Sapphire:Sessions:20171007

Chalker's house staff patches up and secures the wounded assailants. Ahn-Lee requests a particular staff member who he remembers as "the best first-aider" to tend his injury. Chalker remarks to Sh1 (Nick Acosta's bodyguard), into whose back he had lobbed a flaming arrow, "That looks like it hurt."

Chalker studies Nick's aura: greedy, conniving, not particularly spiritual, no magery or psi. He sizes him up as a "pretty boy" type. He removes 5sp 6cp from Nick's money pouch and another 6gp from a hidden compartment in his belt.

Chalker, Shawna, Ahn-Lee, and Azzhik enter the study where Clementina Barons and Brigid Lamood are waiting, and Chalker plops the unconscious Nick down in a chair. Clementina freaks out at the sight of her boyfriend, roughed up and bound, but after a glance at Chalker's expression she manages to restrain herself from rushing to Nick's side. Chalker: "These are the rules. You, Clementina, are going to be quiet. Nick is going to tell the truth. Then I'll deal with you after he tells the truth." "Okay," she says, her voice quavering. Chalker: "And Brigid, Ahn-Lee is not prone to good deeds. This is very unusual for him to save you twice. This is not his normal way. So you are indebted to him." Brigid looks up at Ahn-Lee and says, "Thank you."

Chalker strikes Nick across the forehead. Nick regains consciousness, and starts looking around the room frantically. Chalker: "Do you know who I am, Nick?" "I've... seen you sometimes over the last several weeks." "So you know who I am." "Yes." "And you attacked the household of an envoy. You understand there are extra penalties for attacking diplomats. Right?" "Yes." "Okay. What was your plan?" Long pause. "To get her out of there." "How?" "I didn't think it through that clearly. It was all falling apart..." "Your plan was 'to get her out', that's it? Did you plan to kill us?" Longer pause. "With the right story, I think I could have sold something." "So killing us was optional, but if you had it do it, that was okay? I'm just trying to look at your battle plan before I ask you what I really want to know." "I was making it up as I went along." "I've done that before. Not as badly."

Nick exclaims, "Things went to crap so durn fast! I don't know exactly what happened!" Chalker: "Oh, I can tell you what happened. But I want you to tell me something first, okay?" "I... I'll tell you whatever you need to know." "I need to explain to you what's going to happen if you don't cooperate. In my mind, there are three scenarios. Option A: Once you tell me all you know, I'll turn you over to the royal family, you'll go to jail, and they'll decide what to do with you. Option B: I kill you and make you disappear." Clementina leaps out of her seat and starts to say something. Chalker turns his cold gaze on her and says, "And if you want to join him, you can disappear, too." Immediately, she sits back down.

Chalker: "And then I have a worse option. I owe a favor to -- do you know what a 'bale' is?" (Ahn-Lee's eyes widen slightly.) Chalker: "Think of an insane vampire who can walk during the day." Nick pales. Chalker: "I owe him a slight favor that I need to pay. What I'm going to do, I'm going to give you to him, and he's going to make you into a zombie. [pause] Do you have these three options in your head? Do you comprehend?" Nick, in a strangled voice: "Ah... y-yeah, I understand."

Chalker: "I want you to explain this scheme to me -- the entire scheme, including Clementina's involvement -- and if you tell me the complete truth, we'll stick with Option A. And I have a way of knowing when you're lying. You feel it, don't you? You're looking for it, aren't you? It's still here." Nick: "They were moving so fast -- I didn't get a good look at them -- there were four of you that came out of the house; I only see three." "Well, you're good at counting. But you're going to tell us the whole truth. Or... it depends on how upset I get. If I get really upset, I'm going to box you up and send you off to pay the debt. That seems fair, doesn't it? A debt is a debt, and I always pay my debts." Ahn-Lee: "You can't stay in debt forever." Azzhik: "Don't send him off without giving me an arm." Chalker: "How about a finger or something?" Azzhik: "Hand. His dominant one."

Chalker: "So you're going to tell me what I want to know, right?" Nick: "You want to know the entire scam that I was running on Clementina?" "Correct, and I want you to tell me quickly and concisely." "Did research; determined she met the parameters for what I needed within the merchant class of Sapphire. I met her, won her confidence, and... charmed her off her feet... and became deeply trusted by her. Used that to make suggestions, early, little ones that made her money and raised her status in her association. Then I got more outlandish and started running several concurrent scams through her, timing them so they'd come together... The end result I was looking for was complete control of the Traders Pride Association. If one of the main holders had gotten suspicious and brought in a mage or something, I could have bailed anytime and still made a significant increase over my investment. It's been a long-term investment, but this is the biggest scam I've ever tried to run." Chalker: "You sent a mage to copy all the documents at the association." Nick: "Yes, so I would know what other deals and information they had, and I could have leveraged it to get control of the entire association. The thing I was worried about was one of their mages or someone becoming aware of what was going on.

