Kingslayers: Wild Magic of the Seekers

[kariokie]

"They don't breathe or play. They're actually all zombies. ZOMBIES!" Cassy can't help but chortle with the same sort of glee that Chulyen might -- if he weren't currently in the newly dubbed 'Raven's Nest' plotting exactly how he might acquire Taros' helm as a new nest -- as Cara being flabbergasted by a city was something she hadn't been able to enjoy in quite a while.

With a wave of her hand, she casts a quick spell and sends a message down to Anthony and Silas, "I've always wanted to say this, it's in all the plays: We've got company!"

[Idiotbox90]

Anthony makes his way up to the deck.

"Cassy, who is i-" He notices Cara and Taros. He is clearly happy to see them, but cannot resist making a joke. "So... Cara's at sea again?" The warlock feigns fear. "Someone better make sure the crew knows that, in case the ship starts to sink, saving the wine is the number one priority."

[Roland St. Jude]

Silvas

"Please don't sink my ship" Silvas says, popping into sight in his Latigo guise, "it's only a loaner. And welcome aboard the Crusty Bucket."

[BlueWizard]

Port of Old Galorine:
Young Captain Robero guides the ship into the safe and walled port of old Galorine, and the escort guides the ship to a well-guarded dock near a small harbor guard-post. There were many ships of many types within this crowded port. A maze of docks jutted out into the large circular harbor, complete with huge shipwright and factory. This factory carries the King of Kandor's brown and black dragon flag.

Many dockmen work the docks, and scurry about shirtless with deeply tanned skin and long hair and thick black beards.
The ships crowded in the harbor flew many flags of the empire and more than a dozen noble flags flew above their kingdom's banner. {Cassy and Anthony might be able to recall a few.}

The Crusty Bucket will dock safely in the busy and crowded harbor, and Helmav begins speaking in an imperial accent so the gathered crew can hear. "Avast ye men, show these dock-bruisers respect I want us representing the empire as if we scrub the emperor's butt ourselves! We hail the emperor and fear the empress. Speak nothing of our new home. We serve a great cause now. Greater than many of you know. Believe me... more than one of you may be bribed. Even more than normal for Galorine. I pray that you trust the miracles that you have seen in this priestess of the sun. Her word of Pelor speaks true to all of us. This great god has a light we can all trust. Keep the faith. Do your praises of good wind to Poseidon, but we must remember all the elements can provide wisdom."

Robero will look and listen, and doesn't want to add a single word.

Only a few men at a time will be allowed to make shore-leave. This was normal, often many captain's wanted to keep track of their men. And in Old Galorine there are MANY, MANY, MANY temptations around every street corner.

The crew of the Bucket will work well with the crusty, but strong peasant dockmen, who all seem to curse every other word. Robero and Helmav will look to the 5 heroes for guidance.

OOC: Vazz busy with school, I believe, he's on a break...
James will be in Jamestown until further notice.

[dauphinous]

Although she's still gawking at the city, Cara does spare a moment to say, "I did not sink that ship." Mindful that they are supposed to try to blend, she keeps any other questions to herself. Before anyone from the city gets close enough to see it, she tucks her holy symbol in under her armor, so she could be any heavily armored backwater warrior-type. Who just happens to be from the north and matches the description of herself perfectly.

"Is there a plan yet?"

[kariokie]

"I have an excellent plan 'bout getting the hell off this ship and having myself a drink!" Cassy smiles, then thinks a laugh at Chulyen to finally tempt him to come down from the raven's nest and perch on her shoulder.

"As for a proper plan, though, that's all Si-Br-Latigo. I'm just here to look pretty and cause trouble. You know, the usual."

[Roland St. Jude]

Latigo

"Well, we've already got quite a bit of information from our prisoners, so mainly, I'd like to sell off this wine, maybe buy something that's cheaper here than back across the pond, and see if we can learn anything more about the more profitable trading ventures we came here for."

He smiles somewhat creepily - the Latigo face was good at that. "As for an exact plan, I have some names of people to contact, maybe some of you would be interested in accompanying me?

