drnuncheon's Freeport Story Hour - Book II: Inheritance
- Thread starter drnuncheon
- Start date
drnuncheon
Explorer
Jon Potter said:
Yeah, I can't imagine what anybody would want with the daughter of a member of the Captain's Council.
BTW, here's Di'Fier's sketch of Nifur Roberts. Well, the sketch he drew during the Sea Lord's Ball, which I immediately declared was Nifur Roberts, anyway.
Jon Potter
First Post
Yes, drnuncheon, where are you?
Holiday weekend or not, you need to get your priorities straight. Storyhour comes first. Always. No exceptions.
Seriously, though, I am desperately curious.
Holiday weekend or not, you need to get your priorities straight. Storyhour comes first. Always. No exceptions.
Seriously, though, I am desperately curious.
drnuncheon
Explorer
Delays, delays...
Sorry for the lack of posting...due to Di'Fier's player moving we lost Friday and Saturday and had a short, low-key game on Sunday.
To make up for the lack of update, here's some eye candy:
The Shipping News (Image approx. 155K)
Update today, hopefully.
J
Sorry for the lack of posting...due to Di'Fier's player moving we lost Friday and Saturday and had a short, low-key game on Sunday.
To make up for the lack of update, here's some eye candy:
The Shipping News (Image approx. 155K)
Update today, hopefully.
J
Jon Potter
First Post
Thanks for keeping us posted.
And I quite like the Shipping News. I wonder if that ghost ship is related to the current goings-on?
And if I were DiFier I'd be a little ticked off that I wasn't even mentioned in the article about the Special Crimes Unit. Leaderless, indeed!
And I quite like the Shipping News. I wonder if that ghost ship is related to the current goings-on?
And if I were DiFier I'd be a little ticked off that I wasn't even mentioned in the article about the Special Crimes Unit. Leaderless, indeed!
drnuncheon
Explorer
Jon Potter said:
You (and they!) will find out next session...
Oh, he was, he was.
J
and now, an update
drnuncheon
Explorer
Session Five, Part One: Four Questions and a Funeral
Dru waited just long enough for Papa to send back a message approving her idea to interrogate the corpse of her former opponent before she took off across the city, Ellerand in tow. The two elves kept to the shadows, and moved along stealthily. Dru did not want, and she was sure that Ellerand didn't want, for the mysterious wizards to find them and attack again - or for that matter, for there to be an encounter with Dru's former friends on the Watch.
Despite any misgivings that she had, they arrived at the Temple of the Merchant God without difficulty. Straightening her cloak, she stepped out of the pouring rain and into the sumptuous interior of the temple.
The thick walls of the building immediately shut out the sound of the downpour outside. Light harp music was being played in the background. A young priest was sitting in the foyer of the temple, and gave Dru and Ellerand a thin smile. "May we help you?" Peering at Dru with more recognition, his smile became a little brighter. "Perhaps you're here to purchase another pack of six curing potions?"
Dru grinned at the young man, and shook her head. "Not this time," she said. "We need to hire someone to interrogate a corpse."
She may have imagined it, but it almost seemed like the harp music abruptly stopped, before starting up again. The young priest blinked once, and then nodded. "But of course," he said. "Please, let me show you to a sitting room, and I'll send someone to you that is prepared to do such a thing."
Dru shrugged, and followed him through the sanctuary and into a smaller room, furnished as a parlor. Sitting down gingerly on the crushed velvet chair, Dru looked up at the young man. "I've never done this before," she said, "So I do not know how much it will cost me. I do know that the person casting it should be willing to leave the temple."
The man nodded, looking thoughtful. "How many questions do you want to ask the corpse?" A few minutes of haggling later, Dru was dragging the equivalent of 350 gold pieces out of her pouch, and was crossing town again with a senior priest beside her.
She led him into a courtyard within the Kesir, and shrugged at the priest's expression of distaste. "Perhaps there'll be a gratuity in it for you, since you've had to come so far, and in the rain," she offered, pointing to the battered corpse. Ellerand took up a position by the entry to the cul-de-sac, watching for any interference.
