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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2865157" data-attributes="member: 5203"><p><strong>Statutory Crimes</strong></p><p></p><p>This adventure is actually one that I ran as a guest DM to give our regular DM a break. So, in advance, I should probably apologize. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>----------------------------</p><p></p><p> Malick Bardossa ran for his life.</p><p></p><p> Panting, he rounded the corner to the alley, not even daring to pause to look behind him. He could hear the shouts of his pursuers, somewhere behind him, still too close. As if to accentuate the point, the bolt from a crossbow suddenly struck the wall near his shoulder, jamming itself into the wood.</p><p></p><p> <em>Damn these Night Blades!</em> he thought, panicked. <em>Why me?</em></p><p></p><p> It wasn’t just him, though, and he knew it. The Black Hand was being slowly wiped out by these interloper guilds. Four of them… four! had come into the city since old Robar had vanished, and their first order of business had been to uproot the old guard. In the past five months, he’d fought off attacks from not only the nut jobs with the Night Blade, but the Poisoned Edge and their toxins, the Night Whispers with all their damned animals, and the runts from the Silent Foot. But still, he’d always figured that eventually things would settle down, and they’d all find their place. That was the way things worked.</p><p></p><p> But it had gotten worse ever since than blond bitch, the new Duchess, had arrived and announced she was going to be cleaning up the city. With an actual effective government in Vargas, there was only going to be room for so many criminal guilds, and they were all trying to make sure they stayed on the top of the heap.</p><p></p><p> Malick had been alive longer than most for one reason only; as a two-stick man*, he had a bit more of an arsenal than most. But that wasn’t helping him now. Now he was out of scrolls, out of potions, and not a wand on him. With the Black Hand scattered like it was, he just couldn’t get his hands on magical supplies like he used to. He still had his personal stash, though… if he could get to it.</p><p></p><p> His hopes started to rise as he heard the sound of the river lapping up against the docks. His bolt-hole was close. His pounding heart sang when he saw the nondescript fishing shack come into sight. With barely a moment to spare, he jumped through the door and quickly set the latch. It would only delay his pursuers a second or two, but seconds counted in this business.</p><p></p><p> Dashing to the corner, Malick threw open the trapdoor in the floor, then slid down the ladder, making sure to pull the trapdoor shut behind him. He dropped into a pitch-black room, and immediately turned and walked down a corridor. He navigated by pure memory, turning left and right at just the right places. It was only when he came into a much larger room that he stopped to take out a small enchanted light-stone.</p><p></p><p> The light revealed bare walls, and a few crude shelves. Malick went to the shelves and began scooping things into his bag, stuffing a couple of wands into his belt and grabbing a fistful of scrolls. After cleaning out everything he could, he turned his light off and began to make his way to another tunnel, which led to an underground cavern that had been undercut by the river. From there he could emerge further down in the docks and disappear.</p><p></p><p> He stopped when he heard shouts from his pursuers. It was hard to pinpoint, but they were definitely coming from in front of him, not behind. <em>Damn! They found the caves!</em></p><p></p><p> Malick doubled back to his storage room, and heard shouts coming from the tunnel he’d come in from. Panic set in, and Malick turned and ran down another corridor off the room, one he never used because it went nowhere. He figured his only hope was to hide and hope they didn’t search too hard for him.</p><p></p><p> He came around a corner, and dashed to the end of the corridor. Unfortunately, Malick wasn’t as familiar with this tunnel as the ones he normally used, and he overestimated the length. Stars flashed in Malick’s vision as his head rammed into the stone wall. He almost fell backward, but caught himself. As he rubbed his forehead, and felt blood trickling from a cut on his scalp, Malick was surprised to hear the sound of loose stone falling, and a sudden waft of stale air hit his face. Surprised, Malick reached out to feel the wall. Some of the stone had fallen away, and there was now a small gap.</p><p></p><p> Malick felt the hole, had a sudden idea, paused to contemplate it. A sudden, louder shout from one of the Night Blade assassins made up his mind. Malick rammed his shoulder into the wall, widening the gap just enough to slip through. After forcing his way past the opening, Malick dropped to one knee and lit up his magic stone again. He pulled out the sheaf of scrolls and went through them quickly, tossing them on the ground as he searched for the one he wanted. Finally, he pulled a single sheet of parchment out, and began intoning the arcane words. Seconds later, the loose stone around the wall began to fill in, until a second later there was no sign of disturbance.</p><p></p><p> Malick waited, holding his breath. He heard his pursuers reach the end of the tunnel. He heard loud voices arguing, though he couldn’t make out the words. After a few minutes, the voices seemed to recede. He let his breath out slowly, and stood up. There was little to do now, except see where he was. The Night Blade would be watching his place for hours to see if he came out. But he might be able to find another exit, and if not he was sure he could break down the wall again.</p><p></p><p> Shining his light around, the first thing Malick noticed was the carvings on the wall. Ornate carvings, like the kind found in the fancy stone houses in the northern part of the city. Dust lay thick all over, and Malick rubbed at his nose to keep from sneezing, feeling the scar there from when he’d had the end bitten off by that wolf the Night Whispers had sent to attack him three months ago.</p><p></p><p> Following the passageway, Malick soon came to another large room. Dominating the center of the room was a large sarcophagus. Nervous, Malick approached the stone slab. He’d heard his share of vampire stories, of course, though there were no reports of recent vampire attacks. But the sarcophagus was large, and well-crafted, the kind of thing where people got buried with a lot of valuables.</p><p></p><p> Peering at the stone lid, Malick blew dust off the surface and read the epitaph:</p><p></p><p> </p><p><em> HERE LIES PARIOS, DUKE OF VARGEX, LORD MAYOR OF VARGAS</em></p><p> </p><p></p><p> Malick thought for a moment, but couldn’t remember a Duke Parios. <em>Must not have been a popular Duke, if you didn’t end up in the catacombs beneath the Ducal Manor. Still, never look a gift horse…</em></p><p></p><p> Pulling a small crowbar from his bag, Malick began working on opening the sarcophagus. It was slow work with only one, but Malick had time to kill. Eventually, he was able to slide it away far enough to see inside. His light immediately picked up the glint of gold and gems. Malick began pulling valuables off the Duke’s corpse, rather irreverently tossing aside old bones that interfered with his work. He pocketed a gem-studded circlet, and an amulet, and then pulled a large ring off the finger. Looking at the ring, Malick saw that it bore the ducal seal.</p><p></p><p> “Oh, I think I can find a use for you,” he said quietly to himself. He’d forgotten that Dukes were always buried with a copy of the signet ring. Though no expert in forgery himself, he figured that someone would pay handsomely for this ring. On a whim, he stuck it on his finger, and started to return to his looting.</p><p></p><p> Suddenly, Malick’s mind was filled with images. He could see… no, feel his awareness expand outside the room, into the city. His mind focused on eight different spots in Vargas, on some of the many statues of Kythrian Varges. In his mind, he felt the presence of these statues, and realized they were more than just blocks of stone. He felt the ring searching for something within him, some key element that would trigger the magic. Almost instinctively, Malick began the exercises in mental subterfuge designed to confound magical auras, to allow him to unlock an item’s secrets just as a box man used tools to fool a lock into opening. It was tricky, as the ring didn’t seem to be looking for the traditional components; a certain faith, a particular moral outlook, a certain body of knowledge. But finally, Malick’s ever-shifting mind managed to confound the probing magic enough, and he felt the sudden surge of power as the ring connected to him. Imperfectly, to be sure, but connected nonetheless.</p><p></p><p> In his mind, he felt the eight statues of Kythrian suddenly become aware of him. And he heard eight identical voices in his mind.</p><p></p><p> <em>Command us, master.</em></p><p></p><p> Malick smiled, and laughter filled the tomb.</p><p></p><p> Oh, he could <em>definitely </em>find a use for this ring.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">* * *</p><p></p><p> Out in the courtyard, Arrie waited impatiently, pacing back and forth along the cobblestones. Several of the most severely damaged ones had been repaired in the past two months, and the overgrown ivy had been trimmed back, making the footing steadier than it had been (several visitors to the manor had ended up nursing twisted ankles in the first two weeks).</p><p></p><p> She had no idea why she was edgy today. She felt as though she were expecting something to happen, though she honestly couldn’t say what that ‘something’ would be. Life in Vargas had become almost routine, as much as it could when you were helping your sister try and rule a crime-riddled city. Arrie had spent most of her time responding to the messages that had started coming in from the various baronies and counties that were part of the Duchy of Vargex, trying to defer their requests for a visit from Autumn as long as she could without directly admitting that Vargas was in too rough a shape for her to leave it.