[dauphinous]

"If you want me along, I'll go," Cara offers distractedly, not indicating to whom she is addressing it. She probably can be easily spotted as someone who would make an excellent mark for pickpockets, and just generally anyone who enjoys taking advantage of hicks in the big city.

[kariokie]

"So long as it gets me the hell off this boat, I'm all for accompanying you. Come on, let's all go. This place is such a zoo I don't think we'll even turn heads, you know? Oh, wait..."

With a slightly irritated hand-gesture Cassy resumes her disguise. "There. Okay, I'm all set. Let's go hassle some people."

[Eratosthenes]

Taros

The teleportation was, as usual, discomfiting. Especially as he went from a staid and sturdy land domicile to the rolling and pitching deck of a ship. It was all he could do not to fall on his backside.

At Cassy and Cara's reunion, Taros merely stood back quietly, and let them have their day. He often wondered if he and Cara would ever be as close as those two; but then their own relationship was likely much different. He wondered idly on the nature of true friendship versus the love between a man and a woman.

It helped him avoid thinking of what the ship was doing to his stomach.

The discussion of going land-side breaks him of his quiet reverie and observation: "Did someone say drinks? I'm all for reacquainting myself with land."

[Idiotbox90]

Anthony grasps his ruby earing, changing his appearance to that of a dark-skinned imperial.

"So then, where to first? A bar, an inn, a tavern? So many choices, I can barely decide."

[BlueWizard]

Latigo knows through Vallone's info how to contact the King's trader. One of his men will be waiting to take Latigo and his entourage to a forum to better discuss the transaction in private. A young merchant man in his late 20's with full light brown beard is here. He seems nervous and pleased to meet you all.

He will take you on foot off the docks, through the harbor district, and to the downtown area with all the tall stone towers.

{OOC- This can be skipped or role-played, there will be all sorts of scum and villainy at the forum. Cassy and Anthony know the rich ones like to live there. You will be given a fine hotel suite at the forum with hot and cold water, with servants and all. Latigo will be getting a good deal... unless he sold it to the king himself. This would probably be the best legal deal. There will be ways Latigo can also make deals with other shady types in the forum that might spend more on the black market.}

[BlueWizard]

An Inn or Tavern can be found if the PCs want to split while trading is done. There are many things to do here, including the colesium which has venues until late at night and even morning matinées for school children {usually feeding slaves to lions or some other wild animal, it passes for a zoology lesson}.
If you want to check out the main slave trade zone that can be done as well, but do take caution there, many thieves and cutthroats there.

[dauphinous]

"I am not certain I would be helpful in the trading," she pauses, trying to recollect the name Silvas is currently using, "Latigo. I do not know that I would be able to hide my distaste at anything which might be encountered in such a place. But if we would prefer to not split up here, then I will simply lurk and keep my mouth shut. Accoutered as I am, I possibly can pass for a hulking brute."

[Roland St. Jude]

Latigo

Latigo will shrug at Cara's implied question. He didn't want to put her in any discomfort, especially not for something so trival as a bit of trading. But she'd come all this way to give them support and who knows what they'd come across.

"I guess, since you're here, I'd prefer the safety of numbers. I'm going to inquire about a legal sale, but also other arrangements, less savory ones, in order to get a word with some people about the more illicit trade we're interested in. It could get ugly, I suppose."

He wasn't going to decide for her, or any of them, but he suspected they'd come along. They didn't come all this way to sit on a boat, and splitting up in this immense metropolis just seemed like a bad idea, even to the adventurous pixie.

[I don't mind skipping this or RPing it. Either way is fine with me. Latigo's mostly just looking for a good price, which he can get either way legal or illegal, and to gather a bit more information about the slave trade. Also, he's got in mind to pick up some cargo for the return voyage - either profitable cargo or freed slaves. He'd prefer to free some slaves and take them back to wherever they came from or back to Sunhaven, if they please.]

