[RoS] Soldiers of Fortune (IC)

[Lacco]

Kate (and Nazir?)

Unaric led her and Dreiana into first empty room in the hall - Dreiana's office - and unloaded the information quickly, without further delays, yet in a way that Dreiana stayed out of loop.

"If you remember, lady Katherine, last time I stated there was an inquiry about certain person we both know. I have in meantime obtained certain information about the people who made the inquiry. Are you familiar with Society of Silence?"

Spoiler: Kate

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She was. Everyone in her country was. Secret guild that operated with blessing of government. Spymasters. Assassins. If you wanted someone dead or needed blackmail, you contacted them. However, they were not... impartial to politics.

The gears finally clicked together.

Unaric motioned to Dreiana and moved closer. He whispered "I know who they are, but am not pleased they operate in our city. As a token of gratitude for services already performed, I will help you get out and - if you want, I will try to stop the men from acting against you. Free of charge and no strings attached - but decide now. You do not have to worry about your companions - they are in the warehouse, and the other one is looked after by my old acquaintance. From what I know, you are in no direct danger - but still I advise not staying out in the open without your friends. Keep them close."

With this, he turned towards Dreiana with a sly smile, playing the part of "merchant trying to sell his goods".

"Lady Dreiana - please get Lady Katherine and her entourage an escort to her dwellings if she wishes - as token of goodwill, so she thinks our city is generous. Two enclosed carriages - one will go to the Seamstress guild. Or - Lady Katherine, if you want, one of my...assistants... can lead you out through the back and ensure you are not seen. Your choice."

Spoiler: OOC

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Ok, here's the offer.
No strings attached

[Anyr]

Kate winced when she heard the identity of her pursuers. Intrigue was a competitive market in her homeland. When you were good at it, the nobles started vying for your sole attention. Many competent operators ended up in exclusive contracts with a particular house. The fact that the Society had remained both neutral and successful was a testament to their skill. Everyone valued their services too much to eliminate them. And now they were after Kate. Oh dear.

She thus had no hesitation in accepting Unaric's offer. Maybe he was sincere about there being no strings attacked; Or maybe he was laying a trap. But either way, Kate needed the help. Putting on a grateful smile, she played along with Unaric's merchant act.

"Your generous offer is much appreciated, Councilman. I would gratefully accept an escort to the warehouse."

She turned to Dreiana. The smile became much easier to maintain when she did that. She spoke to the Watch Commander a little more formally than usual. After all, Dreiana's boss was right there. Best not to act too casual.

"I place myself in your care, Lady Dreiana. It's especially appreciated in these busy times. I'm sure you have better things to do than arrange a carriage for some trivial mercenary."

[Cavir]

Nazir left Kate and discreetly worked his way back to Unaric's office. He found the servant that had offered him escort out the back entrance. He intended to take up the offer then he noticed Kate, Dreiana, and Unaric together and coming his way. Puzzled, he waited for them to pass. When Kate nodded to him Nazir followed them inside the office. He kept quiet, taking in the information while unfortunately not having anything to offer. Listening was a valuable skill for a scout. He gratefully nodded and smiled when Kate accepted the offer. In the carriage it drove him crazy not being able to keep a lookout.

[Dienekes]

"Once more, thank ya Sahala. You have been more than fair to me." Gerric took his axe and rubbed his thumb across the sharpened blade and smiled, then pocked his new silver and blackrock.

"Charmin' woman," he said to Windsteel as he made it outside, and rubbed the sweat from his brow. "You weren't wrong though, that place felt hot as Abdallos' balls. If yer still free though, do ya by any chance know where Thalwas Parre is livin'? She said I should have a talk with him."

[Lacco]

Kate and Nazir

Dreiana also smiled, but it was a careful smile. "If you were considered trivial, councilmen would not provide you with means of transportation, lady Katherine. Now please, councilman, can you arrange for them to be at the servant door in few minutes? I will arrange for the carriages."

Unaric nodded and when Dreiana left, he focused again on Kate. They walked towards the back of the town hall, through a maze of small corridors.

"Apologies for bringing up this topic, but I need an answer." He sighed. "We need every courageous and loyal soul now, but I can not force you to serve this city as we all do. So I will not. But I will assist you nevertheless. So answer me: Should I attempt to stop these men from further actions against you? Or should I just state 'I have never heard that name' when they ask again? It's the least I can do."

