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JollyDoc's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Updated 1/29/10
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<blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 4661480" data-attributes="member: 9546"><p>IN HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE</p><p></p><p>Eodred II’s health had been declining for some time. That was common knowledge, but his sudden death had caught most of the castle off guard. Rumors quickly began to spread on the streets that he suffered from some disease beyond even the priesthoods of Sarenrae and Abadar’s skill to cure, and that even Asmodeus’s disciples were summoned from their pentacle temple in the deep of night to try their dark hand at restoring the king. Worse, the castle’s seneschal had apparently vanished as well, supposedly slain in one of the initial riots. Desperate citizens, salty dock workers, soot-covered smiths and all manner of tradesmen, already stifled by Eodred’s spendthrift reign, roared at the thought of Ileosa taking the throne. Dock workers abandoned the seafront wards and caravan men left North Point. Frustrated merchant ships and wagon convoys turned around when they found no one to offload their goods, much less to buy them. Food and other staples trickled into the city, while thousands vied for the last sack of flour or bundle of cook-fire timber in the market. Riots erupted throughout the streets. Entire wards plunged into chaos. Those who did not rove the streets with cudgel and torch in hand instead locked their doors against the gathering mob. The Bank of Abadar closed its gilded gates and a contingent of the Coin’s Faithful stood at the ready with halberd and crossbow to repel would-be looters. The Acadamae closed its doors as well, shutting its students and professors within its walls and closing them to the rest of the city. In the space of a dozen hours, all of Korvosa’s oppression and anger exploded into chaos. </p><p></p><p>It was into this madness that the six new companions stepped. Their mission was complete, yet now they were adrift, unable to return to their previous lives, and now dependent on each other for the relative safety that numbers would afford. At first they were divided as to where they should go and what they should do. Ratbone advocated aiding the victims of the rioting wherever they could, but Mandrake felt they should return the stolen brooch to the queen. The paladin’s reasoning was that they were obliged to restore the stolen property to its rightful owner, while the city guard could assist in dispersing the mobs. In the end, a compromise was reached, since the company would have to traverse a large part of the city to reach Castle Korvosa, and they would be able to lend their assistance if it was needed along the way. </p><p></p><p>Their first chance came quickly and unexpectedly. As they passed by a small tavern, an obviously drunken guardsman came staggering up to Valeris, seemingly having mistaken the duskblade for someone named Neffi, from some place called Sandpoint. When Valeris denied the acquaintance and proceeded to chastise the soldier for dereliction of duty in the face of citywide lawlessness, the man became defensive and belligerent, claiming that there was no point in trying to help. The city was lost. Mandrake recognized the guardsman, a well-liked Watch Sergeant named Grau. The paladin stepped between him and Valeris, and attempted to diffuse the situation, offering to escort the watchman back to the Citadel. Grau grew tearful and remorseful about his abandonment of his post, and agreed to accompany the group after all.</p><p></p><p>Further along, they came upon the edge of a riot where a mob of half-a-dozen men wielding shovels, chair-legs, and lengths of iron pipe surrounded a beardless young nobleman. One of the laborers, a fat, bald man with greasy muttonchops framing his rotund face, jeered at the young man, accusing him of never having worked an honest day in his life, and of being a lapdog of the “whore queen!” As the big worker raised his pipe to strike, however, Katarina stepped in, a wave of her hand and a quickly chanted spell putting two of the thugs to sleep. Between Valeris’s intimidating stance and Mandrake’s polite but firm suggestion that they disperse, the other men picked up their drowsing companions and slunk away, grumbling. The nobleman was grateful, and identified himself as Amin Jalento. He was in no frame of mind to stick around, however, and tipped his saviors several platinums before disappearing into the streets.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, they arrived at the Citadel, and while Grau’s fellows readily accepted his return, they were not inclined to accept the offer of the young heroes of further assistance. They were advised, in no uncertain terms, to return to their homes or face incarceration. Reluctantly, they continued on their way. Castle Korvosa was not hard to identify against Korvosa’s skyline. A magnificent achievement of architecture, the castle walls and spires rose high into the air above. The entire structure loomed even higher for its ancient foundation…a Thassilonian ruin in the shape of an immense, flat-topped pyramid. Normally, petitioners to the monarchy approached from the Great Ramp, waited in the Public Courtyard to speak to the Korvosan Guards on duty, and hoped for a chance to be heard. When the six companions arrived, however, the Castle had been locked tight, and bristled with pikes and crossbows. The guards demanded to know their business. At the mention of the queen’s brooch, however, their attitude changed. Hurried words were exchanged among the watchmen, and then one nodded that the group should proceed to the courtyard…after leaving their weapons at the gate.