Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff Thread 2

[rypt]

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

Cael's eyes immediately register Aya's offer, but for a moment, his expression remains impassive. Mirroring her secretive glances in a slightly exaggerated fashion, he leans forward, and in a hushed tone says, "almost certainly," before breaking into a broad smile.

[TheFallenOne]

Seaman's Death

"Who fights here? Whoever feels like it", one of the players says in a bored tone. "Once a month there's a proper competition, other times it's just two blokes going at each other for the fun, glory and however much they cared to bet. You want a go, come by when it's dark out. No spoilers on the contestants. The surprises are more enjoyable." He gives a crooked smile, showing surprisingly good teeth.

The Raven's Glory

"I don't know why he is still here", Alaister interjects. "But given my lack of success I am sure he is using a different name here, perhaps even a different face. Whatever he is after, it almost certainly involves further deaths. Three strikes connected to Mirielle are too much of a coincidence. Though perhaps this Aldar set out on his own in pursuit of Cybrarvein and got too close for comfort and was thus removed. Unlikely, given our own limited results, but a possibility to be considered."

[Jeff the Green]

The Raven's Glory

Mirielle nods at Alaister. "Aldar may have done so. It's been a good many years since I've spoken to him, so I can't say whether he was likely to have, but if he did, he would have had the advantages of wealth and contacts in the city. And he apparently asked his solicitor to send me something on his death, so we may find out whether he learned something that sent Cybrarvain after him.

"I'm afraid I'd don't have any other ideas about what Cybrarvain might do to come after me, though. I'd be irritated if the library at the Halls of Mystery were to be burnt down, but only in a professional way, and it would be a greater challenge than simply killing me. Other than that, there's only my apartment."

[Sallera]

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

Aya grins. "Good, because we could use your help. The individual in question is Stavra Larshon, captain of the local prison ships; a Loviatarite, she's been practicing the torturous arts on their denizens, and sentenced to death though they may be, this doesn't sit well with those who have found out. It seems the law is either unwilling or unable to act against her at the moment, so some anonymous citizens have put together a fund and a quiet request to see her removed from her position. My confederates and I have taken that up, and your particular skills should be quite useful in resolving the matter."

"If that doesn't put you off, I'd like to introduce you to the others tonight; we've already gone through a fair bit of planning and discussion, so we can explain more thoroughly and clarify your role then."

The Raven's Glory (noon)

"Sleep lightly and keep resistances in mind, then, I guess." Aya frowns; this was starting to seem like another dead end.

"I hope Aldar does have something useful for you; I don't know enough about Cybrarvain's actions so far to even make a guess at his true motive, and little more than that seems like it will be helpful at this point."

[TheFallenOne]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

"You seem very convinced he'd use fire again. He seems to favour it from what I learned of his actions here or elsewhere, but he has other means as well. There was an orphaned maidservant who'd fallen hopelessly in love with the son of a minor noble family, though to him she was just a pleasurable pastime. He took his time, learning all he could about both of them. He doesn't act rashly it seems, he realizes the power knowledge and information gives you about people it pertains to. Two weeks later, both were found dead. The official conclusion was she killed him, then committed suicide. I don't know how, but I'm sure the deed happened by his machinations."

[rypt]

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

Cael grimaces and shakes his head at Aya's account of Larshon's practices. "Put off? No, not quite. But I do have some questions. I suppose it would be best to present them to the entire group? When and where will you be meeting?"

[Sallera]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

"Fire's easy, effective, and doesn't leave much evidence; it only makes sense to keep it in mind. He'll probably have to use other methods if he comes after one of us directly, yes, but I'm thinking he's not quite ready to do that yet." Aya shakes her head. "I don't suppose you know why he went after that pair? Just paid work?"

"By the way, Miri, are you free for another meeting tonight? The rest of you, as well; assuming I can get Alhruar interested in the Larshon job, we'll need to get him in the know and working."

