ThoughtfulOwl
First Post
Emperor Valerian said:
The Celestial Empire (Romance of the Three Kingdoms-ish, Updated 12/09/05)
- Thread starter Emperor Valerian
- Start date
Emperor Valerian
First Post
Yeah... that was a big typo... its since been fixed 
Xianfung... and Felonca the Hero?
“Well... I’m sure those villagers might have enjoyed that,” Yari Ai gave a satisfied smile as the rustling in the trees died away. She then turned to Nayu and Felonca, and the smile became a huge grin. “First you two drive off the giants, then the bandits along the road towards Xianfung... what next? Oh... I know...” she smirked.
“It was two bandits, and they ran off before I even lifted a finger,” Nayu replied, spurring his horse to a trot. “Besides, I think Felonca’s growl did more than any batch of peasants could’ve done.”
“Hah!” the rogue laughed. The bandits had jumped from the trees along the road some five days from the village, fully expecting easy prey. Instead, they ran into a still grumpy panther hengeyokai, who had a feral look in her eyes that morning. One sharp growl later, and two bandits had run off into the woods, leaving behind their bows and two dull daggers. “Though I still think some of the people from the village might have been even more helpful!”
“You know why I didn’t want them coming along,” Nayu said, suddenly sounding slightly cross.
“Yeah yeah...” Felonca waved off his anger at the memory of what she did three days earlier. Scaring off two bandits had put her in a very good mood. “Blurting that we were off to kill the governor might not have been discreet, but I think those villagers could’ve been helpful.”
“Pitchforks aren’t helpful against trained soldiers,” Meiji jumped in. As Felonca was about to open her mouth in protest, the bard turned back to their fifth member. “So, Master Ling... how do we get into this capital that will shortly be yours?”
“I...well, I am too well known within the city, and I might attract undue attention to you,” Ling said slowly, bringing his horse up alongside the others. “I will need a disguise of some sort... but sadly, my age does not mean I am versed in such things.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Felonca raised her eyebrow in appraisal, before letting out a giggle, “I think I can get some makeup on you just fine!” The giggle turned to loud guffaws when she saw Ling shrink away slightly at the comment.
“Um... thank you, Mistress Wa-Feng,” Ling replied guardedly, as Felonca calmed back down. “I’m...um... sure that your... expertise... might be... useful?”
“That will secure you, Master Ling,” Felonca managed to keep any further giggles suppressed, “Now... what about the rest of us? Do you have any... um...” she searched for a discrete word to use for the organization she had in mind, “...’friends’ in Xianfung we could talk to?”
“Friends?” The old man looked confused by the secretiveness in Felonca’s voice. “Of course... I know my son-in-law, whose a captain on the City Watch, and...”
“No...I mean... friends,” this time Felonca made “quotes” with her hands, and Ling let out a grunt of understanding.
“Yes, I know people in the Thieves Guild,” the scholar replied matter-of-factly. He ignored Felonca’s groan at the Guild’s name being mentioned aloud, and the looks of confusion coming from Yari Ai and Meiji. “When I was advisor, we had an agreement with the guild; they would restrain from outright banditry, while we would give them a short leash to operate on... or even direct them towards targeting other, less savory people who were not affiliated with them.”
“You are more cunning than you look, Master Ling,” Nayu smiled. Felonca saw something else in Nayu’s eyes beyond approval... perhaps appraisal?
“Being an advisor for twenty years leads one to make arrangements of mutual convenience, in many cases,” the old man said. Felonca watched as Nayu nodded intently, his ears seeming to soak up anything that the older man described about ruling and governing the province...
“There,” Felonca set the hat on Ling’s head, and then walked around, looking him over from every angle, before giving a nod of approval. The shadows from the walls of Xianfung obscured Ling’s face partially... but that again was the reason they sat here, just outside the gate. No good in letting someone see the transformation right off the bat...
“I... look as if forty years were pealed from my face,” Ling commented in amazement as Felonca shifted her hat of disguise one again, till it was set on the now apparently young man’s head perfectly. Ling’s aged eyes now looked at her with a new clarity, as he gave her a smile of thanks.
“Now you should be able to visit your daughter,” the rogue smiled. “You remember how to activate and deactivate the hat?” When Ling nodded, Nayu spoke up.
“Good. Now, remember, we need you to persuade your son-in-law to help us out. If we are going to make this province a better place, we are going to need the City Watch... and funds. If you can handle the former, I can handle the latter by selling some of these.” The sorcerer opened his saddlebags slightly, just enough that the party could see the carved ivory idols of the Life Goddess that had been pilfered from the destroyed Wang Liang village.
“And Yari Ai and Meiji shall accompany you, to make sure you remain safe,” Felonca added. “As for me, I’m going to see if some friends might be able to help us out in someway...”
An hour later, Felonca walked through the streets of Xianfung alone. On all sides throngs of people pressed to their destinations, as street vendors hawked their wares, neighborhood shamans called out prayers, and children skirted in and amongst the traffic. Carefully, the rogue followed the directions Ling had left for her, her eyes searching for a carpenter’s shop that had the characters for “vice,” and “finesse” scrawled on their inner doorway.
“There,” she whispered to herself, as she slipped next to the doorway of a rather dingy-looking carpenter’s shop. The requisite words were scratched in tiny letters on the doorpost. Inside, she saw to rather shabbily dressed men looking at her with almost predatory grins. I’ve been through this before... I might as well ask if they know of what happened in Mingzhong...
“Good day, ma’am,” one of the greasy men gave a slight, almost mocking bow. “What can we do for you?” His eyes weren’t looking at her face at all.
“I come from the Mingzhong Thieves’ Guild, and I need escort to the headquarters of your Guild, sirs,” she replied rather coldly. Her tone and words put to rest any darker intentions the young man might have had for her, as his eyes widened a bit.
“You... you are a hengeyokai? A panther hengeyokai? From.... Mingzhong,” the man said quietly, before looking at his neighbor, who mirrored his look of disbelief.
There’s only one panther hengeyokai in the Mingzhong Thieves’ Guild, Felonca smiled smugly. Apparently, my name has spread among these circles...
“Are you deaf and dumb, or did you two here my request?” the rogue boldly snapped, jarring the two thieves from their looks of shock and awe.
“Um... yes ma’am... right away Miss Wa-Feng!” the two of them said hurriedly, and rather quickly Felonca found herself traveling down a secret passage from the rear of the store. Like the Mingzhong headquarters, the passage went down, deep underground, twisting and turning. All along the way, she heard muttered, hushed whispers from her two stunned guides.
I wonder what they’re saying about me? she smirked, before listening carefully. As soon as she even partially attuned her hearing, she heard mutterings carefully recounting a tale of her deeds in Mingzhong, and how that now that she was in Xianfung, “...we’ll all be rich if she steals even one gilt sword!”
If I’m going to be worshipped... I need to milk this situation for all its worth...
“Ahem,” she politely cleared her throat, and her two erstwhile guides stopped their forward trek, and looked towards her, eyes wide that such a renowned thief would speak to them. By their looks, she could tell they were eagerly awaiting a pearl of wisdom, a piece of advice from someone who, in their eyes, had pulled off one of the greatest heists in recent memory.
“I know you have heard stories of what happened in Mingzhong,” she said, managing to keep her voice even and diplomatic, despite the rising urge to giggle uncontrollably, “and I appreciate the esteem you hold me in, but it will not do for you to continually gossip about my deeds. Such are how exaggerations and rumors begin.”
“Yes ma’am... sorry ma’am.” Felonca was glad that it was too dark for her to see the undoubtedly reddened faces of the two men. If she had, she knew she would’ve broken into fits of laughter.
Only a few minutes later, her suspicion that the events in Mingzhong were at least known of amongst the thieves in Xianfung proved true. As her escorts took her to the bottom of the earthen stairway, and into a wood-paneled room lit by candlelight, she could see many faces looking at her, staring. Others dashed off, coming back with yet more people.
This is even funnier than I thought, she smirked, realizing her celebrity status.
“Who here is the guildmaster? I urgently need to speak to the guildmaster,” she said, inflecting command into her voice when she really wanted to laugh even more. Finally, a rather short man stepped forward, his face bedecked in the whiskers of a rat hengeyokai. Nervousness and awe danced in his eyes, as he gave a deep bow.
“Mistress Wa-Feng, I am Shi Shuen, chief of the thieves of Xianfung. I do not know what words can express my honor at greeting such a skilled and resourceful person as yourself! Tales of your splendid deed in Mingzhong have preceded you!”