</p><p></p><p>A group of obviously nervous guards armed with heavy crossbows escorted them up to the castle. As they reached the top of the pyramid and the wide stairs curling up to the castle’s third floor, they were greeted by a beautiful woman dressed in magnificent full plate armor…the queen’s handmaiden and bodyguard, Sabina Merrin. She nodded curtly in greeting, then asked to see the brooch. When it was presented, she smiled, dismissed the guards, then led the company to the throne room, asking how they would be introduced when they met the queen. As they rounded the corner to the throne room, she announced their arrival with a loud, clear voice, and then stepped aside. Queen Ileosa sat upon the Crimson Throne, a vision of celestial beauty despite the black mourning dress and veil she wore in honor of her husband’s death. A small silver coffer sat in her lap. Sabina stepped forward again and took the brooch, then handed it over to the queen with a flourish. She took up a position at the throne’s left side as Ileosa addressed the companions. The queen thanked them for the return of her property, something she had not expected to see again. She spoke of her love for Korvosa, and the turmoil her husband’s death had brought to the city. She promised to reward her heroes, but suggested that they might do her and their city further service. She offered them a position at Citadel Volshyenek among her city guards, if they so chose. Then, claiming that her grief had drained her, she retired, directing Sabina to hand over the reward…a king’s ransom of twelve gold Korvosan ingots. Sabina then looked questioningly at them, obviously waiting on their answer to the queen’s offer. The six unlikely heroes glanced at each other, then agreed as one.</p><p>_____________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>Sabina Merrin and a contingent of the royal guard escorted the new guardsmen to Citadel Volshyenek. Once there, they were shown past the same soldiers who had ordered them away on their last visit, sheepish looks of contrition on their faces. They were taken into the central keep, where a harried and tired-looking woman rose from her desk to greet them. This was Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. She introduced herself and asked for their names. She was pleased to see them, pointing out that they had seen the situation in the streets, and the guard was already stretched thin. Every bit of help they could get was welcome. Skipping any further formalities, she proceeded to explain that Korvosa had enough problems without her own men losing their way and going rogue. Apparently this had already happened several times. Many had deserted their posts, concerned about family and friends, yet some were using the riots for personal gain. One such was a man named Verik Vancaskerkin. He had convinced a small group of his fellow guards that Queen Ileosa was going to ruin the city. Cressida explained that she couldn’t afford to pull any of her guards off duty to deal with him, and she didn’t want to expose any of them to him in any case, not wanting to risk further desertions. She needed impartial agents, and that’s where the newcomers came in. She explained that Vancaskerkin and his men had holed up in an abandoned butcher’s shop in North Point called All the World’s Meat. She wanted the group to investigate the place. She asked that they try and avoid killing any of the deserters, if possible, but understood if it came to that. Specifically, she wanted Vancaskerkin alive for interrogation, so that she could find out if there was more to his desertion than simple politics. She dubbed her new operatives the Korvosan Intelligence Agency…K.I.A.</p><p>_______________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>By the following morning, the initial civil unrest and outbreaks of rioting were quelled quickly, thanks to the swift action of the Guard, the Sable Company and the Hell Knights. The streets were relatively safe to walk, but a thick tension remained in the air. Riots, fires, and lootings continued to erupt sporadically, and certain smaller areas of the city remained out of control. North Point was one of these. Fortunately, Ratbone knew those streets, and he was able to lead his companions along back alleys and side streets, avoiding the major thoroughfares. </p><p></p><p>When they reached the butcher shop, they found that it was apparently still a going concern, as several patrons were lined up outside the door, entering and then leaving with wrapped parcels. Dressed in their normal garb instead of that of the Guard, the group drew no attention to themselves as they walked down a side alley and approached the shop from the stockyard. Quietly and unseen, they entered the building, finding themselves on the killing floor, a large, blood spattered chamber where the livestock was slaughtered. The room was unoccupied, however, and