Erekose's Savage Tide - Act 1: There is No Honour

[Velmont]

Jerrell listen to Julian proposal and nods. "Seems fine with me." He finish his meal without more comments. Jerrell didn't like much how Alix have taken all in charge... but at the same time, someone need to do it and at least, with Julian, he will feel like doing something and if he has to go into the dark alleys, at least, they would eb two if something have to go wrong.

 

[Malarky]

Tereg sets out to the less reputable quarters still within his range of influence to see an old friend who owes him a favor or two. He is led into the mage's home where he pulls out a document and hands it over to the aging man. "Figured it might come to this one day, Master Dylan."

The mage takes the document, looks it over and pockets it, offering the spellthief a wan smile. "So what's your pleasure this time Tereg?"

The faen retreats a little deeper into the shadows, pocketing an apple half-heartedly, he was full after all. "A disguise spell and we can call it even." He flashes out a single platinum coin and puts it down.

The older man nods "Somehow with you, I don't think there is such a thing as a last time."

Tereg grins, a fierce expression on the small man's face. A flick of the hand and a touch of the blade and he scrapes a line down the old man's arm. It's always a thrill like the groan of release to feel those syphoned energies know belonging to him. "Till sooner." he says and then withdraws back into the alleyways and towards the ship to watch.

ooc: hope its no problem rping the purchase of a spell. If it is, just read: He bartered for a spell.

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Cool--you can only hold onto that for an hour before casting, though, right? So we couldn't use it tomorrow for a disguise/bluff gambit, right?)

 

[Erekose13]

ooc: Any arrangement regarding meeting place or time?

[sblock=Jerrel and Julian]Heading to some of his regular haunts first, Julian and Jerrel find little information either Vark or Vanthus. Both the Empty Grave and the Bloodthristy Pelican garner little. Taking Alix's advise the two head over to Shadowshore via one of the small ferrymen who move passengers around the bay.

Spending some time amongst some of the roughest, shadiest corners of Sassarine the two find out a little bit of information on both subjects. At the Skinned Man they discover that Soller Vark is a smuggler, his crew smuggles dangerous and exotic animals into Sassarine for sale in Shadowshore's black markets. You even find a lead on an exotic flying monkey that his crew brought in which was sold to one of the more well to do merchants of the Merchant's district, Orimander.

Of Vanthus, the two find an interesting lead at the Plucked Parrot. According to one man who'se nose lookes like it has been broken at least three times, Vanthus has been seen in the area. He was often seen in the company of a known smuggler named Penkus.[/sblock]

[sblock=Rystil Arden]Rowyn Kellani prooves to be a difficult person to track down any information on. She was not a student at the academy, like many of Alix's connections amongst the nobility. That and the fact that she is a good 6 years older than he, or more, removes him from many of the circles she may have frequented. What little information he does dig up is that she can normally be contacted through her family and that her favorite colour is red. How long it takes to see her or where she is prooves too difficult for him to dig up.[/sblock]

[sblock=Nathan]Nathan checks the areas that Julian and Jerrel plan to pass. Cudgel, Champion's District, Noble District, and Sunrise all turn up empty. In the Merchant's District, people remember seeing Vanthus here and there, although no one's seen him recently. Everyone assumes his is still living at the Vanderboren manor.[/sblock]

[sblock=Tereg]Tereg finds it easy to grab a hiding spot near the Blue Nixie. After only 15 minutes he determines that there are probably about six or seven thugs, though he has not seen someone matching the description of Vark that Lavinia provided. Most are just lounging around the ship in the early dusk. Four of them head below with mugs in their hands.

EDIT: While it is possible to see the number of thugs from where he is, Tereg finds it odd that the Nixie is not docked at Pier 5 as Lavinia said. Indeed it is anchored in the bay a good 100ft from the docks. The ship sits at rest with its sails bundled and its anchor lowered.

ooc: yup no worries on the fun RP [/sblock]

 

[Manzanita]

"Let's meet tomorrow for breakfast. Away from the docks. Perhaps at the Pearl and the Parrot in the Noble's district. It could be a late one tonight.

Jerrel & DM [sblock] "Do you think we should check into Orimander or Penkus tonight? Could be dangerous. We should probably just meet the others in the morning. We're not really looking for Vanthus. I mean, he's probably not involved in this. Maybe we could use his smuggling as blackmail against Vark, though."[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

'Ah perplexing, but not at all unexpected. Time for phase two.'