[kariokie]

"Let's do the 'strength in numbers' thing, huh? At the very least that means a lot of people to hide behind if things go wrong. Not that they will. Uh. But you know." Cassy grins. "Plus, last time we split up in a city didn't go so well. I mean, I met Anthony!" A lot worse things had happened -- including Cassy's near death by (of course) Tunia's hands -- but the sorceress seems to just gloss right over them, and not a flicker of concern shows on her face.

"I suppose if we just start... uh... acquiring the 'goods' we're after we won't make it out of the city in one piece, huh?"

[dauphinous]

"Then we should avoid splitting up at all costs." Cara tears her eyes away from the sights and grins at Cassy. "I would hate to have to deal with yet another highly capable warlock. I will follow your lead, Latigo. Business first, fun later."

[BlueWizard]

The young man waiting on the docks in green and red will take the group to meet the head trader in his offices at the main city Forum. This building is a palace, but lacks the interesting features a king's building might have. This massive stone building has simple columns and flat roof and siding. It is painted black and brown patterns that are rather boring and drab.

Latigo and his assorted entourage will disappear anonymously into the massive sea of people of Galorine. Mostly humans, but never has Cara seen a more diverse city of humanoids, that included minotaurs, centaurs, and even many dwarves and elves! Though these elves didn't look like your friendly wood elf.

Many windows showed the wares of the shoppe, including the brothels; some with open windows so the public could pay the barker to watch the normally private activity on balconies!
Several cafes and smoke houses had clouds of smoke coming from them. Respectable looking business men were staggering out in the daylight from these places. Drugs and sex were open to all, and all ages. Cara and Taros will have to cringe as they pass through the brothel area and see people too young for such activities hanging out of windows in offering to passerbys.

The forum is full of evil men, Taros will get almost sick, and be forced to ignore the tingling sensation. The young man you all follow is not evil.

He will take you within the great black and brown building, with black and brown marble covering everything within. The building was 10 stories high and tens of thousands of feet in square footage. Once inside the great trading hall it opened up to a great atrium with trees and pyramids and many other smaller buildings within it, as well as the lesser offices on the outer walls.

From here outside the forum, you can hear the hum of the coliseum crowd.

The Forum indoors is all brightly lit by many magical lights, and flying humanoids were going everywhere, up and down in the great indoor hall.

The young man will take you to the largest building in the forum, a six-story black and brown marbled pyramid. There is an entrance in the bottom.

Within is a secretary at a desk, and a doorway to an elevator {of magical nature}. You will be taken to a great office on the top floor and there you will meet an old lady. She wears black and brown robes, and has two large men that stand behind her with nothing but loincloths and pole-arms . They look juiced with magical steroids.

She is Annie Croft, wife of Vito the third, but only Cassy and Anthony would know this upon seeing her. She is well known to those who had contacts in the guild. She is revered, for her husband has been one of the most benevolent guildmaster's ever. Many say that his wise and crafty wife has been the reason. Some of you would have no clue who she is. {Silvas would've only just learned of her.}

She will look at all of you, she is able to make each of you feel acknowledged with respect as she gazes over you all. She doesn't radiate evil.
"I am pleased to meet you. I am Annie Croft. Our man at the New Galorine gate... Vallone, told me: you have some of Ocamally's Northern wine? I wanted to come here personally to meet with you. Had you met my daughter-in-law, you surely would've gotten a rotten deal." She sneers as she mentions this woman. She blushes, and fumbles with a scroll and platinum star, "Oh, before I forget... The emperor himself has been informed of your 'dealing' with the rebel Werkain. This star is given to those people who the emperor deems have done important work for the empire, and I believe that is a signed document by the emperor himself, giving you thanks. Sorry, you have to receive it like this... he doesn't trust the Kandorian King to do it right. When the emperor heard about the wine he HAD to have it before the King of Kandor... Omar will be pissed, but that debauched fool has enough. Anyway, the heart of the matter is that we will be willing to pay you 30 platinum a crate.... The emperor will go no higher than 40, the dragon wars have cost him a lot of coinage." She smiles respectfully as she presents star and scroll. She has now resumed her business approach.

Her office is decorated with a feminine touch, and has added several flowers to match the marbled decor of the room. There are four one-way windows looking out into the great chamber, and important looking stone cabinets along the walls.