they began cautiously opening adjoining doors. Behind one, they surprised two men, both dressed in chain shirts beneath their aprons, slopping three surly-looking boars. The men, Karralo and Parns, late of the Korvosan Guard, asked if they were lost, saying that they were trespassing on private property. At first, Valeris tried bluffing them, explaining that they were there to join Verik’s cause. The two ex-soldiers denied knowing anything about that, at the same time loosening their weapons. After that, there was no more room for diplomacy, and things happened quickly. Despite the best efforts of Valeris and O’reginald, the men were subdued, mostly due to Katarina’s deft use of her magical skills, repeatedly dazing the warriors while her companions rendered them unconscious. Within moments, however, two more men, Baldrago and Malder entered the room, but they were likewise dealt with. Finally, Verik himself appeared, but by that time it was too late. He was outnumbered and outclassed, and he soon joined his cohorts in captivity. A search of the shops offices turned up nothing incriminating, but Valeris did find a beautifully ornate silver dagger, which he slipped surreptitiously into his tunic. </p><p>When the group left the shop, a crowd had gathered outside, having witnessed the melee. They began to grow violent and unruly when they saw Verik and his men being dragged out bound hand-and-foot. Katarina and Mandrake, however, were able to calm the mob, explaining that the men were wanted criminals. When they added that any remaining meat in the shop was free for the taking, that sealed it, and the people surged inside, allowing the company to take their prisoners and slip quietly away.</p><p>______________________________________________________</p><p> </p><p>Field Marshal Kroft was very pleased that, not only had her new agents dealt with Verik and his men, but they’d managed to bring them all in alive! The financial reward she gave them was generous, but their achievement was such that she had another assignment for them immediately. When they gathered in her office, however, she was not alone. A handsome, middle-aged gentleman, whom she introduced as Vencarlo Orisini, was also in attendance. Herc’s face fell when he saw the man, for it was Vencarlo’s nephew that the big warrior had been assigned to protect when the boy was kidnapped by Gaedren Lamm. Orisini knew him as well, and he was quick to reassure Herc that neither he, nor his family held the man responsible for what had happened. Though this did not assuage Herc’s guilt, he could tell the nobleman was being genuine. </p><p></p><p>Cressida cut the amenities short, as she was anxious to get down to business. She said that Vencarlo had often been a source of information for her, and he had now brought her some ominous news. It seemed a man named Darvayne Gios Amprei, an ambassador from Cheliax whose disdain for Korvosa was well known, was attempting to undermine the city’s economy to the point where he could buy up large portions of real estate from desperate landholders and establish himself in a position of power. Even before the current crisis, he had been ready to recommend to his government a sanction on trade, or perhaps even an embargo. Cressida was emphatic that his plans had to be stopped, but not by simply killing him. Not only would it be wrong, but it would martyr him in the eyes of Cheliax. Fortunately, Vencarlo had learned that the ambassador had been making regular visits to Eel’s End in Old Korvosa, a den of vice run by a dangerous man named Devargo Barvasi, better known in Korvosa’s alleys as the King of Spiders. He would never let anyone he recognized as an ally of the Guard into his establishment, which was were the K.I.A came in: she wanted them to pay a visit to Eel’s End and secure an audience with Devargo, find out what he knew about Amprei, get proof of any illicit goings-on the ambassador might be involved with, and bring that proof back to her. She agreed to supply them with gold to bribe the crime lord, as he might not be willing to part with such information willingly. The six companions accepted their assignment without question.</p><p>_________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>Vencarlo volunteered to escort the company as far as Old Korvosa, since his fencing academy was located there. Along the way, he took the time to thank them for how they handled the situation with Sergeant Grau, adding that the man was once one of his most promising students. As he spoke, Katarina recalled a rumor she’d heard about some sort of scandal involving Grau, Vencarlo and Sabina Merrin. The details escaped her, however. Vencarlo paid quite a bit of attention to Katarina on the long walk, playing the role of the gentleman suitor. He also took an interest in Ratbone, inquiring specifically about the half-orc’s charity work in Bridgefront.</p><p></p><p>Soon enough, they reached Old Korvosa, and Vencarlo took his leave with a bow and a final kiss to Katarina’s hand. He pointed them in the direction of Eel’s End, though Mandrake unfortunately knew the way quite well. When the group reached the long pier with five large barges moored to its end, the paladin was nearly overwhelmed with memories of his last visit there…when he’d found his brother dead inside the shiver den known as the Dragon’s Breath Corridor. Now fate had brought him back, and he could not help but believe that it was no coincidence. Abadar worked in mysterious ways.