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

Aya nods, taking out a scrap of parchment with scribbled directions. "We usually meet at the apartment of my friend Mirielle, here, an hour or so past sundown."

[Jeff the Green]

The Raven's Glory

Mirielle glances at Aya questioningly. "A meeting with Alhruar? I was planning on looking for anything else I might find about Larshon, but that can be interrupted or postponed."

[TheFallenOne]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

"I don't know why he targetted them Aya. But the heir of a noble family almost unavoidably has people who'd be happy to see him go. Far as I can tell though he looked into the girl first, so maybe the affair was unwelcome to his client."

[Sallera]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

Aya nods. "Better to have him help you, then, right? He is a diviner. The usual hour?"

"Yeah, that's the problem with contract work," she says with a sigh. "When you already know someone has no scruples, it's hard to get anything out of it but methods."

[rypt]

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

Cael looks the directions over briefly. "I'll be there," he nods as he slips the parchment into his pocket. "Now, might I interest you in the opportunity to help me?

"Just this morning, I learned of a Lord Longbottle who is looking recover a lost relic of his family -- a sword that went missing after a duel some thirty-odd years ago. He's offering a substantial reward for its recovery, and while it is my hope that I'll be able to divine its location, in a city of this size, I need to know where to start.

"It so happens that the winner of that duel, and one of the few people who might have some idea of what happened to the sword, is another nobleman -- a Lord Hawkynfleur. As of this moment, I know very little about Lord Hawkynfleur, but I got the impression from the Longbottle steward that he may not be the most approachable of men. What I do know, however, is that Lord Hawkynfleur is an avid hunter, and that he posses a certain affinity for other hunters.

"Naturally," he grins, "I thought of you.

"If you would be willing to speak with Lord Hawkynfleur on my behalf, and were I ultimately able to recover the sword as a result, I would be happy to share the reward."

[Jeff the Green]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

"That's fine," Mirielle replies. "And speaking of researching our enemies, Alaister, did you have any luck following Vandroy?"

[TheFallenOne]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

"Well, I could confirm he stays at a place called Flagon o' Flames in Bitterstone, and who his associates are. A Dwarven priest of Moradin, a halfelf and a human woman from Calimshan. They seem a rather random bunch, before Vandroy joined their group they caused a huge brawl when they for some reason went to the Ill Eagle, a gathering place for human racists. Even killed the eponymous talking eagle in the process and got the place permanently locked down by the Watch. I heard a mage also talk of a budding romance between the woman and one of their Deans, who to my astonishment seems to be a drow."

[Sallera]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

"Half-drow," Aya corrects absently, "unless there's another in there. Didn't know he was that sort, though..."

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

Aya giggles, shaking her head. "'Hunting' is a kind word for what I do, and I don't have enough station here to warrant an audience with a highborn lord upon request. But if you give me a few of those plats back, I could probably secure a suitable gift... enough to get me inside, at least. It would likely take several days, though, especially with my other jobs to worry about. And of course, I'd need some more detail on the weapon in question."

[TheFallenOne]

The Raven's Glory (noon)

Alaister raises an eyebrow, surprised to find Aya better informed on the matter. "I see. Well, from what I saw of the guy I rather doubt any connection to Cybrarvein. His quirks seem rather genuine."

Spoiler

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something else to say here before adjourning to the whole-party meeting?

[rypt]

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

"The steward described the sword as a blade of green steel etched with draconic runes on one side and the Longbottle's motto, 'Vigilant in our providence', on the other. I'm hoping a blacksmith can tell me more about the metal, as I should be able to locate the sword on the basis of its material composition." With a quiet sigh, he removes the pouch of coin he had only just pocketed and begins to count out coins. "Three platinum? Four? The sooner you are able to speak with Lord Hawkynfleur the better. It's possible that there are other people searching for the sword already."

[Sallera]

The Raven's Glory (afternoon)

"Four, and I'll try to make it a priority. If that's all, let's meet again tonight."