Chalker: "How much gold do you have at your place?" Ahn-Lee, emphatically: "The truth!" Nick: "My seed money's down to 500 gold. This was a long-term investment, and the payoff would have been huge." Ahn-Lee: "Address?" Nick gives his address in one of the wealthier sections of the Merchants Quarter. Chalker: "How did you get so much gold? You've been scamming for awhile and been successful until now?" Nick: "Yes."

Chalker: "Clementina. Will there be any need for me to make you disappear?" Clementina, in a quiet but hard-edged voice: "No. I understand." "Do you know how to unwind yourself from this particular deal?" "I've got... a lot of things going. It's going to be hard." "How much are you under?" "Uh... hundreds of gold. And I'm obligated within the next couple of weeks to double that. And then sign deals that will obligate the association." Chalker: "Would 100 gold help? Because we have 500 gold." (Ahn-Lee is shocked that Chalker would offer her 20% for 'being dumb'.) Clementina: "That should do it."

Chalker asks Ahn-Lee and Azzhik to take a carriage over to Nick Acosta's house. Just then, Jeeves enters and reports that a sergeant of the city guard is at the front gate wanting to speak with the Envoy. Chalker: "Stall him until Azzhik and Ahn-Lee get back. We can start turning over the attackers." To Nick he says, "I have good news... you can't disappear. So we'll go with Option A." Nick claims there was no one else involved in his plot; "I prefer to work alone." Chalker: "If you hadn't been so greedy, it would have worked."

To Clementina: "Next time you're of a mind to be so trusting... get a ring on your finger, or at least a roll in the sack." Clementina, immodestly: "He's pretty good in bed." "You should listen more to your subordinate, Brigid."

Clementina: "I feel like a fool." Rising, she takes slow, measured steps toward Nick, stops in front of him, stares at him. Then with her right hand she slaps him as hard as she can. Chalker, in mock dismay: "My word, such violence, my lady!" With her left hand she slaps Nick again.

At Nick's house, Azzhik burns the lock open with a few drops of acid. He and Ahn-Lee locate a chest filled with gold and jewels. Ahn-Lee combs the rest of the house, picking up another 100g worth of artwork and knick-knacks. (Nick, with more money than taste, had obviously furnished his house to impress guests with his wealth.) Azzhik finds some exotic herbs worth another 20g. In the bedroom Ahn-Lee finds a "go-bag", a valise packed with various essentials for a quick getaway, including 40g cash. Ahn-Lee conceals the valise elsewhere in the house.

Ahn-Lee and Azzhik return to Chalker's house. By then, Chalker has turned over to the city guard all captives except for Tam Longbow. From the loot, Chalker bags up ten stacks of 10g, giving one bag apiece to Clementina and Brigid. Brigid returns the potion to Azzhik, saying "I didn't have any use for it." Chalker refunds her the 2sp she paid. Chalker offers hospitality to the two women; Brigid accepts, but Clementina wants to go home.

Chalker announces to his friends, "We did a good deed. We got paid. How about lunch at the Boar's Head tomorrow?" Shawna, Azzhik, and Ahn-Lee all agree.

Ahn-Lee asks Chalker to keep Tam captive overnight, then tells everyone he's headed home. But first, he returns to Nick's house and thoroughly tosses the place, coming up with another 30g cash and 200g worth of throwing knives and shortswords marked with a royal crest Ahn-Lee doesn't recognize. Azzhik turns down the offer of a carriage and walks home. Shawna stays the night at the manor.

Early the next morning Ahn-Lee fences the stash of knives and swords for about 120g cash. The fence says the insignia is from somewhere in the eastern part of the empire. Ahn-Lee drops a message to Kimtri: Got you a present, meet me at the Boar's Head at 1 o'clock.

After breakfast, Chalker writes to Rory to confirm that there is a Venettian gate in Gateway. He requests that Trace and Branamin go on ahead and carve out a passage from the underground gate to the surface.

Shawna visits Ren Paret in his imperial prison cell. He says Nick Acosta had paid him very well, and admits he never expected to get caught. Shawna writes out her statement and turns over the satchel of copied documents to the imperial prosecutor. (Chalker had whined that he wanted the 'bottomless' satchel for himself; Shawna replied that he could certainly afford to have one made.)

Over lunch, Chalker invites everyone to go with him to Gateway at 3:00pm.

Kimtri arrives, poorly disguised and using the alias "Kim Langton." Ahn-Lee: "How would the Assassin's Guild feel about a gift of Tam Longbow?" Kimtri is impressed and says such a feat would earn points with the guildmaster. They will pick up Tam from Chalker's house. She adds, "Do you want a challenge? I have something coming to fruition in a few days."

At 3 o'clock Chalker, Ahn-Lee, Azzhik, and Shawna travel through the portal to Gateway (where it is noon) and climb up into the cellar of a crafter's shop. In the streets they see people of many races, including Winged Folk, elves, dwarves, kobolds, halflings, and lizardmen. (Azzhik: "Big brutes wit' axes. Look like my stupid cousins." Chalker: "We got a runt." "It is so I could have a bigger brain.... Most of the ones like me get killed.")