</p><p>Along with the Dragon’s Breath Corridor, the Twin Tigers, the Goldenhawk, and the House of Clouds all were heavily patroned by sailors, thugs, prostitutes and what could even have been a few well-dressed nobles, all carousing together. Only one ship, the largest, the Eel’s End itself, had an unoccupied deck, save for a pair of large, grim-faced men dressed in chainmail. The group made their way onto the foredeck of the barge, and when they were questioned by the guards, Katarina’s obvious charms convinced them that she and her friends had legitimate business with Devargo Barvasi. They were taken inside the cabin of the King of Spiders, where the brooding crime lord sat on a makeshift throne crawling with spiders, as a group of thugs sat at tables before him enjoying a sumptuous meal and loudly telling stories. The room became hushed, however, as the newcomers were escorted in. At Barvasi’s questioning gaze, Katarina stepped forward to speak. She explained that she was an adept of the Harrow, and had recently been given visions of important events swirling about the Spider King. When Barvasi said that he did not deal in the whims of fortune, but instead made his own fate, Katarina asked to give him a reading. Bemused, he agreed, all the while fingering the filigree on the armrest of his throne. Katarina took out Zellara’s deck, and began dealing the cards. Her reading was inspired as she spoke of Barvasi’s sordid past, his obviously successful present, and his clouded future, in which she claimed to see divided loyalties. Barvasi sat forward with interest, peering down at the cards. When he asked what she meant by the latter, Katarina spoke of Ambassador Amprei. Barvasi listened in silence as she offered her proposal, ending with a heavy sack laden with five-hundred gold coins. Barvasi remained silent another moment, but then abruptly clapped his hands in delight, and thanked Katarina for her generosity and entertainment. He then asked that they wait while he adjourned to his private quarters. When he returned, he brought with him a packet of papers. He explained that he had learned of a scandalous affair between the ambassador and the wife of an important noble back in Cheliax. He had paid Amprei a visit, attempting to befriend him and make a proposition of opening a line of trade with Cheliax. When the ambassador refused and had Barvasi escorted from his property, Devargo had lifted the man’s house key. He later returned to the house under cover of darkness and stole several letters from Amprei’s paramour. He’d been selling them back to the ambassador since then, but he still had two left, and these he handed over to Katarina and her friends.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JollyDoc, post: 4661480, member: 9546"] IN HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE Eodred II’s health had been declining for some time. That was common knowledge, but his sudden death had caught most of the castle off guard. Rumors quickly began to spread on the streets that he suffered from some disease beyond even the priesthoods of Sarenrae and Abadar’s skill to cure, and that even Asmodeus’s disciples were summoned from their pentacle temple in the deep of night to try their dark hand at restoring the king. Worse, the castle’s seneschal had apparently vanished as well, supposedly slain in one of the initial riots. Desperate citizens, salty dock workers, soot-covered smiths and all manner of tradesmen, already stifled by Eodred’s spendthrift reign, roared at the thought of Ileosa taking the throne. Dock workers abandoned the seafront wards and caravan men left North Point. Frustrated merchant ships and wagon convoys turned around when they found no one to offload their goods, much less to buy them. Food and other staples trickled into the city, while thousands vied for the last sack of flour or bundle of cook-fire timber in the market. Riots erupted throughout the streets. Entire wards plunged into chaos. Those who did not rove the streets with cudgel and torch in hand instead locked their doors against the gathering mob. The Bank of Abadar closed its gilded gates and a contingent of the Coin’s Faithful stood at the ready with halberd and crossbow to repel would-be looters. The Acadamae closed its doors as well, shutting its students and professors within its walls and closing them to the rest of the city. In the space of a dozen hours, all of Korvosa’s oppression and anger exploded into chaos. It was into this madness that the six new companions stepped. Their mission was complete, yet now they were adrift, unable to return to their previous lives, and now dependent on each other for the relative safety that numbers would afford. At first they were divided as to where they should go and what they should do. Ratbone advocated aiding the victims of the rioting wherever they could, but Mandrake felt they should return the stolen brooch to the queen. The paladin’s reasoning was that they were obliged to restore the stolen property to its rightful owner, while the city guard could assist in dispersing the mobs. In the end, a compromise was reached, since the company would have to traverse a large part of the city to reach Castle Korvosa, and they would