The priest sighed, and nodded, and then began preparing his prayer. Ten minutes later, he looked over at Dru. "I'm ready for your first question," he said mildly.
"Who are you?"
The priest relayed the question to the corpse, nudging it.
The corpse spoke. "...i am...Nadir."
Dru shrugged, and continued. "Who or what were you working for when you went into the elven district on the day you were killed?"
Once again, the priest relayed the question to the corpse.
"...the Dragon's Claw," the corpse murmured.
"Why does your employer wish to strike against Tensin Naïlo and his organization?"
"he is...competition."
"Why is he competition?"
"...he rules...the underworld."
Dru nodded, and passed the priest another handful of coins. "Please," she said, "Accept this gratuity for your hardship... and for your silence in this matter. Ellerand, let's dispose of this."
Back at the Naïlo headquarters, Dru sat in Papa's office, Ellerand hovering by the door as if not knowing how close to Tensin he was allowed to get. She leaned forward. "He said that he worked for the Dragon's Claw. That doesn't mean anything to me... does it to you?"
Papa nodded, slowly. "Yes... the Dragon's Claw is the sole crime organization in Highgate. It appears that they are trying to expand. Maybe to seize both ends of the trade route." He sighed.
Dru frowned. "Well, that explains why he thought you were competition."
Papa sat in silence for a moment, then said, "Yes. It also explains why he's also hit Finn, and Gallowglass."
Dru waited for him to say more. When he didn't, she said, "Papa, when I was with the SCU..." she hesitated, waiting for him to make some comment about that. When he didn't, she continued, "We heard on the streets that you ‘had something' on your good friend Torsten Roth."
Papa looked displeased, scowling.
Dru held up a hand, to signify that she didn't really need to know the answer. "Do you think that because of this, he's working with the Dragon's Claw, to have you removed?"
He was silent for a moment. "I would be most disappointed in Roth, were he to prove to be so disloyal. But...it cannot hurt to find out. Galanodel," he said, looking over into the corner, at a chair that Dru had assumed was unoccupied. "You should pay a visit to Roth, just to be certain."
Dru looked over into the corner, surprised at the mention of the name of her fiancé. Sure enough, Galanodel was present, and stood to his feet. He nodded to Papa, and then started moving quietly for the door. He did give Dru a tiny smile as he walked past her, though.
Dru shook her head at him, feeling amused and exasperated at the same time. She hated not being able to see people. She also hated not knowing anything about this man that was was going to potentially marry in a few decades. Turning back, she caught Papa watching her with a glint of amusement in his own eyes, and frowned at him. "So, is there anything else that you need from me, Papa?"
The door shut, as Galanodel exited, and Papa shook his head. "Not at the moment," he said.
"Alright." Dru stood up, gave him a small smile, and then turned to go. "I'll be around if you need me."
She opened the door, going out into the hall, after letting Ellerand step out in front of her. She was just starting to move down the hall, when Papa's voice called her back. "Oh, Drusilia," he said.
She backed up, peering through the doorway. "Yes?"
One of Papa's throwing daggers hurtled through the air towards her, with the incredible speed that was Tensin Naîlo's trademark.
She was only able to block it at the last moment, as her magic buckler jerked her arm upward to block it. The dagger bounced harmlessly off of her shield. Dru breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Papa nodded to her. "Be sure not to become too dependent upon your toys," he said.
Dru grinned at him, and shut the door behind her. She glanced over at the stricken Ellerand, and smiled to try to put him at ease. "It's good to be home," she said. "I've missed it here." Ellerand only nodded, and the pair moved down the hallway and into some of the common rooms of the house. Dru was ravenously hungry, and she could smell the odor of food wafting towards her.
A heaping plate later, Dru was sitting at the table, Ellerand eating beside her. She was just getting started, when she heard, "Psst, Dru!"
She looked over, and grinned when she saw one-time lover and friend Ivellimor, with his friends Kalarian and the twins, Adan and Anan. "Ivellimor!"
