drnuncheon
Explorer
Session Eleven, Part Three: A Meeting of the Minds (II)
"So what are we going to do?" growned the Bosun. "I was hoping the leafeater would have an idea, but he's gone and left a complete tyro in charge..."
"I'd watch yourself." Dru looked Carty over coolly. "And remember who is responsible for the current vacancies on the Captain's Council."
Sol Gallowglass leaned forward. "We all know how we'd conduct a war," he put in. "Hit them in the pocketbooks. But they're not earning, not enough to support a venture this size, not in Scurvytown. He's got to have backing."
"You're right," replied Di'Fier. "There are only two people I can think of that may have housed Dragosani, and given backing to his people. The first is Tarmon of the Wizard's Guild. The Dragosanis were the Guild's honored guests at a dinner earlier this year. Fortunately, the evidence points to the other suspect."
"Who is?"
"Torsten Roth."
The room sat in silence for a moment, before Finn finally spoke. "Roth is in Tensin's pocket," he said flatly.
Di'Fier nodded. "But perhaps he doesn't want to be there. The Naïlo mages tracked down three caches of weapons like the ones used to kill Lady Elise. One was in their own possession, one was with the Watch, and the third..." He took a breath. "The third was in the basement of the Merchant's Guild."
A lone wagon moved unescorted through the glistening city streets, drawn by a single horse. Rain-soaked boxes and barrels were stacked haphazardly in the bed, rocking with the movement of the wheels over the cobbles. The driver rubbed at his moustache, and made sure that his cloak was pulled to cover the copper badge at his belt.
It was perhaps strange that such an important cargo was being transported through the streets of the most notorious city in the world with only a single Watchman assigned to protect it. Then again, a large group of men would have only attracted attention, and for some reason the recipients seemed anxious to avoid such things.
The driver pulled on the reins, and the wagon turned a smooth arc onto a side street. It would take him towards the headquarters of the Sea Lord's Guard, where the mysterious barrels and bundles that were the true cargo would be unloaded and he would be sent off to report a mission completed.
Unless, of course, the people standing in the road had something to say about it. Three of them, all elves, all with their attention focused on him. No - more. He caught sight of movement along a rooftop in the rain, a patch of too-dark night that he was intended to see.
Lamplight shone on a length of blade as the foremost elf approached him, leveling the sword at the Watchman, who was climbing down from the wagon seat.
"I believe the phrase is 'stand and deliver'," said Lady Grey, smiling coolly.
The watchman raised his arms. "Oh. Please. Don't hurt me," rasped Jaffar.
"Wasn't it Roth's warehouse that was burned?" Gallowglass objected.
Dru nodded. "But what's a warehouse to someone like him? Especially if it wasn't being used to store anything truly valuable."
The ex-mercenary nodded. "And he'd have known about the smuggling."
"Roth never struck me as particularly trustworthy," Dru said. "Someone that can be bought once can be bought again and again, like a whore."
"Sounds like someone needs to pay him a midnight visit."
Dru smiled. "Oh...we will."
Di'Fier tugged his cloak closer around him. He was still uncomfortable sharing all of their information with the city's biggest crime leaders, but if it helped them get rid of the Claw then it needed to be done. Carty and his Buccaneers were going to stir up trouble in Scurvytown, based on the information that Di'Fier had gotten from the captured Vagn. Finn's social contacts would be busy spreading the rumor that the stolen weapons had been taken to the Merchant's Guild.
As for Dru and Di'Fier...they were rapidly appraching a small, squat, but well-defended house on the edge of the Eastern District. It had to be the last of those, being the house of one of the city's most notorious judges. A judge who just happened to owe them a favor.
"Jemis."
The little man started awake at the sound of his name. "Huh? Wha-? Dru?"
"Shh. Get the SCU. Take them to Judge Ubu's house. He's got a warrant for you."
"A warrant? What-?"
"You're going to search the merchant's guild for the stolen weapons."
"Stolen? But the Sea-"
"The Sea Lord's Guard never got them. The shipment was hijacked earlier tonight. Some witnesses have come forth claiming that the weapons are in the Guild basement, and so there is a warrant to search that building." Dru grinned. "Good luck." Then she was gone.
Another street, another house. This is getting repetetive, Di'Fier thought. At least it's the last one for tonight. The spell of invisibility cloaked him securely, and next to him Dru was wrapped in the shadowy folds of an elven-made cloak, making her almost as difficult to see.
Up the side of the house they went, to the balcony. Dru's modest skill with locks proved enough to open the casement doors, and they slipped inside. Only one room had lamplight burning in it, and they crept towards it, silent and cautious. It stood partially ajar, a dim line of flickering light spilling out into the hallway.
I'm beginning to hate finding doors like this, thought Dru, as she moved forward. She could hear the heavier tread of her once-again partner behind her as she reached out a hand and pushed the door wider open.
An enormous figure sat at a desk, his back to the pair, bent over a book. Not Roth, then, Dru thought - but was interrupted by a savage hiss. A tiny winged lizard - no, a miniature dragon - had raised its head from the desk and was staring at Dru, fangs bared.
The seated figure turned its head, revealing a profile that was not human in the slightest.
