Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

[Jeff the Green]

The Halls of Mystery -> Mirielle's Apartment -> Posh Paladin

Mirielle packs up her notes and the beginning of Life Beyond the Grave—she'd corrected the title in her edition—and starts home an hour or so before sunset; she wishes to be gone before the revel starts. She has no particular lack of ecumenical spirit, to be sure, but revels more often than not spill over into adjacent rooms, and even buildings, and drunk or amorous wizards do not make for comfortable study spaces.

Once there, Mirielle notices the note from Alaister. She ponders over whether she'd ever learned where Jorran was now staying, but concludes she hadn't. And Aya was at the revel. She prepares a modest supper and prepares her spells before heading to the Posh Paladin, hoping she hadn't missed Alaister.

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There's ~30 minutes between sunset and dusk at the approximate latitude of Ravens Bluff, so I'll be getting there 45 minutes to an hour after dusk.

[Frog Dragon]

Noon, Gowntown
Jorran now had a slightly better idea of the Black Sorrow's capabilities, but that wasn't very useful in tracking him down. Mirielle might have had more luck. Either her, or Aya or Alaister. Either way, they most often gathered at Mirielle's place, so that would be the best place to start if he wanted to find the others.

Not being in any particular hurry, he leisurely walks to Mirielle's Apartment.

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Assuming he gets there after Alaister.

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

"Officer¹?" Cael leans forward in pursuit the watchman's retreating gaze. "What's happened? If you don't expect her to recognize a friend's name, will you not give her the opportunity to recognize my face?"

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¹ If the watchman's uniform has a name and/or rank insignia on it, Cael will refer to the officer accordingly (Officer ______, Lieutenant ______, etc.).

[candycorn]

Posh Paladin > Mirielle's

Alaister waits at his house for about twenty minutes, before impatience gets the better of him, and he departs to scout Mirielle's Apartment for anyone loitering about, as is his custom.

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Spot and Listen, with inspiration, please. I'll let DM make roll, on the same reasoning as Sense Motive.

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

Aya grins, raising a hand in farewell to Rikrik as she moves out into the hall, slowly traversing the party. Her eventual destination is Yustable Tarthree, someone whom it probably wouldn't hurt to be acquainted with - although his reputed memory for names and faces meant she'd have to be a bit more careful with any questions she asked than usual. However, she takes the long way around, spending a fair bit of time simply listening to the conversations around her. It wasn't that she expected to find out anything especially useful through such an exercise, but there were sometimes interesting common threads in a room's chatter. Just as importantly, she is keeping an ear out for any mentions of Casheira Ansugelt; if she were lucky enough to catch someone addressing her, she'd be able to find out the mage's appearance without the troublesome connection of asking.

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

"Give me your name and how you know her. Come back in perhaps four hours, and maybe you'll have luck. This has to go through the Chief."

The High House of Magic

From the strings of conversation it is evident most people around here know each other quite well, to perhaps little surprise. It is mainly the Mystran priests and younger mages who are unfamiliar with the high society and either keep amongst each other or introduce themselves to some influential person or the other. Still early in the evening, much of the talk is greetings, questions about the wellbeing of a mutual acquaintance and updates on what they've been up to since last they met. The friendly formality is feigned in some cases; when a young woman with snow-white hair inquires about the well-being of another noble's husband the dripping acid makes it quite clear 'eaten by dire wallabies' would have been an acceptable answer.
Yustable Tarthree himself, a slightly plump man with the first signs of a balding spot, is found chatting to two women who must be sisters, one of them looking like a a slightly younger version of the other; the only obvious distinguishing feature is one of them wears her long auburn hair in a braid instead of loose.

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no one loitering around Mirielle's. Go ahead with your meeting, it looks Jorran will have no way of partaking

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle

Cael exhales deeply. "Thank you," he nods. "My name is Alhruar, A-l-h-r-u-a-r, Elyrin, E-l-y-r-i-n. I first met Liara some forty-odd years ago in the Tannaths -- the mountains that separate Aglarond from Thay. Her family helped me to escape the tyranny of the Red Wizards and start a new life in the west."