Spoiler

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I'm good to move on. Everyone else?

Aya will fill the intervening time with a bit of information gathering.
Gather Information: (1d20+3)[20] - on any known haunts of unusual (read: magical) beasts in the surrounding area; ideally, some that would make a good trophy

[Jeff the Green]

Mirielle's Apartment

After her discovery, Mirielle heads home and performs her nightly devotions, spending an extra few minutes praying that Aldar's soul might safely reach the Fugue Plane and be swiftly collected by his god's servants.

As her colleagues arrive, she welcomes them and offers them wine, as usual, but begs off any serious discussion until everyone has arrived.

[Sallera]

Mirielle's

"Well, this was my idea, so it's up to me to start us off, isn't it?" Aya says with a grin once everyone is gathered. "First, introductions. Alhruar, this is Mirielle Greyhome, servant of Kelemvor and expert archivist. Jorran Tolm, a blade artist with good connections. Alaister, the well-informed man with the inconstant face. Mirelle, Jorran, Alaister, this is Alhruar Elyrin, diviner, security advisor, and part-time arcane cartographer. Also, as I mentioned, our new associate. Alhruar, you said you had some more questions about the job; would you like to start with those before we explain our current plan?"

[rypt]

Mirielle's Apartment

"Yes, thank you," Cael begins, turning with a nod from Aya to each of those she introduced. "And good evening to you all. It's a pleasure to meet you.

"I guess my first question would have to be, given this anonymous request, has anyone verified the allegations of Larshon's maleficence? And do you trust these concerned citizens to deliver on their reward?

"My next question would be, do you intend to kill Larshon? What of her subordinates and those she holds captive?"

Spoiler

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What exactly are the prison ships used for? This may be a question for Cael to ask, but it seems like something that may be commonly known. Are they for transporting prisoners (it's hard to imagine the city extraditing so many convicts as to require an entire fleet), or are they a means of accommodating a growing number of inmates without building an actual prison?

[Sallera]

Mirielle's

"Well, to the first, a trusted intermediary handled the initial information and is taking care of the payment, so that much is secure." Aya grins. "Actually, I think you're familiar with Misti Marva, aren't you? Saw you down there last time I visited."

"To the second, no; at least, not yet. We intend to capture her, and then do our best to determine whether the law is in her pocket or somehow unaware of her activities, although we assume the latter is unlikely, given the posting of this job at all. Should it prove necessary to remove her, then we will. As for her subordinates, once their leader is replaced - presumably with a non-Loviatarite - any who aided her in her activities will no longer have free rein to continue them. The prisoners themselves are already sentenced to death by hard labour; they're no concern of ours beyond their current treatment."

[Jeff the Green]

Mirielle's Apartment

"And speaking of capturing and holding," Mirielle interjects, "we should probably discuss how we're going to accomplish that. Turns out she works with either the Power or the Art; I'd guess the former, but my sources weren't sure. Once we have her subdued, I have manacles and we can restrict her ability to use her spells by taking away her holy symbol and any other instruments she might need, but it's still something we'll need to consider.

[TheFallenOne]

Mirielle's Apartment

Alaister sighs deeply, rubbing his temples. "I guess if I am already identified as a man of many faces I might as well reveal I already met this fellow, when he walked in on me while I was talking to Misti. Call it a token of trust, Mister Alrhuar.
As for Larshon, I really don't see how keeping her alive is supposed to work out. If the law had a suitable handle on her we wouldn't have to stoop to a direct assault. And unless we catch them red-handed performing human sacrifice in their meeting that won't change. So I think it might be best to just kill her in combat. We incur way less risk that way, plus some of you might have... sensibilities about killing a prisoner, be it deserved or not." He gives Mirielle a critical look at this.

