Curse of the Azure Bonds chapter 1: Tilverton

[Falkus]

"I have an idea how we can get that information," Dominic said, snapping his fingers as a thought occured to him. "We hire the Fire Knives. Hear me out. We use a proxy to pay for an assassination at a certain place and time, and then when the assassins show up to make the kill, we grab them, and interrogate them about the defenses of their headquarters."

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

McGillwill pats Sidra's hand, but shakes his head at Dominic's idea. Time-consuming. He voices his greatest objection in simple terms. By now the Purple Dragons have surely realized you've escaped, and it won't take the Fire Knives long to reach the same conclusion. They'll both be after you. Your best chance is to head into the sewers and try to avoid the Fire Knife checkpoints. There are various points where the main tunnel branches off to the left, but there's no telling what may be waiting for you in the branches. But it's the better of two risks, as if the Fire Knives at their checkpoints see you all bets are off.

Your goal should be the hidden passage on the third sublevel. When the Grossman clan needed to move goods that they rather the Purple Dragons didn't see, they sent the goods down through this passage into the sewers. The passage leads into a storage room beyond the Fire Knives' defenses in the Manor. The main hall should be where the Fire Knives' organizational plans are made, where the bonding instruments are kept, and ultimately where Tagreth holds court.

 

[Thanee]

Dawn

Dawn has been watching curiously, as McGill had opened the magical seals for them. Surely, his organization had quite some resources at their disposal, and as her thoughts were wandering off and trying to put the various pieces of the puzzle together, Xi in his more direct way had already asked what she has been thinking about. The harpers, this answer was good enough for her. While Dawn didn't know a whole lot about them, she had heard a rumor or two, and it all made sense in a way.

“Once again, we can only thank you for your help in these matters. I must return to the surface, however, before we can set out. My companion Kooga is still there, and I cannot and do not want to leave him behind. I also need to gather new Holly and Mistletoe to be of any use in this undertaking. A bit of rest would help, as well, to gather my thoughts.”

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

I'll go with you. I still have time left on the potion I used, so that way we don't need to use another one, McGill checks his pocket watch. 20 minutes, that's how long we have. The rest of you lot, make yourselves cozy. If you need anything, ask Davison, my second-in-command, he'll take care of you.

[sblock=Dawn]You and McGill return to the surface. Remember to stay close to me so that you're in the protective circle. You might think a bit paranoid of me to have you sulking about like this, but when it comes to those marks on your arm I don't leave anything to chance. If the bonds are invoked, we return to the hideout, no ifs ands or buts. Now let's start looking.[/sblock]

 

[Falkus]

Dominic turned to the others once McGill had left. "I still say we need a better plan. Forgive me for being negative, but I don't like the odds I'm getting on Plan charge into enemy HQ with little information on what to expect. We need to know exactly how many assassins we'll be going up against, what sort of special weapons and magic they have, and a general floor plan of the manor would be swell."

 

[Raylis]

Ferrik of Rasheman

"We should also find some way to protect ourselves from their magical markings. If what the Harper Thief said they could turn us against each other with a word."

 

[Scotley]

Charum

"We overcame them the first time. I wonder how long a delay if any there is before they can activate the bonds again?"

 

[Voadam]

Xi

"I agree with McGill that we must strike quickly before they know we are free from the prison. I do favor charging the enemy stronghold and laying waste to all we see, but you raise sound tactical issues Dominic. Davison, do you have a map of their stronghold? Do you have an estimate of their numbers and capabilities?" Xi checks over his large weapons then secures them, readying himself as he listens to the man's response.

 

[Thanee]

Dawn

[SBLOCK]“These marks are powerful magic. I certainly wouldn't call it paranoid. Just careful. And that's a good thing, considering what happened earlier,” Dawn replies with a quick smile, while she tries to keep up and keep her head low, as they move to the edge of town, where the halfling druid has asked Kooga to wait for her near some trees, so he doesn't scare the good townspeople.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

Yes we do, but as you can probably tell, it is a bit old. Davison rolls out the said map, and you can each tell it is a bit yellowed and worn. It's a one-story affair. The only entrances are on the north side, not counting the secret passage from the sewers. When the Fire Knives last occupied the manor 15 years ago, the occupied most of the north and west rooms of the estate. You can see the guard posts, training facilities, barracks, interrogation chambers and the like marked in those areas. As far as we know, they never found out about the hidden entrance of the passage leading to it. But they've been there a bit longer now and may have found out about it. David and Arthur Grossman were clever blokes, but I don't know if even their hidden passage could have escaped the Fire Knives' attention for all these years.

I don't know how well-versed you lot are at what the Ilmatari call "reverse psychology" but mayhap taking the main entrance may be something to consider. Let's assume for a moment the Fire Knives' have indeed found out about about the hidden passage. They figure someone looking to attack the place might use it and have the place well-guarded, leaving the main entrance not so much guarded. I dunno, somethin' to chew on. Tough to tell what goes on inside those Fire Knives' heads.

[sblock=Dawn]You and McGill make for a wooded area where you found your last bit of mistletoe a few days before. Kooga is indeed there, but he doesn't react immediately as you approach. He seems to be looking something over on the ground in front of him. There may be a pair of boots in front of him, but you can't tell from where you're standing.[/sblock]