He pauses then for a moment, allowing the watchman's notes to catch up. "I don't know what's happened here in Raven's Bluff," he continues, tapping one finger on the officer's desk for emphasis, "but understand, that woman was a hero."

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If this scene is over, I'd like to try and find the offices of the Herald, the newspaper that Misti mentioned.

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

Aya makes her way over to Tarthree, circling a bit and making use of her superior hearing to first ensure she won't be interrupting anything more important than small talk. If she were anyone else, the lack of weighty matters present in the hall ought to have been a cue to relax, but the thought barely occurred to her. She had come here with a purpose - she rarely went anywhere without one - and as long as she had the nagging little tug of habit in the back of her mind, she couldn't simply ignore that purpose.

Aya bows slightly as soon as she is noticed, slipping back into her naïve persona with a friendly smile - a little humility would probably suit her well here, and Nadira's sharp lectures about station had not gone entirely unheeded. This was a bigger city than her last assignment, and her own position was much less official. "Ah... good evening! Might I join your party for a little while?"

[TheFallenOne]

Ravendark Castle

The watchman frowns. "Sadly we got a whole embassy with a rather opposed view on that. Be glad we caught her first, if you know what I mean..."

The Herald doesn't seem to have a central office. Copies are sold by various vendors of other goods around the city. The printing used to be done in the temple of Gond where the mechanical contraption for it was designed, but was later moved to the mansion of the Sinaran noble family after the youngest offspring of the moon-elven clan became a reporter as a hobby. The move was much to the relief of The Turning Wheel, as many a complaint regarding what was written in the Herald was directed at them.
Their most important, as well as controversial writer is their gossip and rumors columnist Jacinth. Her brother Raerando makes a decent bit of business with his throwing knives whenever a new issue appears, thanks to the target dummy in the likeness of his sister.

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no central office, but if you want to go after the Herald you now know multiple avenues.

The High House of Magic

Tarthree takes a quick, methodical glance at Aya. "From what I can tell this is your party more than mine. How could I refuse one of Mystra's esteemed servants on this day?" He makes an inviting hand gesture for Aya to join the group. "Well, introductions. I'm Yustable Tarthree. Lord Tarthree, technically, not that I ever get used to that part. And these are two of the three lovely ladies of Moorland, one of the founding families of our dear city in fact. An ancient and noble house, such a shame they are trying to eradicate themselves, isn't that right ladies?" For some reason the two women actually giggle at that comment before introducing themselves with their first names, Cortalyn and Dhannas.

[rypt]

Ravendark Castle -> Altarside Neighborhood

To think that Cael's reunion with his sister, however brief it might be, could, after years of waiting, be mere hours away... He tries to keep his expectations low as he exits the castle's eastern gate. It is in the Lady's hands now.

Four hours. And yet there was so much he didn't know.

Turning north onto Raphel Road, Cael begins his search for Raerando's shop.

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If he doesn't quickly come across something obvious like "Raerando's Cutlery Emporium," he'll ask a patrolling guard or local passerby.

[TheFallenOne]

Altarside

Raerando's Fine Knives isn't hard to find; it is a small shop, sharing the first floor of a two-story building with Umbrel's Hot Tarts, a bakery spreading a pleasant smell.

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

Aya smiles politely, nodding to each of them in turn. "I am Aya Llewellyn, of the Order of the Shooting Star. Ah, but I don't actually hold any station here," she quickly adds, as though she were afraid her title might sound pretentious. "I only arrived in the city a few weeks ago, and I didn't get a very warm welcome, but that's... probably over with now, so I'm just settling into my role here."

Feigning cheerfulness and feigning a feigned cheerfulness wouldn't look much different from the outside, or so she hopes as she brushes the mention aside. Subtlety in conversation wasn't her greatest talent, so she always tried to lay a mask over a mask when she had any sort of misdirection in mind. "Ah, so, what did you mean when you said the house of Moorland was trying to eradicate themselves?" she asks, looking between the three curiously.