- End of Session Eleven -
"So what are we going to do?" growned the Bosun. "I was hoping the leafeater would have an idea, but he's gone and left a complete tyro in charge..."
"I'd watch yourself." Dru looked Carty over coolly. "And remember who is responsible for the current vacancies on the Captain's Council."
Sol Gallowglass leaned forward. "We all know how we'd conduct a war," he put in. "Hit them in the pocketbooks. But they're not earning, not enough to support a venture this size, not in Scurvytown. He's got to have backing."
"You're right," replied Di'Fier. "There are only two people I can think of that may have housed Dragosani, and given backing to his people. The first is Tarmon of the Wizard's Guild. The Dragosanis were the Guild's honored guests at a dinner earlier this year. Fortunately, the evidence points to the other suspect."
"Who is?"
"Torsten Roth."
The room sat in silence for a moment, before Finn finally spoke. "Roth is in Tensin's pocket," he said flatly.
Di'Fier nodded. "But perhaps he doesn't want to be there. The Naïlo mages tracked down three caches of weapons like the ones used to kill Lady Elise. One was in their own possession, one was with the Watch, and the third..." He took a breath. "The third was in the basement of the Merchant's Guild."
A lone wagon moved unescorted through the glistening city streets, drawn by a single horse. Rain-soaked boxes and barrels were stacked haphazardly in the bed, rocking with the movement of the wheels over the cobbles. The driver rubbed at his moustache, and made sure that his cloak was pulled to cover the copper badge at his belt.
It was perhaps strange that such an important cargo was being transported through the streets of the most notorious city in the world with only a single Watchman assigned to protect it. Then again, a large group of men would have only attracted attention, and for some reason the recipients seemed anxious to avoid such things.
The driver pulled on the reins, and the wagon turned a smooth arc onto a side street. It would take him towards the headquarters of the Sea Lord's Guard, where the mysterious barrels and bundles that were the true cargo would be unloaded and he would be sent off to report a mission completed.
Unless, of course, the people standing in the road had something to say about it. Three of them, all elves, all with their attention focused on him. No - more. He caught sight of movement along a rooftop in the rain, a patch of too-dark night that he was intended to see.
Lamplight shone on a length of blade as the foremost elf approached him, leveling the sword at the Watchman, who was climbing down from the wagon seat.
"I believe the phrase is 'stand and deliver'," said Lady Grey, smiling coolly.
The watchman raised his arms. "Oh. Please. Don't hurt me," rasped Jaffar.
"Wasn't it Roth's warehouse that was burned?" Gallowglass objected.
Dru nodded. "But what's a warehouse to someone like him? Especially if it wasn't being used to store anything truly valuable."
The ex-mercenary nodded. "And he'd have known about the smuggling."
"Roth never struck me as particularly trustworthy," Dru said. "Someone that can be bought once can be bought again and again, like a whore."
"Sounds like someone needs to pay him a midnight visit."
Dru smiled. "Oh...we will."
Di'Fier tugged his cloak closer around him. He was still uncomfortable sharing all of their information with the city's biggest crime leaders, but if it helped them get rid of the Claw then it needed to be done. Carty and his Buccaneers were going to stir up trouble in Scurvytown, based on the information that Di'Fier had gotten from the captured Vagn. Finn's social contacts would be busy spreading the rumor that the stolen weapons had been taken to the Merchant's Guild.
As for Dru and Di'Fier...they were rapidly appraching a small, squat, but well-defended house on the edge of the Eastern District. It had to be the last of those, being the house of one of the city's most notorious judges. A judge who just happened to owe them a favor.
"Jemis."
The little man started awake at the sound of his name. "Huh? Wha-? Dru?"
"Shh. Get the SCU. Take them to Judge Ubu's house. He's got a warrant for you."
"A warrant? What-?"
"You're going to search the merchant's guild for the stolen weapons."
"Stolen? But the Sea-"
"The Sea Lord's Guard never got them. The shipment was hijacked earlier tonight. Some witnesses have come forth claiming that the weapons are in the Guild basement, and so there is a warrant to search that building." Dru grinned. "Good luck." Then she was gone.
Another street, another house. This is getting repetetive, Di'Fier thought. At least it's the last one for tonight. The spell of invisibility cloaked him securely, and next to him Dru was wrapped in the shadowy folds of an elven-made cloak, making her almost as difficult to see.
Up the side of the house they went, to the balcony. Dru's modest skill with locks proved enough to open the casement doors, and they slipped inside. Only one room had lamplight burning in it, and they crept towards it, silent and cautious. It stood partially ajar, a dim line of flickering light spilling out into the hallway.
I'm beginning to hate finding doors like this, thought Dru, as she moved forward. She could hear the heavier tread of her once-again partner behind her as she reached out a hand and pushed the door wider open.
An enormous figure sat at a desk, his back to the pair, bent over a book. Not Roth, then, Dru thought - but was interrupted by a savage hiss. A tiny winged lizard - no, a miniature dragon - had raised its head from the desk and was staring at Dru, fangs bared.
The seated figure turned its head, revealing a profile that was not human in the slightest.
- End of Session Eleven -
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