Now I’m really intrigued... let’s see who knows what about me... And some more fun wouldn’t hurt... Felonca allowed herself a smirk. “What sorts of tales, Master Shuen? What do they say about the incidents in Mingzhong?”
“They say,” the man clasped his hands and bowed politely yet again, “that you managed to steal five golden swords from the body of Prince Hu Lun during the midst of his funeral, as two hundred unsuspecting guests watched! Such skills are unrivalled, and we all humbly bow in the presence of an expert in our field.”
As the other thieves enacted varying forms of bows at the guildmaster’s statement, Felonca gave a grin. Five swords, is it? And they know nothing of Nayu, Liu, Li or Chou... Hmm... why not spin them a yarn... impress them, so that they’ll take my orders for a bit...
...Nayu would find that helpful, wouldn’t he? I’m sure all the thieves of the city could prove most useful in causing some unrest to get rid of the governor!
“That’s completely inaccurate!” Felonca waved her hand dismissively.
“It was?”
“Was it ten swords?”
“Was it from the Prince as he was still alive?”
This is so easy... she smirked, and began her long yarn of a tale...
“...and after the harem girls carefully removed the blades from their skimpy bodices, I presented them to the chief of the Mingzhong Thieves Guild,” she grinned. Before her, all of the upper members of the Xianfung Guild, it seemed, were sitting, intently listening, their hearts hanging on every word of her manufactured story, their breaths held tight for the end of her tale.
Nayu probably wishes that nine harem girls were involved, and I’m sure the Mingzhong Guildmaster wouldn’t have minded if I’d returned with ten swords... and besides, it makes a good story! She looked at the group, still staring intently at her, and gave a smirk. I think the harem girls got the men, at least.
“What? All I did after that was free the harem girls by stealing a palace guard uniform, tying my breasts together so I looked like a man, dressing as a guard, and then stealing the keys from the room where the Empress Dowager slept! Nothing much!” she gave a mocking shrug.
“Amazing...” one of the thieves, an older human, finally breathed out.
“Unbelievable! They... you... I mean...” the guildmaster stammered, “how did you hide the swords in dancer’s bodices that showed... um... that much? H...how?”
“Very carefully,” Felonca gave the guildmaster a wink, and a few “ahs” went around the room, as heads nodded rather dumbly in agreement. Inside, the rogue was now even more giddy. No matter how outlandish her tale had become, it looked as if the men of the guild were still hanging onto her every word as if a thundering voice from Heaven was issuing instruction.
“Why... why do you come here, great one,” a younger thief said with reverence from the back, “when you could easily be in the Jade City, pilfering the Emperor’s jewels?”
“Ah,” Felonca held up a finger, and smiled. Why not administer a lesson too? “But you see, young man, there is more to life than just stealing! You must know who to steal from, and when! It does no one any good if thieves rob all the poor, or hurt the poor, now does it?”
A rumble of agreement went around the room, with many of the older thieves grumbling that stealing from the poor didn’t gain much, and only caused resentment. Lately, it seemed, the pressure from the governor had grown so great that the guild had to release its members to the poorer quarters of the city to search for targets, despite the meager earnings and great harm such moves created.
“True words,” the guildmaster replied, attempting to look wise next to his percieved superior. “The guildmaster that preceded me spoke of when we did not have to rob the poor, of when the city and the thieves had an arrangement, long ago... It is too bad that Master Yi, the governor’s advisor, ended those arrangements.” A few of the oldest thieves sighed.
“That is why I’m here!” Felonca jumped in quickly, and excitedly. That opening was big enough for me to put a tower in! “I take it you do not like the governor, or his advisor?” A loud muttering went through the room, as she gave another smirk. “What thief in their right mind would?”
“When Advisor Ling was here, long ago, his agreements allowed the guild to prey on rich, illegal smugglers! Our purses grew fat, and the city watch was freed to deal with other issues!” one of the oldest thieves, a wizened crone, called from the back. “We need someone like him back! He realized we were useful, instead of persecuting us and driving us to rob from those who have nothing, just so we can eat!”
Felonca raised her hand as a murmur of assent came from the assembled crowd.
“As I said, this situation is why I am here. I am in need of help on a major endeavor... the overthrow of Governor Hu and his advisor, Master Yi, and I am in need of your...um,” she stammered slightly as the thieves began to cheer in approval, some shouting that if the “most gifted thief in twenty years,” was helping, that they couldn’t possibly fail.
“My friends!” the guildmaster raised his own hands, and after a few moments, the group quieted down. “What Mistress Wa-Feng speaks of is highly dangerous,” the hengeyokai said quietly, somberly, before grinning like a myrrcat. “It is also highly profitable! I say we begin to contact other dissidents, and start to plan!”
“My sentiments exactly,” Felonca smiled as the thieves laughed and cheered in assent. “I already have a friend speaking to representatives of the City Watch. With them on our side, things shouldn’t be too difficult... even if the governor has a pet army from the north!”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Yeah, if you can’t tell, the fricking Thieves Guild rolled horrible on their Sense Motives when Felonca started to spin her little tale. Felonca’s player had fun spinning up that little explanation of how ten golden swords were seized and smuggled out of the palace.
Xianfung... and Felonca the Hero?
“Well... I’m sure those villagers might have enjoyed that,” Yari Ai gave a satisfied smile as the rustling in the trees died away. She then turned to Nayu and Felonca, and the smile became a huge grin. “First you two drive off the giants, then the bandits along the road towards Xianfung... what next? Oh... I know...” she smirked.
“It was two bandits, and they ran off before I even lifted a finger,” Nayu replied, spurring his horse to a trot. “Besides, I think Felonca’s growl did more than any batch of peasants could’ve done.”
“Hah!” the rogue laughed. The bandits had jumped from the trees along the road some five days from the village, fully expecting easy prey. Instead, they ran into a still grumpy panther hengeyokai, who had a feral look in her eyes that morning. One sharp growl later, and two bandits had run off into the woods, leaving behind their bows and two dull daggers. “Though I still think some of the people from the village might have been even more helpful!”
“You know why I didn’t want them coming along,” Nayu said, suddenly sounding slightly cross.
“Yeah yeah...” Felonca waved off his anger at the memory of what she did three days earlier. Scaring off two bandits had put her in a very good mood. “Blurting that we were off to kill the governor might not have been discreet, but I think those villagers could’ve been helpful.”
“Pitchforks aren’t helpful against trained soldiers,” Meiji jumped in. As Felonca was about to open her mouth in protest, the bard turned back to their fifth member. “So, Master Ling... how do we get into this capital that will shortly be yours?”
“I...well, I am too well known within the city, and I might attract undue attention to you,” Ling said slowly, bringing his horse up alongside the others. “I will need a disguise of some sort... but sadly, my age does not mean I am versed in such things.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Felonca raised her eyebrow in appraisal, before letting out a giggle, “I think I can get some makeup on you just fine!” The giggle turned to loud guffaws when she saw Ling shrink away slightly at the comment.
“Um... thank you, Mistress Wa-Feng,” Ling replied guardedly, as Felonca calmed back down. “I’m...um... sure that your... expertise... might be... useful?”
“That will secure you, Master Ling,” Felonca managed to keep any further giggles suppressed, “Now... what about the rest of us? Do you have any... um...” she searched for a discrete word to use for the organization she had in mind, “...’friends’ in Xianfung we could talk to?”
“Friends?” The old man looked confused by the secretiveness in Felonca’s voice. “Of course... I know my son-in-law, whose a captain on the City Watch, and...”
“No...I mean... friends,” this time Felonca made “quotes” with her hands, and Ling let out a grunt of understanding.
“Yes, I know people in the Thieves Guild,” the scholar replied matter-of-factly. He ignored Felonca’s groan at the Guild’s name being mentioned aloud, and the looks of confusion coming from Yari Ai and Meiji. “When I was advisor, we had an agreement with the guild; they would restrain from outright banditry, while we would give them a short leash to operate on... or even direct them towards targeting other, less savory people who were not affiliated with them.”
“You are more cunning than you look, Master Ling,” Nayu smiled. Felonca saw something else in Nayu’s eyes beyond approval... perhaps appraisal?
“Being an advisor for twenty years leads one to make arrangements of mutual convenience, in many cases,” the old man said. Felonca watched as Nayu nodded intently, his ears seeming to soak up anything that the older man described about ruling and governing the province...