The small group of grinning elves descended upon her. "We heard that you'd come back. That's great!"
Dru nodded, eating. "Yeah, I turned in my resignation for the Watch early this morning."
"That's great," said Ivellimor, again. "Say," he said, with a mischevious look at his friends. "Do you want to stir up a little excitement?"
She looked at him suspiciously from over her food. "What kind of excitement?"
Ivellimor grinned. "It's a surprise. Give us a couple of hours, and we'll get something together. Meet us at the edge of the Kesir."
"Alright," said Dru, nodding. She hoped that this wasn't an ambush of some kind, although she didn't think that Ivellimor would stoop to such tactics. "So how is my good friend?" She looked up at him, innocently.
Ivellimor raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"
Dru grinned. "The spell chucker."
He pointed to himself. "I'm one of those, you know," he said.
"Oh, right. The one that I don't like. Alust."
Ivellimor chuckled, standing to his feet. "Ah. Well, for some strange reason," he said, glancing at Dru speculatively, "Tensin is upset with him. He's been getting the worst jobs for weeks... I thought it prudent to distance myself from him."
Dru grinned. "I always knew that you were wise beyond your years."
"What do you mean that Papa didn't give you permission to do this?" Dru scowled at Ivellimor, not missing the dark looks that the others gave her. "What if this little preemptive strike ruins some of his plans?"
Ivellimor sighed, leaning closer. "Dru... your father isn't the same these days... I know that he's your father and all, but there's some people that think he's losing his edge. In the old days, he would have hit these people on their first night here, and we wouldn't have had to worry about this. They're picking us off, one by one, and he does nothing."
Dru didn't believe that Papa was doing nothing, but she didn't miss that Ivellimor truly believed what he was saying. That worried her. "Are you sure that he's doing nothing?"
The elves in the circle and exchanged unhappy looks. "We told him about this location that some of them are staying at, and he didn't do anything about it," muttered Adan.
Dru sighed. "I can't go along with this, Ivellimor. I can't do that kind of thing, not on my first day back!"
Ivellimor frowned, and then sighed. "We could really use you..."
She shook her head, and said gently, "Ivellimor, I can't. I won't."
Adan said, "Well, I'm going."
The others agreed, with nods and mutterings. Ivellimor turned to Dru, and said pleadingly, "At least give us half an hour before you tell him anything?"
Dru hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, curtly.
Ivellimor breathed with relief, gave her a sickly smile, and walked away with the others.
Dru watched them go, and then glanced at Ellerand. "I hope that they're not making a foolish mistake. Come on, let's go back."
Ellerand considered, as they walked, and then finally said, "I do not think that Ivellimor has distanced himself from Alust as much as he would like for you to think."
Dru stopped in her tracks, and turned to study Ellerand, face to face. "Why do you say that?"
"Because Alust talks a lot about the same thing. About how Tensin's lost his edge, and his courage."
Dru scowled. "How many people are talking like this?"
Ellerand shook his head. "I don't think very many. Alust is the main one."
After starting to walk again, Dru sighed. She was very disappointed in Ivellimor. Had he lied to her about Alust? What was going on here? She fully intended to find out... and talking to Papa was a good starting place.
After the pair walked into the headquarters, Dru turned to Ellerand. "Will you excuse me, so that I can talk to Papa alone? I want to discuss this with him in privacy."
Ellerand nodded, moving away. "But of course," he said.
Dru smiled at him, and then walked down the hall towards Papa's office. She hated being put into a position like this. Squealer. Insurrection. Divided loyalties. But she was not going to let her loyalty be taken from Papa again. She'd already made that mistake once, and had almost died without making amends. She stepped into Papa's office.
He looked up at her, bemused.
"Papa, do you mind if I close the door? I need to talk to you."
He frowned, perhaps looking worried, but nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead.
With a firm click, she shut the door behind her, and then sat down. She scooted her chair closer to his desk, so that she was sitting directly in front of him. "I hate having to do this, especially on my first day back," she prefaced. "There are certain people who are going to strike at a location where they know that some of the Dragon's Claw people are staying."