</p><p></p><p> She saw a patrol of the city watch go by the main gate of the manor, and sighed. Autumn had made a request to the local Imperial garrison for aid, but the request was apparently tied up in bureaucratic issues, and no soldiers had been sent. Arrie had no doubt they could thank Emperor Haxtha for the ‘bureaucratic issues’. Fortunately, they had been able to recruit a few more citizens for the watch, and purge some of the more corrupt ones from the roster, and so in general the city was safe enough in the day. Nights were still a problem, though.</p><p></p><p> Autumn spent most of her days meeting with those who still had some influence and power in the city; the heads of guilds, wealthy upper-class citizens, land owners. She’d held a reception at the manor about two weeks after the new year, which was very lightly attended. Since then, there’d been no time to plan a second event. She was aided a great deal by Shoshone, the advisor that Haxtha had sent with them; Arrie had no doubt that Shoshone was one of the Emperor’s intelligence agents, though Shoshone herself never admitted to as much. Her presence in the city had been the one favor Haxtha had done for Autumn (oh, there were the three Imperial Guardsmen, too; she couldn’t forget about them), and her aid to the new Duchess had been invaluable. Arrie couldn’t help but wonder if Haxtha had deliberately sent a tiefling agent just to annoy her aasimar sister; fortunately, the racial differences had never caused any problems.</p><p></p><p> As for Osborn, he hadn’t been seen for days. Some of their initial information about the five criminal guilds in the city indicated that one of the newest ones, the Silent Foot, was comprised entirely of gnomes, dwarves, and hin, and they seemed to have some sort of bias against the taller races. Osborn had offered to try and infiltrate the Silent Foot, going deep undercover to ferret out the guild’s secrets. No one had seen him since then; the only reason they knew he was okay was that every other day a blank piece of paper was found stuck to the front gate that smelled strongly of bacon.</p><p></p><p> Arrie realized suddenly that she had started to pace, and forced herself to stop, instead sitting down on the corner of the marble statue in the center of the courtyard. The statue was of Kythrian Vargex, the first Duke of Vargex and founder of the city. There were over a dozen statues of Kythrian all around Vargas, including the one that Arrie was now using as a chair. They’d made a few jokes in private about the vanity of the man when they’d learned how many of these identical statues were in the city, but it seemed that Kythrian was still very highly thought of by the populace, and seemed to be regarded as the city’s protector. To be sure, all of the statues of Kythrian had been positioned to look at the ducal manor, as if watching over the ruler for any sign of corruption. Every one of the statues held the same pose; a regal elf dressed in plate armor, decorated with runes, who stood in serene vigil, no weapon in hand.</p><p></p><p> “Where were you six months ago?” Arrie asked the statue. Clearly, the previous steward of Vargas, Count Robar, would not have lived up to Kythrian’s standards. Now, if only they could find out what had happened to him…</p><p></p><p> <em>One problem at a time</em>, Arrie warned herself. The problem was, it was hard to decide which problem to tackle first. Maybe that was what had her on edge; their inability to make a decisive move. Or perhaps she was just bored; of all of them, her days had much more free time. She’d offered to do more, but Shoshone had asked her to refrain, saying that they didn’t want it to appear like the Imperial Princess – and by extension, the Emperor – was ‘carrying’ the new Duchess. So, for the most part, she played the role of ‘distinguished visitor’, lending a hand only where it wouldn’t be obvious, such as writing letters that Autumn could then sign and seal, or helping to entertain guests.</p><p></p><p> Under normal circumstances, the arrival of the silver raven might have caught Arrie off guard as she sat gathering her thoughts. But her developing psionic abilities had enhanced her innate sense of her surroundings, keeping her at least somewhat cognizant of what was happening around her even when her mind was occupied. When she saw the metallic construct descending into the courtyard, she had to suppress the urge to jump with glee. Its return could only mean one thing; her message had been received. Arrie eagerly popped open the raven’s message compartment as soon as it landed, and extracted the note inside.</p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><em>Arrie – We arrived in Aleppi today, got your message. We can’t all get there as fast as you’d like, but some of us will be coming to help via the Kyle Express. If you’re reading this, we’ve just landed in Vargas, and will be at Autumn’s house in twenty minutes. Please make sure the guards don’t shoot us. – Lanara</em></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> Grinning, Arrie stuffed the note into a pocket and walked down to the main gate. The guards posted there snapped to attention as soon as the Imperial Princess appeared.</p><p></p><p> “There will be visitors arriving within the next half an hour,” Arrie said. “They’re to be let in immediately and brought up to the house.”</p><p></p><p> “Of course, Your Highness,” said one of the guards, saluting. “How many visitors, and how will we know them?”</p><p></p><p> Arrie paused. The letter hadn’t said who was coming. “I’m not certain of the exact number,” she said, “but look for a cansin woman with pink hair.”</p><p></p><p> “Very good, Your Highness,” the guard said, and returned to his duties as Arrie went up to the house to tell everyone.</p><p></p><p> When Lanara, Kyle, and Razael walked up to the gate fifteen minutes later, the guards took one look at them – specifically, at Lanara – and opened the gates immediately. “You’re all expected by Her Grace, the Duchess of Vargex, and Her Highness, the Imperial Princess of Tlaxan,” the guards said.</p><p></p><p> Autumn and Arrie were waiting out in the courtyard when they walked up. Arrie ran up and gave Kyle a big bear hug, which he returned, and then she did the same for Lanara, nearly lifting the cansin off her feet. Razael stood nearby, silently, as they greeted each other.</p><p></p><p> Autumn walked up to Lanara, embracing her, and laughing at something the bard whispered in her ear. Then she let go, and turned to Kyle, who was waiting for her.</p><p></p><p> “Hey, guys,” Arrie said, seeing what was happening, “I’ve really been dying to show you all this section of wall way over here.”</p><p></p><p> “Oh, wow!” Lanara said, walking away with Arrie, “is that stone?” She paused only long enough to grab Razael’s arm and drag him along with them.</p><p></p><p> For a while, neither of them said a word to each other. Though they had only been separated two months, both of them wore the mantles of heavy burdens, a heavy look in the eyes that spoke of a decade’s worth of troubles, sorrows, and worries.</p><p></p><p> “I can’t stay,” Kyle said at last, though it seemed to take an enormous effort for the words to come out.</p><p></p><p> Autumn made no effort to disguise her disappointment. “Why?”</p><p></p><p> “I found some of my family. They’re in Aleppi now, with Xu and Togusa. I have to go back to make sure they get here safely.”</p><p></p><p> Autumn grasped Kyle’s hands. “Kyle, that’s wonderful! I can’t wait to meet them!”</p><p></p><p> “They’re excited to see you, too,” he said, cracking a slight smile. “If for no other reason that to meet a real duchess.”</p><p></p><p> Her face drooped a little. “Don’t remind me,” she said. “It’s been miserable, Kyle. I know I shouldn’t say that to you now, you have your own worries, but…”</p><p></p><p> “I understand. Believe me, I do. We’ll… we’ll need to talk when we have more time.”</p><p></p><p> Autumn nodded slowly. “I agree. There’s too much to start now.”</p><p></p><p> There was another long moment of silence, and then they kissed. A slow, lingering kiss that spoke of nothing more than a desire to be close to one another.</p><p></p><p> Their lips parted, reluctantly. “How long can you stay?” Autumn asked.</p><p></p><p> “An hour, I figure,” Kyle said. “That’ll get me back to Aleppi in time to get on the road first thing in the morning.”</p><p></p><p> “So soon…”</p><p></p><p> “I could stay longer, lose a little sleep…”</p><p></p><p> “No… no. Better if you just get back to me as fast as you can. I’ll arrange something for your family.” Autumn pulled back, reluctantly. “We should go catch up to the others. They’ve spent enough time pretending to be busy for our sake, don’t you think?”</p><p></p><p> Kyle sighed. “Sure, sure.”</p><p></p><p> The couple caught up to Arrie, Razael, and Lanara just as the three of them finished a quick look around the grounds. “So, what do you think of Arrie’s house?”</p><p></p><p> “Nice, except that it’s in the city,” Razael sniffed. “I’d prefer something out in the country myself.”</p><p></p><p> “But it is the highest point in the city,” Lanara pointed out. “I’ll bet you could shoot people really well from those windows up there.”</p><p></p><p> “You know, it disturbs me how you can always find a silver lining for him,” Arrie said.</p><p></p><p> “So, you called us.” Razael asked.</p><p></p><p> “We just need a little help everywhere, it seems,” Autumn sighed. “Crime and corruption are rampant in the city, and the Empire’s not providing much in the way of substantial help.”</p><p></p><p> “You mean Haxtha’s not providing much,” Razael spat. “You ask me, the best thing would be to put an arrow in Haxtha’s brain and put Herion on the throne.”</p><p></p><p> “Except that would turn Princess Ariadne into Empress Ariadne,” Kyle said, “and I’d be willing to bet that she wouldn’t get her remaining five years of freedom** if that happened. I’d rather keep her around longer.”</p><p></p><p> “As would I,” Autumn said. “And Razael, I’d appreciate you not voicing sedition out loud where others can hear you.”</p><p></p><p> “Who’s here to listen?” Razael said.</p><p></p><p> “You’d be surprised,” said a familiar voice above them.</p><p></p><p> Descending from the sky as if walking on the air itself, Madrone descended into their midst. She was immediately greeted with embraces and shouts of glee. As they looked at their friend, they noticed several changes in her. Her raven-feather cloak, a symbol of her faith and her standing in the church of Erito, was now much longer, and woven in with the many black feathers were a few pure white ones. In addition, Maddie now wore a single earring from which hung a very large, white feather, the length of her forearm. Razael stared closely at the feather for a long time.