“There,” Felonca set the hat on Ling’s head, and then walked around, looking him over from every angle, before giving a nod of approval. The shadows from the walls of Xianfung obscured Ling’s face partially... but that again was the reason they sat here, just outside the gate. No good in letting someone see the transformation right off the bat...
“I... look as if forty years were pealed from my face,” Ling commented in amazement as Felonca shifted her hat of disguise one again, till it was set on the now apparently young man’s head perfectly. Ling’s aged eyes now looked at her with a new clarity, as he gave her a smile of thanks.
“Now you should be able to visit your daughter,” the rogue smiled. “You remember how to activate and deactivate the hat?” When Ling nodded, Nayu spoke up.
“Good. Now, remember, we need you to persuade your son-in-law to help us out. If we are going to make this province a better place, we are going to need the City Watch... and funds. If you can handle the former, I can handle the latter by selling some of these.” The sorcerer opened his saddlebags slightly, just enough that the party could see the carved ivory idols of the Life Goddess that had been pilfered from the destroyed Wang Liang village.
“And Yari Ai and Meiji shall accompany you, to make sure you remain safe,” Felonca added. “As for me, I’m going to see if some friends might be able to help us out in someway...”
An hour later, Felonca walked through the streets of Xianfung alone. On all sides throngs of people pressed to their destinations, as street vendors hawked their wares, neighborhood shamans called out prayers, and children skirted in and amongst the traffic. Carefully, the rogue followed the directions Ling had left for her, her eyes searching for a carpenter’s shop that had the characters for “vice,” and “finesse” scrawled on their inner doorway.
“There,” she whispered to herself, as she slipped next to the doorway of a rather dingy-looking carpenter’s shop. The requisite words were scratched in tiny letters on the doorpost. Inside, she saw to rather shabbily dressed men looking at her with almost predatory grins. I’ve been through this before... I might as well ask if they know of what happened in Mingzhong...
“Good day, ma’am,” one of the greasy men gave a slight, almost mocking bow. “What can we do for you?” His eyes weren’t looking at her face at all.
“I come from the Mingzhong Thieves’ Guild, and I need escort to the headquarters of your Guild, sirs,” she replied rather coldly. Her tone and words put to rest any darker intentions the young man might have had for her, as his eyes widened a bit.
“You... you are a hengeyokai? A panther hengeyokai? From.... Mingzhong,” the man said quietly, before looking at his neighbor, who mirrored his look of disbelief.
There’s only one panther hengeyokai in the Mingzhong Thieves’ Guild, Felonca smiled smugly. Apparently, my name has spread among these circles...
“Are you deaf and dumb, or did you two here my request?” the rogue boldly snapped, jarring the two thieves from their looks of shock and awe.
“Um... yes ma’am... right away Miss Wa-Feng!” the two of them said hurriedly, and rather quickly Felonca found herself traveling down a secret passage from the rear of the store. Like the Mingzhong headquarters, the passage went down, deep underground, twisting and turning. All along the way, she heard muttered, hushed whispers from her two stunned guides.
I wonder what they’re saying about me? she smirked, before listening carefully. As soon as she even partially attuned her hearing, she heard mutterings carefully recounting a tale of her deeds in Mingzhong, and how that now that she was in Xianfung, “...we’ll all be rich if she steals even one gilt sword!”
If I’m going to be worshipped... I need to milk this situation for all its worth...
“Ahem,” she politely cleared her throat, and her two erstwhile guides stopped their forward trek, and looked towards her, eyes wide that such a renowned thief would speak to them. By their looks, she could tell they were eagerly awaiting a pearl of wisdom, a piece of advice from someone who, in their eyes, had pulled off one of the greatest heists in recent memory.
“I know you have heard stories of what happened in Mingzhong,” she said, managing to keep her voice even and diplomatic, despite the rising urge to giggle uncontrollably, “and I appreciate the esteem you hold me in, but it will not do for you to continually gossip about my deeds. Such are how exaggerations and rumors begin.”
“Yes ma’am... sorry ma’am.” Felonca was glad that it was too dark for her to see the undoubtedly reddened faces of the two men. If she had, she knew she would’ve broken into fits of laughter.
Only a few minutes later, her suspicion that the events in Mingzhong were at least known of amongst the thieves in Xianfung proved true. As her escorts took her to the bottom of the earthen stairway, and into a wood-paneled room lit by candlelight, she could see many faces looking at her, staring. Others dashed off, coming back with yet more people.
This is even funnier than I thought, she smirked, realizing her celebrity status.
“Who here is the guildmaster? I urgently need to speak to the guildmaster,” she said, inflecting command into her voice when she really wanted to laugh even more. Finally, a rather short man stepped forward, his face bedecked in the whiskers of a rat hengeyokai. Nervousness and awe danced in his eyes, as he gave a deep bow.
“Mistress Wa-Feng, I am Shi Shuen, chief of the thieves of Xianfung. I do not know what words can express my honor at greeting such a skilled and resourceful person as yourself! Tales of your splendid deed in Mingzhong have preceded you!”
Now I’m really intrigued... let’s see who knows what about me... And some more fun wouldn’t hurt... Felonca allowed herself a smirk. “What sorts of tales, Master Shuen? What do they say about the incidents in Mingzhong?”
“They say,” the man clasped his hands and bowed politely yet again, “that you managed to steal five golden swords from the body of Prince Hu Lun during the midst of his funeral, as two hundred unsuspecting guests watched! Such skills are unrivalled, and we all humbly bow in the presence of an expert in our field.”
As the other thieves enacted varying forms of bows at the guildmaster’s statement, Felonca gave a grin. Five swords, is it? And they know nothing of Nayu, Liu, Li or Chou... Hmm... why not spin them a yarn... impress them, so that they’ll take my orders for a bit...
...Nayu would find that helpful, wouldn’t he? I’m sure all the thieves of the city could prove most useful in causing some unrest to get rid of the governor!
“That’s completely inaccurate!” Felonca waved her hand dismissively.
“It was?”
“Was it ten swords?”
“Was it from the Prince as he was still alive?”
This is so easy... she smirked, and began her long yarn of a tale...
“...and after the harem girls carefully removed the blades from their skimpy bodices, I presented them to the chief of the Mingzhong Thieves Guild,” she grinned. Before her, all of the upper members of the Xianfung Guild, it seemed, were sitting, intently listening, their hearts hanging on every word of her manufactured story, their breaths held tight for the end of her tale.
Nayu probably wishes that nine harem girls were involved, and I’m sure the Mingzhong Guildmaster wouldn’t have minded if I’d returned with ten swords... and besides, it makes a good story! She looked at the group, still staring intently at her, and gave a smirk. I think the harem girls got the men, at least.
“What? All I did after that was free the harem girls by stealing a palace guard uniform, tying my breasts together so I looked like a man, dressing as a guard, and then stealing the keys from the room where the Empress Dowager slept! Nothing much!” she gave a mocking shrug.
“Amazing...” one of the thieves, an older human, finally breathed out.
“Unbelievable! They... you... I mean...” the guildmaster stammered, “how did you hide the swords in dancer’s bodices that showed... um... that much? H...how?”
“Very carefully,” Felonca gave the guildmaster a wink, and a few “ahs” went around the room, as heads nodded rather dumbly in agreement. Inside, the rogue was now even more giddy. No matter how outlandish her tale had become, it looked as if the men of the guild were still hanging onto her every word as if a thundering voice from Heaven was issuing instruction.
“Why... why do you come here, great one,” a younger thief said with reverence from the back, “when you could easily be in the Jade City, pilfering the Emperor’s jewels?”
“Ah,” Felonca held up a finger, and smiled. Why not administer a lesson too? “But you see, young man, there is more to life than just stealing! You must know who to steal from, and when! It does no one any good if thieves rob all the poor, or hurt the poor, now does it?”
A rumble of agreement went around the room, with many of the older thieves grumbling that stealing from the poor didn’t gain much, and only caused resentment. Lately, it seemed, the pressure from the governor had grown so great that the guild had to release its members to the poorer quarters of the city to search for targets, despite the meager earnings and great harm such moves created.
“True words,” the guildmaster replied, attempting to look wise next to his percieved superior. “The guildmaster that preceded me spoke of when we did not have to rob the poor, of when the city and the thieves had an arrangement, long ago... It is too bad that Master Yi, the governor’s advisor, ended those arrangements.” A few of the oldest thieves sighed.