Finally, they reached a nondescript door - and he stated.

"If we should not meet again, good luck to you both.

A black carriage awaited them at the door. There were no other people in sight - only Dreiana, who held the door.

The ride was quite short, but

Spoiler: OOC

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I need the answer. It will decide something quite important.

---

Gerric

Windsteel was waiting for him.

"Wouldn't know about it - I was happily married and don't even know the Abdallos guy. Why'd you need Parre? From what I heard, he's the personal armorer of the Vigilants. Haven't seen him for two years or so."

He shrugged. "I've got some time on my hands now that I don't command the watch anymore. But I'm not going to visit the Cathedral with you - I'm not really religious. Feel free to do so anytime. But... let's get you back to the warehouse - it seems a storm is coming."

It was true - it was starting to drizzle.

[Dienekes]

"Just some business, no reason to rush about, I suppose." Gerric looked up toward the sky and let a few drops land on his face. He actually quite liked the rain. It usually meant it wasn't snowing. And he enjoyed the little plinking noise the rain had made on his old armor. Not that his current leather outfit did that.

"Alright, suppose I did what I set out to do. Back to the warehouse it is."

[Anyr]

"...Some intervention would be helpful. I doubt that denials will do any good now. However, please don't put your subordinates' lives in unnecessary danger, just to protect me. These hunters won't risk a major diplomatic incident; But I'm sure they'd be willing to stab a few guards. Please be careful."

With those parting words, Kate walked towards the carriage.

[Lacco]

Warehouse

Due to his singing, Urukubarr and Ruark did not hear the coach stop in front of the building. They were finishing the cleaning-up, when Kate and Nazir left the coach - Dreiana just nodded to them - she was silent most of the time, answering politely, but cutting short any attempts at conversation.

It was obvious she was worried.

Nazir felt storm brewing - the rain was now thick, but still pleasant, but there was tension in the air - a storm was coming. He looked up the street and saw Gerric and - surprisingly - Windsteel.

The latter shook hands with the former, waved to the halfling and disappeared in the streets.

---

They entered the warehouse, which now seemed completely different. The smell was gone. Ruark even lit few of the lamps that were present - and chased the darkness into the corners. The rain tapped on the roof, and the building smelled of boiled cabbage.

Outside, a storm was beginning, but the building offered a feeling of peace. The memory of violence still lingered and most of them unconsciously evaded the place where the tall one died.

The door opened, and Gregor entered, all wet. The last member of their party. They were finally together.

[Anyr]

Kate respected Dreiana's wish for a quiet journey. The Commander had a lot on her mind. Kate wanted to offer a sympathetic ear; But unfortunately, she had many troubles of her own. And then there was the question of Dreiana's loyalties. Such a shame. If all these conspiracies and wars hadn't got in the way, the two of them might have been friends by now. In the end, she settled for a simple "Good luck. Stay strong." as she left the coach.

The warehouse had improved a lot in the short time she'd been gone. Kate took a precious minute to admire the difference. Then it was back to business again. She quickly gathered everyone together. Her gaze flitted from one comrade to another. Just being around them made her feel safer. In the city hall, she'd been surrounded by paranoia and uncertainty. But here, she was among friends; And Gerric. Wasting no more time, Kate proceeded to bring everyone up to speed on the situation.

"I'm glad to see that everyone is here. A pending decision has suddenly become much more urgent. I'll come straight to the point: My mother has found me. Her agents are in the city right now. They are ruthless, competent, and determined. No matter how vigilant we are, there's a good chance that they'll find a way to...retrieve me. This threat will be very difficult to handle without help. 'Fortunately', our good friend Unaric is willing to offer it. He knows about at least part of my situation. In exchange for our agreement to one of the offers he presented this morning, we will gain his protection. But he needs an answer soon.

This isn't a decision I can make on your behalf. Accepting either of Unaric's offers would bind us to him. It's up to each of you to judge whether the benefits outweigh the costs. My personal issues are just another fact to consider. So, what does everyone think?"