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

"Oh, forgive me, I am so used to people at these gatherings knowing the current noble gossip", the merchant lord answers. "Well, let us entertain you. It is, like often, a story sparked by tragedy..."
The sisters begin with an abbreviated family history. They are obviously proud of their heritage, but their tale is less pompous and lordly than some might expect from such high nobility. During the war, all three of their brothers fell, and their father Lord Phineas Augustus was taken by illness shortly after, leaving the line without a male heir. The future of the name has been in question since, and shortly ago the planned marriage between their older sister, Lady Katherine Marie Moorland, Lady Speaker of the Council of Lords, and Lord Blacktree was announced. Tarthree mentions persistent rumors the two houses plan to merge, but the sisters brush this off with a noncommittal laugh.
"So there you have it. Even neglecting that rumor, we are just two marriages away from the Moorland name disappearing. And with such lovely ladies I'm sure suitors aren't in short supply." He gives the sisters an exaggerated wink.
"So that's the tale. But what did you mean about not receiving a warm welcome? I thought your temple here was rather..." He hesitates, searching for the right word. "Openminded?"

[rypt]

Raerando's Fine Knives

Cael looks first to the merchandise on display, nodding approvingly before turning to whoever is waiting behind the counter. "Hello there," he smiles his typically friendly smile as he approaches. "You must be Raerando, Jacinth's brother?" He extends a hand and offers an introduction, "Alhruar Elyrin. You can call me Al."

[TheFallenOne]

Raerando's Fine Knives

The shop features a large selection of smaller blades, from throwing knives to cooking knives and more exotic ones that seem to require the expertise of a chef to determine their exact purpose - or a torturer's, perhaps. Raerando, a man with wild black hair and beard in desperate need of some grooming, has his smile falter when Cael introduces himself. "Shame really, nowadays people seem more interested in my sis than my knives. What exactly can I do for you?"

[Jeff the Green]

Posh Paladin -> Mirielle's Apartment

After waiting the better part of an hour Mirielle returns home, tired and frustrated. The Posh Paladin was not her type of establishment—though, granted, few places were these days. It was far too cold and wet for her tastes and smelled like fish. And not the fresh catch she'd become accustomed to during her time in the Bluff.

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When Alaister shows himself, Mirielle greets him with a sour face and tongue. "For an Oghmite you don't know much about religious devotions. The hour after sunset is a bad time for me to meet, unless you want me useless in the morning."

[candycorn]

Mirielle's Apartment

Alaister turns a light shade of pink from embarrassment, and bows his head in apology. "Apologies, Mirielle. Your nightly devotions slipped my mind. I will try to be more mindful of your schedule in the future.

Nonetheless, I do have something that may interest the group. I've managed to track down a bit of information on Black Sorrow. It seems that he and his allies have made more than a couple enemies in this town, and those enemies want to act against our friend and his support. I intended to put some contacts to work gathering information on Black Sorrow, to maximize the information I got, and pursue a couple other things on my own. Thus, in order to get the names of his allies, Misti Marva would like a bit of payment for the information. That said, I personally tracked one of the people he's been seen with. Stavra Lashon. Heads up the prison ships that just pulled into the bay. Seems Sorrow left with a pair of comely lasses too. I'm not entirely sure that's the particular ally we'll be working against, but even if she's not, she has dealings with Black Sorrow. That may be a way to become a bit of a thorn in his side. Perhaps if we inconvenience Sorrow enough, he'll be more amenable to negotiating for the return of Jorran's goods. If it is the person in question, then, well... I have a couple ideas for removing her from power, based on the specifics of her responsibilities. The best way to lose a job, after all, is to make it publicly and embarrassingly seem as if you are incapable of doing it properly.

