballed Abdul and his retainer, and he made a decision. He would give Abdul a goal. Something to hunt. Something that would get and keep his attention. As for Aust? He was in the proverbial wrong place at the wrong time. He cut Jabbar off before Abdul had a chance to fully evaluate what Jabbar said.
"Jabbar, could you get me some water?"
As Jabbar moves to do just that, in a stoic, deliberately calm, truthful voice, Aust turns and replies to Abdul, " I followed the wrong people because, to paraphrase something you once told me, that I am an impetuous, nosy elf." Aust pauses a moment to collect himself, looks at Jabbar, then at Abdul, and Abdul's retainer, bringing them into the conversation. "I left earlier to hunt down some wine and got caught in the rain down the street where I ran into a late night ale delivery. At least that's what I thought. I heard yelling, and the Vulkyrie horn sounded, and the workers dropped their loads and fled. I followed them but didn't hide well enough. I should have known better. I heard the horn, but something wasn't right about them. I felt compelled to find out more. I shouldn't have. I should have kept looking for wine. One of them popped me with a crossbow. I ran as quickly as possible back here."
(BLUFF CHECK = 16)
He drinks the water Jabbar has provided allowing himself to slouch a little, intentionally, so as to allow his real fatigue to mask the withholding of information. No lies, really. Just an abridged version of the facts. "He shot me with a poisoned bolt too!"
When the Sergeant invariably asks Aust to describe who he saw, Aust provides a description of Chuth with no mention of his name nor saying the words "Half-Drow", but emphasizing those features. Aust allows Abdul to come to the conclusion that this attacker is Half-Drow. And when he does, Aust becomes dark and brooding.
"Sargent, I will tread delicately here. Trust me on this. If indeed this fellow has Drow blood, even the Vulkyrie have cause to worry. As soberly as I can say this, there are few foes as relentless as motivated as the Drow. As an elf I know this for a fact. They can slaughter an entire town, even perhaps a city, in one night! And if they have one spy in our midst, undoubtedly there are more. Be careful."
Aust Thale said:~Abdul is a good man. Few of those, it seems, these days.~
Aust replies, in closing, "Thank you, Sargent."
For a moment, Aust contemplated sharing some information about the were-rat /girl he had dispatched and to whom Abdul was no doubt referring when he mentioned the wheelbarrow and the drops of blood. Abdul mentioned no body. Unsettling and curious. He needed to fill in Jabbar on the details of the night, as well as inquire as to who the girl was.
Instead, Aust politely and respectfully allows the encounter with Abdul to end. No doubt Abdul's retainer would keep an eye on this place. Well enough. Aust needed to process the night's events. He admired the guards' dedication to law and order despite his having absolutely no use for it himself. He reminded himself to stop and offer a pint to the retainer and especially to Abdul upon his seeing them again. He sits silently for a moment after Abdul's exit. Then with elven quiet he met Jabbar's gaze and walks past him, placing his left hand on Jabbar's right shoulder in thankfully and apologetically, and contemplates the basement.
Aust: Speaks to Jabbar, quietly "This is just starting, isn't it?"
He picks up his cloak and hangs it to dry on a hook close to the fireplace and sets about stoking the flame a little.
He goes to where he had laid the contents of the were-rat's small pouch/pockets. The baubles she carried. The poison dagger (he is very careful with it). He sets Chuth's crossbow bolts down on the table next to it equally as carefully. He gathers some mead, a potato, and a carrot from the cupboard. Still no wine. He sits quietly, assessing the damage the bolt did to his bow when it pinned his hand to it (if any).
He speaks to Jabbar quietly without looking at him, focused on the bow, "Jabbar, I'd like to speak to the Rhat again, please, and I think you and Avar will want to listen to that conversation also. We should discuss what has happened. Might as well include your new Elven archer as well. I trust we will need to be acquainted before the morning."