{OOC- Basically, the PCs scored a big victory on the wine sell, and got to meet the literal Queen of the Guild. We can move it along, she is a busy woman, and as of yet she has no idea who any of you are, only that she has made the emperor VERY happy. You can all now move about your other business in Kandor if you'd like. Or get what info you can from old Annie.}

[Roland St. Jude]

Latigo

Latigo greets Annie warmly calling into play all his years of courtly experience. He's pleased about the price, and with a minimal amount of haggling, he happy unloads all the wine still in unopened cases. He accepts her gifts from the emperor graciously, handing them off to others, if they seem interested. While he's curious about what she could tell them, it seemed imprudent to stay here over long.

"It was an honor to meet you and we are happy to have been of service to the Emperor."

He bows courteously and begins to leave. Should no one stop him or have anything more to say, Latigo is prepared to leave.

He heads out into the forum, specifically to ask after a trade or two he'd heard of recently that might have the 'other' information they were looking for.

[BlueWizard]

She will retrieve a suitcase with platinum bars, and will count out a fair amount, giving Latigo 35 platinum bars for each crate. Each bar is worth 100 gold pieces. The young man will then be ordered to collect the crates from the Crusty Bucket. This can be taken care of by the crew, while Latigo and company set up shop in some Inn.

The Crusty Bucket is still safely guarded in the harbor with its prisoners under secret guard by Highline and his rotation of mercenaries. Somehow, through Latigo's diplomacy, the group has missed the routine ship inspection.

[kariokie]

Cassy holds her tongue and remains in the back until they leave Annie Croft's office. Or "lair", as Cassy prefers to think of it. "I hate that, you know, that people like her can get away with being all respectable and such even though they're in eyebrows-deep with the Guild. Maybe she's supposed to be keepin' everything in line, but if she's not a bad person I don't see why she just doesn't upend the whole organization and start shakin'." Her eyes dance a little and the corners of her mouth upturn as she adds, "Or, to put it in a metaphor you can understand, Cara -- she should sink the ship so's the rats swim off."

"Anyhow, lead on, Latigo. Let's go do something useful."

[dauphinous]

Cara just does everything in her power to keep her face straight and neutral. All these guild-types...well, some of them weren't so bad. Anthony turned out alright. Cassy was in that lot once, too. Still. They could just as easily be doing something to help people instead of using what they had to screw as many people as they could.

She rolls her eyes at Cassy's ship comment. "So, let me see if I understood that correctly. The Emperor just gave you a commendation for dealing with one of their problems? This was one of those guys that tried to kill you and take the ship?"

[BlueWizard]

The five visitors of the Crusty Bucket have plenty of time to discuss things in private. Latigo will even set up residence in an Inn near the harbor. The Spread Eagle.

It is a little expensive, but Annie Croft's estate will cover expenses for now. There is clearly prostitution of men and women here, but this is a classy place with beautiful and exotic 'agents', that dressed in fine clothes and lingerie. The areas are separated, and the guests here will seem more respectable. Rich foreigners, dignitaries, and other people that dislike the evil of the city. Most of the people here will NOT detect as evil.

{OOC- I assume Latigo would've sought out the most tolerable Inn or sleeping place. This ship is always an option too.}

[Roland St. Jude]

Latigo

Latigo sets up shop at The Spread Eagle, storing both commendation and the newfound wealth aboard the ship under whatever magic wards the group, or a trip to the local magic dealer, can provide. Having been born into a family where money was both never an issue and always held in organizations, he was a bit uncomfortable with the large amount of hard currency. Still, it was a fantastic sum, perhaps enough to keep him well-supplied now that he was cut off from that family wealth. He had spent nearly his last gold piece on that wine and was both pleased and greatly relieved that the wager paid off.

"We didn't take well to be being attacked and firebombed and, well, you know these two," he says with a wag of the finger at Cassy and Anthony, "they decided to fight fire with fire. Apparently, the now-dead attacker, one Werkain, was a thorn in the emperor's side. Killing him did seem to get us the royal treatment both there and here. Unfortunately, his wizardess friend recognized our lovely, young friend here, which led to our next little adventure."