</p><p></p><p> “That’s a raven feather,” he said. “I’m sure of it. But it shouldn’t be that color, or that size. Where did you get it?”</p><p></p><p> “I’ll explain another time,” she said, smiling. “For now, suffice it to say I was on a pilgrimage.”</p><p></p><p> “Without me?” Razael said.</p><p></p><p> “Yes. Your presence would have… complicated things. The pilgrimage was given to me by the Serenity herself. But it’s over now, and I’m back with friends. Let’s open up a few bottles of Autumn’s wine and catch up.”</p><p></p><p> “I’ll have to join you later,” Autumn said. “I have to meet with my advisors about my outing.”</p><p></p><p> “Outing?” Lanara asked.</p><p></p><p> “My advisors have planned a luncheon and reception for me to attend in two days, right after the end of the Time of Burning,” the sentinel said. “At some place called the Medusa’s Lair.”</p><p></p><p> “Seems they want to show everyone that it’s safe to be out in public again,” Arrie said. “Apparently the Lord Mayor’s usually fairly accessible to the people. They’re trying to show that Autumn’s making an effort to get out in public again.”</p><p></p><p> “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Maddie said.</p><p></p><p> “It’s several hours of toasts, speeches, and talking with a bunch of stuffy people I’d just as soon punch in the face as spend five minutes in the same room with,” Autumn complained.</p><p></p><p> “Sounds like a lovely party,” Kyle said, “glad I’m missing it.”</p><p></p><p> “You’ll get your share of them soon enough, Kyle,” Autumn smirked.</p><p></p><p> Kyle moaned. “Why must you be so cruel?”</p><p></p><p> “It’s necessary,” said Shoshone, who came walking up at that point. After introductions were made, Shoshone turned to Kyle. “I didn’t mean that being cruel to you was necessary, of course. What the two of you do in private is not my concern. I meant that the reception is necessary. There have been certain rumors circulating about the Duchess that we need to quell.”</p><p></p><p> “What kind of rumors?” Lanara asked.</p><p></p><p> “The usual,” Shoshone said, waving a hand dismissively. “She’s not fit to rule, she’s not even an elf so how can she rule elves, that sort of thing. At any rate, our concern is to combat these more recent rumors of being ‘the wrong woman for the job’. By initiating this reception outside of the manor, we can show the people that you’re returning the city to more traditional ways, when the Lord Mayor walked openly in the city.”</p><p></p><p> “Well, that’s two days away still,” Autumn said. “Right now, I think we should go inside and open that wine Maddie talked about, and catch up with each other before Kyle has to leave.”</p><p></p><p> Maddie smiled. “Keep making decisions like that, Your Grace, and I don’t think you’ll have any trouble winning the people over.”</p><p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">* * *</p><p></p><p> Two days passed. Kyle was long gone, now escorting his family north to the city. Shoshone had briefed the others on the situation in Vargas; she also made sure that three more guests were added to the list at the Medusa’s Lair. There was a brief argument between Autumn and Shoshone; Autumn wanted to wear her armor, while Shoshone pointed out a dress would be more appropriate. In the end, Autumn agreed to the dress, though Shoshone did find a way to make sure the sentinel’s greataxe was nearby, draping a tabard over it and disguising it as a banner. Razael agreed to play the part of banner-bearer at the social; it not only avoided the concerns that the presence of an Imperial Huntsman might raise, but allowed Razael to be present without having to socialize.</p><p></p><p> Autumn and her entourage arrived at the Medusa’s Lair a little after three bells. It was a large, two-story structure, which appeared very elegant and clean. A doorman waited at the entrance, bowing as he opened the door. The establishment faced a modest courtyard, which featured one of the many statues of Kythrian Vargex. Maddie pointed out the painted steel plate that was bolted onto the statue’s chest, bearing Autumn’s personal heraldry.</p><p></p><p> “What’s that for?” she asked.</p><p></p><p> “Tradition, apparently,” Autumn said. “There’s one on every statue in the city now.”</p><p></p><p> Inside, the Medusa’s Lair appeared like many other taverns, though much nicer than many that the party had been in. Several stone statues were placed around the room, and seemed to comprise the theme of the décor. Ivy grew up some of the statues and around the ceiling beams, and white marble was used in several places. Autumn’s party was directed up a set of curving stairs to the second level, which was set up as more of a restaurant than a tavern. The entire floor had been reserved for the reception, and one long table dominated the room, with elegant setting and centerpieces. Several people were already sitting at the table, who rose to greet the duchess as she arrived. Autumn recognized most of the people there, as she’d met with most of them more formally in the past two months. There were the heads of guilds, landed gentry, and wealthy families. Autumn greeted them, and stood patiently during the obligatory introductions, toasts, and invocations. Thirty minutes later, they all say down.</p><p></p><p> Lanara tugged on Shoshone’s sleeve, and when the tiefling leaned over, she drew her attention to a man sitting in the corner, playing a harp. “Shoshone, send him away,” she said. “I want to play.”</p><p></p><p> “I can’t,” she replied quietly. “He’s not our bard, he’s been hired by the house. Besides, I don’t think we should go dismissing the local talent if we want the locals to start liking us more.”</p><p></p><p> The meal was very good, although Autumn and Arrie barely got to taste theirs, as they spent most of their time exchanging pleasantries with the other guests. Even Lanara and Madrone were forced to engage in more mealtime conversation than they would have liked.</p><p></p><p> “It’s times like these,” Arrie whispered to Autumn at one point, “that I wish we were dwarves.”*** The comment prompted a chuckle out of Autumn.</p><p></p><p> After the meal, there was a long speech by the head of the brewer’s guild, and then another by the head of the brewer’s guild. After the speeches, Shsoshone slipped over and whispered into Autumn’s ear.</p><p></p><p> “The owner of the establishment, Lashonne, would like an introduction,” she said. “Shall I send for her?”</p><p></p><p> “Of course.”</p><p></p><p> Shoshone motioned, and one of the servants with the Lair went downstairs. A minute later, the owner came up, and her entrance caught everyone’s attention.</p><p></p><p> She was a lovely, pale-skinned woman, with a slender build. She wore a light green, diaphanous wrap that left her shoulders bare, and allowed glimpses of flesh to peek though in other places. But that was not what drew attention. Lashonne’s hair was a mass of bright green snakes, and from the waist down she had the body of a serpent. Lashonne glided up the stairs, and slid over to where Autumn sat.</p><p></p><p> “A pleasure, Your Grace,” Lashonne said, bowing. “It’s an honor to meet you.”</p><p></p><p> “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Lashonne,” Autumn said, trying hard not to react to their host’s strange appearance.</p><p></p><p> “Thank you. We’ve entertained many important people here over the years, but it’s been some time since our old Duke or the former Lord Mayor came. I’m glad to see you’ve decided to get out of the manor.”</p><p></p><p> “Well, I want to make sure the people know that I have no intention of hiding from my subjects. Vargas has a long tradition of mutual respect between the people and their leaders, which should be honored.”</p><p></p><p> “Indeed,” Lashonne said, nodding. “And speaking of honors, would Your Grace be offended if I were to ask your associate to favor us with a few songs?” Lashonne nodded toward Lanara. “It would be a privilege to have a bard of her reputation play here.”</p><p></p><p> “I would not be at all offended,” Autumn said, smiling. “I’m sure Lanara would relish the opportunity.”</p><p></p><p> During the exchange, Razael watched Lashonne with narrow eyes. No one seemed alarmed that a medusa was within arm’s reach of the Duchess, but he could hardly remain complacent. But as he watched the woman carefully for signs of an attack, he realized that her snake hair was not nearly as lively as he would have suspected. Looking closer, he realized that the snakes were actually stuffed, with glass beads for eyes. Her serpentine body appeared genuine, but she was no true medusa. Once he realized the deception, Razael relaxed.</p><p></p><p> Lanara went and played for the assembled guests, taking the place of the Lair’s bard, who graciously stepped aside for her. She sang a ballad written about one of the party’s old exploits, one that featured Autumn in a particularly dramatic and heroic fashion. Cheers and applause greeted her when she finished.</p><p></p><p> Arrie was about to request another song, when there was a sudden loud noise from downstairs, a metallic crash. Everyone in the room jumped, save for the party members, who were seasoned adventurers, and Shoshone, who never seemed surprised by anything. Guards immediately surrounded both Autumn and Arrie, and Lashonne immediately went downstairs to find the source of the noise. Autumn turned to look at her friends.</p><p></p><p> “I’ll go,” Maddie said, turning and heading down the stairs. Razael followed right behind her, pulling the tabard off of Autumn’s greataxe and tossing it to the Duchess on his way out.</p><p></p><p> People downstairs in the tavern were similarly perplexed by the noise, looking around uncertainly as Maddie and Razael came down the stairs. A crowd seemed to be gathering just outside the front door, however, and so they went there, Razael pressing his way through the people as Maddie stayed just inside, using a magical ring she’d recently acquired to peer through the walls and see what was going on.</p><p></p><p> The focus of attention was obvious. Buried into the wall just above the door, a metal plate jutted out, still shivering slightly. The plate bore the colors and heraldry of Autumn Verahannen, the new Lady Mayor and Duchess of Vargex. Several people were also milling about near the statue of Kythrian, but no one seemed willing to get too close. The plate had obviously come off the statue.