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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rafael Ceurdepyr" data-source="post: 1494693" data-attributes="member: 16566">Part 1, in which helping a young lady results in new enemiesThe story begins in the city of Krakensfort, a seaport city clinging to the slopes of a hill built on the ruins of the earthquake-destroyed old city.  Three acquaintances have come together, united only in their desire to begin their lives anew. Darkly beautiful tomboyish Ariadne (“Ari”) Thalasofrisi is a 17-year-old woman who left her upper middle class home and parents only the day before, infuriated by the aftermath of a duel over the affections of her sister Altagracia. Her growing skill with a rapier was not considered an essential skill for a young lady soon to be launched into Krakensfort society. Rafael (“Raef”) Ceurdepyr--blue-skinned, red-haired and golden-eyed as are all paragoblins—is her close friend, a year older, who was thrown out of his slightly less affluent home by a father disgusted by his expulsion from the Academia Cantorii (cantor’s school) and his winning of the duel over Altagracia against Hidalgo Montecassino, a nobleman’s son. Despite his father’s wish that he become a cantor in the service of The Faith, Raef would rather perform as a bard in the local taverns. Levan Feldspar is a good deal older than the two friends, an old drinking buddy of Raef’s who has quit his position with the Black Watch, tired of the corruption rampant in the militia charged with the safety of the middle and upper parts of the city.  His urban ranger skills stood him in good stead during his career as a gang member in his youth. When the two young people show up at his door, Levan takes them—for a few days.The first day of Spring is eighteen days past when the trio drink ale one afternoon in the Heart o’ the Dog Tavern. Raef, ever-vigilant for his next conquest, spies a young woman seated alone, glancing repeatedly at the door. He walks over and strikes up a conversation, but she seems nervous and distracted.  “I’m waiting for someone,” she explains. Unaccustomed to rebuff, Raef persists, curious about this slender, delicate featured woman in a shabby cloak and patched skirt. He offers his help if she needs it, but she makes it plain she does not.  As he leaves her, three men seated nearby call out nasty remarks, insulting Raef as an “inker,” a common vulgar term for paragoblins.  Raef largely ignores them until they begin harassing the young woman.The three friends spring into action, drawing rapiers against the men, whose names are Jeffers, Bron and his brother Raynold. Raef skewers Bron and Ari slices through Jeffers, leaving both men dead while Raynold runs out, swearing vengeance. The young woman, who disappeared during the swordplay, reappears, motioning them toward a back exit before the Black Watch can be called out.  They follow her.  She introduces herself as Emi, and leads them down into the sewers below the city.Emi seems quite familiar with the hidden twists and turns of the sewer.  She explains that she was substituting for her gravely injured brother Nod, who was to explain why they were unable to deliver a promised package to someone.  The package was stolen in an attack that caused Nod’s injury. In return for Emi’s kindness in helping them escape, the three adventurers agree to help retrieve the package, which she believes has been taken somewhere in the sewers.  Emi introduces them to Nod, who seems to be the leader of this band of ragged people known in rumors as the Tatterdemalions.  His injury does indeed appear to be serious—one of his legs was partially bitten off during the struggle against unknown assailants.  Emi gives them an eye ointment that allows them to see in the pitch darkness below the streets as well as directions on how to proceed to an area where the package was stolen. After numerous twists and turns in the stench-ridden tunnels below the streets of Krakensfort, Ari, Raef and Levan encounter a cache of barrels of gunpowder being loaded onto a boat by some men who attack them.  Raef recognizes their attire—they belong to the Scale Brothers cult, members of a long-outlawed ancient religious sect.  During the fight, one of them metamorphoses into a crocodile, much to the amazement and horror of the heroes.In the robes of one of the Scale Brothers is the stolen package.  The outer seal is broken, but the pouch inside is intact. The heroes take it back to Emi. She is delighted and rewards Raef with a strange necklace, a rat skull and some feathers on a leather thong.  Anxious to please the young woman, he wears it, feeling some sort of strange protection emanating from it.After spending the night in the Tatterdemalions’ lair and accepting their meager fare, Ari, Raef and Levan agree to accompany Nod to return the package to the person for whom they retrieved it. Nod’s injuries seem to have healed an amazing amount in a short time—and maybe his abbreviated leg has lengthened?  Nod takes them to a man he tells them is variously known as Ratcatcher (but not to his face), Spider, Whisper, Sir, or Mr. G—Tolver Grayjoy, rumored head of the Heinter family spy network, a trader in ship commodities.  Mr. G. pays Raef, Levan and Ari for recovering the package and for the information about the gunpowder.  They catch a brief glimpse of what is inside the package—it seems have a seal on it, a gold, possibly bumpy circle enclosing an area with a fine, net-like background.  On this is a barbed hook crossed with a harpoon head, and below it a motto: "From the depths—power." Raef recognizes it as the Heinter crest, but their current motto is "From the seas—wealth."  He wonders if there is possibly some connection to the sea serpent cult or if it is an older version.  After leaving, the trio notices members of the Black Watch at street corners.  Fearing repercussions from their actions in the tavern, they retrieve their belongings from the boarding house and go to stay with Raef's cousin Hob in Goblintown for a week.The hospitality of the goblins is overwhelming and rambunctious to those unused to it, but generous and heartfelt.  Ari spends the time helping out with the scores of little goblin children, fending off the advances of goblin men.  After a week, Raef receives a note addressed to the three of them from a Merriam Ravenscore who wants to meet them at a particular goblin teahouse.  Hesitant, they at last decide to meet him.In the teahouse, Ravenscore says he represents a faction of the Archipelago Concord States (ACS).  The faction has lost something and would like assistance in recovering it.  If they agree to help, they may be at the Green Gate Inn on Market Street in Krakensfort the next day.</blockquote>

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