Papa studied her for a moment. "And these certain people would be members of my organization, acting without my orders?"
Dru nodded, watching him.
"Ivellimor," he glanced at Dru, who nodded. "The twins...and?"
"Kalarian," Dru filled in for him.
"Ah yes, Kalarian."
"Papa... they wanted for me to go with them. I went ahead and let them go, but I didn't want to participate. I don't know if this is going to ruin any of your plans, though."
"No doubt, they wanted you to give their actions a veneer of respectability."
Dru nodded, although she hadn't considered that. Her brows knit. Would Ivellimor use her like that? Surely it was also to do with her martial prowess...although perhaps he was feeling her out as a potential ally against Papa. She looked at Papa, sighing.
"I hear that Alust has been talking out against you a lot lately. He... and Ivellimor and the others, have been saying that you've lost your edge. That you'd have made a first strike against these people in the old days."
Papa looked pained, or as pained as he ever did. "Perhaps at one time I would have," he admitted. "But I have the responsibility of the entire Naïlo organization now."
Dru nodded, agreeing with him silently. She stood up, deciding to leave Papa alone with his thoughts. She was almost out the door, when she thought better of it. "Papa," she said, to get his attention.
He looked up at her. "Hmm?"
"I'm with you. Remember that."
He only nodded, and then looked back down at his desk. Perhaps she had only imagined it, but her words seemed to gratify him She shut the door behind her, and moved down the hall. She was going to meditate, and hope that the last of her wounds would heal before morning.
Compiler's Note: Again, most of this update was written by Dru, with only minor changes from your humble chronicler. I'm not sure that it ever came up, but the "pack-of-six" curing potions has been a running joke since the early days of the campaign, when one of them (I forget who) quipped that they should get a discount for buying potions of cure light wounds in bulk...the Temple of the Merchant God was so enthused by the idea of a "convenient pack of six" that they do indeed give the pair a (slightly) discounted rate.
Bonus Material: A Few Notes on the Merchant God
If the God of Pirates is the symbol of Freeport's past, then the God of Merchants is just as much a symbol of what the city has become: a major center of the shipping trade. And while the God of Merchants may symbolize the changes in Freeport, the city itself has changed the God - or at least his Temple.
The temple's unofficial motto is "Everything has its price" - a popular philosophy with Freeport's permanent and transient residents alike, and slightly at odds with the way he is worshiped on the mainland. The central tenets of the dogma remain the same - the sanctity of contracts and such - but the teachings in Freeport assume a slightly more flexible moral code and an emphasis on profit over all else.
Unlike many other temples of the city, the temple of the Merchant God is not supported by donations and tithes, but rather by providing services to the populace - for a price, of course. These services range from minor magical items to funerals, weddings, and other sacraments. Chances are, if you're not destitute (and thus under the auspices of the Beggar's God) or a member of the clergy, the Temple of the Merchant is where you will go for any spellcasting-for-hire.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral (Neutral in Freeport)
Domains: Trade (FRCS), Travel, Law (outside Freeport)
Favored Weapon: Dagger
Dru waited just long enough for Papa to send back a message approving her idea to interrogate the corpse of her former opponent before she took off across the city, Ellerand in tow. The two elves kept to the shadows, and moved along stealthily. Dru did not want, and she was sure that Ellerand didn't want, for the mysterious wizards to find them and attack again - or for that matter, for there to be an encounter with Dru's former friends on the Watch.
Despite any misgivings that she had, they arrived at the Temple of the Merchant God without difficulty. Straightening her cloak, she stepped out of the pouring rain and into the sumptuous interior of the temple.
The thick walls of the building immediately shut out the sound of the downpour outside. Light harp music was being played in the background. A young priest was sitting in the foyer of the temple, and gave Dru and Ellerand a thin smile. "May we help you?" Peering at Dru with more recognition, his smile became a little brighter. "Perhaps you're here to purchase another pack of six curing potions?"
Dru grinned at the young man, and shook her head. "Not this time," she said. "We need to hire someone to interrogate a corpse."