The only thing that is really time-critical, though, is the opportunity for work. If we put in a hundred gold for the information from Misti Marva, she can provide us with Black Sorrow's allies and a job that works against him in the short term. Also, we'd make the better part of a thousand gold off the job. I have no problem putting in half of the cost for the information, which I will recover from the profits from the mission. I wanted to see about getting another of our group to do the same, and the remaining profits from the mission would be split equally. That is, if we decide to do this.

The specifics, as far as I can tell, are removing someone from power. She's involved in some less-than-savory practices, but has a semi-legitimate function, and some people wish her removed from that function. Killing isn't required, but neither is it prohibited. From what I was told, if she were to meet an untimely end, few, if any, will complain. At the very least, removing such a person from power will make this city a better place, no? And if it inconveniences Sorrow, so much the better. We can send the message that people do not steal from us and evade consequences. What do you think?"

[TheFallenOne]

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Stavra is female actually. You can safely infer that's who Misti was talking about.

The prison ships are actually in the bay and harbor most of the time. Sometimes they go to another nearby city, dredging their harbor for money, but they are the majority of the week inside the Bluff.

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

"Oh, the temple has been very helpful. It was actually before I visited..." Aya looks rather embarrassed, an emotion she has no need to feign. "Embro Ambrath had me and my traveling companions kidnapped on our way into the city. Apparently he'd heard that Lord Blacktree wanted one of us, but he didn't know which or why, so he tried to get us to help him kidnap someone else to find out... we only agreed in order to get out of there, and we didn't go through with it..."

Aya shrugs helplessly. "It was all rather silly, and it turned out that the whole thing was a bit of a misunderstanding, but I do worry a little that he'll be cross we didn't take his side. I'm not sure whether there are other Houses I should avoid..."

[rypt]

Raerando's Fine Knives

There were many things Cael could have said on the subject of sisters, but he holds them all behind empathetic eyes. "I am sorry, friend, truly, but mine are problems that knives cannot solve. Not so long ago, your sister's newspaper ran a front-page story about an old friend of mine, an Aglarondan woman who remains in the custody of the city watch despite being declared a traitor by her own government. I know very little about what transpired in Aglarond, but I know even less about what's happened here. I'm hoping your sister can tell me more; I'm hoping she can help me unravel this mess. Will you tell me where I can find her?"

[Jeff the Green]

Mirielle's Apartment

Mirielle considers Alaister's story. "No murder," she says abruptly. "I'm willing to kill in defense and to serve as judge and executioner where there is no law or when the law cannot act, but not for something like this.

"Other than that caveat, I'm in. I'll even give you the other fifty gold pieces to take to Misti. The last thing this city needs is an official who's friends with a Loviatarite. How were you thinking of demonstrating Ms. Lashon's incompetence?"

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Is there some prohibition against hiring prostitutes in the Loviatarite faith, or the specific rules of the Disciples of the White Rod? It seems like there might be. Knowledge (religion): (1d20+9)[18]

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

The younger of the sisters gasps in shock, and Tarthree blinks at least a dozen times in raid sucession, looking thoroughly stunned. "That... was a quite unexpected story." He takes out a handkerchief and wipes his forehead, collecting himself. "This is a dire accusation for sure. Lord Ambrath's friends are in the minority here, so if you fancy the undivided attention of half our nobility... But if you spread this he will be cross for sure." In his perplexed state he seems to have missed or skipped over Aya's question.

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you notice the older of the sisters scanning the room, looking for someone

Raerando's Fine Knives

Raerando snorts derisively and points at a thoroughly abused target dummy bearing the likeness of a woman with short black hair. "See that, pal? Most guys looking for my sis aren't exactly fans, so I am strictly forbidden from telling anyone where to find her. If you have a story to tell you may leave name and adress here and maybe she will follow up on it."

JtG

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there is not(Loviatar). No sucess on the disciples

[candycorn]

Mirielle's

Alaister tilts his head to the side, quizzically, pondering a bit about Kelemvor, and his clergy... When he speaks, it's idly curious... "And what if the law cannot be enforced, due to the whims of noble corruption? After all, what good is law if it isn't enforced equally for all? Is such a thing better than thug rule? If this woman has committed crimes clearly deserving of death, yet the agents of law in this town turn a blind eye for their own gain, then that isn't law, but the deepest betrayal of it, no?"