When the group comes up from the basement, Aust is mildly surprised at the others (Burrai and Elloral). He introduces himself calmly, asking his pardon for his poor manners. He mentions in passing to Avar that two dwarves were looking for him, and he describes them, including the cheeky one. He describes with more detail his encounter with Chuth as he told Abdul, adding Chuth's name and the capture of Chuth's men and Noro's complicity in the failed attack. He then turns to Ren and Jabbar.
"Abdul said there was a wheelbarrow and some blood. No body. That's not good. She's supposed to be dead but she is a Wererat and its possible she survived. Who was she? If she is aligned with Noro as this half-drow assassin is, what kind of blow back can we expect? For that matter, what is Noro thinking? He must have not have his wits about him!"
|
Burrai Steelborn said:Burrai suppressed a snort. The Rhat couldn't have made it sound more like a petty power squabble if he'd read it out of a book - history was little with tales of the underworld enlisting help to keep the crime rate from escalating. If it wasn't for this Noro's veiled threat of blood on the streets of Cabrada, well he'd probably try and keep Jabbar from getting involved. Except that....
Burrai Steelborn said:~If there is more news of the Black Network, their movements or sightings, it stands to reason that the local thieves guild would be a good source of information. If I can get this Koyote on board, with his extra leverage with the Devils, and perhaps Cabrada's thieve's guild in my debt....~ It was a tantalising prospect. So far his plans only extended as far as information gathering and reconnaissance. But with access to resources, an underground network and a mercenary company...he could see the story unfolding before him. Hazy in its details, true, but it was there nonetheless.
"It seems your Master Rasul places much store in stability. Wise man. I've read many a tale of a crime lord too greedy to stop his expansions from bringing the whole guild down around his ears."
Burrai Steelborn said:"This cult of Vermithrax, do you think they might have already infiltrated the city, waiting for Noro's signal? Or would we have time to deal with him before the cult could be summoned?" He wasn't sure he cared either way. Either would by another footnote in history for Burrai Steelborn....
Aust Thale said:Aust's mood grows darker, feeling the weight of the curse for a moment. "Noro deserves the worst fate imaginable coming after my home. Let him burn in the same alchemist fire he plotted to use against us! Lets trap him in the caves and burn everything. His followers. The wererats. All of them!"
Aust grows darkest at his last comment. "Chuth is another matter. I wasn't embellishing when I voiced concerns about the drow to Abdul. His presence isn't about a were-rat power grab. I'd be surprised if he is about any kind of local power grab at all. He's here for something else. Something darker. I'd say take him alive and interrogate him, but that is the finesse approach; I think in this instance, only a taste of real horror will weaken him enough to reveal his plans. Let HIM touch the unholy symbol of Vermithrax. Let HIM start to grow fur, big teeth, and a tail!”
Billanverthorne said:Bill speaks up, trying to unify the party's direction, and give them a sense of purpose.
Billanverthorne said:"Jabbar is absolutely correct. We do need rest, and some of us also need healing. Let's spend the rest of this night doing that."
Bill's countenance hardens, as he continues: "In the morning, I need to meet with someone, on an urgent matter of business. His name is Jarahdrin, and he is very connected in this city. I doubt he would be able to provide any direct help, but he may have information that will aid us in our endeavors. Speaking with him was my primary reason for coming to Cabarda in the first place. I cannot fail to attend this meeting."
Bill looks at Jabbar. "Given all of the events that have transpired tonight, from the Hobgoblin ambush, to the scuffle in the caves, the skirmish with Kong, etc., I do not feel it wise to attend the meeting alone, in a city I am unfamiliar with. Neither do I wish to show up with several armed persons accompanying me. Given that Jarahdrin knew my father, and knows who I am, do you think he'd agree to meet us here, or in some other safe location where we can all congregate? I don't like the idea of splitting up, especially since our purpose is unified, and our enemies are abundant."