be able to lend their assistance if it was needed along the way. Their first chance came quickly and unexpectedly. As they passed by a small tavern, an obviously drunken guardsman came staggering up to Valeris, seemingly having mistaken the duskblade for someone named Neffi, from some place called Sandpoint. When Valeris denied the acquaintance and proceeded to chastise the soldier for dereliction of duty in the face of citywide lawlessness, the man became defensive and belligerent, claiming that there was no point in trying to help. The city was lost. Mandrake recognized the guardsman, a well-liked Watch Sergeant named Grau. The paladin stepped between him and Valeris, and attempted to diffuse the situation, offering to escort the watchman back to the Citadel. Grau grew tearful and remorseful about his abandonment of his post, and agreed to accompany the group after all. Further along, they came upon the edge of a riot where a mob of half-a-dozen men wielding shovels, chair-legs, and lengths of iron pipe surrounded a beardless young nobleman. One of the laborers, a fat, bald man with greasy muttonchops framing his rotund face, jeered at the young man, accusing him of never having worked an honest day in his life, and of being a lapdog of the “whore queen!” As the big worker raised his pipe to strike, however, Katarina stepped in, a wave of her hand and a quickly chanted spell putting two of the thugs to sleep. Between Valeris’s intimidating stance and Mandrake’s polite but firm suggestion that they disperse, the other men picked up their drowsing companions and slunk away, grumbling. The nobleman was grateful, and identified himself as Amin Jalento. He was in no frame of mind to stick around, however, and tipped his saviors several platinums before disappearing into the streets. Eventually, they arrived at the Citadel, and while Grau’s fellows readily accepted his return, they were not inclined to accept the offer of the young heroes of further assistance. They were advised, in no uncertain terms, to return to their homes or face incarceration. Reluctantly, they continued on their way. Castle Korvosa was not hard to identify against Korvosa’s skyline. A magnificent achievement of architecture, the castle walls and spires rose high into the air above. The entire structure loomed even higher for its ancient foundation…a Thassilonian ruin in the shape of an immense, flat-topped pyramid. Normally, petitioners to the monarchy approached from the Great Ramp, waited in the Public Courtyard to speak to the Korvosan Guards on duty, and hoped for a chance to be heard. When the six companions arrived, however, the Castle had been locked tight, and bristled with pikes and crossbows. The guards demanded to know their business. At the mention of the queen’s brooch, however, their attitude changed. Hurried words were exchanged among the watchmen, and then one nodded that the group should proceed to the courtyard…after leaving their weapons at the gate. A group of obviously nervous guards armed with heavy crossbows escorted them up to the castle. As they reached the top of the pyramid and the wide stairs curling up to the castle’s third floor, they were greeted by a beautiful woman dressed in magnificent full plate armor…the queen’s handmaiden and bodyguard, Sabina Merrin. She nodded curtly in greeting, then asked to see the brooch. When it was presented, she smiled, dismissed the guards, then led the company to the throne room, asking how they would be introduced when they met the queen. As they rounded the corner to the throne room, she announced their arrival with a loud, clear voice, and then stepped aside. Queen Ileosa sat upon the Crimson Throne, a vision of celestial beauty despite the black mourning dress and veil she wore in honor of her husband’s death. A small silver coffer sat in her lap. Sabina stepped forward again and took the brooch, then handed it over to the queen with a flourish. She took up a position at the throne’s left side as Ileosa addressed the companions. The queen thanked them for the return of her property, something she had not expected to see again. She spoke of her love for Korvosa, and the turmoil her husband’s death had brought to the city. She promised to reward her heroes, but suggested that they might do her and their city further service. She offered them a position at Citadel Volshyenek among her city guards, if they so chose. Then, claiming that her grief had drained her, she retired, directing Sabina to hand over the reward…a king’s ransom of twelve gold Korvosan ingots. Sabina then looked questioningly at them, obviously waiting on their answer to the queen’s offer. The six unlikely heroes glanced at each other, then agreed as one. _____________________________________________________ Sabina Merrin and a contingent of the royal guard escorted the new guardsmen to Citadel Volshyenek. Once there, they were shown past the same soldiers who had ordered them away on their last visit, sheepish looks of contrition on their faces. They were taken into the central keep, where a harried and tired-looking woman rose from her desk to greet them. This was Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. She introduced herself and asked for their names. She was pleased to see them, pointing out that they had seen the situation in the streets, and the guard was already stretched