“That is why I’m here!” Felonca jumped in quickly, and excitedly. That opening was big enough for me to put a tower in! “I take it you do not like the governor, or his advisor?” A loud muttering went through the room, as she gave another smirk. “What thief in their right mind would?”
“When Advisor Ling was here, long ago, his agreements allowed the guild to prey on rich, illegal smugglers! Our purses grew fat, and the city watch was freed to deal with other issues!” one of the oldest thieves, a wizened crone, called from the back. “We need someone like him back! He realized we were useful, instead of persecuting us and driving us to rob from those who have nothing, just so we can eat!”
Felonca raised her hand as a murmur of assent came from the assembled crowd.
“As I said, this situation is why I am here. I am in need of help on a major endeavor... the overthrow of Governor Hu and his advisor, Master Yi, and I am in need of your...um,” she stammered slightly as the thieves began to cheer in approval, some shouting that if the “most gifted thief in twenty years,” was helping, that they couldn’t possibly fail.
“My friends!” the guildmaster raised his own hands, and after a few moments, the group quieted down. “What Mistress Wa-Feng speaks of is highly dangerous,” the hengeyokai said quietly, somberly, before grinning like a myrrcat. “It is also highly profitable! I say we begin to contact other dissidents, and start to plan!”
“My sentiments exactly,” Felonca smiled as the thieves laughed and cheered in assent. “I already have a friend speaking to representatives of the City Watch. With them on our side, things shouldn’t be too difficult... even if the governor has a pet army from the north!”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Yeah, if you can’t tell, the fricking Thieves Guild rolled horrible on their Sense Motives when Felonca started to spin her little tale. Felonca’s player had fun spinning up that little explanation of how ten golden swords were seized and smuggled out of the palace.
Emperor Valerian
First Post
Two maps I finished relating to this section of the story hour. The first is a loose map of the city of Xianfung, where the party is currently plotting their assassination of the governor of Dai...
Map of Xianfung
The city is over 800 years old, purposefully constructed in ancient times to serve as the northern capital of the Empire of Ak Konylu. As such, it was built with a purposefully rectangular shape, with all roads leading to the seat of power and harmony, the palace. Once of the home of Emperors, the palace of Xianfung now houses the governor of Dai since the Imperial family has long since left Xianfung in favor of the current capital, Liaoxiang. With over 230,000 inhabitants, Xianfung remains the crown jewel of the north, sitting astride the important roads that connect the current capital with the far northwestern provinces.
The second is a map of the Governor's Palace Complex:
Map of the Governor's Palace Complex
I'm working on the next update... sadly it won't be posted until next week at the earliest (papers, presentations, Illini basketball, next gaming session). As a teaser though, I will relay the title of the section:
Of Harems and Ambushes
Map of Xianfung
The city is over 800 years old, purposefully constructed in ancient times to serve as the northern capital of the Empire of Ak Konylu. As such, it was built with a purposefully rectangular shape, with all roads leading to the seat of power and harmony, the palace. Once of the home of Emperors, the palace of Xianfung now houses the governor of Dai since the Imperial family has long since left Xianfung in favor of the current capital, Liaoxiang. With over 230,000 inhabitants, Xianfung remains the crown jewel of the north, sitting astride the important roads that connect the current capital with the far northwestern provinces.
The second is a map of the Governor's Palace Complex:
Map of the Governor's Palace Complex
I'm working on the next update... sadly it won't be posted until next week at the earliest (papers, presentations, Illini basketball, next gaming session). As a teaser though, I will relay the title of the section:
Of Harems and Ambushes
Last edited:
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
And being such a nice DM, I'm sure you won't make this come back to bite her ...
Emperor Valerian
First Post
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit said:
Oh... calling things as they are isn't always nice for the players... as they can attest to from the recent...um... party "debilitations..."
Emperor Valerian
First Post
Presentation et al done! Next update will be posted tomorrow night.
Emperor Valerian
First Post
Ambushes and Harem Girls
“You told them what?” Even as Nayu’s face was aghast, Felonca smirked. Around them the street traffic of Xianfung flowed about, still thick with people despite the early afternoon heat. “And they believed that pile of-“ He stopped, and looked down at his own hand. The new ring on his finger gleamed, and the sorcerer winced. “Even if I had this ring that supposedly helps me persuade people, I don’t think I could-“
“Yes... they believed every word!” Felonca laughed, before holding out her hand. “Now, can I have my warfans back? I told you what happened with me, and now its your turn to show what lovely things you’ve managed to get people to improve my weapons with!”
Nayu gave her a look of mock distrust, before reaching into his pack and pulling out her two warfans, their steel points polished and shining in the light. Felonca’s eyes went wide with delight on seeing the patterns between the blades renwed, and the pulse of magic coming in waves from their forms.
“Now... the scholar who fixed these things up said they should be able to cut better,” Nayu instructed, even though Felonca appeared to not be listening at all, “and that the steel should last longer now.” When his friend didn’t respond, instead staring wide-eyed at their new forms, Nayu sighed.
“I hope you paid more attention when your ‘friends’ tried to talk of their role?”
“Yeah,” Felonca said absently, giving one of the fans a slight wave, feeling its new balance. “They will let us know when they’re ready. Until then, we should just find Ling and watch over him.” A quick look around to make sure no one was in the way, and she gave a few quick slashes with the left fan before breaking into a huge smile. Perfect balance.
“Fine,” he huffed slightly at her disinterest. “Let’s just get Ling, and get ourselves ready for this little incident that’s about to take place.”
“Well, this should be it,” Nayu said aloud an hour later. Before him and Felonca stood a rather large home, two stories tall and surrounded by a low brick wall. From one corner arose a three story pagoda tower, prayer beads hanging from its rafters and incense wafting from its airy halls...
These people clearly follow the old spirits... the spirits of ancestral worship, Nayu thought, as Felonca rapped upon the wooden gate that led inside the home. With a creak, the wooden gate opened, and the gray streaked head of a woman poked out. Her eyes glared suspiciously between the two.
“Who are you?” she asked sharply, her eyes plainly wavering between holding the door open slightly or slamming it completely shut.
“I am Wa-Feng Felonca, and this is my friend Wakabayashi Nayu. We are friends of Master Ling. I presume he is in?” Felonca said as politely as possible, only to the have other woman’s face scrunch with more suspicion. Her eyes narrowed and suddenly, the door slammed shut.
“Well, that was rather rude,” Felonca huffed. Nayu put a hand on her shoulder.
“She is likely suspicious,” he said quietly. “I know I would be if I was visiting someone like our friend,” he added, purposefully not mentioning Ling’s name out on the street. Just as he finished speaking, the two could hear over the walls the woman’s voice calling.
“Do any of you know a Felonca? Black hengeyokai? Travels with a tall, young man named Nayu?” they could just hear over the noise of the streets. A few minutes later, the gate opened, and the woman’s hands quickly urged them inside the walls.
“I am sorry,” the woman apologized after they were hustled inside and the gate closed, “I am Zhou Diao, daughter of Master Ling. I did not know who you were, or what you wanted with my father... please forgive my caution.”
“No... I think it would be better to say thanks to you for being so cautious... only caution like that will keep our friend, your father, safe while in the city,” Felonca replied, giving the woman a bow of respect. A few minutes later, and the two were ushered into a backroom of the house, where Ling, Yari Ai, and Meiji all sat about, calmly sipping tea... almost calmly, that is.
Ouch, Felonca thought as she heard the slap that echoed across the room. Whatever Meiji had said just before they arrived, it was obviously completely out of line. Ling’s red face, Yari Ai’s furious face, and the red welt of a slap across the side of Meiji’s face all testified to that.
“Ah... Nayu, Felonca!” Ling looked up at the two with an obviously relieved look on his face. “Please, come and sit down! My daughter will fix you some tea, if you like!”
“That really won’t be-“ Felonca started, before Zhou Diao cut her off.
“Oh, it is the least I can do! Considering I have not had the chance to see my father in eight years!” the woman patted Felonca’s shoulder, before heading off into the kitchen. Left alone with the rest of the group, Nayu and Felonca set about explaining the days events... notably how Felonca had secured the help of the Thieves Guild not only as a participant, but also as the organizing body behind the upcoming revolt... and that soon they would all have to travel to the Guild headquarters to plan.
No sooner than this subtlety been explained than they heard another person knocking at the front gate. Both Felonca and Nayu suppressed a smile when they heard Ling’s daughter questioningly ask if anyone was expecting a young man at the gate. When Felonca followed her out to take a look, she saw the young man start to quake slightly at seeing her.