She may have imagined it, but it almost seemed like the harp music abruptly stopped, before starting up again. The young priest blinked once, and then nodded. "But of course," he said. "Please, let me show you to a sitting room, and I'll send someone to you that is prepared to do such a thing."
Dru shrugged, and followed him through the sanctuary and into a smaller room, furnished as a parlor. Sitting down gingerly on the crushed velvet chair, Dru looked up at the young man. "I've never done this before," she said, "So I do not know how much it will cost me. I do know that the person casting it should be willing to leave the temple."
The man nodded, looking thoughtful. "How many questions do you want to ask the corpse?" A few minutes of haggling later, Dru was dragging the equivalent of 350 gold pieces out of her pouch, and was crossing town again with a senior priest beside her.
She led him into a courtyard within the Kesir, and shrugged at the priest's expression of distaste. "Perhaps there'll be a gratuity in it for you, since you've had to come so far, and in the rain," she offered, pointing to the battered corpse. Ellerand took up a position by the entry to the cul-de-sac, watching for any interference.
The priest sighed, and nodded, and then began preparing his prayer. Ten minutes later, he looked over at Dru. "I'm ready for your first question," he said mildly.
"Who are you?"
The priest relayed the question to the corpse, nudging it.
The corpse spoke. "...i am...Nadir."
Dru shrugged, and continued. "Who or what were you working for when you went into the elven district on the day you were killed?"
Once again, the priest relayed the question to the corpse.
"...the Dragon's Claw," the corpse murmured.
"Why does your employer wish to strike against Tensin Naïlo and his organization?"
"he is...competition."
"Why is he competition?"
"...he rules...the underworld."
Dru nodded, and passed the priest another handful of coins. "Please," she said, "Accept this gratuity for your hardship... and for your silence in this matter. Ellerand, let's dispose of this."
Back at the Naïlo headquarters, Dru sat in Papa's office, Ellerand hovering by the door as if not knowing how close to Tensin he was allowed to get. She leaned forward. "He said that he worked for the Dragon's Claw. That doesn't mean anything to me... does it to you?"
Papa nodded, slowly. "Yes... the Dragon's Claw is the sole crime organization in Highgate. It appears that they are trying to expand. Maybe to seize both ends of the trade route." He sighed.
Dru frowned. "Well, that explains why he thought you were competition."
Papa sat in silence for a moment, then said, "Yes. It also explains why he's also hit Finn, and Gallowglass."
Dru waited for him to say more. When he didn't, she said, "Papa, when I was with the SCU..." she hesitated, waiting for him to make some comment about that. When he didn't, she continued, "We heard on the streets that you ‘had something' on your good friend Torsten Roth."
Papa looked displeased, scowling.
Dru held up a hand, to signify that she didn't really need to know the answer. "Do you think that because of this, he's working with the Dragon's Claw, to have you removed?"
He was silent for a moment. "I would be most disappointed in Roth, were he to prove to be so disloyal. But...it cannot hurt to find out. Galanodel," he said, looking over into the corner, at a chair that Dru had assumed was unoccupied. "You should pay a visit to Roth, just to be certain."
Dru looked over into the corner, surprised at the mention of the name of her fiancé. Sure enough, Galanodel was present, and stood to his feet. He nodded to Papa, and then started moving quietly for the door. He did give Dru a tiny smile as he walked past her, though.
Dru shook her head at him, feeling amused and exasperated at the same time. She hated not being able to see people. She also hated not knowing anything about this man that was was going to potentially marry in a few decades. Turning back, she caught Papa watching her with a glint of amusement in his own eyes, and frowned at him. "So, is there anything else that you need from me, Papa?"
The door shut, as Galanodel exited, and Papa shook his head. "Not at the moment," he said.
"Alright." Dru stood up, gave him a small smile, and then turned to go. "I'll be around if you need me."
She opened the door, going out into the hall, after letting Ellerand step out in front of her. She was just starting to move down the hall, when Papa's voice called her back. "Oh, Drusilia," he said.
She backed up, peering through the doorway. "Yes?"
