Jdvn1 said:
Farid scratches his beard a bit, "Hm, peculiar, then, that a well-established person like Lady Karina has such a large dealing that has gone unnoticed. Do you know what she might want with Arcanite? What is Arcanite and what is it useful for?"As he leaves, Mardin thanks Yoren for his time and generosity.
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Oh, I don't know. This is the frontier after all. Most people that come here do so because they want to keep a low profile. I think you'll find that a great many people simply do not care. As well, now that I think of it, we were under the impression that she was purchasing the weapons on behalf of Havelocke... Grandfather still won't sell anything to that subhuman monster so he needs to hire proxies."
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Arcanite? Well, we're not sure exactly what its made of but it's a sort of spellforged steel; It comes exclusively from Jakarta; and it requires both intense heat, great strength, & great skill to forge into anything useful. It's incredibly hard, harder than even adamantine, and thus holds quite an edge if you can sharpen it." He smiles, "
Due to it's exclusivity and the added difficulty of forging, it commands a very high price on the open market. Though around here, only we possess the combination of strength and skill required to forge it."
Town Hall Plaza: After inquiring with some pages & callers in the plaza, you learn that there is a Thracian muckety-muck staying at the Randy Boatswain; Lord Georold Hurlew of Seven Stones.
As you make your way out of the plaza you are passed by a horse-drawn litter. The red jester hangs off the side and Lady Karina and the exremely tall halfling are seated inside, chatting idly. Her eyes pass over you, but give no hint of recognition.
(OOC: Arvad remembers that Seven Stones is a rather large tract of land known for it's farming yields and for a reservation of elves living near a fantastically large rock formation, nearly a thousand feet tall, that gives the entire area it's name. The ruler of the land would be quite influential in Thracia, and wealthy besides).
You make your way all the way across down, the rough unwashed nature of the two wildmen seem to part the crowd before you. A good 40 minutes later arrive at a most unusual sight. Sitting atop a low rise, a huge galleon seems to have sailed it's way straight into the bedrock of Scott's Bluff. A large painted sign proclaims this to be the Randy Boatswain, Inn, Tavern, & Purveyor of fine foods & spirits. The rock behind the galleon seems to have been quarried & shaped to make storage spaces and stone cells. Likely, at some point in the past, the proprietor decided to expand.
Climbing the gangplank and passing a pair of hobgoblin guards you enter the boatswain. After asking around you find that Lord Hurlew is currently in one of the staterooms aft of the ship. Passing through the common area, you note an expensive Darkwood desk and some plush wall hangings near the bow tables. A small sign proclaims that ASDFHJKL's Mercenary Group is now hiring. A number of strange individuals occupy the tables on that side of the common area, including a Minotaur and an Ogre. A tall, silver-haired woman wearing full plate armor colored cobalt blue & inlaid with silver filagree circulates the area from time to time, talking with the would-be mercenaries.
Making your way aft, to the staterooms, you knock on the indicated door and a man in a brown wool tunic answers. After you explain who you are he lets you inside and seats you at a large glass-topped Mahagony table. The man goes into the back rooms and returns with an older black-haired, mustachioed man in fine white woolen clothes.
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My name is Georold Hurlew, I am... or rather, will be Lord of the Seven Stones in Thracia. If you are here it is because you have a reputation for getting results. You see my father recently passed away, leaving his title to my half-sister Gianna. Gianna married some Lyssan dog and they came here chasing some of this man's dreams. About two days ride to the West are some ruins that my sister's husband was studying on behalf of some damnable fraterity back in Lyss. Somehow, both of them died."
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I know they are dead because I paid some priests and diviners to find out. If that were it then I would not really care." At you questioning looks he says, "
I have never loved my sister nor she, me. Never-the-less she was wearing an amulet, a talisman really, that represents an ancient pact my family made nearly two thousand years ago. It is a silver disk inset with 6 teardrop-shaped moonstones. Insribed upon it are some words in High Thracian, no I don't know what they say."
He frowns and steeples his hands before him. "
My father only had one trueborn child and she is dead. Unfortuanately, he left a plethora of bastards as well. Mine is the most legitimate claim as I am the eldest. Some of my brothers and sisters do not agree with me though. In essence, whomever gets the taliman first and is consecrated in the the great chapel of Seven Stone will inherit my father's title and bear responsiblity for maintaining the Great Pact made centuries ago with the elves and fey inhabiting the forests of Seven Stones."
He stands and leans forward. "
I need that talisman in order to press my claim and will reward you handsomly for getting it to me. Find the talisman and bring it to me and you will not find me ungrateful."
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The terms are these: Go the ruins to the west. Find my sister's body and the talisman she was wearing. Bring both to me. I don't care how they died and I don't want to know what they were doing, the only thing that interests me is the talisman. Now what do you say?"
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