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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 3432864" data-attributes="member: 11">InterSession #4.1 – “Oh Captain, My Captain!”Telémahkos summoned a page as he made to leave the Citadel that morning and had the boy send word to the Captain of the Guards that he had a message for him. (1) He spent the first part of the morning playing cards at the Bird’s Eye, probing for information as innocuously as possible among the hard-core gamblers who has been going all night.   In the mid-morning, after a run of bad luck, though he got up and headed out to the market to talk to folks around there, but aside from some vague word of an unusual number of <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Herman-landers" target="_blank">Herman-landers</a> over in Tribunisport, there was nothing of interest.He hurried over for lunch with Timotheus at the Sign of Green Gem, and not an hour after that he was back at the Bird’s Eye trying dice with some better luck, but still not finding much that seemed like a lead to an attack on the <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/House+Wetherwax" target="_blank">Wetherwax</a> fleet.  Before the dice got cold on him, he stopped and headed out again to try to roust up some rumors around the docks.  He was stopped by a townguard.“Follow me,” said the man, wearing the long thin beard with no mustache that was the custom among the Swanns and the people of New Harbinger. He carried a spear, and wore a heavy mace at his side and shield on his back.Through a few narrow winding streets, down an alley and around back of a quaint stone house, he was brought to a patio with a small wooden table flanked by two benches.  A window in the back of a house looked into a kitchen where a goodwife sang sweetly while preparing something.“Sit down,” the guard said and then left.  A moment later, Captain Aurelus Oberto came out of the house, grim-faced. Telémahkos stood to greet him, bowing slightly.  The captain stopped on the opposite side of the table, placed a booted foot up on the bench."You have a message for me?""I do." Telie reached into his belt where he had the note given to him by Floris Tenbrook stashed, and handed the small folded paper to captain.A widening smile appeared on the captain’s face as he read. "Sit."The captain sat as well, and the woman came out with a tray with two small cups of a steaming black coffee and a small bowl of sugar and two tiny spoons.  She did not look either Telie or the captain in the eye, and curtsying, went back inside. She was young and pretty, with a sort of vacant look that Telémahkos found appealing."I take it you drink coffee?  This is some the best.  The real stuff, not that dwarven mushroom sh*t. . ."Captain Auerlius Oberto put half a spoonful of sugar into his coffee and stirred.  "So, did you read this note?"Telie took a long careful sip of the piping hot coffee, enjoying its bitterness."I am intrigued by your question, so why don't we assume I did read it?” Telémahkos smiled as well as he put down his cup, looking the captain right in the eye.  “Whether or not, I have, rest assured that you can ask of me whatever it is you have in mind…" (2)The captain’s smile widened to show perfect white teeth. "We can use good liars, but perhaps not so good that we cannot detect the untruths ourselves. . . so I guess you will do. . ."   He winked and took another sip of the coffee. "As for what I want of you. . . It is not what I want, but what we want - and what we want is for you to add your support to a group of concerned citizens of the Magocracy that I am representing at this moment. . .  A group that has foreseen the coming political and social turmoil throughout central Aquerra, and wants to minimize the consequences of that chaos, but also to take whatever advantage of it we can to ensure Thricia's future prosperity and security. . . " He took another sip. . . "I mean, you are a patriot are you not?  Or you would have not have signed that charter. . .  But you are clearly also a man seeking to make his own place in the world. . .""I am indeed a patriot of Thricia and also a loyal scion of <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/House+Briareus" target="_blank">House Briareus</a>. It is also fair to assume that if I am able to enrich myself and my House while helping my kingdom, I would be a fool to protest,” Telémahkos paused to drain the tiny cup. The afternoon sun was hot, and the coffee made him sweat. “However, that being said, I am also not looking to carry a large target on my chest to encourage slings and arrows...” Telémahkos waited to see if the captain would say anything, but was met with silence. The woman came out with a iron kettle to pour more coffee, and brought out a plate of tiny cinnamon pastries.  “So, tell me of your proposal," Telémahkos finally broke the silence when the woman left."Ideally, not one of us would have a target on our chests - but sometimes the coat of arms on your tunic is target enough for some. . ." Aurelius replied, reaching for the sugar bowl. "Tell me. What are your feelings on our barrel-making friends?" (3)"I have been a foreman at the family mines. Barrels can be very useful at times," Telie smiled and took a bite of a pastry. "My compliments to the local baker, captain. This is most impressive… Anyway, barrels and those that make them… I think it is enough to say they serve their purpose. On the other hand, they have not all been reared with the idea of playing nice with others and sharing when there is enough to go around.”Telie dipped was left of his pastry in the coffee."Those barrel-maker's bosses are all found in <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Herman+Land" target="_blank">Herman Land</a>, and as the need of coin grows there, they think they have grab more and more from here, causing practical, but law-abiding men, such as you and me, to have to pay attention to the legal indiscretions we might have ignored before.  It may be coming time to pull our teat from their mouths, before they decide they want to turn us over and really have a go. . ."  The captain cleared his throat and took another sip. "And speaking of teats to be sucked, I heard you and your companions are thinking about going to the Disputed Territories. . . It would be a shame if every barrel in that land, when it is opened up, ends up coming from the same source. . . ""How can we change what is in the barrel before we arrive to know where they are?" Telémahkos asked, hoping he was not losing the thread of the obtuse conversation.The Captain replied: "What might be in those barrels remains to be seen, but for so long that group of concerned citizens of our mutual interest have been unable to spread any news aside from that that might be found in a barrel, or would be of interest to those that sell barrels - if you follow me - but this close relationship also means that the framework is already in place to replace that barrel lobby - but we need people to spread that message. (4) The Disputed Territories will open up, and when that happens - be it through war or negotiation - would you not want it be organized Thricians who spread that news and show their influence?  Heralds of a new order that does away with the petty needs and measures of barrel-makers. . .""And whom do you see replacing the barrel's friends? Is the aim to replace those who are there now with people more in line with our thinking so we do not need to reinvent the thing?" Telémahkos asked."If you were to inherit a manse with a staff that knew the local land, the house, the locals and how to serve their master faithfully would you not keep them on?  All you would need do is spread the word that you were the new master. . . " The captain picked up a pastry as if to eat it, but put it back down and took another sip of coffee instead. "The question is. . . Are you willing to help spread that message?""I suppose this brings us back to the question of how big of a target I wish to wear. I am willing to do many things, but under the right circumstances, the right cause, in service of my crown, without betraying my charter or House ... I think I need more information at this point." Telie sipped his coffee."Adela!" Captain Aurelius called to the woman in the house with a sudden stern voice. She hurried out and he made a dismissive gesture to the table. She quickly cleared away everything, including Telie's unfinished second cup of coffee.The captain stood, and once again propped one foot up on the bench. "That is not how it works, Master Briareus. . .  Information is the most precious commodity those people of our mutual interest have access to, and I think you understand, that sometimes the less you know the better. There is a certain amount of faith required to work in the borderlands of law.  Trust is earned by means of small steps, but what is more important than trust right now is just knowing that you support the cause your brothers died for. . ." (5)Telémahkos stood and tried to keep his composure, but was certain he might have blinked one too many times. "I cannot speak of these unknowns, but I am loyal to my brothers' memory," he replied with a bit of heat in his voice.  He adjusted his cloak in an exaggerated display of aristocratic manners and continued "If I am given cause to believe I can support something they believed in deeply, and better yet, bring to light any facts that lead to those that plotted their demise, assuming they did not all die on the other ship that sank that night ...(6) If I am given reason to believe this, I will not fail to find out more and act accordingly... I obviously cannot say more without the invaluable information others hold."He stepped over the bench and turned as if to leave. “Good day Captain, and thank you for the delicious treats.""So should I take your leaving to mean that you have no interest in doing something specific that can lead to that invaluable information?" The captain asked, ignoring Telie’s tantrum."No, you can take my leaving to mean I no longer expected to learn anything useful and that my time has some value while I am still in a town ... by all means, what is it you hope I can do?""I want you and your companions to infiltrate Kraken's Cove. . ."Telémahkos sighed. "Something I have already considered. But how does a charter of adventuring nobles infiltrate such a place? Especially when it seems like there has been a great deal of fanfare associated with our movements? It is not myself I am concerned about of course. But you do realize I have a <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Watch-Mage" target="_blank">watch-mage</a> and two <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Priests" target="_blank">priests</a> of law with me, yes?" Telie turned back to Oberto expectantly"The fanfare can easily be avoided.  