“He’s legit,” the hengeyokai pronounced. It was easy to spot when a person was quaking in the presence of someone they regarded as a living legend.
The trip towards the Thieves Guild was another hour of meandering through the crowded streets, along a path that took them near to the direct center of the metropolis... the governor’s palace itself.
Felonca’s eyes went wide as the group passed the wide, clear plaza that surrounded the compound. Before their eyes, stretching for hundreds of yards in either direction, was a fifteen foot tall wall of mudbrick, a massive gatehouse, the pennants and bnaners of the Ho family flapping from its turrets, guarding the entrance. Briefly through the gate they saw a drawbridge over an interior moat, and over the squat, ugly outer walls they could see a set of inner walls, intricately made and colored dark red from the sandstone of the north. Above this loomed the pagodas, towers and hulking edifices of the governor’s palace itself, banners streaming in the wind.
More alarming to the rogue’s eye than this impressive structure were the hundreds of guards she saw along the walls, on the towers, even arrayed in the square in front of the palace. While standard guards were clad in simple metal armor and helms that still revealed their faces, these men were clad from head to toe in white robes, their heads covered by the same bandages that weeks before Nayu had identified as turbans. All that was visible from their bodies was their eyes, dark, foreboding, and challenging anyone who glanced their way. All also possessed curved shortbows made from horn, as well as long, curved scimitars.
How in the world are we going to get in there? Felonca asked herself as they slowly made their way around the structure. By her guess, the inner walls had to be at least twenty-five feet high, and she had no idea how wide or deep the inner moat might have been. Then there’s the matter of finding the governor in that maze of palace buildings, and getting out agai-
A tap on her shoulder broke her concentration. Now rather cross, Felonca turned to see Meiji looking at her, also wide eyed.
“Stop gawking, Meiji,” she growled crossly, before he said something entirely unexpected.
“We’re being watched!” he hissed, a very subtle twitch of his head motioning back towards the entrance of the great plaza. Instantly wary, Felonca’s gaze flipped back towards the spot.
“What did he look like?” she asked, moving her gaze about in an effort to not look as if she was looking for anyone. No one seems to be acting suspicious... traders, mothers, children, guards...
“Tall... lanky human, with graying hair. Part of his nose was gone... like it’d been cut off with a sword. And he had an eyepatch on his left eye,” Meiji said hurriedly, and Felonca frowned.
There was no one that looked like that... at ALL... and besides, if one was being discreet about shadowing us, why wouldn’t they go to some of the monks of Shenyang to get their nose fixed, or buy a replacement eye, so they would not be so obvious looking anyway?
Carefully, Felonca and Meiji both kept watch along the rest of the trip to the Thieves Guild. For most of the way, they saw nothing of the ordinary. However, when they drew within sight of the carpenter’s Felonca had visited that morning, she spotted a strange, cloaked figure slip from behind the front for the guild, to a building just across the street. The tall, thin man turned, and leaned against the building, crossing his arms smugly. Beneath his eyepatch and half of a nose, he gave Felonca the lewdest, nastiest smile possible with only seven teeth.
She and Meiji quickly ushered the others into the safety of the carpenter’s shop, then down the dark passageway that led towards the guild headquarters. As the smell of wood and dirt mixed in Felonca’s nose, the hengeyokai was able to pick out other smells.. the smell of the guildmaster, the smell of oiled steel, like armor... and something else...
As she opened the door leading into the den of thieves, she realized what the smell was...
Nayu at first thought his eyes were tricking him; perhaps they were still adjusting from the dark, dank passage downward to the comparatively bright light of the candlelit room. After the sorcerer blinked, and his eyes still saw the apparition before him, spells came to his mind as his hand quickly shot forward, intent on launching a blast of fire on the laughing man in front of them.
“Come come,” the man laughed, his voice surprisingly smooth despite the horrible visage his lack of teeth, eyepatch and missing nose created. His smile seemed to draw the skin so tight across his face that his bones seemed to protrude between the vast wrinkles. Their shadow raised his open hands, in a gesture meant to convey no threat as his half-heartedly made turban hung partially unwrapped from his head. “Is that any way to treat your shadow?”
“Who are you? Why are you following us?” Nayu heard Felonca ask. He didn’t need to look at her to know her hands were near her warfans, or that Yari Ai’s fingers were dangerously close to unleashing her blade.
“Why,” the man chuckled, “you should know that Selim the Magnificent never lets his charges fall astray,” the big, wrinkled hands went from being open to steepling in front of his chest. His voice dropped as he added, “Especially when they propose to take down the governor that’s hurt my business.”
Selim the Magnificent? Are we dealing with an ego maniac here? Or a double agent? Nayu did not lower his hand, instead slowly channeling his power to where it rested softly just inside the tips of his fingers, ready to blast forth if the man twitched the wrong way.
“How can we trust you? How do we know you don’t mean us harm, or even work for the governor?” Nayu asked guardedly.
Once again, the apparition in front of them gave a laugh, this one almost braying as he leaned his head back and cackled. Finally, Selim’s head came back down, and seemingly stared each and every one of them in the eye simultaneously. “You may have a right to not trust me... after all, I am the best thief within the Thieves Guild. Or,” he chuckled, “I should say I was the best the guild had, considering I now freelance.”
Before anyone could question what he’d said, the same craggy hand rose, as the thief continued, his voice dropping now to a deadly whisper. “Some fifteen years ago, my sister was stolen from me, after I refused a deal from the governor. She was made into his harem slave, and killed within those walls, and unceremoniously dumped with the rest of the refuse into the moat inside that palace!” The hissed fury subsided, as the man leaned back, adding laconically, “Since then, I’ve been looking for a way to string that bastard high.”
“Ah!” another voice came from the darkened opposite side of the chambers, and shortly a rat hengeyokai came forward, followed by others clad mostly in dirty rags or worn versions of more finer clothing. Nayu noticed Felonca relax substantially, and surmised these must be the other thieves.
“I see you have met Selim!” the rat hengeyokai said hurriedly, extremely deferential towards Felonca. “He is the finest thief we have, Mistress Wa-Feng!” It was only then that the guildmaster seemed to recognize that others were present, and he quickly turned towards Nayu and bowed, as well as Master Ling.
“It is a honor to have you in our den for such a noble enterprise... honor in a den of thieves!” he laughed slightly too hard at his own joke.
“Have the others arrived?” Ling’s aged voice asked quietly. In seeming response, clanking came from the shadows, and soon three men clad in armor emerged. One was clad in silver armor, golden plumes coming from his helm, and when his eyes met those of Ling, they seemed to light up as a son seeing his father after a long absence. The two others were clad in bronzed armor, one with the white plumes of a captain, the other with the blood red plumes of a general.
“Greetings, City Captain Xian,” Ling said softly, bowing before the other man could catch him.
“Please, father of my bride, do not stoop yourself so,” the Captain of the City Watch said softly.
“And you two are?” Nayu asked. The Captain of the City Watch I can understand. Since he controls the people that would be looking normally for trouble, it is understandable that we might need his help, however ironic it would be that a City Watch is working with its opposite...
But these two other people?
“I am General Qianlong, Commander of the Provincial Armies of Dai,” the red plumed officer bowed, before gesturing to the white plumed officer. “This is my assistant, Captain Wu.”
“And your captain needs to be here because?” Nayu replied rather testily. After this mess with Selim following us, I don’t want ANYONE here that is not necessary to the planning! And I don’t like the idea of a minor captain knowing everything about these high level plots!
“Captain Wu is the chief of logistics for my forces, sir,” the general explained rather coldly. “If our course of action should require moving large numbers of troops, we should need his guidance.” Rater haughtily, the general then turned his back to Nayu and faced Ling.
“Master Ling, I am sad to report that the armies cannot be called to assist in this operation. It appears an army from Langya has invaded the province, and it must be driven away lest your stay on the provincial throne remain shorter than we all wish!”
“I know that army!” Felonca announced loudly, and Nayu felt the urge to grab his head. You’ve built up this trust, and now you blurt out that you know their enemy! In a place where you are trapped! If they don’t capture us for being enemies...
“You... do?” the general asked guardedly, and Nayu groaned again as Felonca nodded eagerly.
