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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4944532" data-attributes="member: 3285">Fair Salvage: Part 2 – The CollectorThe brutal murder of Falthar cast a pall over the surrounding area.  Some people were afraid to go out at night, while others formed themselves into vigilante groups and patrolled the streets in search of evildoers.  There were several cases of mistaken identity that resulted in innocent people being stopped, beaten, and even lynched.  An almost palpable sense of dread hung over the neighborhood, but the rest of the city carried on its business as usual—a murder, however gruesome, was not a serious thing in Freeport, so long as it happened at a comfortable distance.  Sebastian joined Vlad and Kham in front of a two-story house on a leafy side street off Wave Avenue. “Why have you summoned us here?” the dark-kin asked as he landed.“Maybe you should stop flying around the city,” Kham said in irritation.  “You could get lynched.”Sebastian let a sly smile cross his lips. “They’ve already tried.”It was understandable, said the Sea Lord’s Guard.  Sebastian fit the description of the strange creatures seen roaming the city at night.  They were never clearly seen and were described as nothing more than distorted shadows slipping in and out of the darkness.  The stories told of glowing red eyes and tall, misshapen figures as thin as an elf but as tall as an ogre.  Vlad looked up at the house. “Where are we, anyway?” “Aljandros Haddon’s house,” Kham said flatly.“Aljandros too?” Vlad looked sideways at Kham.  “Is there something you want to share with us?”Kham shrugged.  “Don’t look at me.  I can’t help it if I know a lot of people.”“A lot of dead people,” said Vlad. Sebastian flapped up to the second story.  “The bars on this window have been pulled apart with great force.” He peered closer at the window.  “It looks as if they were melted and then bent.” The dark-kin flew through the window while the others took the steps. Once again, the Sea Lord’s Guard was nowhere to be found.Aljandros’ bedroom was a mess, with contents scattered about as if a tornado hit it.  Sebastian nudged something with his foot. “This was Aljandros.”Kham turned over a few books, sorting through the remains of what were once shelves.“Looking for something?” asked Vlad.Kham nodded.  “Aljandros was never happier than when he was showing off his latest find.  Less than a week ago, he invited several other collectors to his house to admire his latest acquisition, an ornate bowl.”“So?” asked Vlad.  “You think he was killed over a bowl?”“It wasn’t just any bowl. It was made of an unknown metal and about the size of half a coconut.” Kham frowned. “It was taken from the same wreck that Freeport’s Siege Cannons came from.”“I thought the Freeport cannons were from Altheria,” said Vlad.Kham whirled on him.  “Altheria would never supply such things to Freeport.”Vlad was taken aback.  “Sorry.  Didn’t realize it was a sore subject.”Kham smoothed his overcoat down.  “I went to prison over the rights to blackpowder pistols, remember?  It’s all because of the damn gnomes.”“But these cannons and this bowl didn’t come from gnomes.”  Sebastian’s eyes glowed as he scanned the room.  “The bowl is not here.”“Now what?” asked Vlad.Kham kicked some debris aside as he left the room. “Now we go visit the Siege Cannons.”</blockquote>

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