For one, don't ask you steward to send out messages to all local nobles about your movements and arrivals," Aurelius Oberto said, not bothering to hide his disdain, but his stance softened.  "As for the other, perhaps the word 'infiltrate' was too strong.  It may be technically a lawless place - but it is still a place where smugglers and the less law-abiding of our merchants gather to make trade - and it is technically not in within the borders of Thricia.  In other words, you could get access there, if it were arranged through a contact of mine. . . And what you and your companions do while there would be up to you. . . what matters is that our message is sent. . . And that part would be yours to handle. . .""Does this place have dealings with Red Godians? Perhaps if I were to ‘find’ evidence of a conspiracy here in Harbinger, I would have what I need to get the upstanding members of the charter to move in this direction. You spoke of the Disputed Territories, which is where my companions wish to be. What is the connection with the cove...?" The captain let out a huge laugh. "The Rubes! Ha! Who do you think the smugglers get their sugar, coffee and spices from?  Though, I guess they are lapsed Rubes, but who can pay attention?""I know a lot more about the Hobgoblins up north than the situation down here: So, former Red God followers are traders or they run plantations? Where do they get their goods from?” Telie asked. "Everything down there belongs to the church, and that includes all lands and all products of the lands - but that doesn't mean that crops don't go missing . . . They have a tradition down there called 'Midnight Harvest'. Overseers wake up in the morning and a whole section of plantation is picked clean. . ."“Do you know anything about Dervish activity of late?" Telémahkos figured it was worth asking to see if his companions’ fears had any foundation."Just the usual rumors. . .  nothing of substance. . . But anyway, do I have your interest now? Shall I put you in contact with my man in Tribunisport so you can arrange passage?" the captain asked.“Yes.” Telie replied."I am glad to hear it," He walked closer and clasped a strong hand firmly to Telie's neck and shoulder and smiled.  "I am sure I don't have to say this, but once this conversation is over we should return to less familiar relations, and of course to anyone else it will be as if this conversation never happened. . ."He stopped himself shortly. "Did you tell anyone about the note you brought me?""No. And my discretion is assured," Telémahkos replied."Of your discretion I am certain. . . I mean, people have ended up on at the bottom of a staircase with their head cracked open for less…  But good… Discretion is good… But if for some reason someone were to ask, you were just bringing me our mutual friend's latest King's Men (7) move to me - as we have been playing a game for nearly a year now via messages…"Captain Aurelius Oberto stepped towards the house's backdoor. "When you get to Tribunisport, look up a fat <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Herman-lander" target="_blank">Herman-lander</a> named <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Boris+E.+Crumb+III" target="_blank">Boris Crumb</a> at the Brown Turban. . . He will see to getting you to the cove.  Another agent will be contacting you about the specific message.  Farewell."Telie stood there for a moment, nodding, and then slowly departed.  He felt his head spinning as he headed back to the citadel to freshen up before meeting the merchant Cornwallis Lowe.End of InterSession #4.1----------------------------------------------Notes:(1) See Session #2(2) Of course, Telémahkos did read the note.  It told the captain that Telémahkos was of a like mind as they were and he should be offered a job.  It also noted that Telémahkos would have probably have read the note.(3) This is a reference to The Coopers the Thrician arm of Berman’s Gang, a Herman-lander Thieves guild, and the most connected criminal organization in the <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Spice+and+Thread+Island" target="_blank">Spice & Thread Islands</a>.(4) This obtuse talk filled with innuendo and code is referring to the Herald’s Guild, a Thrician organization that lost all repute due to selling out all sense of integrity and privacy in passing news and messages to The Coopers.  The innuendo here is that the Herald’s Guild could take over the running of the criminal enterprises, squeezing out the Coopers.(5) Three of Telémahkos’ brothers died in 564 H.E. (635 M.Y.) aboard the Siren when it was purportedly attacked by pirates.(6) NOT FOR SsoaSS PLAYERS: [sblock]Telémahkos is privy to information that one of his brothers, Jason, survived the initial attack and knew it was an inside job.  However, he was caught up to soon after and killed as well.  Telie was fishing for information here, mentioning another ship to see if the captain might let go of some more info about what happened, since he seemed to know something about the real reason they died.[/sblock]  (7) King’s Men is Aquerra’s version of chess.  It is not unknown for people distant from each other to play by means of passed messages.</blockquote>

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