Alaister frowns for a second, after, contemplating the question he had received.... "There are any number of ways to discredit her. Ultimately, those in power must at least suspect her actions. If they wouldn't be upset at news of her demise, then they must merely tolerate her, because of her usefulness. So, we find what it is that makes her useful to them, and we destroy it, or remove her control over it. If she has secrets that she holds over them, we burn the evidence. If her boats are a convenient place for the powerful to hold those that they don't want seen, then we destroy a boat, or hijack it, or stage a prison break. If she uses prisoners as manual labor for the powerful, then we could arrange an uprising that she can't put down easily. There are several options, but they hinge on making those that tolerate her inconvenienced, and to make it seem as if Stavra is to blame for their problems. If they lose their reason to tolerate her, then it stands to reason they would stop doing so."

[Sallera]

The High House of Magic

"Oh, I didn't mean to start rumours!" Aya replies hastily, raising her hands in apology. "But it's good to know he isn't as well-connected as I'd feared. Are his friends among the other Merchant Houses, then? I've only been to Nightbird and Wyrmhoard so far, so I'm not even sure of who they all are..."

As though she were only just noticing the older Moorland's search, Aya quickly looks around herself, then tilts her head innocently. "What is it? Someone to be worried about?"

[rypt]

Raerando's Fine Knives

Cael sets his jaw and looks down at the counter, seeking a moment's reprieve from Raerando's attitude. "Look," he sighs, "I'd have to be a special kind of fool to walk into a knife store looking for trouble with the owner's sister. Now I don't know that I have a story for her either, but if she can find the time, I'd like to talk with her all the same. Again, the name's Alhruar, and I'm staying at the Lucky Coin down in Silverscales."

[TheFallenOne]

The High House of Magic

"Oh, Lady Nightbird is carefully neutral in all things political. Ambrath's closest ally is House Kuldath. Most other merchants of note are allied to him as well, though not necessarily friendly... Except Tempest Rose of course as that belongs to Lady Lauren, and he has a bit of a rivalry with Dandelion House as they compete over the profits of import and export.
As far as the nobility goes... The Quelemters are courting him ever since the Council temporarily stripped them of their title, and their current Lord is actually rational enough to pull an alliance off. The Leorduins are rather unloved by their fellow nobles and thus have little loyalty to their designated faction. The Indemmers are close to the minor merchants, but also Lady Lauren, putting them in an awkward position... And nobody really knows what Lady Flemeer thinks of anything. If she fell dead today nobody here might know for months. If you fear for his friends, they are few. If you fear people who won't refuse his requests you're likely to meet one whenever you lose a couple coins in a shop."
Cortalyn's head suddenly snaps around when Aya notices her peering. "What? Oh no. Just... Checking if the host looks like he wants to give a little speech. They sometimes do that."

Raerando's Fine Knives

"At least you're not that much of a fool", Raerando answers, producing a doubleedged knife seemingly out of thin air. "I'll tell her." He sends the knife at the dummy with a flick of his wrist. "Anything else?"

[rypt]

Raerando's Fine Knives

Finding something...off about Raerando's apparent propensity for inflicting harm upon his sister's effigy, Cael's eyes linger for a moment on the dummy. "Thank you" he answers, turning back to the shopkeeper. "And no, that will be all."

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I want Cael to return to Ravendark Castle as close to the 4 hour mark as possible. If I make a Gather Information check in the meantime, can I either roll the required time to see if he can fit it in, and/or agree to take some potential penalty to the resulting check to represent him gathering as much information as possible in what time he has available?

[TheFallenOne]

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eh, I gave you bit of extra time the day before. Just return to the castle and advance your main plot

[rypt]

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Works for me! When he returns to the Watch Office, does he find the same officer working the desk?

[TheFallenOne]

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He does indeed