Kate's tone was businesslike as usual. She didn't seem like someone who was being hunted down by her own family. Few outsiders would guess how anxious she actually was. Of course, she wasn't among outsiders right now. Plenty of her teammates would be able to guess her true feelings about these 'personal issues'.

[Dienekes]

Well, that sure as **** added another problem. Ruark and Uruk's demons, Nazir's old commander had to still be up to something, Euric was gathering an army, and now Kate's home was coming to mess things up further. Only Gregor didn't seem to have enemies popping out of the shadows. "Don't suppose the easy answer o' tryin' to find and kill yer dear mother's agents is on the table? Make a show o' settin' up a meetin' between you and whoever they are. Have Nazir up on a perch should things go sour, Uruk at the wings, all the usual fun. It'd at least give us some time. Yer country's a ways away, right?"

[Anyr]

"I doubt they'd fall for that. These people are professionals. They won't allow themselves to be eliminated in one sweep. And even if we managed to kill some of them, those that remain would raise the stakes. They might aim to take your lives, instead of just my freedom."

That 'your lives' part was the one that really made Kate hesitate. Despite being the one who'd attracted this threat, she was the least likely to be killed by it. Oh sure, being imprisoned for life was still a terrible fate; But at least she'd still have a life. It was her comrades who bore most risk from escalation.

[Dienekes]

"Well, sure, I ain't sayin' it would be easy. Just makin' sure murderin' them all is an option on the table. Some folk get their guts all twisted up when their enemy is kin." Gerric shrugged at the last comment. "Better men have tried killin' me. They ain't puttin' my chief in chains." He paused and thought for a moment. "We need a way to get nearly all o' them. And if they already know 'bout Nazir, we'll need to make 'em think he's out o' the picture for some reason. I'll think on it."

[Cavir]

Nazir quickly entered the warehouse as was the plan to avoid being seen. Inside he paused, taking in the lack of death and the work that Urukubarr and Ruark had been doing. "Nice!" He refocused and hurriedly scampered up the shelving to the window to take a look out for any pursuers. It was raining out making it harder to see but his halfling sight gave him the advantage here. He watched the carriage pull away. Satisfied they wouldn't have unwelcome guests soon he came back down to meet with the rest of the group.

"Good that we're all back together. Thought I was going to have to search the city on my own to make this happen."

"We are a mercenary company in heart already, why not make it official and get paid for it? For the Society of Silence, I say we have Unaric use his position to benefit us. He has kept his word each step of the way. If they still come at us, well, they'll have plenty of openings for new hires before we fall."

[XIII]

Urukubarr smiles and welcomes his friends into the warehouse, but realizes the heavy tension in the air. He smiles especially at Nazir's comment and grunts Upset, he apologizes for the lack of a feast and accommodations. Ruark shrugs, used to the Ahvori customs drilled into Uruk. The two listen on, taking in the new information, apparently much has happened in the short time they were apart. Uruk and Ruark mumble in orcish to each other before Ruark speaks for the both of them, "We're with you, Kate, can't express that enough. That being said... We're already sworn to this, we do not see fit to add to the long list of oaths and grudges we already hold. You do as you see fit and we will follow, but as your comrades and not their playthings. Anyway, seem we're on the right track for the Dark Ones anyhow, you promise us more of their blood and we'll follow you to hell, take it over, and Uruk will tidy it up in time for supper." Uruk grunted in approval, "We are hunted by many. Set trap, make... diverukion? Slow enemy, maim, confuse, kill if want. Make enemy fight enemy, maybe." Ruark translates, "Uhhh, that was diversion. The pair stood united, confident in Dame Katherine's judgement.

[Dienekes]

"Oh, right, I should probably mention. Talked with Windsteel for awhile, he gave me a better read on that Unaric. Says the man don't give a **** about us, or morality. He's just interested in makin' sure the city is still standin' tomorrow. Personally, makes me think he may have been in on the whole demon pact ****, seems like the kind o' thing the man Windsteel described would do. In any case, I'd trust him to take care of his investment for now. I have no issue hirin' myself out as a mercenary. But I ain't takin' no vows for this place."

[Anyr]

Everyone had had a chance to speak their mind. Kate felt comfortable adding her opinion to the mix now.