Latigo takes the time in private, aboard ship when necessary, to fill in Cara and Taros on the details of their journey. He'd found the sea voyage much like his life overall, mostly slow with occasional moments of intense activity. He details the assassin's visit and Heron, the incident with Werkain and Pauline, and anything else that seems interesting. He tells it all from his own point of view, pausing to let Cassy and Anthony add whatever points they wanted.

In the Inn, Latigo spends a bit of money playing the role of a wealthy merchant and getting to know the trading that goes on here. He makes forays out to darker contacts, if need be, to learn more about the slave trade locally and empire wide. In addition to a general understanding, he's looking for a weakpoint in the trade; some major holding area, some disruptable trade route, some way to strike a real blow to the trade. This crusade wasn't really his idea, and he wasn't going to take command of it, but he did feel like he promised to get some good information, and he'd already lost some lives to do so.

[Eratosthenes]

Taros

Of the group's treatment proffered by the Emperor, following their dispatching the would-be assassins, Taros merely quotes, "The enemy of my enemy, after all..."

After their recounting of the adventures, Taros adds, "You've done well so far. I suspect next will be more of the ground work. I'm afraid the only role I can play is as muscle, or perhaps the clueless noble looking to make a purchase. You're still our front man."

He begins to offer suggestions, but quickly realizes Bryce *** Latigo has covered most of the angles already.

[dauphinous]

"Indeed. I almost feel that we were slacking off, only handling hobgoblins and neogi." Cara grins and nods. "I am afraid my place here is also that of muscle. It would probably not be wise for me to attract any attention to myself here, even if it is while pretending to be someone I am not. A task at which I do not excel in the slightest. But I will gladly accompany you as a bodyguard if you need it. That is a role that Taros and I can both fill for you without difficulty."

[Roland St. Jude]

Latigo

"Ah yes, what every merchant prince needs, a pair of hulking brutes flanking him," he says with a sly grin knowing that his friends were anything but. Of course, he wasn't exactly an Antarian trader either...

"Frankly, the entourage would seem to enhance my status, I think," and more seriously he adds, "and I could certainly use the protection." Particularly in this form.

Latigo is happy to have their company, all of them, for whatever dealings he has. If things seem to be taking time regarding their main mission, Latigo's not above doing side deals, using his considerable diplomatic skills to his advantage.

[BlueWizard]

Latigo will see a lot of the young man, Emilio. Latigo can get a lot from him.
Slavery in Kandor is second nature here. The neutral emperor and evil empress over-look this area's law defaults, and in fact have many slaves themselves despite many imperial laws forbidding it. Emilio talks freely of the slave trade and even the branding magical process that takes place. All slaves processed in Kandor are given a mark at the main auction stage, and then sent to an appropriate area to be sold. Harems, workers, soldiers, food, breeders...

Emilio will talk about the aliens that come, the Neogi, the illithid, and even other dark mysterious creatures, he can't even describe from the multiverse. He also describes the many underground breeding grounds for slaves, beneath Galorine and other places in the empire. There overlords rule, and even lesser foremen whip the slaves to submission. In some areas Emilio will say there are thousands of slave communities only existing and breeding for Illithid and Neogi farms.

He will add secretly that the empire is insuring these as businesses, so in the case of escaped slaves... well, the empress will at least cover your expenses.

[Idiotbox90]

Anthony does his best not to show emotion when Emelio speaks. Still, it is clear that what this talk of slavery make Anthony somewhat uncomfortable.

"So... does anyone want to tell me what a Neogi is?"

[BlueWizard]

You will all have plenty of time to explore this city. Latigo's cover and Cassy and Anthony's actions have confused the Magic Secret Service of the Kingdom.

Taros will encounter a secret alliance spy in the evening. His name is Alvac, and he says Taros's brother is stationed in a fort in old Galorine! Alvac is merely a good human rogue, he looks like a scruffy bum in his 30's.

OOC- How much time did you want to spend in old Galorine?