thin. Every bit of help they could get was welcome. Skipping any further formalities, she proceeded to explain that Korvosa had enough problems without her own men losing their way and going rogue. Apparently this had already happened several times. Many had deserted their posts, concerned about family and friends, yet some were using the riots for personal gain. One such was a man named Verik Vancaskerkin. He had convinced a small group of his fellow guards that Queen Ileosa was going to ruin the city. Cressida explained that she couldn’t afford to pull any of her guards off duty to deal with him, and she didn’t want to expose any of them to him in any case, not wanting to risk further desertions. She needed impartial agents, and that’s where the newcomers came in. She explained that Vancaskerkin and his men had holed up in an abandoned butcher’s shop in North Point called All the World’s Meat. She wanted the group to investigate the place. She asked that they try and avoid killing any of the deserters, if possible, but understood if it came to that. Specifically, she wanted Vancaskerkin alive for interrogation, so that she could find out if there was more to his desertion than simple politics. She dubbed her new operatives the Korvosan Intelligence Agency…K.I.A. _______________________________________________________ By the following morning, the initial civil unrest and outbreaks of rioting were quelled quickly, thanks to the swift action of the Guard, the Sable Company and the Hell Knights. The streets were relatively safe to walk, but a thick tension remained in the air. Riots, fires, and lootings continued to erupt sporadically, and certain smaller areas of the city remained out of control. North Point was one of these. Fortunately, Ratbone knew those streets, and he was able to lead his companions along back alleys and side streets, avoiding the major thoroughfares. When they reached the butcher shop, they found that it was apparently still a going concern, as several patrons were lined up outside the door, entering and then leaving with wrapped parcels. Dressed in their normal garb instead of that of the Guard, the group drew no attention to themselves as they walked down a side alley and approached the shop from the stockyard. Quietly and unseen, they entered the building, finding themselves on the killing floor, a large, blood spattered chamber where the livestock was slaughtered. The room was unoccupied, however, and they began cautiously opening adjoining doors. Behind one, they surprised two men, both dressed in chain shirts beneath their aprons, slopping three surly-looking boars. The men, Karralo and Parns, late of the Korvosan Guard, asked if they were lost, saying that they were trespassing on private property. At first, Valeris tried bluffing them, explaining that they were there to join Verik’s cause. The two ex-soldiers denied knowing anything about that, at the same time loosening their weapons. After that, there was no more room for diplomacy, and things happened quickly. Despite the best efforts of Valeris and O’reginald, the men were subdued, mostly due to Katarina’s deft use of her magical skills, repeatedly dazing the warriors while her companions rendered them unconscious. Within moments, however, two more men, Baldrago and Malder entered the room, but they were likewise dealt with. Finally, Verik himself appeared, but by that time it was too late. He was outnumbered and outclassed, and he soon joined his cohorts in captivity. A search of the shops offices turned up nothing incriminating, but Valeris did find a beautifully ornate silver dagger, which he slipped surreptitiously into his tunic. When the group left the shop, a crowd had gathered outside, having witnessed the melee. They began to grow violent and unruly when they saw Verik and his men being dragged out bound hand-and-foot. Katarina and Mandrake, however, were able to calm the mob, explaining that the men were wanted criminals. When they added that any remaining meat in the shop was free for the taking, that sealed it, and the people surged inside, allowing the company to take their prisoners and slip quietly away. ______________________________________________________ Field Marshal Kroft was very pleased that, not only had her new agents dealt with Verik and his men, but they’d managed to bring them all in alive! The financial reward she gave them was generous, but their achievement was such that she had another assignment for them immediately. When they gathered in her office, however, she was not alone. A handsome, middle-aged gentleman, whom she introduced as Vencarlo Orisini, was also in attendance. Herc’s face fell when he saw the man, for it was Vencarlo’s nephew that the big warrior had been assigned to protect when the boy was kidnapped by Gaedren Lamm. Orisini knew him as well, and he was quick to reassure Herc that neither he, nor his family held the man responsible for what had happened. Though this did not assuage Herc’s guilt, he could tell the nobleman was being genuine. Cressida cut the amenities short, as she was anxious to get down to business. She said that Vencarlo had often been a source of information for her, and he had now brought her some ominous news. It seemed a man named Darvayne Gios Amprei, an ambassador from Cheliax whose disdain for Korvosa was well known, was attempting