"It seems that none of us are enthused about the 'sworn swords' option. I can't say that I'm shocked about that. So that leaves becoming a mercenary company; And making the best of it alone. Personally, I lean towards the former. The idea of being tied to Unaric is unpalatable. But as Nazir says, we basically are a mercenary company already. Even without the contract, we'd still be looking for jobs. And in the current climate, we and this city could help one another greatly. Between local support and whatever traps we lay ourselves, the Society of Silence would be in for a difficult time indeed."

[Cavir]

The decision made and their own place to settle into, Nazir was happy and relaxed even with all of the threats outside their haven. "Do we go tell Unaric now and find out what he has in mind for us or relax for the evening? How did the shopping go? Any leads for getting armor or weapons? All our stuff from the Inn is here right? I'd like to keep working on my bow. It's got the potential to be a great one. Would be great to have some proper tools for it, even borrowed. This place is large enough for archery practice!"

[Anyr]

"We'd better get the news to Unaric right away. He seemed very anxious for a reply. Would some of you care to come along too? It isn't safe for me to walk alone any more."

Kate allowed a wistful smile to pierce her businesslike façade. Being hunted was not a pleasant feeling. But the worst of it was already fading. Kate wasn't alone. She had good friends who were willing to support her. And she in turn would do all she could to support them. She departed the warehouse in decent spirits. Hopefully this errand to Unaric wouldn't take long. If everyone was lucky, maybe they'd get a chance to really settle into their new home.

[Dienekes]

"Shopin' was alright. Got a smith to start workin' on the swords, axe, and set up a fletcher for the arrows. Also got this silver out o' sellin' the rest." He pulled out the coinbag and shook it a little. "Haven't looked for armor yet."

He nodded as Kate finalized the teams decision about Unaric.

"'Course. Don't suppose we have a cloak for ya to hide under?" He glanced over to Nazir and Gregor tryin' to size up how they compared in height and build to Kate.

[Anyr]

"Indeed we do. A very nice one, as it happens."

Kate went off to rummage through her supplies. She returned clad in a top quality cloak. It was practical, concealing, and very stylish. Though admittedly, that excellent tailoring detracted from its anonymity. Like the rest of Kate's clothes (and Kate herself), it stood out from the crowd.

[Dienekes]

Gerric looked at the cloak, of course that's what she had tucked away. "Ain't it a bit. I dunno, ostentatious?" He said absolutely butchering that last word.

"We may need to get splash some mud on it or---" his eyes widened when he suddenly realized who he was talking to. "Well, we'll think o' somethin'."

[Anyr]

"Ostentatious? To each their own. Personally, I think it's quite understated."

By noble standards, it probably was. The cloak was a practical shade of brown. The patterns embroidered upon it were subtle. They impinged themselves on the subconscious before the conscious mind really noticed them. But either way, the mind did notice them. And even putting that aside, this garment had clearly cost more than the average peasant's annual income. No surprise there. Kate was the group's spokesperson. Her role was to make a good impression. Blending in just didn't come naturally to her.

[Cavir]

"We should all go. Decisions will have to be made there and better to get it all done at once. We can shop on the way back after we find out about our next path. With the war announcement prices are going to be going up. Best to buy quickly. Maybe I can introduce Kate to the army quartermaster. Crandall will get all tongue tied dealing with Kate."

"At least the rain will help hide us. Won't look out of place all covered up. Spread out a bit, one big pack will be noticed more."

[Lacco]

As they left the warehouse, the storm was still ongoing. That was good - the streets were empty and even if there were any foes, they could not follow them unseen.

They walked through the silent, stormy city. Torrents of rain attacked any piece of uncovered skin, wind slashed across the streets and lightning lit up the sky, showing them way towards the spires of cathedrals, towards the new market.

Nazir led them, his eyes scouting the area in front of them, attempting to peer through the rain. He was leading them straight towards the town hall, unerring in his lead.

Gerric was walking few steps to the side from Kate, not looking around - but holding his axe out in the open. He meant the words he said - he was ready to protect Kate at all costs.

Kate walked in the middle, trying to look both dignified and hiding as much of her identity under the cloak as possible. Her incognito was at the moment a thing of survival - with the Silent Society stepping on her toes, Sinkrin wishing for their heads, Unaric and Kastor's intrigues, the Tall Men and the Dark Ones, and possibly even Gerric's former partner in crime, Euric, somewhere in the mix, they did not need more trouble.