“Yes! It’s commanded by my old master, General Quan-Shi! He hates Prince Hu of Langya as much as anyone, including us, so it shouldn’t be hard to convince him to abandon the prince in favor of Ling!” She fairly bounced when she spoke, and Nayu realized her little coup when he looked about the room, and everyone’s eye was upon her, wide in surprise, and in some ways... awe...
“Um...” Nayu prompted after a few moments, and quickly the officers, governor-to-be, and thieves caught themselves.
“Ah, um... yes. That is comforting. Onwards, I say!” the guildmaster said, once again laughing too hard at an unfunny joke. “A..um... yes. So, the proposal before all of us was given by the illustrious, munificent Mistress Wa-Feng,” he motioned towards Felonca, “namely, to overthrow the governor of Dai, and replace him with our good friend, Master Ling. Speaking for the thieves of Xianfung, I can say that we would be most pleased if your wise leadership came back, Master Ling,” the guildmaster said.
“On behalf of the army,” the general cleared his throat, “I can say that we are tired of the governor supplanting our forces with his mercenaries from the north, who threaten our soldiers, and soon will overrun the city itself! It is a danger that we must excise, for the safety of the people!”
“And I can add,” the young captain added, “that the scholars would likely have no problem if the governor was...um... removed,” the young man smiled at his use of words, “as the governor’s advisor has evidently rubbed many of the scholars I have talked too the wrong way... what with all his quirks and his angry and vengeful disposition.”
“Angry and vengeful disposition?” Nayu asked. If he’s riled up the scholars, that’s not anything unusual... but a man with scholarly ties being angry and vengeful?
“Yi Mang?” the staff officer asked, before his brow furrowed. The name itself plainly made him angry. “The man is an utter brute, who knows nothing of subtlety or tact! He is likely the deadliest swordsman in the entire province, and one of the most powerful spellcasters as well!”
“Wait... wait wait...” Nayu raised his hand. What? A scholar that is skilled in swordplay? What is he?
Wait... they said he dabbled in green metals or something...
“He is a spellcaster, and a gifted swordsman?” Nayu gulped slightly.
“Oh yes!” the general interrupted his staff captain. “I personally think its because of all the green metal he supposedly eats... considering his skin is tough and green now. It wasn’t always that way...”
“They say he never sleeps,” the Captain of the Watch added quickly. “Instead, he always patrols during the night, harassing my watchmen, him and his band of turbaned mercenaries threatening them, cajoling them! My men are scared of him... some even say he’s not human...”
“Considering the City Watch is full of pansies, I doubt you could get such a group of wilted flowers to move until Yi Mang is gone,” Selim spat, glaring directly at the watch captain. For a second, the watch captain looked defiant, before suddenly he looked towards the ground.
“My men would balk. I know this. Yi Mang must be dealt with before they could move.”
Great... so we have to take down ‘happy man’ or whatever is wrong with this Yi Mang, before we storm the governor’s palace. Killing Mang would undoubtedly warn the governor, and it would be a bloodbath to storm the palace then... Nayu pondered the problem for a moment, before speaking up.
“Does Yi Mang keep a schedule during his night inspections?” If we can find him at a specific location, and get someone inside the palace, maybe we could coordinate our strikes... since it sounds as if Yi is a significant part of the power structure here...
“Usually, he arrives at my post, the South Gate, around midnight,” the Captain of the Watch said finally.
“There!” Nayu said excitedly, a plan forming in his mind, “then all we need to do, is launch two prongs. One force will take out Yi Mang at the South Gate. Another will have gotten into the palace previously, and can take out the governor simultaneously! Then, the mercenaries would be leaderless, and it would be far easier to use the City Watch or the army to root them out!”
Felonca looked at her friend and nodded along with the others in enthusiasm. The plan made perfect sense... a dual strike to cut off both heads of the snake. But as eager agreements went around the table, her mind found a problem, a question it needed an answer to.
How do we get someone into the palace?
Carefully her mind sifted over what she knew of the palace, and what she’d seen while walking by. Its walls were clearly too high to scale quietly on the outside without notice... and she needed to know what size the moat was if she was going to sneak in. Then, she remembered the one consistent thing that people lambasted the governor for doting over, instead of running the province...
His harem...
“What kinds of girls end up in the governor’s harem?” Felonca asked, and the rogue instantly felt all eyes fall upon her.
“They’re mostly slaves... given over the years by minor figures, other governors as gifts to Governor Ho,” Selim said, before looking towards the ground rather shamefully. “I know... I used to sell slaves to him, until my sister was taken.”
“So... I think that’s his weak point,” Felonca said firmly. “If we can get someone inside the harem either the day before or early the day we strike...” Her voice drifted to silence as she realized everyone’s eyes were staring at her. She looked towards Selim, and saw the old thief had crossed his arms, a toothless grin on his lips.
“The guildmaster says you are a vaunted thief. I’m guessing you have the best ability of any of us to slip inside as a harem girl, and strike down the governor at his most vulnerable!”
Dammit! Felonca mentally swore, as she looked around and saw everyone nodding in agreement, even Nayu. I’ve built up this reputation with the thieves, and they ask me to do THIS?
Dammit.
Can’t say no... I’ll lose face, and this heroic image I’ve built up!
Dammit.
Well, she gave a slight sigh, Considering they think I dressed as a harem girl, and slipped into the Langya palace, this shouldn’t be hard...
...should it?
“Of course,” she made herself smirk. Play as if the task is almost beneath you. “I’ll just need the assistance of two people to come with. They must be quiet and skillful, to provide backup or distractions.”
“Your friend there, with some work, could be a passable woman,” Selim pointed towards Meiji. The bard was too distraught and in shock to speak, as Selim continued, “and I believe the guild has a few females that are gifted in unarmed combat that could help... Yes... that could work...”
Even as Felonca mentally rolled her eyes at the now stuttering and protesting Meiji, the thought of playing a harem girl for a night, she forced herself to give a confident grin.
“Excellent!” she laughed, even as she wanted to scowl.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
So... Felonca’s bragging’s come back to bite her...
Heh heh heh..
“You told them what?” Even as Nayu’s face was aghast, Felonca smirked. Around them the street traffic of Xianfung flowed about, still thick with people despite the early afternoon heat. “And they believed that pile of-“ He stopped, and looked down at his own hand. The new ring on his finger gleamed, and the sorcerer winced. “Even if I had this ring that supposedly helps me persuade people, I don’t think I could-“
“Yes... they believed every word!” Felonca laughed, before holding out her hand. “Now, can I have my warfans back? I told you what happened with me, and now its your turn to show what lovely things you’ve managed to get people to improve my weapons with!”
Nayu gave her a look of mock distrust, before reaching into his pack and pulling out her two warfans, their steel points polished and shining in the light. Felonca’s eyes went wide with delight on seeing the patterns between the blades renwed, and the pulse of magic coming in waves from their forms.
“Now... the scholar who fixed these things up said they should be able to cut better,” Nayu instructed, even though Felonca appeared to not be listening at all, “and that the steel should last longer now.” When his friend didn’t respond, instead staring wide-eyed at their new forms, Nayu sighed.
“I hope you paid more attention when your ‘friends’ tried to talk of their role?”
“Yeah,” Felonca said absently, giving one of the fans a slight wave, feeling its new balance. “They will let us know when they’re ready. Until then, we should just find Ling and watch over him.” A quick look around to make sure no one was in the way, and she gave a few quick slashes with the left fan before breaking into a huge smile. Perfect balance.
“Fine,” he huffed slightly at her disinterest. “Let’s just get Ling, and get ourselves ready for this little incident that’s about to take place.”
“Well, this should be it,” Nayu said aloud an hour later. Before him and Felonca stood a rather large home, two stories tall and surrounded by a low brick wall. From one corner arose a three story pagoda tower, prayer beads hanging from its rafters and incense wafting from its airy halls...
These people clearly follow the old spirits... the spirits of ancestral worship, Nayu thought, as Felonca rapped upon the wooden gate that led inside the home. With a creak, the wooden gate opened, and the gray streaked head of a woman poked out. Her eyes glared suspiciously between the two.
“Who are you?” she asked sharply, her eyes plainly wavering between holding the door open slightly or slamming it completely shut.
“I am Wa-Feng Felonca, and this is my friend Wakabayashi Nayu. We are friends of Master Ling. I presume he is in?” Felonca said as politely as possible, only to the have other woman’s face scrunch with more suspicion. Her eyes narrowed and suddenly, the door slammed shut.
“Well, that was rather rude,” Felonca huffed. Nayu put a hand on her shoulder.