[rypt]

Mirielle's Apartment

Cael looks to Alaister with a scrutinizing eye, and after a moment of thought, seems to put the pieces together. "Yesterday, midday? A cup of tea? That was just before I ran into you," he says, turning to Aya. Raising a suggestive eyebrow, he grins. "Small world."

With Alaister and Mirielle clearly having differing opinions on how to handle Larshon, and with Aya's opinion seeming to fall somewhere in the middle, Cael wonders how much of a plan they really have.

"Whether to kill or to capture, I take it that you intend to confront her aboard one of the prison ships? The potential problem I see with engaging her in combat -- and the reason I asked about her subordinates -- is that the attack would have to be carefully timed and precisely executed. Should the other guards come to her defense, you may find yourselves having to kill or disable the ship's entire crew. I would not want to leave dozens of murderers, thieves and worse with none to guard them."

[Sallera]

Mirielle's

"Oh, don't worry, we've got better than that. No suicide assaults for our type." Aya grins, waving a hand. "She meets with her fellow Loviatar cultists - including the Black Sorrow, a fellow who's been assaulting people for information around town - outside the city every twelve days. The next window is the day after tomorrow, so that's the one we're aiming for. Sorrow's a slippery one, and happens to be another miscreant we'd like to take care of, so we're planning on dealing with him at the same time - or even better, after he leaves the protection of the city, but before he reaches the meeting."

[Jeff the Green]

Mirielle's Apartment

Mirielle nearly chokes on her wine at Alhruar's assumption. If that was the sort of thought that came naturally to him, no wonder the Shooting Stars might be concerned about his interest in something of the Watch's. If he did it right—and a practitioner of the Art certainly might be able to—it could be disastrous, depending on his target. If he did it wrong, well, the phrase "full frontal assault" is rarely preceeded by the word "bloodless."

"Ah, and here's what we know about that one," Mirielle says in a thoroughly scholastic tone, ticking off facts on her fingers. "Black sorrow is a monk and a Disciple of the White Rod. It's entirely possible that Larshon is his superior. He is also apparently working for the Thayans and interested in some strange folks Aya, Jorran, two other erstwhile companions, and I encountered our first morning here. His is technically an assassin, but his jobs are more often about recovering information than taking life. He is living in the house a fellow Loviatarite owns in town.

"And he has, well, unusual powers for a monk: he can disappear and possibly teleport, and I didn't recognize anything like a spell in that. He's also strong enough to best Jorran one-on-one, but from what I understand only barely. How did the fight go, Jorran? I don't think you ever told us."

[TheFallenOne]

Mirielle's Apartment

"These abilities will make it difficult to get him in an ambush on the road, unless we overwhelm him right away he can just disappear. Maybe we can speculate on him standing his ground when he's with his fellow Loviatans. A fight in a confined space would help as well. But I must confess I'm not sure whether they meet in a building or in the open."

[Sallera]

Mirielle's

Aya shrugs. "It depends on the terrain. We'll want to scout out the area ahead of time, of course, but if there's a sufficiently open space, he won't be able to get far enough to evade us."

[Frog Dragon]

Mirielle's Apartment

Black Sorrow... he took me by surprise, and managed to keep throwing me down to the ground. He kept going even though I cut him twice, and once he vanished into thin air before my blade. Finally, he tired me out, and managed to knock me out before I could escape to the busier streets. When we face him, we'll have to be careful he doesn't escape.

[rypt]

Mirielle's Apartment

Leaning back in his chair, Cael nods thoughtfully along with Aya's description of the Loviatarite gathering and the group's plan to ambush this Black Sorrow character on his way to the meeting. He listens to Mirielle's discussion of the monk in much the same manner, that is, at least, until she mentions his allegiance.

"I'm sorry," Cael says, suddenly leaning forward. "Did you say he's working for the Thayans?" Though he maintains his composure, there is a subtly urgent edge to his voice, and his previously genial expression is now one of bewilderment. "What do the Red Wizards have to do with any of this? What kind of information has he been recovering?"