Urukubarr was their back guard. He walked rhythmically, enjoying the rain - he even hummed a song, a song of rain. And walked forward. He trusted Kate and the others to solve these issues - he was in for the fight against the Dark Ones and their masters, and he knew Kate would lead him through the intrigues to a glorious battle.

Gregor stayed with Ruark in the warehouse. Gregor volunteered to stay there - he did not want to "enjoy the rain" - and Ruark and Uruk pulled straws and Ruark lost He was guarding both the warehouse and Gregor.

The new market was empty, save for few figures moving in the rain. This time, Nazir did not hail the patrolling knights.

However, as they closed in on the Town Hall, a servant they recognized as one of Unaric's, approached them.

"Apologies. My master, councilman Unaric, is... not available at the moment. He is meeting certain... person of interest... and requested complete privacy. Please, follow me."

He led them aside, to a servant entrance, and into a clean, small - and empty - room. They met no one on their way there.

"My master told me you might have a document for me. Certain scroll, a contract. Do you have it?" he waited patiently for them to produce the scroll - the mercenary contract.

"Thank you." The old man studied the contract rather carefully and then asked for signatures.

"Thank you again. I will keep the contract and deliver it to councilman Unaric. You are hereby tasked with protecting this city and serving the council. Should you choose to, you may accept one or more of these missions." The old man took out three scrolls, each marked with council seal. "Further missions shall be delivered to a place of your residence, should you name such, or you can pick them up here, in town hall."

Spoiler: First Scroll

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The bearer of this scroll is tasked with patrolling Dock Ward at night, for time of one week. It is their task to attempt to uncover identity of the murderer or murderers of young women, which occur at weeks around full moon. If they succeed in uncovering identity of the murderer or murderers and stop them from further actions, they are to be paid 10 gold ducats, otherwise only 5 groschen per person.

Spoiler: Second Scroll

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The bearer of this scroll is tasked with reconnaissance of area known as Savaxen outer isles - namely Főgellő, Svartstenő and Fördrömdasjallarö - three islands nearest to Zhengar. It is their mission to gain knowledge about its inhabitants, current moods, and possible threats. Price of this contract is 10 gold ducats.

Spoiler: Third Scroll

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The bearer of this scroll is tasked by the city of Zhengar to apprehend certain Alaric of Ravenstone, former councilman of Zhengar, former Master of Coin, who should be at the moment in hiding at his ancestral home of Ravenstone. He is to be delivered alive to the City of Zhengar if possible. Price of this contract is 15 gold ducats if Alaric is delivered alive, 10 if delivered dead.

"Also, based on your choice - councilman Unaric provided me with your wages for this month. If you gain any recruits, the city will pay for their wages beginning of next month. If there are no more questions, please, excuse me. And..." the old man blushed for a moment. "Thank you for what you have already done." He left in a hurry.

Spoiler: Pouch

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Pouch contained 75 silver groschen.

They walked back, through the rain - and found Ruark and Gregor in the warehouse, playing cards. It looked like Ruark was winning, but as they entered, Gregor exclaimed "...double or nothing...!"

Outside the rain got stronger...

The three scrolls lay on a table, next to their earnings.

[Lacco]

They had a dinner together - again, Urukubarr surprised everybody with his mastery of cooking, turning simple ingredients into great meal.

They laughed, joked, talked and just for the evening, dark thoughts were forgotten, gone - as if they did not dare enter the lit-up warehouse, warded by their good mood.

Sleep overcame them fast - and they slept soundly. The night was peaceful, the rain soothed them.

Morning came. They left the warehouse and ventured towards the market.

It was a long day.

Kate's presence worked miracles - maybe it was her face, maybe it was Gerric's, Ruark's and Uruk's impatient smiles, as they hovered behind her. Or maybe Nazir's eyes and his polite, silent speech - but they lowered prices remarkably fast.

In the evening, they passed time in one of the taverns, recommended by Gregor...