Bill adds, "Once I've met with Jarahdrin, I would like to accompany you to meet Rasul; If we plan to return to the Smuggler's Caves, we'd better do it in force. Perhaps Rasul could lend us a few 'retainers' to assist us? I know that a few of us here can hold our own in a fight, but I do not like the idea of being overwhelmed by a far-superior force. I'd also like to go into those caves with magical protective spells already having been cast, and carrying a healing potion or two, if that could be somehow managed. And if we're to be facing wererats, some silver weaponry would be in order."
Lastly, Bill concludes his comments with a warning: "Make no mistake, my friends. When we return to those caves, it will be for the purpose of killing. We cannot afford to show mercy; the enemy will offer us NONE. It's kill or be killed. The wererats are utterly evil, and will do their best to destroy us. Noro's heart must be equally dark, if he is dealing with the likes of them. And Noro's minions are evil as well, if they would so readily swear allegiance to a murderer who deals with wererats. NO ONE in those caves deserves your mercy!! If we do this, we must commit ourselves to a grim duty; not one of the enemy can leave those caves alive. When we go there, we go there with the purpose of battle. And that battle will be to the death. Is everyone prepared for that?"
Burrai Steelborn said:Burrai sat in a chair slightly too large for him, feet dangling and inch above the floor, hands pressed together in prayer and against his lips. He listened, thought, planned, prepared. The players and pieces coalesced on the board, and he applied all his instinct and intelligence to the problem. It wasn't so different from planning a battle, or an insurgence - just that the time frame was longer, the factions larger and more disperate, and the goals of all parties more complex than simply surviving the upcoming battle. It felt familiar, comfortable. Exciting.
Burrai mentally shifted a couple of pieces around on the board. A pattern began to form, a weave of actions that, properly executed, might tip the whole situation into their open palms. Truth was most plans lasted only until the first arrow was fired, but that was no reason not to make them. He waited for discussion to die down, still and motionless as rock. Sometimes even conversations needed tactics and timings....
He rumbled into the quiet.
Burrai Steelborn said:"Battles are often fought and won by those who pick the terrain. Here, with this amulet, we have a way to choose the terrain - no general worth their weight in regolith would turn down such an opportunity. So here's how I see our situation." He took a moment, checking the game-board he'd built inside his head.
"We have, currently, four enemies. Firstly is the Vul - we want to keep these from the board whatever happens, and so we shouldn't do anything that might alert them. This, as we all have experience in, is reasonably natural to us. Second: Noro. This is our focal point: Our goal. With him toppled, most of our enemies fragment and lose cohesion. Routed if you will. He has allies though. And that brings us to our Third and Fourth factions. The cult of Verminthrax provides a problem with its muscle and numbers. I agree with Jabbar that this Kyser trying to sack Cabarda is unlikely. More sensible would be to install a ruler of the underworld here - and most people know underground organisations tend to be as much functioning parts of any town as the rightful rulers - and have that leader beholden to you. But it is a risk - and so I would guess Kyser will send enough support to achieve Noro's goals, but not risk any more. We aren't in Noro's goals, and so potentially they aren't as heavily supported as they might be. Which brings us to the amulet."
Burrai takes a breath, looking around the room, trying to gauge reactions. It was difficult. The night's events had pushed a lot of people outside their comforts, which could easily make them eager or dismissive dependant on their personalities. Which he knew too little of to make assumptions.
"The best way to defeat any larger force is by isolation. With the Amulet we can potentially lure a piece of Noro's strength and either, as Ersun says, destroy or neutralise it. Divided, Noro is weakened. And because we know the time and location, thanks to Bill and Ren, if this Rasul want's to strike, then is the perfect opportunity. If we can weaken Noro, then Rasul will have no better time to re-establish his control. It will take coordination, yes, but our and Rasul's goals here coincide, and it is a perfect opportunity. Rasul will know if he believes he still commands enough loyalty to topple Noro on even ground without these wererats to back him up....."