</p><p></p><p> “It threw it,” said one man close to Razael’s shoulder. “I swear by Bles’ bountiful bosom, I saw Kythrian tear the plate off and throw it at the door.”</p><p></p><p> “She’s in there, isn’t she?” said a woman nearby. “The new duchess?”</p><p></p><p> “Yeah, I think so. Looks like what they’re saying about her is true.”</p><p></p><p> Razael immediately moved to the statue, and began searching for tracks. Maddie stayed by the entrance and tried to calm people down. Shortly after that, both Arrie and Autumn came down, surrounded by guards, with Lanara just behind them. Shoshone remained in the room, spinning a few tales to calm the other guests.</p><p></p><p> Everyone came outside, and saw the damage. Hearing some of the whispers around them, especially with the new Duchess now present, Lanara began quietly working the crowd, not only trying to find out what people saw, but trying to sow uncertainty so that the rumors wouldn’t spread.</p><p></p><p> Razael came up to Autumn. “Whoever did this either used magic, or set it up a while ago,” he said. “I can’t find any recent tracks of people coming up to that statue, though a lot of folks have walked through this here courtyard.”</p><p></p><p> Suddenly, there was a screeching noise from across the courtyard. Everyone turned to see an elderly human woman, standing in the midst of the square, pointing a crooked finger directly at Autumn.</p><p></p><p> “See!” the woman shouted hoarsely. “The signs are true! Kythrian’s spirit is angry! Go home, usurper! Reject the new Duchess!”</p><p></p><p> Razael glanced at Autumn questioningly. Autumn shook her head slightly. The woman shouted for another moment, then was quickly bustled off by a middle-aged woman.</p><p></p><p> Shoshone appeared at Autumn’s side, apparently having heard everything. “We’re going inside, now,” she said. Turning to Razael, she whispered, “Follow the woman.”</p><p></p><p> The party, minus Razael, quickly returned upstairs. The incident was explained away as a simple act of vandalism, surely a sign that the new Duchess had the criminal element nervous. Guards started escorting the guests home, while Autumn and her friends returned to the manor. Shoshone ordered men to repair the damaged statue, and then went herself to check some of the others in the city. Autumn gave some gold to Lashonne to help pay for the damages before leaving.</p><p></p><p> They waited until Razael and Shsoshone got back before comparing notes. “There are three other altered statues,” Shoshone said. “All in the southern part of town. One had your crest pulled off, though thankfully not thrown anywhere, and the other two appear to have been turned around to look like they have their backs to the manor.”</p><p></p><p> “I looked for magical auras in the area once things calmed down,” Maddie said. “I didn’t get much, just a trace of illusion on the statue itself and a trace of transmutation on the steel plate.”</p><p></p><p> “Well, a few people in the courtyard were actually watching,” Lanara said, “and they swear that the statue reached in, pulled the plate off its own chest, and then chucked it at the Medusa’s Lair like a discus. I think was able to catch most of the ‘me too’ crowd.”</p><p></p><p> “Razael, what about the old woman?” Shoshone asked.</p><p></p><p> “Following her was no problem,” the tracker said. “She wasn’t trying to hide or run. The gal who got her out of there was her daughter, apparently. Along the way I heard them arguing – the old woman believes there’s some sort of prophecy that says old Kythrian isn’t taking a shine to Autumn and is coming back to restore his throne. She mentioned a name – Madame LeFou. That’s who she heard the rumor from.”</p><p></p><p> “Well, let’s see here,” Autumn said. “How many people don’t like me, and have the capability of doing this? All of them, I think?”</p><p></p><p> “Too early to tell who’s behind this,” Arrie said. “We’ll need to look into it.”</p><p></p><p> “I can look up this Madame LeFou tomorrow,” Lanara said.</p><p></p><p> “I have contacts I can check,” Shoshone said. “I’ll work those to see what I can dig up.”</p><p></p><p> “What can I do?” Autumn asked.</p><p></p><p> “For now, nothing. Go about your normal business. If this is a plot, then we shouldn’t make it easy for them by sending you out into the city.”</p><p></p><p> Autumn nodded, but the frustration was evident on her face. She wasn’t the type who liked to sit around and wait for something to happen.</p><p></p><p> Shoshone was out the rest of the night and well into the morning. Her initial inquiries pointed her toward the Poisoned Blade assassin’s guild, as apparently the guild dealt in ‘character assassination’ as well as the more physical kind. She arranged a meeting with one of their members. After the exchange of a fair number of drinks and even more coins, the man told her that his own guild wasn’t behind the recent disturbances.</p><p></p><p> “Now, I could probably dig around, and find a name,” the man said. “That’d be worth something to you?”</p><p></p><p> “It’s not what it’s worth to me,” Shoshone said, “it’s what it’s worth to my employer. We understand that information gathering is part of doing business, and certain resources have been allocated toward that. Some of those resources could find their way to you… if your information is accurate.”</p><p></p><p> “Then perhaps we should discuss how many of those ‘resources’ are going to end up in my pocket tonight.”</p><p></p><p> There was a brief negotiation.</p><p></p><p> “Word on the street is that this started with the Black Hand,” the grizzled old rogue said. “Who exactly we don’t know. The Hand’s not got a lot of people left under their banner these days, if you take my meaning. Whoever it is seems to have a halfway decent idea in his head, decent enough to risk stepping into our territory. With a little time, and a little more grease, I could get a name, like I said.”</p><p></p><p> “Why don’t you give us a chance to check out what you’ve shared so far,” Shoshone said. “If it’s accurate, and I wish to have you look further into the matter, then I’ll leave a ‘gift’ for you with the barkeep here.”</p><p></p><p> “Agreed.”</p><p></p><p> Shoshone departed the small tavern, and after making sure she wasn’t being followed, made her way back to the manor.</p><p></p><p> The next day, Lanara set out to find Madame LeFou, disguising herself as a common house servant. She was given directions after only a few minutes of asking around, and later that morning found herself in the southeastern part of Vargas, not far from the Straight Road. Madame LeFou’s business was a tiny storefront, no doubt with an apartment attached in the rear. A faded sign over the door depicted a crystal ball between two feminine eyes.</p><p></p><p> Opening the door, Lanara was assaulted by the scent of incense and cheap perfume. A bell hung by the door chimed merrily as the door swung open. Pushing through heavy curtains, she came upon a small table, draped with a heavy cloth, with a crystal sphere in the middle. The curtains hung all the way around the room, and braziers in each corner wafted scented smoke into the air.</p><p></p><p> A moment later, the curtains on the far side of the room parted, and a middle-aged elf-touched woman stepped through. She wore heavy makeup, and gaudy, loose clothing, accentuated by costume jewelry.</p><p></p><p> “Come in, come in!” fluttered Madame LeFou, gesturing toward an empty chair even as she settled into the other. “Read your fortune, consult the spirits, divine your future?”</p><p></p><p> “Well, it’s not so much my own future,” Lanara said, sitting down. “I’m more worried about our new Duchess. There were some terrible portents last night.”</p><p></p><p> “Yes, I have heard. The spirits have spoken to me.”</p><p></p><p> “What were they saying? Should we protect ourselves? Flee the city?”</p><p></p><p> Madame LeFou shook her head. “It seems that the spirit of Kythrian, our founder and eternal protector, has become angry at this outsider, this usurper who has come.”</p><p></p><p> “But… but… Princess Ariadne is here, too. I thought the Crown was favorable toward…”</p><p></p><p> “Do not question the spirits!” Madame LeFou interjected suddenly.</p><p></p><p> “I’m… not questioning them,” Lanara said, trying hard not to laugh out loud.</p><p></p><p> “I am not here to interpret their will, young lady,” LeFou said reproachfully. “I am merely a conduit to the beyond.”</p><p></p><p> “Okay, then, can I talk to him?”</p><p></p><p> “Talk to who, dear?”</p><p></p><p> “Kythrian.”</p><p></p><p> Madame LeFou blinked for a moment. “Such a communion would be difficult, young lady. Kythrian’s spirit is potent. I cannot predict the risks.”</p><p></p><p> “Oh, please,” Lanara said, putting on her best ‘naïve girl’ routine. “I’ve been saving up my salary for a reading.” She pulled out a small coin purse, heavy with coins. Pocket change for her, but probably three day’s earnings for Madame LeFou. Predictably, the fortuneteller’s eyes widened.</p><p></p><p> “Well, perhaps we can try, since it is so important to you,” she said. “Please, sit quietly. I must have absolute silence while I attempt to connect with Kythrian’s spirit.”</p><p></p><p> Lanara had traveled all over Affon, and had seen her share of fortuneteller acts in hin circuses, carnivals, and festivals. Madame LeFou’s performance was average at best, though she at least affected a passable male falsetto when ‘channeling’ Kythrian. Lanara figured the only thing that kept most of her customers from catching on was the fact that all the incense burning in the tiny room was making her a little light-headed. Predictably, when Lanara asked ‘Kythrian’ some challenging questions, such as why exactly he was angry at Autumn, the ‘contact’ was suddenly broken. Lanara decided to turn the tables on Madame LeFou.</p><p></p><p> “I’m… I’m sorry, dear,” LeFou was saying, her eyelids fluttering, “maintaining the connection with the spirit world is always difficult.”</p><p></p><p> “It seems like you still have a connection,” Lanara said, pointing.</p><p></p><p> Madame LeFou opened her eyes to see her crystal ball floating a foot off the table, slowly drifting toward her face. She seemed slightly alarmed by this.</p><p></p><p> “I… I think perhaps you’ve angered the spirits, young lady,” LeFou stammered. “Perhaps you should be on your way.”</p><p></p><p> “If they’re mad at me, why is the ball coming toward you?” Lanara asked innocently. As if to prove her point, the crystal ball suddenly came up to within a few inches of the fortuneteller’s face. LeFou’s eyes darted around the room, as the ball inched closer. Finally, as the ball came within a hair’s breadth of her nose, a ghostly, sinister face suddenly materialized inside it.