[Anyr]

Kate had come to relish these tranquil periods. In a very real sense, they were what she fought to protect. Just being a successful soldier wasn't enough. She wanted to have an actual life. So when given the opportunity to eat a delicious home cooked meal with friends, Kate savoured every moment. She swapped funny stories with her comrades; Attempted (unsuccessfully) to teach them how to play Mastery; And toasted the founding of a brand new mercenary company. Her smile that night was bright indeed. After having her evening bath, she went to bed with renewed spirits. The world suddenly seemed so much more manageable.

That attitude paid dividends the next day. The local merchants responded well to Kate's good-natured haggling. Actually needing to haggle was an interesting new experience. Now that her funds were limited, there was much more satisfaction in getting a good deal. Wandering the markets also tested her restraint. She had to resist the urge to buy (among other things) a really nice brooch, an ornamental gaming set, and a tailoring appointment. Kate needed to spend her money on useful, practical things: Like a stylish Zhengarian outfit, for totally legitimate diplomatic reaso-Stop it!

As the evening drew in, Kate and her comrades gravitated towards a particularly welcoming tavern. Though by the standards of their last few tavern encounters, that wasn't saying much. The young noble leaned back in her chair with the satisfaction of a job well done.

"All in all, I think we've had a most productive day. We'll soon be ready to set out."

[Cavir]

Back at the town hall, Nazir collected the scrolls and the pouch of coins. Walking back through the rain didn't bother him. He was used to surviving in the woods in most any weather. The woods at least would provide more cover. He kept his eyes peeled but was finally starting to relax. At the warehouse he happily greeted Ruark and Gregor. Once everyone settled in Nazir read the three scrolls to the group but left out discussing the options. There was no rush for that today. He then counted the new coins, divided them up with Kate getting a deserved larger portion, then handed them out. He had been Captain Aldarman's aide and was falling back into that role without thinking about it. Reflecting on it later he was happy to do so.

The evening with the crew was enjoyable. Kate's words of wisdom helped him temporarily put aside his negative focus on Gerric. Dinner done, he pulled out his bow and went through his forms that didn't require launching an arrow. Focus, breathing, and body position were the important parts here. He stayed close enough to be near the conversations. If anyone was interested he happily gave them basics to work on. He was a willful learner when Kate was teaching Mastery. It was new to him but he would learn it. Later on he took out the bow he was crafting. It seemed like so long ago since he got to work on it even though it was just a few days. It had been coming along really well and he wanted to make sure this bow would be something special. Tonight he solely examined the work and thought about how best to proceed once he had proper tools, which he hoped to obtain soon.

Morning came and he stood in the open doorway to the sea, taking in the early light while the halfling stretched and studied the sky, trying to get an idea of what weather the day would bring. Fortunately the warehouse cleanup didn't get rid of some small bales of hay that had been there. He moved them to the far end of the warehouse. Once everyone was up he used the length of the warehouse along one wall as an archery range. He had few arrows left so he had to be careful with them. Speed shooting practice was not on the list that morning. It felt great to shoot without lives on the line, be it saving or taking.

Out haggling, Nazir kept within earshot to listen and learn. He was amazed at how much Kate was able to obtain with what funds they had. He freely gave the merchant the leather jack and vambraces he had been wearing. The high quality brigantine jack was very impressive. Quite a difference from the jail rags that Kate had saved him from. When the fine bowyer crafting tools were bought the halfling inwardly became excited like a child getting a surprise present. They would really help!

That evening at the tavern Nazir drank lightly, as was his usual but ate heartily again even with the food not being as tasty as Urukubarr's. He still got the stares and distrust from others in the tavern, but being with the group of mercenaries kept the locals from making any trouble. Insteead, the halfling was polite to others and allowed those curious to observe his looks as much as they wanted to. It was late when they finally got back to the warehouse and after a security check of the building he went to sleep.

The next morning he greeted the dawn again with his practice forms. When Gerric and any others left to visit the smith Nazir stayed behind. He broke out the new tools and went to work on the bow. The solitude with the sounds of the sea next to him allowed him to really focus on the work.

