The Reconquista: Part I (Shadows over Istivin)

[Branding Opportunity]

The old man's ears perk up, "In Qualtaine Square? No, I don't think that the tunnels run all the way to there, but I could check again. But now that you mention it, I too have felt a strange ... uncomfortableness in a certain place in the square. At first I thought it to be the results of little more than a bad supper at the Piebald Mare. It's amazing really, they used to have a tremendous cook there. His mother had been Baklunish and his father from a remote Flan tribe, and you wouldn't believe what he could do with a turnip. But that was years ago, yes, years."

At Mavic's comment he seems to drift back to the earlier conversation, "What? Blast your way there? I don't think so, that wouldn't be a particarly good idea. The Marchioness' advisor, Verbane, is a wizard of some repute. He would most likely not take too kindly to magical assault. In any case, the sewer pipe of which I speak drains into the Effluvium. You should be able to reach it without much trouble. It is marked with the architect's symbol. Here, I'll draw you a map." At this he grabs a piece of paper, and his quill and begins scribbling again.

He finishes it, and gives it a speculative stare and pushes it over the table towards you, "Here you go. I've done better, but then again I haven't practiced my painting much lately."

 

[James Heard]

Mavic's brow arched at the recluse's comment on Verbane.

"Even if he was three times a half rate hack he'd still have to either fight his way through the lines of petitioner's awaiting the Marchioness's pleasure or leave the Marchioness away to flit about the city and see to - ahem, impromtu reconstruction efforts as it were. He'd be remiss upon his duties to our liege to tend to this personally, or else the man is a fool that has somehow failed to see what is fully apparent to any with eyes. Either way and in any case, the citizens of Sterich win - for if we raise the ire of the Marches' defenders from their stagnation in the keep then still they must raise their concerns upon what we intended," Mavic concluded with air of a man making a point. "For further thought, it would be some vague effort only for me to simply make a shaft of the square. We could call it a well for onlookers, and if a well it may be then I'll be sure to purchase something suitably patriotic in the way of statuary - maybe a tribute to our friends the singing dwarves of the mountains?" he said with any apparent humor, eyeing Reivik speculatively.

Anders, the blonde-headed and forthright Reddog, chimed in, "Don't forget the gnomes, sir! They're very brave, and stalwart and..." his voice trailed off at the incredulous and laughing looks of the other Reddogs, and the glare of Eshanna.

"Yes Anders, perhaps we could raise a statue of gnomish stature as well," Mavic concluded sagely.

 

[Branding Opportunity]

Algorthas bobs his head in agreement, "No, no, the lad is quite right, the gnomes have certainly paid their share of blood in the fight against the giants, both here and in Geoff. And did you know that it was the gnomes who invented the fork? It's true! I couldn't believe it myself. I, like everyone else of course thought it was something that the Suloise brought with them after the Rain of Colorless Fire. But no, I found a gnomish cookbook penned a good three centuries," and at this he holds up three of his gnarled fingers for emphasis, "earlier which clearly mentions something called a giznash, which of course was the archaic form of the modern word for spoon, if you account for consonant drift, of course. I'm sure I have it around here somewhere ..."

He begins to rummage about his desk. When he doesn't find what he's looking for he stands up and walks over to one of the bookshelves, being careful not to step on any of the delicate glass containers on the floor.

 

[Ranger Rick]

"Well as long as we are not off to see the wizard, I think we can get moving pretty quickly. Did you say we would go from this basement or would we need to leave this place and enter the tunnel from somewhere else?"

 

[Branding Opportunity]

Algorthas shakes his head at the ranger. "No, no, not from this basement. The sewer pipe I mentioned empties into the Effluvium at the base of the Promontory. It's not too far from here."
OOC: The Effluvium is the small lake/large pond into which all of the city's liquid refuse flows. The Promontory is the massive granite peak on which Krelont Keep sits.

 

[Ranger Rick]

"Than I guess we have time to run back to our klodgings and collect anything we have not brought with us.....Algorthas, I was suppose to meet some people late tonight (go into the meeting time the captain of the guard set up) Can you pass a message on to the good Capt? I feel I might miss my rendevous tonight."

 

[Branding Opportunity]

"Eh?" he replies lifting a furry eyebrow, "Which captain do you mean? A captain of the guard or in the army? There are quite a few captains in Istivin. It's quite a large city, you know."

 

[Ranger Rick]

"So you do not know of (I forget the name of the group that want s to save Istivin)? Well it is an army captain so nevermind, I forgot how many there are running around?"

 

[Thanee]

Latalya

I like some of the fountains...

Latalya listens to what Algorthas has to say, still a bit paranoid at first, but at some point she decides to trust the old man and his stories.

“The sewer pipes don't sound like a place I prefer to be, but I do agree, that this whole affair is of the greatest importance. I will need a little time to prepare, maybe half an hour, but otherwise I'm ready to go.”

 

[Ranger Rick]

"Latalya, do you need to head back or can you prepare here?"