</p><p></p><p> With a shriek, Madame LeFou bolted for the back door, knocking her chair over and nearly toppling one of the braziers. As the door slammed shut, Lanara sighed, and ended her <em>mage hand</em> spell, letting the ball drop onto the table. Then she pulled out her lute and began to play a calming, yet entrancing tune. Sure enough, within a few minutes an enthralled Madame LeFou came back into the room and calmly sat down after righting her chair.</p><p></p><p> “Now,” said Lanara, dropping the act of innocence, “why don’t you tell me all about the ‘spirits’ that gave you this rumor about the Duchess?”</p><p></p><p>-------------------</p><p></p><p>* in underworld parlance, a "two-stick man" is a rogue who has specialized in the Use Magic Device skill (originating from the idea of 'rubbing two sticks together to make fire').</p><p></p><p>** Recall that Arrie was given a ten-year span after marrying Herion to explore the world before she would be obligated to return to Tlaxan and join the Imperial Court full time. She has now used up a little over five years.</p><p></p><p>*** Dwarven custom dictates that no one speaks during meals, or for a period of time afterward, as it is thought to upset the digestion.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2865157, member: 5203"] [b]Statutory Crimes[/b] This adventure is actually one that I ran as a guest DM to give our regular DM a break. So, in advance, I should probably apologize. :) ---------------------------- Malick Bardossa ran for his life. Panting, he rounded the corner to the alley, not even daring to pause to look behind him. He could hear the shouts of his pursuers, somewhere behind him, still too close. As if to accentuate the point, the bolt from a crossbow suddenly struck the wall near his shoulder, jamming itself into the wood. [I]Damn these Night Blades![/I] he thought, panicked. [I]Why me?[/I] It wasn’t just him, though, and he knew it. The Black Hand was being slowly wiped out by these interloper guilds. Four of them… four! had come into the city since old Robar had vanished, and their first order of business had been to uproot the old guard. In the past five months, he’d fought off attacks from not only the nut jobs with the Night Blade, but the Poisoned Edge and their toxins, the Night Whispers with all their damned animals, and the runts from the Silent Foot. But still, he’d always figured that eventually things would settle down, and they’d all find their place. That was the way things worked. But it had gotten worse ever since than blond bitch, the new Duchess, had arrived and announced she was going to be cleaning up the city. With an actual effective government in Vargas, there was only going to be room for so many criminal guilds, and they were all trying to make sure they stayed on the top of the heap. Malick had been alive longer than most for one reason only; as a two-stick man*, he had a bit more of an arsenal than most. But that wasn’t helping him now. Now he was out of scrolls, out of potions, and not a wand on him. With the Black Hand scattered like it was, he just couldn’t get his hands on magical supplies like he used to. He still had his personal stash, though… if he could get to it. His hopes started to rise as he heard the sound of the river lapping up against the docks. His bolt-hole was close. His pounding heart sang when he saw the nondescript fishing shack come into sight. With barely a moment to spare, he jumped through the door and quickly set the latch. It would only delay his pursuers a second or two, but seconds counted in this business. Dashing to the corner, Malick threw open the trapdoor in the floor, then slid down the ladder, making sure to pull the trapdoor shut behind him. He dropped into a pitch-black room, and immediately turned and walked down a corridor. He navigated by pure memory, turning left and right at just the right places. It was only when he came into a much larger room that he stopped to take out a small enchanted light-stone. The light revealed bare walls, and a few crude shelves. Malick went to the shelves and began scooping things into his bag, stuffing a couple of wands into his belt and grabbing a fistful of scrolls. After cleaning out everything he could, he turned his light off and began to make his way to another tunnel, which led to an underground cavern that had been undercut by the river. From there he could emerge further down in the docks and disappear. He stopped when he heard shouts from his pursuers. It was hard to pinpoint, but they were definitely coming from in front of him, not behind. [I]Damn! They found the caves![/I] Malick doubled back to his storage room, and heard shouts coming from the tunnel he’d come in from. Panic set in, and Malick turned and ran down another corridor off the room, one he never used because it went nowhere. He figured his only hope was to hide and hope they didn’t search too hard for him. He came around a corner, and dashed to the end of the corridor. Unfortunately, Malick wasn’t as familiar with this tunnel as the ones he normally used, and he overestimated the length. Stars flashed in Malick’s vision as his head rammed into the stone wall. He almost fell backward, but caught himself. As he rubbed his forehead, and felt blood trickling from a cut on his scalp, Malick was surprised to hear the sound of loose stone falling, and a sudden waft of stale air hit his face. Surprised, Malick reached out to feel the wall. Some of the stone had fallen away, and there was now a small gap. Malick felt the hole, had a sudden idea, paused to contemplate it. A sudden, louder shout from one of the Night Blade assassins made up his mind. Malick rammed his shoulder into the wall, widening the gap just enough to slip through. After forcing his way past the opening, Malick dropped to one knee and lit up his magic stone again. He pulled out the sheaf of scrolls and went through them quickly, tossing them on the ground as he searched for the one he wanted. Finally, he pulled a single sheet of parchment out, and began intoning the arcane words. Seconds later, the loose stone around the wall began to fill in, until a second later there was no sign of disturbance. Malick waited, holding his breath. He heard his pursuers reach the end of the tunnel. He heard loud voices arguing, though he couldn’t make out the words. After a few minutes, the voices seemed to recede. He let his breath out slowly, and stood up. There was little to do now, except see where he was. The Night Blade would be watching his place for hours to see if he came out. But he might be able to find another exit, and if not he was sure he could break down the wall again. Shining his light around, the first thing Malick noticed was the carvings on the wall. Ornate carvings, like the kind found in the fancy stone houses in the northern part of the city. Dust lay thick all over, and Malick rubbed at his nose to keep from sneezing, feeling the scar there from when he’d had the end bitten off by that wolf the Night Whispers had sent to attack him three months ago. Following the passageway, Malick soon came to another large room. Dominating the center of the room was a large sarcophagus. Nervous, Malick approached the stone slab. He’d heard his share of vampire stories, of course, though there were no reports of recent vampire attacks. But the sarcophagus was large, and well-crafted, the kind of thing where people got buried with a lot of valuables. Peering at the stone lid, Malick blew dust off the surface and read the epitaph: [I] HERE LIES PARIOS, DUKE OF VARGEX, LORD MAYOR OF VARGAS[/I] Malick thought for a moment, but couldn’t remember a Duke Parios. [I]Must not have been a popular Duke, if you didn’t end up in the catacombs beneath the Ducal Manor. Still, never look a gift horse…[/I] Pulling a small crowbar from his bag, Malick began working on opening the sarcophagus. It was slow work with only one, but Malick had time to kill. Eventually, he was able to slide it away far enough to see inside. His light immediately picked up the glint of gold and gems. Malick began pulling valuables off the Duke’s corpse, rather irreverently tossing aside old bones that interfered with his work. He pocketed a gem-studded circlet, and an amulet, and then pulled a large ring off the finger. Looking at the ring, Malick saw that it bore the ducal seal. “Oh, I think I can find a use for you,” he said quietly to himself. He’d forgotten that Dukes were always buried with a copy of the signet ring. Though no expert in forgery himself, he figured that someone would pay handsomely for this ring. On a whim, he stuck it on his finger, and started to return to his looting. Suddenly, Malick’s mind was filled with images. He could see… no, feel his awareness expand outside the room, into the city. His mind focused on eight different spots in Vargas, on some of the many statues of Kythrian Varges. In his mind, he felt the presence of these statues, and realized they were more than just blocks of stone. He felt the ring searching for something within him, some key element that would trigger the magic. Almost instinctively, Malick began the exercises in mental subterfuge designed to confound magical auras, to allow him to unlock an item’s secrets just as a box man used tools to fool a lock into opening. It was tricky, as the ring didn’t seem to be looking for the traditional components; a certain faith, a particular moral outlook, a certain body of knowledge. But finally, Malick’s ever-shifting mind managed to confound the probing magic enough, and he felt the sudden surge of power as the ring connected to him. Imperfectly, to be sure, but connected nonetheless. In his mind, he felt the eight statues of Kythrian suddenly become aware of him. And he heard eight identical voices in his mind. [I]Command us, master.[/I] Malick smiled, and laughter filled the tomb. Oh, he could [I]definitely [/I]find a use for this ring. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Out in the courtyard, Arrie waited impatiently, pacing back and forth along the cobblestones. Several of the most severely damaged ones had been repaired in the past two months, and the overgrown ivy had been trimmed back, making the footing steadier than it had been (several visitors to the manor had ended up nursing twisted ankles in the first two weeks). She had no idea why she was edgy today. She felt as though she were expecting something to happen, though she honestly couldn’t say what that ‘something’ would be. Life in Vargas had become almost routine, as much as it could when you were helping your sister try and rule a crime-riddled city. Arrie had spent most of her time responding to the messages that had started coming in from the various baronies and counties that were part of the Duchy of Vargex, trying to defer their requests for a visit from Autumn as long as she could without directly admitting that Vargas was in too rough a shape for her to leave it. She saw a patrol of the city watch go by the main gate of the manor, and sighed. Autumn had made a request to the local Imperial garrison for aid, but the request was apparently tied up in bureaucratic issues, and no soldiers had been sent. Arrie had no doubt they could thank Emperor Haxtha for the ‘bureaucratic issues’. Fortunately, they had been able to recruit a few more citizens for the watch, and purge some of the more corrupt ones from the roster, and so in general the city was safe enough in the day. Nights were still a problem, though. Autumn spent most of her days meeting with those who still had some influence and power in the city; the heads of guilds, wealthy upper-class citizens, land owners. She’d held a reception at the manor about two weeks after the new year, which was very lightly attended. Since then, there’d been no time to plan a second event. She was aided a great deal by Shoshone, the advisor that Haxtha had sent with them; Arrie had no doubt that Shoshone was one of the Emperor’s intelligence agents, though Shoshone herself never admitted to as much. Her presence in the city had been the one favor Haxtha had done for Autumn (oh, there were the three Imperial Guardsmen, too; she couldn’t forget about them), and her aid to the new Duchess had been invaluable. Arrie couldn’t help but wonder if Haxtha had deliberately sent a tiefling agent just to annoy her aasimar sister; fortunately, the racial differences had never caused any problems. As for Osborn, he hadn’t been seen for days. Some of their initial information about the five criminal guilds in the city indicated that one of the newest ones, the Silent Foot, was comprised entirely of gnomes, dwarves, and hin, and they seemed to have some sort of bias against the taller races. Osborn had offered to try and infiltrate the Silent Foot, going deep undercover to ferret out the guild’s secrets. No one had seen him since then; the only reason they knew he was okay was that every other day a blank piece of paper was found stuck to the front gate that smelled strongly of bacon. Arrie realized suddenly that she had started to pace, and forced herself to stop, instead sitting down on the corner of the marble statue in the center of the courtyard. The statue was of Kythrian Vargex, the first Duke of Vargex and founder of the city. There were over a dozen statues of Kythrian all around Vargas, including the one that Arrie was now using as a chair. They’d made a few jokes in private about the vanity of the man when they’d learned how many of these identical statues were in the city, but it seemed that Kythrian was still very highly thought of by the populace, and seemed to be regarded as the city’s protector. To be sure, all of the statues of Kythrian had been positioned to look at the ducal manor, as if watching over the ruler for any sign of corruption. Every one of the statues held the same pose; a regal elf dressed in plate armor, decorated with runes, who stood in serene vigil, no weapon in hand. “Where were you six months ago?” Arrie asked the statue. Clearly, the previous steward of Vargas, Count Robar, would not have lived up to Kythrian’s standards. Now, if only they could find out what had happened to him… [I]One problem at a time[/I], Arrie warned herself. The problem was, it was hard to decide which problem to tackle first. Maybe that was what had her on edge; their inability to make a decisive move. Or perhaps she was just bored; of all of them, her days had much more free time. She’d offered to do more, but Shoshone had asked her to refrain, saying that they didn’t want it to appear like the Imperial Princess – and by extension, the Emperor – was ‘carrying’ the new Duchess. So, for the most part, she played the role of ‘distinguished visitor’, lending a hand only where it wouldn’t be obvious, such as writing letters that Autumn could then sign and seal, or helping to entertain guests. Under normal circumstances, the arrival of the silver raven might have caught Arrie off guard as she sat gathering her thoughts. But her developing psionic abilities had enhanced her innate sense of her surroundings, keeping her at least somewhat cognizant of what was happening around her even when her mind was occupied. When she saw the metallic construct descending into the courtyard, she had to suppress the urge to jump with glee. Its return could only mean one thing; her message had been received. Arrie eagerly popped open the raven’s message compartment as soon as it landed, and extracted the note inside. [I]Arrie – We arrived in Aleppi today, got your message. We can’t all get there as fast as you’d like, but some of us will be coming to help via the Kyle Express. If you’re reading this, we’ve just landed in Vargas, and will be at Autumn’s house in twenty minutes. Please make sure the guards don’t shoot us. – Lanara[/I] Grinning, Arrie stuffed the note into a pocket and walked down to the main gate. The guards posted there snapped to attention as soon as the Imperial Princess appeared. “There will be visitors arriving within the next half an hour,” Arrie said. “They’re to be let in immediately and brought up to the house.” “Of course, Your Highness,” said one of the guards, saluting. “How many visitors, and how will we know them?” Arrie paused. The letter hadn’t said who was coming. “I’m not certain of the exact number,” she said, “but look for a cansin woman with pink hair.” “Very good, Your Highness,” the guard said, and returned to his duties as Arrie went up to the house to tell everyone. When Lanara, Kyle, and Razael walked up to the gate fifteen minutes later, the guards took one look at them – specifically, at Lanara – and opened the gates immediately. “You’re all expected by Her Grace, the Duchess of Vargex, and Her Highness, the Imperial Princess of Tlaxan,” the guards said. Autumn and Arrie were waiting out in the courtyard when they walked up. Arrie ran up and gave Kyle a big bear hug, which he returned, and then she did the same for Lanara, nearly lifting the cansin off her feet. Razael stood nearby, silently, as they greeted each other. Autumn walked up to Lanara, embracing her, and laughing at something the bard whispered in her ear. Then she let go, and turned to Kyle, who was waiting for her. “Hey, guys,” Arrie said, seeing what was happening, “I’ve really been dying to show you all this section of wall way over here.” “Oh, wow!” Lanara said, walking away with Arrie, “is that stone?” She paused only long enough to grab Razael’s arm and drag him along with them. For a while, neither of them said a word to each other. Though they had only been separated two months, both of them wore the mantles of heavy burdens, a heavy look in the eyes that spoke of a decade’s worth of troubles, sorrows, and worries. “I can’t stay,” Kyle said at last, though it seemed to take an enormous effort for the words to come out. Autumn made no effort to disguise her disappointment. “Why?” “I found some of my family. They’re in Aleppi now, with Xu and Togusa. I have to go back to make sure they get here safely.” Autumn grasped Kyle’s hands. “Kyle, that’s wonderful! I can’t wait to meet them!” “They’re excited to see you, too,” he said, cracking a slight smile. “If for no other reason that to meet a real duchess.” Her face drooped a little. “Don’t remind me,” she said. “It’s been miserable, Kyle. I know I shouldn’t say that to you now, you have your own worries, but…” “I understand. Believe me, I do. We’ll… we’ll need to talk when we have more time.” Autumn nodded slowly. “I agree. There’s too much to start now.” There was another long moment of silence, and then they kissed. A slow, lingering kiss that spoke of nothing more than a desire to be close to one another. Their lips parted, reluctantly. “How long can you stay?” Autumn asked. “An hour, I figure,” Kyle said. “That’ll get me back to Aleppi in time to get on the road first thing in the morning.” “So soon…” “I could stay longer, lose a little sleep…” “No… no. Better if you just get back to me as fast as you can. I’ll arrange something for your family.” Autumn pulled back, reluctantly. “We should go catch up to the others. They’ve spent enough time pretending to be busy for our sake, don’t you think?” Kyle sighed. “Sure, sure.” The couple caught up to Arrie, Razael, and Lanara just as the three of them finished a quick look around the grounds. “So, what do you think of Arrie’s house?” “Nice, except that it’s in the city,” Razael sniffed. “I’d prefer something out in the country myself.” “But it is the highest point in the city,” Lanara pointed out. “I’ll bet you could shoot people really well from those windows up there.” “You know, it disturbs me how you can always find a silver lining for him,” Arrie said. “So, you called us.” Razael asked. “We just need a little help everywhere, it seems,” Autumn sighed. “Crime and corruption are rampant in the city, and the Empire’s not providing much in the way of substantial help.” “You mean Haxtha’s not providing much,” Razael spat. “You ask me, the best thing would be to put an arrow in Haxtha’s brain and put Herion on the throne.” “Except that would turn Princess Ariadne into Empress Ariadne,” Kyle said, “and I’d be willing to bet that she wouldn’t get her remaining five years of freedom** if that happened. I’d rather keep her around longer.” “As would I,” Autumn said. “And Razael, I’d appreciate you not voicing sedition out loud where others can hear you.” “Who’s here to listen?” Razael said. “You’d be surprised,” said a familiar voice above them. Descending from the sky as if walking on the air itself, Madrone descended into their midst. She was immediately greeted with embraces and shouts of glee. As they looked at their friend, they noticed several changes in her. Her raven-feather cloak, a symbol of her faith and her standing in the church of Erito, was now much longer, and woven in with the many black feathers were a few pure white ones. In addition, Maddie now wore a single earring from