With the party together again, he asks about the smith had for them then once that was done changed topics. "We have the three scrolls. Which shall it be?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Day 1: Weather Sense MA/7 (5d10)[7][6][4][4][2](23)
Day 2: Weather Sense MA/7 (5d10)[3][3][3][3][9](21)

First evening: 1 hour each Combat Art and Crafting planning
First Morning: 1 hour Combat Art
Second Morning: 1 hour Combat Art, several hours of crafting

[XIII]

Urukubarr thanked the rain for the slight relief it gave his nose from the assault of city-stink. The feel of it on his skin and sound of it plinking off his armor soothed him. It was a shame Kate's cloak was getting wet, he thought. Such a resplendent garment could have been used as a wedding shroud! His mind wandered to memories of Ahvori and Savaxen wedding festivals. Fundamentally different in their own ways, they were still alike, filled with song, dance, and unbridled joy. Urukubarr let the memories warm his spirit as he hummed to the rain.

Uruk took heart in his task of preparing the meal, as always. Jokes, stories, and songs were shared at the table. The memory of this evening would burn brightly in his mind forever. This brief respite from their unforgiving journey would give him strength in the battles to come. When darkness threatens to consume him, the recollection of tonight's camaraderie will restore his spirit. Uruk took time after clean-up was complete to relax his mind through meditation.

At the market Uruk only wished a new set of armor and requested they find an armor smith to repair the broken set they possessed to fit him, he was slightly embarrassed of his current set.

Uruk was eager to speak about the contracts, while Ruark remained more reserved at the tavern. "Please, send to scout islands. We can help, maybe, people". Uruk leaned closely over the table, anxious for an answer from Kate until Ruark chimed in. "But women are dying in the streets here, now. We can do both, in time", Ruark argued. Urukubarr stared at Ruark for a moment,, impassively, "Scout first". "We are here now, it would make no sense to leave the task undone!" Urukubarr clicked his tongue and groaned in frustration. The two switched to orcish and began arguing. After a moment, even without understanding the language, one could assume not-nice things were being said about their respective mothers. The argument was heating quickly with Ruark jabbing his finger into the table to accentuate his points, and Urukubarr's eating utensils bending in his grip.

[Anyr]

As expected, there was plenty of debate about which mission to accept. Kate added her own opinions to the mix.

"Personally, I think that the first mission is more suited to local authorities. There are plenty of guards and bounty hunters who know Zhengar better than we do. They presumably have contacts and pre-existing leads that will help them catch the killer. Though I'm sure our patrols would make the streets safer for a while, we're not the best choice for ending the threat permanently.

The second and third missions are of great importance. I'd very much like to accomplish both of them. So in my opinion, the key question is 'which of these missions is most urgent?'. Because events will certainly keep developing, no matter where we are. Alaric won't stay sequestered in his estate forever. And the islands won't be suspended in eternal stasis. If we choose our priorities incorrectly, then something may be permanently lost.

With that in mind, I favour starting with the third mission. Scouting three whole islands will give Alaric ample time to escape. But quickly apprehending one councilman is unlikely to make a scouting mission obsolete. And if the islands' situation did turn out to be that urgent, then...

...Well, I'm not sure that there's anything we could do to avert it."

Now there was an uncomfortable truth. The Alaric situation was one in which Kate could probably make a difference. The islands, by contrast, were a complete grey area. She dearly hoped that they were still free and prosperous. But if instead the worst foe had reached them, then what in all honesty could one mercenary company do to help? The Dark Ones were a force like no other. Kate's resistance would be barely a sandcastle in the path of their wave. At best, she could perhaps evacuate a few citizens. If she arrived to help a few days earlier, would that actually save any more people? Doubtful. That's why Kate placed higher priority on capturing Alaric: Not because a single councilman was more important than a chain of islands; But because getting there a bit earlier might actually matter.

[Cavir]

Nazir listened to Ruark, Uruk, and then Kate. He was impressed and agreed with Kate's reasoning.

"I figured the local mission could be quick, especially with my night sight being of help. Kate makes a good point though on the local forces. I agree not going after Alaric now would be a lost chance. Shakchir was hated for what he did to us, but Alaric was the one behind it. Alaric also betrayed his sworn word. He should be shown far more hate than what Shakchir got. Getting to the islands is going to cost coin. Taking Alaric first will get us needed coin. He'll know the city will send someone after him so he'll be expecting forces. A group like ours may take him by surprise. Seems a good profitable challenge for us to take on. Scout, take him by surprise if we can, then drag him back here."