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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ThirdWizard" data-source="post: 6608536" data-attributes="member: 12037">Mozzy walked into the Horned Berk to meet one of her contacts. Carmine was an oddity, a figure cloaked from head to toe. Fully robed, gloved, and wearing a plain white mask, people wondered and gossiped about who Carmine really was, even if Carmine was a he or a she or what race might be found under that mask. Mozzy sat down at an inconspicuous table near the rear of the public house. One didn’t find Carmine. If you wanted to speak with Carmine, you let out the word and he or she might come to you, if you were lucky. Today was Mozzy’s lucky day. As the enigmatic being sat down across from Mozzy at the table, Carmine’s voice was a smooth and almost pleasant.“I hear you need information,” Carmine said - almost playfully.“I need to find a shop. The Eight Watchful Eyes.”“One favor. Payable in the future. But, know that I can only point you in the direction, not take you beyond the threshold. You will have to find the way there yourself. The Eight Watchful Eyes cannot be found through street address.”Debts were Carmine’s currency. Mozzy knew that going in. “You’ll have to give me more than a riddle for my favor.”Carmine nodded. “Go to Thesidass. There you will find your answer.” Standing, “When next we meet, I will require you to find something for me.”Mozzy knew she had just stepped into something. Only time would tell what that something was.[HR][/HR]Jer knew that people talked while shopping, and the most talkative person around that he knew was a man named Twine. Or his shop was named Twine and nobody bothered to learn his name. One of those two. Either way, his shop was a junkyard of jetsam with the occasional diamond in the rough (sometimes literally). You’d often see people down on their luck, scavenging through Twine’s piles of junk, and Twine was always looking to start up a conversation.“Looking for something new?” Twine, as usual, came out to greet Jer and Aurian as he would any customer, slapping Jer on the back and directing him to a pile of rubbish that smelled like day old bread and ale. Jer had to hold back the sudden urge to turn and walk away, but he stomached the disgusting pile and started to rummage through, keeping his eyes on the smiling merchant. Aurian kept his distance, watching the exchange from the front door. Gathering information wasn’t really his thing.“You know me. Always looking for a deal.” Jer and Twine discussed some unimportant matters, a bit of politics, and the unfortunate rain that had fallen all day before Jer brought up the real reason for his visit, nonchalantly, like it was more smalltalk, “Ever hear of a shop called the Eight Watchful Eyes?”Twine’s eyes lit up. He was no fool. “I may have. I may have. I hear there’s a gifted blood who runs that place. Not anything like what I have going on here. No no. A real specialty shop.”“That’s what they say. I’d love to browse her goods. I bet she’s got quite the inventory. Not that I’d stop coming here, of course. Why, look at this!” Jer pulled up a small amulet with the symbol of the Revolutionary League on it. He noted the oddity. Anarchists rarely advertised their status as such, seeing as how membership was illegal in the City of Doors.“Would you like to purchase that fine novelty?”“Maybe… maybe…” Jer held the object up, examining it. “I do wonder if it’s authentic…” He frowned, and started to lower it, to place it back.“What? Of course it is! Let me see that!” Twine grabbed the item from his customer. “See this here? On the back? It’s a hidden mark. It signifies that the wearer belongs to a particular cell. The front is just a trick to keep most people from noticing. That’s how you know it’s the real deal!” He thrust the item back into Jer’s hands. “It’s probably worth quite a bit to the right person! I’m sure you could find a use for it in your business!” He smiled broadly.“I’m not so sure… let me think.” Jer studied the item a bit more. “But, tell me, how do you know about the Eight Watchful Eyes.” He spun the amulet a bit, not looking at Twine directly.“Oh, you know. I had a customer come in who had been to her shop. He was a strange fellow, stands out quite a bit. Not hard to find at all - if you know who you’re looking for.”“How does ten gold pieces for this amulet sound?”Twine scowled. “Ten? Why, it's worth at least fifty! This is a one of a kind item!”“You know you won’t get more than twenty for anything in this store.” Jer glanced over at Twine, whose eyes were gleaming by now. He shook his head. “Here’s thirty.”“Sold!” Twine took the coins without counting. “Oh, and as for the customer, who had been to the Eight Watchful Eyes, his name was Dancing Gull, a Xaositect who had just escaped from the Gatehouse. Said he had just bought a lucky bracelet from that shop to stop some terrible curse. Tall skinny guy. Watch yourself out there. I’d hate to lose a paying customer.”Great. The Gatehouse was the insane asylum. Jer hated dealing with barmies.</blockquote>

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