"Which brings us to our Fourth and most unknown enemy. Chuth. He's a wildcard, and therefore could prove to be the marble that shatters the pick. Jabbar has a point that thanks to Aust here, he will have much to fear from the Vul. Right now, like them, we don't want him on the board. So it seems to make sense to entangle the pair, well away from the smugglers caves. And that, I believe, accounts for all the variables we face. We are not many, but we are enough to apply pressure in plenty of places."
He stood now, walking in a loose circle before his chair, hands behind his back, head bowed in thought. "By that assessment, I see the following actions we need to accomplish in the next two days before Noro makes his play for control of Cabarda." He held out one hand, counting the points out on his callous, scarred fingers. "One: Alert the Vul to Chuth's presence, and set a trap. Two: Draw Chuth into that trap, in a place preferably as far away from the smuggler's caves as possible. Three: Assess the size of the threat posed by the cult of Verminthrax - this will decide whether we ambush and neutralise them by force, or by misdirection. Four: We meet with Rasul and convince him of the need to strike at Noro at the time and location of our choosing. And Lastly, considering the larger threat the Black Network poses, we should reach out to any potential allies we might have. Bound into our plans over the next two days, the likelihood of their help in the bigger fight grows."
He folded his hand into a fist and let it drop. He picked out people individually. "If this Chuth is hiding in the Goblin's Goblet, out of all of us, you or Bill represent the best chance of getting close enough to turning both the Vul and Chuth against each other. The right rumours spoke in the right places are often the most effective, and that tavern certainly sounds like one of the right places. Similarly, Aust and Bill seem to possess the best skills to scout out the Cult of Verminthrax and assess their strength. It certainly isn't me." He makes a gesture to his heavy armour. "Jabbar is already under summons from Rasul, and so seems best placed to broker an alliance to add their strength to ours. Meanwhile, Jabbar mentioned someone called Koyote, who might prove to be a powerful ally. As I have had dealings with the mercenaries of Cabarda, more than once, and have a name he may well know, I shall seek him out to see what aid we can illicit from him against both Noro and the Black Network in the future."
He paused, eyes closed, breathing deeply and checking all the moves he'd plotted out on the board of his mind. It seemed to fit, but one couldn't be too careful.
"So these are my suggestions. What do you all think? Obviously we have a little time - Bill has business to attend to also, but thankfully not too much is time critical. Who is this Jarahdin Bill, and do you think he might be able to prove an asset in our endeavours? But Bill is also right; we have an opportunity here to strike a heavy, decisive blow to Noro and gain incredible infulence in this town. We should not shirk from it...."
......and if it worked, Burrai Steelborn would carve yet another mark into history that scholars and bards would find it hard to ignore....
Billanverthorne said:Ponders these remarks for a moment;
Billanverthorne said:"Do we know if Kong or any of his men frequent the Goblin's Cup? If so, an unknown Elven Archer showing up suddenly and poking around might raise a few red flags, after our little alley encounter. One of his men saw me, albeit only briefly. I think that perhaps Aust, or maybe Ersun, are the best suited among us for such a 'finesse' operation as rumor-starting. I am what military commanders often refer to as a blunt instrument."
Bill runs his fingers through his hair once, brushing his bangs away from his face, before continuing: "As for scouting the cult of Verminthrax, I'd think Ren the best suited for such a thing, although I will gladly accompany him as a bodyguard. I can sneak around a little, but I do rattle somewhat, because of all the metal I wear. I'm better at hiding in wooded areas than I am in underground environments. And my role as a scout in my army days was "hiding from a distance," i.e., long-range observation, not close-quarters reconnaissance."