“She is likely suspicious,” he said quietly. “I know I would be if I was visiting someone like our friend,” he added, purposefully not mentioning Ling’s name out on the street. Just as he finished speaking, the two could hear over the walls the woman’s voice calling.
“Do any of you know a Felonca? Black hengeyokai? Travels with a tall, young man named Nayu?” they could just hear over the noise of the streets. A few minutes later, the gate opened, and the woman’s hands quickly urged them inside the walls.
“I am sorry,” the woman apologized after they were hustled inside and the gate closed, “I am Zhou Diao, daughter of Master Ling. I did not know who you were, or what you wanted with my father... please forgive my caution.”
“No... I think it would be better to say thanks to you for being so cautious... only caution like that will keep our friend, your father, safe while in the city,” Felonca replied, giving the woman a bow of respect. A few minutes later, and the two were ushered into a backroom of the house, where Ling, Yari Ai, and Meiji all sat about, calmly sipping tea... almost calmly, that is.
Ouch, Felonca thought as she heard the slap that echoed across the room. Whatever Meiji had said just before they arrived, it was obviously completely out of line. Ling’s red face, Yari Ai’s furious face, and the red welt of a slap across the side of Meiji’s face all testified to that.
“Ah... Nayu, Felonca!” Ling looked up at the two with an obviously relieved look on his face. “Please, come and sit down! My daughter will fix you some tea, if you like!”
“That really won’t be-“ Felonca started, before Zhou Diao cut her off.
“Oh, it is the least I can do! Considering I have not had the chance to see my father in eight years!” the woman patted Felonca’s shoulder, before heading off into the kitchen. Left alone with the rest of the group, Nayu and Felonca set about explaining the days events... notably how Felonca had secured the help of the Thieves Guild not only as a participant, but also as the organizing body behind the upcoming revolt... and that soon they would all have to travel to the Guild headquarters to plan.
No sooner than this subtlety been explained than they heard another person knocking at the front gate. Both Felonca and Nayu suppressed a smile when they heard Ling’s daughter questioningly ask if anyone was expecting a young man at the gate. When Felonca followed her out to take a look, she saw the young man start to quake slightly at seeing her.
“He’s legit,” the hengeyokai pronounced. It was easy to spot when a person was quaking in the presence of someone they regarded as a living legend.
The trip towards the Thieves Guild was another hour of meandering through the crowded streets, along a path that took them near to the direct center of the metropolis... the governor’s palace itself.
Felonca’s eyes went wide as the group passed the wide, clear plaza that surrounded the compound. Before their eyes, stretching for hundreds of yards in either direction, was a fifteen foot tall wall of mudbrick, a massive gatehouse, the pennants and bnaners of the Ho family flapping from its turrets, guarding the entrance. Briefly through the gate they saw a drawbridge over an interior moat, and over the squat, ugly outer walls they could see a set of inner walls, intricately made and colored dark red from the sandstone of the north. Above this loomed the pagodas, towers and hulking edifices of the governor’s palace itself, banners streaming in the wind.
More alarming to the rogue’s eye than this impressive structure were the hundreds of guards she saw along the walls, on the towers, even arrayed in the square in front of the palace. While standard guards were clad in simple metal armor and helms that still revealed their faces, these men were clad from head to toe in white robes, their heads covered by the same bandages that weeks before Nayu had identified as turbans. All that was visible from their bodies was their eyes, dark, foreboding, and challenging anyone who glanced their way. All also possessed curved shortbows made from horn, as well as long, curved scimitars.
How in the world are we going to get in there? Felonca asked herself as they slowly made their way around the structure. By her guess, the inner walls had to be at least twenty-five feet high, and she had no idea how wide or deep the inner moat might have been. Then there’s the matter of finding the governor in that maze of palace buildings, and getting out agai-
A tap on her shoulder broke her concentration. Now rather cross, Felonca turned to see Meiji looking at her, also wide eyed.
“Stop gawking, Meiji,” she growled crossly, before he said something entirely unexpected.
“We’re being watched!” he hissed, a very subtle twitch of his head motioning back towards the entrance of the great plaza. Instantly wary, Felonca’s gaze flipped back towards the spot.
“What did he look like?” she asked, moving her gaze about in an effort to not look as if she was looking for anyone. No one seems to be acting suspicious... traders, mothers, children, guards...
“Tall... lanky human, with graying hair. Part of his nose was gone... like it’d been cut off with a sword. And he had an eyepatch on his left eye,” Meiji said hurriedly, and Felonca frowned.
There was no one that looked like that... at ALL... and besides, if one was being discreet about shadowing us, why wouldn’t they go to some of the monks of Shenyang to get their nose fixed, or buy a replacement eye, so they would not be so obvious looking anyway?
Carefully, Felonca and Meiji both kept watch along the rest of the trip to the Thieves Guild. For most of the way, they saw nothing of the ordinary. However, when they drew within sight of the carpenter’s Felonca had visited that morning, she spotted a strange, cloaked figure slip from behind the front for the guild, to a building just across the street. The tall, thin man turned, and leaned against the building, crossing his arms smugly. Beneath his eyepatch and half of a nose, he gave Felonca the lewdest, nastiest smile possible with only seven teeth.
She and Meiji quickly ushered the others into the safety of the carpenter’s shop, then down the dark passageway that led towards the guild headquarters. As the smell of wood and dirt mixed in Felonca’s nose, the hengeyokai was able to pick out other smells.. the smell of the guildmaster, the smell of oiled steel, like armor... and something else...
As she opened the door leading into the den of thieves, she realized what the smell was...
Nayu at first thought his eyes were tricking him; perhaps they were still adjusting from the dark, dank passage downward to the comparatively bright light of the candlelit room. After the sorcerer blinked, and his eyes still saw the apparition before him, spells came to his mind as his hand quickly shot forward, intent on launching a blast of fire on the laughing man in front of them.
“Come come,” the man laughed, his voice surprisingly smooth despite the horrible visage his lack of teeth, eyepatch and missing nose created. His smile seemed to draw the skin so tight across his face that his bones seemed to protrude between the vast wrinkles. Their shadow raised his open hands, in a gesture meant to convey no threat as his half-heartedly made turban hung partially unwrapped from his head. “Is that any way to treat your shadow?”
“Who are you? Why are you following us?” Nayu heard Felonca ask. He didn’t need to look at her to know her hands were near her warfans, or that Yari Ai’s fingers were dangerously close to unleashing her blade.
“Why,” the man chuckled, “you should know that Selim the Magnificent never lets his charges fall astray,” the big, wrinkled hands went from being open to steepling in front of his chest. His voice dropped as he added, “Especially when they propose to take down the governor that’s hurt my business.”
Selim the Magnificent? Are we dealing with an ego maniac here? Or a double agent? Nayu did not lower his hand, instead slowly channeling his power to where it rested softly just inside the tips of his fingers, ready to blast forth if the man twitched the wrong way.
“How can we trust you? How do we know you don’t mean us harm, or even work for the governor?” Nayu asked guardedly.
Once again, the apparition in front of them gave a laugh, this one almost braying as he leaned his head back and cackled. Finally, Selim’s head came back down, and seemingly stared each and every one of them in the eye simultaneously. “You may have a right to not trust me... after all, I am the best thief within the Thieves Guild. Or,” he chuckled, “I should say I was the best the guild had, considering I now freelance.”
Before anyone could question what he’d said, the same craggy hand rose, as the thief continued, his voice dropping now to a deadly whisper. “Some fifteen years ago, my sister was stolen from me, after I refused a deal from the governor. She was made into his harem slave, and killed within those walls, and unceremoniously dumped with the rest of the refuse into the moat inside that palace!” The hissed fury subsided, as the man leaned back, adding laconically, “Since then, I’ve been looking for a way to string that bastard high.”
“Ah!” another voice came from the darkened opposite side of the chambers, and shortly a rat hengeyokai came forward, followed by others clad mostly in dirty rags or worn versions of more finer clothing. Nayu noticed Felonca relax substantially, and surmised these must be the other thieves.
“I see you have met Selim!” the rat hengeyokai said hurriedly, extremely deferential towards Felonca. “He is the finest thief we have, Mistress Wa-Feng!” It was only then that the guildmaster seemed to recognize that others were present, and he quickly turned towards Nayu and bowed, as well as Master Ling.
“It is a honor to have you in our den for such a noble enterprise... honor in a den of thieves!” he laughed slightly too hard at his own joke.