which hung a very large, white feather, the length of her forearm. Razael stared closely at the feather for a long time. “That’s a raven feather,” he said. “I’m sure of it. But it shouldn’t be that color, or that size. Where did you get it?” “I’ll explain another time,” she said, smiling. “For now, suffice it to say I was on a pilgrimage.” “Without me?” Razael said. “Yes. Your presence would have… complicated things. The pilgrimage was given to me by the Serenity herself. But it’s over now, and I’m back with friends. Let’s open up a few bottles of Autumn’s wine and catch up.” “I’ll have to join you later,” Autumn said. “I have to meet with my advisors about my outing.” “Outing?” Lanara asked. “My advisors have planned a luncheon and reception for me to attend in two days, right after the end of the Time of Burning,” the sentinel said. “At some place called the Medusa’s Lair.” “Seems they want to show everyone that it’s safe to be out in public again,” Arrie said. “Apparently the Lord Mayor’s usually fairly accessible to the people. They’re trying to show that Autumn’s making an effort to get out in public again.” “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Maddie said. “It’s several hours of toasts, speeches, and talking with a bunch of stuffy people I’d just as soon punch in the face as spend five minutes in the same room with,” Autumn complained. “Sounds like a lovely party,” Kyle said, “glad I’m missing it.” “You’ll get your share of them soon enough, Kyle,” Autumn smirked. Kyle moaned. “Why must you be so cruel?” “It’s necessary,” said Shoshone, who came walking up at that point. After introductions were made, Shoshone turned to Kyle. “I didn’t mean that being cruel to you was necessary, of course. What the two of you do in private is not my concern. I meant that the reception is necessary. There have been certain rumors circulating about the Duchess that we need to quell.” “What kind of rumors?” Lanara asked. “The usual,” Shoshone said, waving a hand dismissively. “She’s not fit to rule, she’s not even an elf so how can she rule elves, that sort of thing. At any rate, our concern is to combat these more recent rumors of being ‘the wrong woman for the job’. By initiating this reception outside of the manor, we can show the people that you’re returning the city to more traditional ways, when the Lord Mayor walked openly in the city.” “Well, that’s two days away still,” Autumn said. “Right now, I think we should go inside and open that wine Maddie talked about, and catch up with each other before Kyle has to leave.” Maddie smiled. “Keep making decisions like that, Your Grace, and I don’t think you’ll have any trouble winning the people over.” [CENTER] * * *[/CENTER] Two days passed. Kyle was long gone, now escorting his family north to the city. Shoshone had briefed the others on the situation in Vargas; she also made sure that three more guests were added to the list at the Medusa’s Lair. There was a brief argument between Autumn and Shoshone; Autumn wanted to wear her armor, while Shoshone pointed out a dress would be more appropriate. In the end, Autumn agreed to the dress, though Shoshone did find a way to make sure the sentinel’s greataxe was nearby, draping a tabard over it and disguising it as a banner. Razael agreed to play the part of banner-bearer at the social; it not only avoided the concerns that the presence of an Imperial Huntsman might raise, but allowed Razael to be present without having to socialize. Autumn and her entourage arrived at the Medusa’s Lair a little after three bells. It was a large, two-story structure, which appeared very elegant and clean. A doorman waited at the entrance, bowing as he opened the door. The establishment faced a modest courtyard, which featured one of the many statues of Kythrian Vargex. Maddie pointed out the painted steel plate that was bolted onto the statue’s chest, bearing Autumn’s personal heraldry. “What’s that for?” she asked. “Tradition, apparently,” Autumn said. “There’s one on every statue in the city now.” Inside, the Medusa’s Lair appeared like many other taverns, though much nicer than many that the party had been in. Several stone statues were placed around the room, and seemed to comprise the theme of the décor. Ivy grew up some of the statues and around the ceiling beams, and white marble was used in several places. Autumn’s party was directed up a set of curving stairs to the second level, which was set up as more of a restaurant than a tavern. The entire floor had been reserved for the reception, and one long table dominated the room, with elegant setting and centerpieces. Several people were already sitting at the table, who rose to greet the duchess as she arrived. Autumn recognized most of the people there, as she’d met with most of them more formally in the past two months. There were the heads of guilds, landed gentry, and wealthy families. Autumn greeted them, and stood patiently during the obligatory introductions, toasts, and invocations. Thirty minutes later, they all say down. Lanara tugged on Shoshone’s sleeve, and when the tiefling leaned over, she drew her attention to a man sitting in the corner, playing a harp. “Shoshone, send him away,” she said. “I want to play.” “I can’t,” she replied quietly. “He’s not our bard, he’s been hired by the house. Besides, I don’t think we should go dismissing the local talent if we want the locals to start liking us more.” The meal was very good, although Autumn and Arrie barely got to taste theirs, as they spent most of their time exchanging pleasantries with the other guests. Even Lanara and Madrone were forced to engage in more mealtime conversation than they would have liked. “It’s times like these,” Arrie whispered to Autumn at one point, “that I wish we were dwarves.”*** The comment prompted a chuckle out of Autumn. After the meal, there was a long speech by the head of the brewer’s guild, and then another by the head of the brewer’s guild. After the speeches, Shsoshone slipped over and whispered into Autumn’s ear. “The owner of the establishment, Lashonne, would like an introduction,” she said. “Shall I send for her?” “Of course.” Shoshone motioned, and one of the servants with the Lair went downstairs. A minute later, the owner came up, and her entrance caught everyone’s attention. She was a lovely, pale-skinned woman, with a slender build. She wore a light green, diaphanous wrap that left her shoulders bare, and allowed glimpses of flesh to peek though in other places. But that was not what drew attention. Lashonne’s hair was a mass of bright green snakes, and from the waist down she had the body of a serpent. Lashonne glided up the stairs, and slid over to where Autumn sat. “A pleasure, Your Grace,” Lashonne said, bowing. “It’s an honor to meet you.” “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Lashonne,” Autumn said, trying hard not to react to their host’s strange appearance. “Thank you. We’ve entertained many important people here over the years, but it’s been some time since our old Duke or the former Lord Mayor came. I’m glad to see you’ve decided to get out of the manor.” “Well, I want to make sure the people know that I have no intention of hiding from my subjects. Vargas has a long tradition of mutual respect between the people and their leaders, which should be honored.” “Indeed,” Lashonne said, nodding. “And speaking of honors, would Your Grace be offended if I were to ask your associate to favor us with a few songs?” Lashonne nodded toward Lanara. “It would be a privilege to have a bard of her reputation play here.” “I would not be at all offended,” Autumn said, smiling. “I’m sure Lanara would relish the opportunity.” During the exchange, Razael watched Lashonne with narrow eyes. No one seemed alarmed that a medusa was within arm’s reach of the Duchess, but he could hardly remain complacent. But as he watched the woman carefully for signs of an attack, he realized that her snake hair was not nearly as lively as he would have suspected. Looking closer, he realized that the snakes were actually stuffed, with glass beads for eyes. Her serpentine body appeared genuine, but she was no true medusa. Once he realized the deception, Razael relaxed. Lanara went and played for the assembled guests, taking the place of the Lair’s bard, who graciously stepped aside for her. She sang a ballad written about one of the party’s old exploits, one that featured Autumn in a particularly dramatic and heroic fashion. Cheers and applause greeted her when she finished. Arrie was about to request another song, when there was a sudden loud noise from downstairs, a metallic crash. Everyone in the room jumped, save for the party members, who were seasoned adventurers, and Shoshone, who never seemed surprised by anything. Guards immediately surrounded both Autumn and Arrie, and Lashonne immediately went downstairs to find the source of the noise. Autumn turned to look at her friends. “I’ll go,” Maddie said, turning and heading down the stairs. Razael followed right behind her, pulling the tabard off of Autumn’s greataxe and tossing it to the Duchess on his way out. People downstairs in the tavern were similarly perplexed by the noise, looking around uncertainly as Maddie and Razael came down the stairs. A crowd seemed to be gathering just outside the front door, however, and so they went there, Razael pressing his way through the people as Maddie stayed just inside, using a magical ring she’d recently acquired to peer through the walls and see what was going on. The focus of attention was obvious. Buried into the wall just above the door, a metal plate jutted out, still shivering slightly. The plate bore the colors and heraldry of Autumn Verahannen, the new Lady Mayor and Duchess of Vargex. Several people were also milling about near the statue of Kythrian, but no one seemed willing to get too close. The plate had obviously come off the statue. “It threw it,” said one man close to Razael’s shoulder. “I swear by Bles’ bountiful bosom, I saw Kythrian tear the plate off and throw it at the door.” “She’s in there, isn’t she?” said a woman nearby. “The new duchess?” “Yeah, I think so. Looks like what they’re saying about her is true.” Razael immediately moved to the statue, and began searching for tracks. Maddie stayed by the entrance and tried to calm people down. Shortly after that, both Arrie and Autumn came down, surrounded by guards, with Lanara just behind them. Shoshone remained in the room, spinning a few tales to calm the other guests. Everyone came outside, and saw the