Bill pauses, before saying: "As for Jarahdrin, he is a wealthy merchant, and was a good friend of my father's. He and my father both were researching the Black Network, and Jarahdrin was using his skill as an amateur historian and student of obscure lore to help my father in his endeavors. The Black Network killed my father because of what he discovered about them. My father left a notebook in his study that contained much of that information; however, all but a scrap was burned up by a Black Network agent. My hope is that Jarahdrin will be able to tell me the contents (or perhaps most of it, anyway) of that notebook. The two of them shared information between themselves, it is likely that Jarahdrin knows firsthand what the missing information is."
|
Aletia said:The pale young elf gasped in quiet astonishment as the secret workshop and its inhabitants were revealed. Now this was interesting! ~What an unusual place to conduct business. What interesting workers he has.~
Aletia said:She also took note of the chests and their seemingly violent purpose, taking a mental note to remember... take care should some future day come, when a great chest of treasures might allure and seduce. ~They say greed has a price, perhaps this is to what they refer!~ Dwarves. She'd never had much to do with their kind, yet Vallio had oft encouraged her to keep an open mind, to make her own decisions on matters of shape and size when it came to humble and potentially “good” folk.
Aletia said:
"Presumption is dangerous young Aletia, with ages-a-few beneath that belt there will be temptations to draw on false knowledge, to recall old debts and misgivings, and let them dictate to you. No Aletia, you my girl are a free spirit. The moon falls on all. It is action and a sound mind that makes one's life meaningful. Not flowing down a river of preconception and arrogance."
That's what he'd said many years ago, when the elven girl had giggled and mocked at the first sight of a gnome. The short little fellow was a marketeer selling rough uncut stones. She regretted it shortly afterwards. The Aquamarine was wondrous, yet as revenge the little-man had refused to sell, not even one small morsel. It was unsettling how these old memories, insignificant at the time, seemed to float back with a great sense of potency.
Aletia said:“Oh no kind Broulgrune,” she replied, making sure to meet eyes with all of Kayote’s friends as she continued, “please forgive me, for disturbing your so exacting and masterful work.”
It wasn’t the time to ask a barrage of questions, she held back, wanting to speak of the wondrous cut of quartz, who had done it, with what tools, for what purpose they chiseled and sweat over blood-stealing chests, how long they had worked here, and on and on. No. She chose to carefully ask her questions one at a time, and gauge Kayote’s demeanor after each.
Aletia said:That was what had really pricked up her ears. Was this contest linked to Kayote’s first “task”? She had to know.
“I am a new arrival in these lands, please, share with me, what is this contest to be held on morrow’s day?”
Aletia said:~If it is a drinking contest, they would be a force to be reckoned with. Somehow I suspect something more mischievous~
Aletia said:'Overwhelmed, bewildered, blown away,' might have been words for it. Aletia listened to the discourse, all the while keeping control of her tongue and desire to ask but a myriad of questions. Her wide green eyes, furrowing brow and tightly clamped lips probably told the story though. She was as much surprised as shocked, in awe, and strangely evermore curious about the facts revealed, and those also that still lay concealed.
She had no doubt that Vallio had called folk "friends" from all walks of life. Simple shepherds. Council members. A breeder of fine dogs. The wife of a grain merchant. A stray cat that lived under a bridge not far from what was once called home. Everywhere he trod the man seemed to strike up friendships, yet all the while he'd seemed nothing but lonely till she'd walked by his side.
To date, Kayote was by far the most unusual of his past comrades. ~A man not to be underestimated as just an old and thick-veined drunkard~ she thought to herself. What had just been explained to her was complex, required the talents of many, and skills that she'd once have denied possible. All this work. All this skill. All this planning was to one end, coin. Or was it? The young elf pondered on the as yet unspoken, how this "contest" of sorts must bring some kind of reward and safety, popularity even, that no doubt kept his Inn in fine regard.
There was a pause as Aletia let it all sink in, before finally she smiled and said, "I am most honored to be allowed to see your work and learn of these things," before nodding and adding, "you have my word, on Vallio and all the good he was to me, that I shall never speak word of these things to anyone. You bring me here in deep trust, and you must know that I will respect this privilege."