“Have the others arrived?” Ling’s aged voice asked quietly. In seeming response, clanking came from the shadows, and soon three men clad in armor emerged. One was clad in silver armor, golden plumes coming from his helm, and when his eyes met those of Ling, they seemed to light up as a son seeing his father after a long absence. The two others were clad in bronzed armor, one with the white plumes of a captain, the other with the blood red plumes of a general.
“Greetings, City Captain Xian,” Ling said softly, bowing before the other man could catch him.
“Please, father of my bride, do not stoop yourself so,” the Captain of the City Watch said softly.
“And you two are?” Nayu asked. The Captain of the City Watch I can understand. Since he controls the people that would be looking normally for trouble, it is understandable that we might need his help, however ironic it would be that a City Watch is working with its opposite...
But these two other people?
“I am General Qianlong, Commander of the Provincial Armies of Dai,” the red plumed officer bowed, before gesturing to the white plumed officer. “This is my assistant, Captain Wu.”
“And your captain needs to be here because?” Nayu replied rather testily. After this mess with Selim following us, I don’t want ANYONE here that is not necessary to the planning! And I don’t like the idea of a minor captain knowing everything about these high level plots!
“Captain Wu is the chief of logistics for my forces, sir,” the general explained rather coldly. “If our course of action should require moving large numbers of troops, we should need his guidance.” Rater haughtily, the general then turned his back to Nayu and faced Ling.
“Master Ling, I am sad to report that the armies cannot be called to assist in this operation. It appears an army from Langya has invaded the province, and it must be driven away lest your stay on the provincial throne remain shorter than we all wish!”
“I know that army!” Felonca announced loudly, and Nayu felt the urge to grab his head. You’ve built up this trust, and now you blurt out that you know their enemy! In a place where you are trapped! If they don’t capture us for being enemies...
“You... do?” the general asked guardedly, and Nayu groaned again as Felonca nodded eagerly.
“Yes! It’s commanded by my old master, General Quan-Shi! He hates Prince Hu of Langya as much as anyone, including us, so it shouldn’t be hard to convince him to abandon the prince in favor of Ling!” She fairly bounced when she spoke, and Nayu realized her little coup when he looked about the room, and everyone’s eye was upon her, wide in surprise, and in some ways... awe...
“Um...” Nayu prompted after a few moments, and quickly the officers, governor-to-be, and thieves caught themselves.
“Ah, um... yes. That is comforting. Onwards, I say!” the guildmaster said, once again laughing too hard at an unfunny joke. “A..um... yes. So, the proposal before all of us was given by the illustrious, munificent Mistress Wa-Feng,” he motioned towards Felonca, “namely, to overthrow the governor of Dai, and replace him with our good friend, Master Ling. Speaking for the thieves of Xianfung, I can say that we would be most pleased if your wise leadership came back, Master Ling,” the guildmaster said.
“On behalf of the army,” the general cleared his throat, “I can say that we are tired of the governor supplanting our forces with his mercenaries from the north, who threaten our soldiers, and soon will overrun the city itself! It is a danger that we must excise, for the safety of the people!”
“And I can add,” the young captain added, “that the scholars would likely have no problem if the governor was...um... removed,” the young man smiled at his use of words, “as the governor’s advisor has evidently rubbed many of the scholars I have talked too the wrong way... what with all his quirks and his angry and vengeful disposition.”
“Angry and vengeful disposition?” Nayu asked. If he’s riled up the scholars, that’s not anything unusual... but a man with scholarly ties being angry and vengeful?
“Yi Mang?” the staff officer asked, before his brow furrowed. The name itself plainly made him angry. “The man is an utter brute, who knows nothing of subtlety or tact! He is likely the deadliest swordsman in the entire province, and one of the most powerful spellcasters as well!”
“Wait... wait wait...” Nayu raised his hand. What? A scholar that is skilled in swordplay? What is he?
Wait... they said he dabbled in green metals or something...
“He is a spellcaster, and a gifted swordsman?” Nayu gulped slightly.
“Oh yes!” the general interrupted his staff captain. “I personally think its because of all the green metal he supposedly eats... considering his skin is tough and green now. It wasn’t always that way...”
“They say he never sleeps,” the Captain of the Watch added quickly. “Instead, he always patrols during the night, harassing my watchmen, him and his band of turbaned mercenaries threatening them, cajoling them! My men are scared of him... some even say he’s not human...”
“Considering the City Watch is full of pansies, I doubt you could get such a group of wilted flowers to move until Yi Mang is gone,” Selim spat, glaring directly at the watch captain. For a second, the watch captain looked defiant, before suddenly he looked towards the ground.
“My men would balk. I know this. Yi Mang must be dealt with before they could move.”
Great... so we have to take down ‘happy man’ or whatever is wrong with this Yi Mang, before we storm the governor’s palace. Killing Mang would undoubtedly warn the governor, and it would be a bloodbath to storm the palace then... Nayu pondered the problem for a moment, before speaking up.
“Does Yi Mang keep a schedule during his night inspections?” If we can find him at a specific location, and get someone inside the palace, maybe we could coordinate our strikes... since it sounds as if Yi is a significant part of the power structure here...
“Usually, he arrives at my post, the South Gate, around midnight,” the Captain of the Watch said finally.
“There!” Nayu said excitedly, a plan forming in his mind, “then all we need to do, is launch two prongs. One force will take out Yi Mang at the South Gate. Another will have gotten into the palace previously, and can take out the governor simultaneously! Then, the mercenaries would be leaderless, and it would be far easier to use the City Watch or the army to root them out!”
Felonca looked at her friend and nodded along with the others in enthusiasm. The plan made perfect sense... a dual strike to cut off both heads of the snake. But as eager agreements went around the table, her mind found a problem, a question it needed an answer to.
How do we get someone into the palace?
Carefully her mind sifted over what she knew of the palace, and what she’d seen while walking by. Its walls were clearly too high to scale quietly on the outside without notice... and she needed to know what size the moat was if she was going to sneak in. Then, she remembered the one consistent thing that people lambasted the governor for doting over, instead of running the province...
His harem...
“What kinds of girls end up in the governor’s harem?” Felonca asked, and the rogue instantly felt all eyes fall upon her.
“They’re mostly slaves... given over the years by minor figures, other governors as gifts to Governor Ho,” Selim said, before looking towards the ground rather shamefully. “I know... I used to sell slaves to him, until my sister was taken.”
“So... I think that’s his weak point,” Felonca said firmly. “If we can get someone inside the harem either the day before or early the day we strike...” Her voice drifted to silence as she realized everyone’s eyes were staring at her. She looked towards Selim, and saw the old thief had crossed his arms, a toothless grin on his lips.
“The guildmaster says you are a vaunted thief. I’m guessing you have the best ability of any of us to slip inside as a harem girl, and strike down the governor at his most vulnerable!”
Dammit! Felonca mentally swore, as she looked around and saw everyone nodding in agreement, even Nayu. I’ve built up this reputation with the thieves, and they ask me to do THIS?
Dammit.
Can’t say no... I’ll lose face, and this heroic image I’ve built up!
Dammit.
Well, she gave a slight sigh, Considering they think I dressed as a harem girl, and slipped into the Langya palace, this shouldn’t be hard...
...should it?
“Of course,” she made herself smirk. Play as if the task is almost beneath you. “I’ll just need the assistance of two people to come with. They must be quiet and skillful, to provide backup or distractions.”
“Your friend there, with some work, could be a passable woman,” Selim pointed towards Meiji. The bard was too distraught and in shock to speak, as Selim continued, “and I believe the guild has a few females that are gifted in unarmed combat that could help... Yes... that could work...”
Even as Felonca mentally rolled her eyes at the now stuttering and protesting Meiji, the thought of playing a harem girl for a night, she forced herself to give a confident grin.
“Excellent!” she laughed, even as she wanted to scowl.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
So... Felonca’s bragging’s come back to bite her...
Heh heh heh..
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
I knew you wouldn't let us down
... although it came round rather more quickly than I expected.
Bryon_Soulweaver
First Post
Update
UPDATE NOW!!!
PS: Nice one!
UPDATE NOW!!!
PS: Nice one!
Bryon_Soulweaver
First Post
Sorry for double post, but I like the way you make things appear, their backstories unknown to them makes it one of my favorite stories. Even if its a short one and an internet one.
PS: Dont think of it as bad please...:\
PS: Dont think of it as bad please...:\
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