One of Papa's throwing daggers hurtled through the air towards her, with the incredible speed that was Tensin Naîlo's trademark.
She was only able to block it at the last moment, as her magic buckler jerked her arm upward to block it. The dagger bounced harmlessly off of her shield. Dru breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Papa nodded to her. "Be sure not to become too dependent upon your toys," he said.
Dru grinned at him, and shut the door behind her. She glanced over at the stricken Ellerand, and smiled to try to put him at ease. "It's good to be home," she said. "I've missed it here." Ellerand only nodded, and the pair moved down the hallway and into some of the common rooms of the house. Dru was ravenously hungry, and she could smell the odor of food wafting towards her.
A heaping plate later, Dru was sitting at the table, Ellerand eating beside her. She was just getting started, when she heard, "Psst, Dru!"
She looked over, and grinned when she saw one-time lover and friend Ivellimor, with his friends Kalarian and the twins, Adan and Anan. "Ivellimor!"
The small group of grinning elves descended upon her. "We heard that you'd come back. That's great!"
Dru nodded, eating. "Yeah, I turned in my resignation for the Watch early this morning."
"That's great," said Ivellimor, again. "Say," he said, with a mischevious look at his friends. "Do you want to stir up a little excitement?"
She looked at him suspiciously from over her food. "What kind of excitement?"
Ivellimor grinned. "It's a surprise. Give us a couple of hours, and we'll get something together. Meet us at the edge of the Kesir."
"Alright," said Dru, nodding. She hoped that this wasn't an ambush of some kind, although she didn't think that Ivellimor would stoop to such tactics. "So how is my good friend?" She looked up at him, innocently.
Ivellimor raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"
Dru grinned. "The spell chucker."
He pointed to himself. "I'm one of those, you know," he said.
"Oh, right. The one that I don't like. Alust."
Ivellimor chuckled, standing to his feet. "Ah. Well, for some strange reason," he said, glancing at Dru speculatively, "Tensin is upset with him. He's been getting the worst jobs for weeks... I thought it prudent to distance myself from him."
Dru grinned. "I always knew that you were wise beyond your years."
"What do you mean that Papa didn't give you permission to do this?" Dru scowled at Ivellimor, not missing the dark looks that the others gave her. "What if this little preemptive strike ruins some of his plans?"
Ivellimor sighed, leaning closer. "Dru... your father isn't the same these days... I know that he's your father and all, but there's some people that think he's losing his edge. In the old days, he would have hit these people on their first night here, and we wouldn't have had to worry about this. They're picking us off, one by one, and he does nothing."
Dru didn't believe that Papa was doing nothing, but she didn't miss that Ivellimor truly believed what he was saying. That worried her. "Are you sure that he's doing nothing?"
The elves in the circle and exchanged unhappy looks. "We told him about this location that some of them are staying at, and he didn't do anything about it," muttered Adan.
Dru sighed. "I can't go along with this, Ivellimor. I can't do that kind of thing, not on my first day back!"
Ivellimor frowned, and then sighed. "We could really use you..."
She shook her head, and said gently, "Ivellimor, I can't. I won't."
Adan said, "Well, I'm going."
The others agreed, with nods and mutterings. Ivellimor turned to Dru, and said pleadingly, "At least give us half an hour before you tell him anything?"
Dru hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, curtly.
Ivellimor breathed with relief, gave her a sickly smile, and walked away with the others.
Dru watched them go, and then glanced at Ellerand. "I hope that they're not making a foolish mistake. Come on, let's go back."
Ellerand considered, as they walked, and then finally said, "I do not think that Ivellimor has distanced himself from Alust as much as he would like for you to think."
Dru stopped in her tracks, and turned to study Ellerand, face to face. "Why do you say that?"
"Because Alust talks a lot about the same thing. About how Tensin's lost his edge, and his courage."
Dru scowled. "How many people are talking like this?"
Ellerand shook his head. "I don't think very many. Alust is the main one."
After starting to walk again, Dru sighed. She was very disappointed in Ivellimor. Had he lied to her about Alust? What was going on here? She fully intended to find out... and talking to Papa was a good starting place.
