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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1693404" data-attributes="member: 2292">TovaritchThe sun is shining in Norvikk, a rare occurrence that leaves the dockworkers and merchants baking in their furs and cloaks.  Vilnius Chuilikov strides purposefully through the crowd, his heavy white cloak ominous among the crowds of people eager to divest themselves of clothing.  His axe clicks against the ground as he walks, its long haft taller even that Vilnius’ six and a half feet.  The stench of the slowly warming city is terrible, all stale fish and heavy sweat.Ostlanders are not built for warmth, Vilnius thinks to himself.  No more than my people were.He pauses by the stall of a Thyatian merchant, buying some of the dried apple strips on sale.  As he hands over his crudely minted Thyatian coins, Vilnius reminds himself once again that he needs to find a place where he can trade his meager wealth for less obvious coin.  His crude currency easily marks him as a native of Norworld, identifies him as easily as his name if you know enough to ask the right questions.He resumes his walk, chewing purposefully on the dried fruit.  Not that I answer to my own name anymoreWhich makes him all the more surprised when the small gnome, dressed in a finely tailored suit, emerges from the space between two barrels and asks: “Vilnius Chuilikov?”Vilnius stops, staring down at the gnome.  The small creature is will dressed for the heat, perfectly groomed and completely unafraid as it addresses the hulking northerner.“Are you Vilnius Chuilikov?” the gnome repeats.Vilnius considers all the possible responses to that question.  Some of them don’t involve smiting the gnome with his axe.“There he is!” someone screams, and Vilnius whirls to spot several of his cousins man further down the docks.  Most of them have axes raised, charging through the sweat-soaked crowd.  Vilnius lets out a curse in the Old One’s name and runs, forcing his way through the dockside crowd with brute strength.  “I’ve caught you at a bad time then,” the gnome calls, then scurries back into the space between the barrels as an arrow is fired at him.  Vilnius grunts as he pushes past a dockworker, ducking another arrow.  Evidently one of the Steel Regent’s men has gotten impatient.  A crate full of fetid fish is overturned, some cargo nets cut free with a swipe of the massive axe, none of them do enough to dissuade the men chasing him.  Vilnius wonders how much they’re being paid for such persistence – evidently the Steel Regent is hiring professionals, and persistent professionals at that.  Men who can be persuaded to hunt a man known to have the strength of a northern bear and the ferocity of an enraged dragon.He spots a boat preparing to leave the harbor, the Lady Petra’s Bounty.  The crew is starting to point at the chase on the docks, but a stern first mate is forcing them back to their labor.  Vilnius considers the ship for a moment, then ducks around a cart full of more fish and makes for the edge of the docks.An arrow buries itself into the fish.  Vilnius thanks the Old One the Regent’s coin purse only stretches to cover bravery and persistence – he doesn’t yet have enough to hire competence.  Then Vilnius is in the air, sailing over the murky water of Norvikk’s docks and crashing against the ships rail.  Strong hands clutch at the wood, holding him above the waves as the ship starts to pull away.  Feet scramble, searching for purchase on the wood, and eventually he finds enough to pull himself onto the deck.Vilnius Chuilikov finds himself facing the tips of a half-dozen pikes, leveled professionally by several well-armored member of the crew.  Evidently the captain of the vessel can afford competency.Then the small gnome struggles through the ranks of men surrounding him, followed by a portly sailor that can only be the captain.“Vilnius Chuilikov?” the gnome asks.  “Nephew of Victor Rossokiyev?”“Da,” Vilnius says grimly.  “Call me Tovaritch.”“I’m Gerbo Finnigan, of Finnigan, Finnigan and Wake,” the gnome says, reading from a small scrap of parchment.  “Your uncle has, unfortunately, either passed away or moved to a realm beyond mortal knowledge, and I have been instructed to give you this.”The gnome hand Vilnius a folded parchment.“What does it say?” Vilnius asks, not bothering to open it.“It’s a summons,” Gerbo says.  “To the reading of the will.  You’ve been asked to present yourself to the Fallen Minotaur Tavern in Kirchev Keep in 30 days.  I’ve arranged your transport to Specularum with Captain Telhause here, I imagine you can manage the rest. ““Summons?” Vilnius asks, but Finnigan has already forced his way through the crowded soldiers and disappeared.</blockquote>

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