She looked to Broulgrune, "it is... truly incredible. A power that I've not once before learned of, nor heard of. You are no doubt a master Sir, and I thank you for opening my eyes. It is true that threads of sorcery flow through these veins, but I dare say my arts are simple ones, born of a life on foot, wandering with aim to see the world and let it find me... a purpose so to say. As such, my enchantments lie in the domains of protection and stealth. Vallio honed these skills with me, to ensure my safety... to create options... should one day I need to remove myself from harm."
Turning now to Kayote, Aletia continued. "That said, as Master Burlock may surmise, I am far from useless if trained by Vallio's hand. We all have our strengths, and mine were honed to watch as eyes, to learn, and to strike from range and never be known. I hunt under the moon, yet until Vallio's death knew not what I hunted."
"Kind men, I would be honored to serve you and your purpose here for as long as you will have me. Tell me, what do you need to know of me? What is it that I can do to serve in your great contest? I can craft bows and fletch arrows as good as any man, yet I dare say, your maze seems more a place for death at arms reach."
Aletia said:"You are wise to question. Why would you trust the words of a miss-placed young elf till now unknown. Tell me, how may I convince you? Name the tasks you wish to grant me, and I will serve you as best I am able. What I do not know, let me learn from you. I promise not to distract you nor pepper your ears with a ladies endless questions, yet for what I can learn in this work, I will be endlessly grateful."
Respect. Admiration. A sprinkle of flattery.
Aletia's words had been well-chosen and seemed to have melted some of the ice with Kayote's secret "crew". They were accepting of her as-yet-undefined role; something she owed to her link with Vallio, to elven gracefulness of voice and more prominently, Kayote's apparent leadership and respect for the craftsmen. She was now included in something; mischievous, artistic, and with ample opportunity to grab new knowledge firmly in both hands.
The details of exactly what she’d signed up for were still paper thin, undefined, transient and hanging in the air, but she would not dig deeper yet.
In the pause as she awaited a reply, Aletia took a bite of her apple and wondered...~They trust me with all this, yet they hide the Man with the Iron Mask from view. Who is he? I sense a morbid story... perhaps some past foe of Kayote who now lives a life in chains? For all they reveal, there is much still unspoken, yet I will be quiet on this, and save that question for some later day. I did after all, request a roof over my head and some work with which to pay it, and herein it seems may lie my new duties. They see a frail young woman... I can not spite them for that, yet Apple, he seems a good sort, a man of empathy and kindness perhaps. He alone makes this place just a touch warmer in spirit and in heart. Yes. I can do this, and there isn't exactly a choice is there?
Aletia said:Is this to be honorable work? Righteous?
Probably not. The concept of unknown and otherwise good men losing their lives in this money-making scheme created a somewhat bitter taste, but she lapped it up none the less. Vallio had entrusted her to Kayote. She'd made her feelings and desires plainly obvious, and it had all lead here... to an unlikely group and an unlikely project in an unlikely place.
Knowledge. Safety.
These were the two greatest things of which she had asked, and as the introductions were winding up it seemed both would be satisfied.
She would do the best she could, and take all that she could in return.~
Aletia said:"Thank you Broulgrune, I too trust Kayote's judgement." She looked to Master Burlock with a small smile, nothing too over the top, but just enough for him to know that she was pleased.
He would surely know why.
He was giving her purpose.
He was preventing the gnarly hands of despair from pulling her down... down into a spiral of tears and regret.
"It is so good to meet you all!" Aletia said nodding to the group and then waiting for Kayote to take the lead.
She longed to breathe the night air and feel the moon buried above cloud. A brisk walk to clear her head perhaps. A silent prayer. It depended on what would happen next.