*Rowyn's mysteriousness compared to most other ladies is not really a surprise given her pirate heritage, so this means that Alix has to take extra precautions. For instance, in addition to purchasing a lovely red lotus for her, he also writes a letter sealed with his personal sigil stating that he has uncovered a dangerous criminal organisation headed by Rowyn Kellani with the intention of usurping her own house's power and overthrowing Sasserine and that he wrote this letter before investigating this further, so his own disappearance and murder is proof of his words. He arranges to have it delivered to the Dawn Council through an anonymous means should he not check back in. A pure bluff, of course, but Worrin Lidu is likely to believe this with Trisha's urging if Alix actually does turn up dead or missing, and if Rowyn's mother isn't in on whatever her daughter is actually up to, maybe she'll bite on this is an excuse for her failing health. Whatever the case, a full Dawn Council investigation is likely to turn something up that will ruin the name of anyone willing to resort to murder, so Alix considers himself relatively safe--she wouldn't dare kill him with that as a result.*

*Perhaps he was being paranoid--the chances of Rowyn being dangerous are low, and she likely has good information for him about Vark, but one can never be too careful among the nobles here. For all he knows, she might be Vark's secret lover or something. The other good news is that he can always use the letter to blackmail her into revealing information if she doesn't realise that telling him is already in her own self-interest.*

(OOC: I take it he not only can't see Rowyn but doesn't have extra time? In that case)

*That completed, Alix gets word through Rowyn's house that he'd like to have lunch with her, in hte evening or the morning, whichever is more convenient, and then he retires for the evening--Vanthus shall have to wait until he knows more from Rowyn. After his lunch with Rowyn (or failure to meet her for lunch--in which case he has some backup plans), he will rendezvous with the others and regroup before pursuing his own leads any further.*

 

[Erekose13]

[sblock=Alix]Alix receives word early the next morning that Rowyn would like to meet him in private later that evening for dinner.

Dear Alix Meravanchi,

It was with some surprise that I received word that you would like to meet. It would be my pleasure to meet you at a little spot in Sunrise called the Restless Lion this evening if you can make it. I must say that I am intrigued.

Sincerely,
Rowyn Kellani

[/sblock]

 

[Velmont]

[SBLOCK=Julian and DM]"We can check that tonight. I think the more we can find, the better it will be. Even if we are not much in haste, I think teh longuer it will take to do this job, the worst it will be for us. Vark can hear we are on his track, or things might change in a way we don't like... anyway, I've always heard it was a bad thing to make a lady wait." answers Jerrell[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

'Okay, that gives me more time. Now the question is, is it worth the risk to pursue my next stratagem...Not until I've met with the others first. I can only have one of these tell-all letters without looking suspicious.'

*Failing to meet Rowyn until the evening, Alix will rendezvous with the others as planned the next morning to discuss progress. Once quorum is reached:*

"Greetings fellows. I trust that each of you has performed admirably over the course of last night--myself, I am scheduled to eat with Rowyn Kellani later this evening. Hopefully I shall return with my throat intact. Otherwise, I am counting on all of you, and particularly Nathan, to agree with anything that my posthumous letter says if the Dawn Council calls you in as witnesses."

"With that timeframe in mind, it seems to me that we should consider as a backup plan an assault on the fortified positions of the thugs on the Blue Nixie for the wee hours of the morning. If we can do something bloodless instead, so much the better, of course."

"Now, on an aside, did anyone gain any information on Vanthus? I'm considering a ploy that might trick him into revealing himself voluntarily, but it would be extremely dangerous to me, so we should only consider it once we've regrouped again tonight after my dinner. Anyone have any good ideas for things to do to prepare in the meantime? Anyone who has cash and doesn't have sufficient weapons and armour should buy them, for instance. I'm open to anything else you can think of. Otherwise, we should meet at midnight again to discuss our next move. If I don't make it, assume I'm dead and act accordingly."

 

[Malarky]

Tereg observes for a while, taking note of all that happens to report on later. Given that the ship is a distance offshore its risky to try to swim aboard; gaging his odds, Tereg instead sets out to discreetly procure a dinghy that can get him close enough to better calculate the number of crew, perhaps overhear something.