to undermine the city’s economy to the point where he could buy up large portions of real estate from desperate landholders and establish himself in a position of power. Even before the current crisis, he had been ready to recommend to his government a sanction on trade, or perhaps even an embargo. Cressida was emphatic that his plans had to be stopped, but not by simply killing him. Not only would it be wrong, but it would martyr him in the eyes of Cheliax. Fortunately, Vencarlo had learned that the ambassador had been making regular visits to Eel’s End in Old Korvosa, a den of vice run by a dangerous man named Devargo Barvasi, better known in Korvosa’s alleys as the King of Spiders. He would never let anyone he recognized as an ally of the Guard into his establishment, which was were the K.I.A came in: she wanted them to pay a visit to Eel’s End and secure an audience with Devargo, find out what he knew about Amprei, get proof of any illicit goings-on the ambassador might be involved with, and bring that proof back to her. She agreed to supply them with gold to bribe the crime lord, as he might not be willing to part with such information willingly. The six companions accepted their assignment without question. _________________________________________________ Vencarlo volunteered to escort the company as far as Old Korvosa, since his fencing academy was located there. Along the way, he took the time to thank them for how they handled the situation with Sergeant Grau, adding that the man was once one of his most promising students. As he spoke, Katarina recalled a rumor she’d heard about some sort of scandal involving Grau, Vencarlo and Sabina Merrin. The details escaped her, however. Vencarlo paid quite a bit of attention to Katarina on the long walk, playing the role of the gentleman suitor. He also took an interest in Ratbone, inquiring specifically about the half-orc’s charity work in Bridgefront. Soon enough, they reached Old Korvosa, and Vencarlo took his leave with a bow and a final kiss to Katarina’s hand. He pointed them in the direction of Eel’s End, though Mandrake unfortunately knew the way quite well. When the group reached the long pier with five large barges moored to its end, the paladin was nearly overwhelmed with memories of his last visit there…when he’d found his brother dead inside the shiver den known as the Dragon’s Breath Corridor. Now fate had brought him back, and he could not help but believe that it was no coincidence. Abadar worked in mysterious ways. Along with the Dragon’s Breath Corridor, the Twin Tigers, the Goldenhawk, and the House of Clouds all were heavily patroned by sailors, thugs, prostitutes and what could even have been a few well-dressed nobles, all carousing together. Only one ship, the largest, the Eel’s End itself, had an unoccupied deck, save for a pair of large, grim-faced men dressed in chainmail. The group made their way onto the foredeck of the barge, and when they were questioned by the guards, Katarina’s obvious charms convinced them that she and her friends had legitimate business with Devargo Barvasi. They were taken inside the cabin of the King of Spiders, where the brooding crime lord sat on a makeshift throne crawling with spiders, as a group of thugs sat at tables before him enjoying a sumptuous meal and loudly telling stories. The room became hushed, however, as the newcomers were escorted in. At Barvasi’s questioning gaze, Katarina stepped forward to speak. She explained that she was an adept of the Harrow, and had recently been given visions of important events swirling about the Spider King. When Barvasi said that he did not deal in the whims of fortune, but instead made his own fate, Katarina asked to give him a reading. Bemused, he agreed, all the while fingering the filigree on the armrest of his throne. Katarina took out Zellara’s deck, and began dealing the cards. Her reading was inspired as she spoke of Barvasi’s sordid past, his obviously successful present, and his clouded future, in which she claimed to see divided loyalties. Barvasi sat forward with interest, peering down at the cards. When he asked what she meant by the latter, Katarina spoke of Ambassador Amprei. Barvasi listened in silence as she offered her proposal, ending with a heavy sack laden with five-hundred gold coins. Barvasi remained silent another moment, but then abruptly clapped his hands in delight, and thanked Katarina for her generosity and entertainment. He then asked that they wait while he adjourned to his private quarters. When he returned, he brought with him a packet of papers. He explained that he had learned of a scandalous affair between the ambassador and the wife of an important noble back in Cheliax. He had paid Amprei a visit, attempting to befriend him and make a proposition of opening a line of trade with Cheliax. When the ambassador refused and had Barvasi escorted from his property, Devargo had lifted the man’s house key. He later returned to the house under cover of darkness and stole several letters from Amprei’s paramour. He’d been selling them back to the ambassador since then, but he still had two left, and these he handed over to Katarina and her friends. [/QUOTE]
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JollyDoc's Curse of the Crimson Throne: Updated 1/29/10
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