After the pair walked into the headquarters, Dru turned to Ellerand. "Will you excuse me, so that I can talk to Papa alone? I want to discuss this with him in privacy."
Ellerand nodded, moving away. "But of course," he said.
Dru smiled at him, and then walked down the hall towards Papa's office. She hated being put into a position like this. Squealer. Insurrection. Divided loyalties. But she was not going to let her loyalty be taken from Papa again. She'd already made that mistake once, and had almost died without making amends. She stepped into Papa's office.
He looked up at her, bemused.
"Papa, do you mind if I close the door? I need to talk to you."
He frowned, perhaps looking worried, but nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead.
With a firm click, she shut the door behind her, and then sat down. She scooted her chair closer to his desk, so that she was sitting directly in front of him. "I hate having to do this, especially on my first day back," she prefaced. "There are certain people who are going to strike at a location where they know that some of the Dragon's Claw people are staying."
Papa studied her for a moment. "And these certain people would be members of my organization, acting without my orders?"
Dru nodded, watching him.
"Ivellimor," he glanced at Dru, who nodded. "The twins...and?"
"Kalarian," Dru filled in for him.
"Ah yes, Kalarian."
"Papa... they wanted for me to go with them. I went ahead and let them go, but I didn't want to participate. I don't know if this is going to ruin any of your plans, though."
"No doubt, they wanted you to give their actions a veneer of respectability."
Dru nodded, although she hadn't considered that. Her brows knit. Would Ivellimor use her like that? Surely it was also to do with her martial prowess...although perhaps he was feeling her out as a potential ally against Papa. She looked at Papa, sighing.
"I hear that Alust has been talking out against you a lot lately. He... and Ivellimor and the others, have been saying that you've lost your edge. That you'd have made a first strike against these people in the old days."
Papa looked pained, or as pained as he ever did. "Perhaps at one time I would have," he admitted. "But I have the responsibility of the entire Naïlo organization now."
Dru nodded, agreeing with him silently. She stood up, deciding to leave Papa alone with his thoughts. She was almost out the door, when she thought better of it. "Papa," she said, to get his attention.
He looked up at her. "Hmm?"
"I'm with you. Remember that."
He only nodded, and then looked back down at his desk. Perhaps she had only imagined it, but her words seemed to gratify him She shut the door behind her, and moved down the hall. She was going to meditate, and hope that the last of her wounds would heal before morning.
Compiler's Note: Again, most of this update was written by Dru, with only minor changes from your humble chronicler. I'm not sure that it ever came up, but the "pack-of-six" curing potions has been a running joke since the early days of the campaign, when one of them (I forget who) quipped that they should get a discount for buying potions of cure light wounds in bulk...the Temple of the Merchant God was so enthused by the idea of a "convenient pack of six" that they do indeed give the pair a (slightly) discounted rate.
Bonus Material: A Few Notes on the Merchant God
If the God of Pirates is the symbol of Freeport's past, then the God of Merchants is just as much a symbol of what the city has become: a major center of the shipping trade. And while the God of Merchants may symbolize the changes in Freeport, the city itself has changed the God - or at least his Temple.
The temple's unofficial motto is "Everything has its price" - a popular philosophy with Freeport's permanent and transient residents alike, and slightly at odds with the way he is worshiped on the mainland. The central tenets of the dogma remain the same - the sanctity of contracts and such - but the teachings in Freeport assume a slightly more flexible moral code and an emphasis on profit over all else.
Unlike many other temples of the city, the temple of the Merchant God is not supported by donations and tithes, but rather by providing services to the populace - for a price, of course. These services range from minor magical items to funerals, weddings, and other sacraments. Chances are, if you're not destitute (and thus under the auspices of the Beggar's God) or a member of the clergy, the Temple of the Merchant is where you will go for any spellcasting-for-hire.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral (Neutral in Freeport)
Domains: Trade (FRCS), Travel, Law (outside Freeport)
Favored Weapon: Dagger