damage. Hearing some of the whispers around them, especially with the new Duchess now present, Lanara began quietly working the crowd, not only trying to find out what people saw, but trying to sow uncertainty so that the rumors wouldn’t spread. Razael came up to Autumn. “Whoever did this either used magic, or set it up a while ago,” he said. “I can’t find any recent tracks of people coming up to that statue, though a lot of folks have walked through this here courtyard.” Suddenly, there was a screeching noise from across the courtyard. Everyone turned to see an elderly human woman, standing in the midst of the square, pointing a crooked finger directly at Autumn. “See!” the woman shouted hoarsely. “The signs are true! Kythrian’s spirit is angry! Go home, usurper! Reject the new Duchess!” Razael glanced at Autumn questioningly. Autumn shook her head slightly. The woman shouted for another moment, then was quickly bustled off by a middle-aged woman. Shoshone appeared at Autumn’s side, apparently having heard everything. “We’re going inside, now,” she said. Turning to Razael, she whispered, “Follow the woman.” The party, minus Razael, quickly returned upstairs. The incident was explained away as a simple act of vandalism, surely a sign that the new Duchess had the criminal element nervous. Guards started escorting the guests home, while Autumn and her friends returned to the manor. Shoshone ordered men to repair the damaged statue, and then went herself to check some of the others in the city. Autumn gave some gold to Lashonne to help pay for the damages before leaving. They waited until Razael and Shsoshone got back before comparing notes. “There are three other altered statues,” Shoshone said. “All in the southern part of town. One had your crest pulled off, though thankfully not thrown anywhere, and the other two appear to have been turned around to look like they have their backs to the manor.” “I looked for magical auras in the area once things calmed down,” Maddie said. “I didn’t get much, just a trace of illusion on the statue itself and a trace of transmutation on the steel plate.” “Well, a few people in the courtyard were actually watching,” Lanara said, “and they swear that the statue reached in, pulled the plate off its own chest, and then chucked it at the Medusa’s Lair like a discus. I think was able to catch most of the ‘me too’ crowd.” “Razael, what about the old woman?” Shoshone asked. “Following her was no problem,” the tracker said. “She wasn’t trying to hide or run. The gal who got her out of there was her daughter, apparently. Along the way I heard them arguing – the old woman believes there’s some sort of prophecy that says old Kythrian isn’t taking a shine to Autumn and is coming back to restore his throne. She mentioned a name – Madame LeFou. That’s who she heard the rumor from.” “Well, let’s see here,” Autumn said. “How many people don’t like me, and have the capability of doing this? All of them, I think?” “Too early to tell who’s behind this,” Arrie said. “We’ll need to look into it.” “I can look up this Madame LeFou tomorrow,” Lanara said. “I have contacts I can check,” Shoshone said. “I’ll work those to see what I can dig up.” “What can I do?” Autumn asked. “For now, nothing. Go about your normal business. If this is a plot, then we shouldn’t make it easy for them by sending you out into the city.” Autumn nodded, but the frustration was evident on her face. She wasn’t the type who liked to sit around and wait for something to happen. Shoshone was out the rest of the night and well into the morning. Her initial inquiries pointed her toward the Poisoned Blade assassin’s guild, as apparently the guild dealt in ‘character assassination’ as well as the more physical kind. She arranged a meeting with one of their members. After the exchange of a fair number of drinks and even more coins, the man told her that his own guild wasn’t behind the recent disturbances. “Now, I could probably dig around, and find a name,” the man said. “That’d be worth something to you?” “It’s not what it’s worth to me,” Shoshone said, “it’s what it’s worth to my employer. We understand that information gathering is part of doing business, and certain resources have been allocated toward that. Some of those resources could find their way to you… if your information is accurate.” “Then perhaps we should discuss how many of those ‘resources’ are going to end up in my pocket tonight.” There was a brief negotiation. “Word on the street is that this started with the Black Hand,” the grizzled old rogue said. “Who exactly we don’t know. The Hand’s not got a lot of people left under their banner these days, if you take my meaning. Whoever it is seems to have a halfway decent idea in his head, decent enough to risk stepping into our territory. With a little time, and a little more grease, I could get a name, like I said.” “Why don’t you give us a chance to check out what you’ve shared so far,” Shoshone said. “If it’s accurate, and I wish to have you look further into the matter, then I’ll leave a ‘gift’ for you with the barkeep here.” “Agreed.” Shoshone departed the small tavern, and after making sure she wasn’t being followed, made her way back to the manor. The next day, Lanara set out to find Madame LeFou, disguising herself as a common house servant. She was given directions after only a few minutes of asking around, and later that morning found herself in the southeastern part of Vargas, not far from the Straight Road. Madame LeFou’s business was a tiny storefront, no doubt with an apartment attached in the rear. A faded sign over the door depicted a crystal ball between two feminine eyes. Opening the door, Lanara was assaulted by the scent of incense and cheap perfume. A bell hung by the door chimed merrily as the door swung open. Pushing through heavy curtains, she came upon a small table, draped with a heavy cloth, with a crystal sphere in the middle. The curtains hung all the way around the room, and braziers in each corner wafted scented smoke into the air. A moment later, the curtains on the far side of the room parted, and a middle-aged elf-touched woman stepped through. She wore heavy makeup, and gaudy, loose clothing, accentuated by costume jewelry. “Come in, come in!” fluttered Madame LeFou, gesturing toward an empty chair even as she settled into the other. “Read your fortune, consult the spirits, divine your future?” “Well, it’s not so much my own future,” Lanara said, sitting down. “I’m more worried about our new Duchess. There were some terrible portents last night.” “Yes, I have heard. The spirits have spoken to me.” “What were they saying? Should we protect ourselves? Flee the city?” Madame LeFou shook her head. “It seems that the spirit of Kythrian, our founder and eternal protector, has become angry at this outsider, this usurper who has come.” “But… but… Princess Ariadne is here, too. I thought the Crown was favorable toward…” “Do not question the spirits!” Madame LeFou interjected suddenly. “I’m… not questioning them,” Lanara said, trying hard not to laugh out loud. “I am not here to interpret their will, young lady,” LeFou said reproachfully. “I am merely a conduit to the beyond.” “Okay, then, can I talk to him?” “Talk to who, dear?” “Kythrian.” Madame LeFou blinked for a moment. “Such a communion would be difficult, young lady. Kythrian’s spirit is potent. I cannot predict the risks.” “Oh, please,” Lanara said, putting on her best ‘naïve girl’ routine. “I’ve been saving up my salary for a reading.” She pulled out a small coin purse, heavy with coins. Pocket change for her, but probably three day’s earnings for Madame LeFou. Predictably, the fortuneteller’s eyes widened. “Well, perhaps we can try, since it is so important to you,” she said. “Please, sit quietly. I must have absolute silence while I attempt to connect with Kythrian’s spirit.” Lanara had traveled all over Affon, and had seen her share of fortuneteller acts in hin circuses, carnivals, and festivals. Madame LeFou’s performance was average at best, though she at least affected a passable male falsetto when ‘channeling’ Kythrian. Lanara figured the only thing that kept most of her customers from catching on was the fact that all the incense burning in the tiny room was making her a little light-headed. Predictably, when Lanara asked ‘Kythrian’ some challenging questions, such as why exactly he was angry at Autumn, the ‘contact’ was suddenly broken. Lanara decided to turn the tables on Madame LeFou. “I’m… I’m sorry, dear,” LeFou was saying, her eyelids fluttering, “maintaining the connection with the spirit world is always difficult.” “It seems like you still have a connection,” Lanara said, pointing. Madame LeFou opened her eyes to see her crystal ball floating a foot off the table, slowly drifting toward her face. She seemed slightly alarmed by this. “I… I think perhaps you’ve angered the spirits, young lady,” LeFou stammered. “Perhaps you should be on your way.” “If they’re mad at me, why is the ball coming toward you?” Lanara asked innocently. As if to prove her point, the crystal ball suddenly came up to within a few inches of the fortuneteller’s face. LeFou’s eyes darted around the room, as the ball inched closer. Finally, as the ball came within a hair’s breadth of her nose, a ghostly, sinister face suddenly materialized inside it. With a shriek, Madame LeFou bolted for the back door, knocking her chair over and nearly toppling one of the braziers. As the door slammed shut, Lanara sighed, and ended her [I]mage hand[/I] spell, letting the ball drop onto the table. Then she pulled out her lute and began to play a calming, yet entrancing tune. Sure enough, within a few minutes an enthralled Madame LeFou came back into the room and calmly sat down after righting her chair. “Now,” said Lanara, dropping the act of innocence, “why don’t you tell me all about the ‘spirits’ that gave you this rumor about the Duchess?” ------------------- * in underworld parlance, a "two-stick man" is a rogue who has specialized in the Use Magic Device skill (originating from the idea of 'rubbing two sticks together to make fire'). ** Recall that Arrie was given a ten-year span after marrying Herion to explore the world before she would be obligated to return to Tlaxan and join the Imperial Court full time. She has now used up a little over five years. *** Dwarven custom dictates that no one speaks during meals, or for a period of time afterward, as it is thought to upset the digestion. [/QUOTE]
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