He finds that weariness is overcoming the party, and further planning would be a tedious work right now. They have unified their purpose and it seems Jabbar and Rasul will ally, although in more hectic circumstances than he first imagined. It also seems Ren does mean to spend the night, and report to Rasul in the morning, or maybe take Jabbar along at once. It is somewhat uncomfortable, and as far as he understood Rasul meant to meet tonight, and was waiting at a prearranged place. He seems like a wise man, so Ersun hopes he returned home safely, and did not jump to hasty or wrong conclusions about what happened to him and Ren. Although, he should have enough informants to get a rough picture about tonight's events.
"Yes, we should rest now, and then rise early to arrange who does what exactly." at this he glances at Jabbar and Ren most importantly. "We should also set watch, should we not? We can assume the alarm scared off any enemies, but then again, it only takes one more invisibility potion to catch us off guard. The rain... " he pauses and a little to stare at the phenomenon outside. It is such a strange and wondrous thing, water just falling so widely from and endless, ceilingless sky. "only offers advantage against the Vul, and not just by out perspective."
"If Jabbar trusts me with it, I can take the first four hours? I have darkvision and have rested recently. Time, is different here... it would do me well to get adjusted to it anyway. Just give me a basic layout of the house and where to find you in case something does come up." he inquires Jabbar.
Ersun said:Once the question of setting guards is done he motions Ren over for a quick discussion, and he whispers to him. He has a sending stone to Thiara, it is not a direct line to Rasul, but if Ren thinks it is for the best if they send a message about what happened tonight and what they are planning, it is still an option. If Thiara gave one to him, then he safely assumes they also share a pair. In Ersun's opinion, just having him learn about the wererats and their operations right now instead of in the morning could be much useful for getting prepared.
Level: | Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 5 |
---|---|
Components: | V, S, M/DF |
Casting Time: | 10 minutes |
Range: | See text |
Target: | One creature |
Duration: | 1 round; see text |
Saving Throw: | None |
Spell Resistance: | No |
Ersun said:Once Ren approved using the stone, as it is the current best option. He quickly composes the message in his mind, and then sends it with the stone. He takes a look at the eavesdroppers but does not comment on them.
“Greetings. Rasul awaits me and Ren in the sewers but we are stuck at Jabbar’s. Noro has wererats in smuggling caves. Counter preparations are tomorrow.”
Since the length of a message is rather limited with such devices, he had to craft it short and well. She will not expect the message, and she will only have a moment to listen, comprehend, and remember. With that in mind curter sentences with only base words did not seem like a good idea, he rather emphasised on making sure the main points get across and understood:
- Rasul should not wait for them in the sewers.
- Wererat aggression business right upon their necks.
Kayote turns to glance at you with an idea. "Since you are so eager to prove your worth, and yet-young-enough to endure this in-climate weather without complaint, would you do an old man a favor and deliver an invitation for me?" He asks, pulling a small scroll from his robe sealed with wax and a red-ribbon.
"This is for Jabbar Najafi, the smuggler I mentioned before and a very old friend. I'd wish very much to share his company at The Contest tomorrow. It would do you some good as well to meet him, he is the only other soul who understands the evil nature of the black network as much as I do. Jabbar lives above his Trade Shop near the East Market. Take your time and familiarize yourself with the streets of this town, but be on your guard. There is so much yet for you to learn." He states with the challenging tone of a mentor, handing over the scroll.
[Aletia: what do you do?]
ALETIA - Shining in the darkness Sheet: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=725599 Level 4 Sorceress Init 3, HP Max: 22 Current: 22, Speed 30ft AC 14, Touch 13, Flat-footed 11, Fort 3, Ref 4, Will 4, Base Attack Bonus 2 Longbow +5 to hit / D8 damage (+1 point blank +1 with magic arrows) Longsword +2 to hit / D8 damage Familiar Crez (Tiny silver viper) Init 3, HP Max: 11 Current: 11, Speed 15ft AC 19, Fort 2, Ref 2, Will 4, Base Attack Bonus 2 Poisonous Bite +2 to hit / D1 damage (+poison) Abilities: Deliver touch spells, Alertness, Improved evasion, Spare spells, Empathic link |