At a busy tavern called the Golden Rainbow, their gossipy waitress tells them that not long ago there was a "changeover" in the ruling class of Gateway from House Tiffany to House Roberson. Physical damage from the conflict is still under repair. House Dorsey rose "a little bit" in the city hierarchy "but they're still not in the inner council of the Robersons." In fact, the waitress adds, rumor has it that the Dorseys are behind some of the burnings and property destruction. "They're very ruthless toward their enemies. But then, most high-level mercantile families and the royals are the same way." The group overhears some merchants at the next table talking of their dealings including House Dorsey. "Isn't that dangerous?" "Aw, the old man's mellowed with his years. His sons are competing to see who gets everything when he dies." Jedidiah Dorsey's three sons are Thomas, Jimmy, and Daniel.

Chalker leads the group to the Dorsey's ornate storefront. While there is a steady stream of customers, the wares on display are cheap and tawdry. (Ahn-Lee: "Who buys this crap?" Azzhik: "What a dump.") Shawna spots a wizard eye watching the entryway and three more floating around within. (Ahn-Lee: "Is there someone at the exit checking receipts?") Chalker identifies the floor manager and checks his aura -- some psi, greed -- and overhears others calling him Daniel. As the group approaches within ten feet of him, Daniel suddenly shivers, turns to look at us, then steps from behind the counter and hurries up.

DD: "Good afternoon!" Chalker: "Nice place you got here." DD: "Ayy--yes, we pay special attention to it. Serves very good purposes. Is there something I can... do... for you?" (He seems to be trying not to stare at Shawna.) "We're just browsing. We just got into town and this place was recommended, so we thought we'd come and see what was here. And you are...?" "Daniel Dorsey." "Of the ruling-class Dorseys?" "Oh, yeah, I, uh, I run this aspect of our properties." He admits that as the third son, he's sometimes referred to as "the spare plus one." "Are you doing any business?" "Yes, it's a good day... we just got a shipment from Trikedell, and another from the dwarven clans in the Pass."

Abruptly, Daniel sidles up to Azzhik and gives a sniff. "An alchemist! Isn't that rare amongst your people?" Azzhik: "I make potion."

DD: "You all look like travelers. Where are you heading?" Azzhik: "I follow him (indicating Chalker)." Chalker: "I'm thinking of going through the Pass, but we might branch off and go in another direction. You said you had some stuff from the Pass?" DD: "Yes, yes, I do. Let's move this way." Along the way he directs Ahn-Lee's attention to a display of elven daggers, more ornate than functional. He steps back and stares intently at Ahn-Lee, then says, "So, I hope you will find something here to suit you." At this point Chalker checks Daniel's aura again and detects active psi use. DD: "What do you think of our stuff here?" Ahn-Lee: "Garbage. Bunch of weird trinkets. Don't know why anyone would buy it." "Whoa," DD exclaims, taken aback. Looking at Shawna, he adds, "Your companion is quite blunt." Shawna: "And accurate." DD, even more abashed: "Yeah, uh, okay..." Ahn-Lee: "Everyone's got to make a living somehow. I can't imagine doing so in such a mundane, boring way." Shawna: "It's an honest living." Ahn-Lee: "Oh. Is that right."

Chalker figures that Daniel had been attempting mindreading on Ahn-Lee, and now the psionic activity picks up again as Daniel steps back, staring at the whole group (trying to get an emotional reading and/or surface thoughts). Chalker: "Obviously, I'm not very knowledgeable --" DD: "Well, obviously your companions are, and I would expect that from your elven companion. She seems very knowledgeable." Shawna: "And I don't like being talked about in the third person." DD: "Yes, ma'm. I'm sorry. It's a habit." Shawna: "You have this enormous enterprise to run, yet you zero in on us. Why is that? It's not just that we look like fresh blood." DD: "Y'all just give me the impression of being influential. Something about you sort of screams out, you're going to be an influence in what's about to happen."

Chalker: "You seem to be touched." DD: "A lot of my family has the second sight. We have been blessed by the First Chosen for several things... There's also some talk that it's a gift given to us by an elven ruler in the past, or so the story goes. At Chalker's prompt DD adds, "...a good deed done for the elven warrior, helped them in a time of need. At least, that's the family story. But it was over six generations ago."

Chalker: "Do you have any Xanthyppian artifacts?" DD: "No." Chalker: "Do you have any Venettian artifacts?" DD: "Nnno. We have had some Venettian artifacts before, but we don't currently. They come out of ruins that are in the mountains, from time to time. My older brother's quite interested in all that." Chalker: "Who's your older brother?" DD: "That'd be Jimmy. He's always looking for that type of stuff. He belongs to research organizations, archaeology organizations, trying to learn about the Golden Age empires and peoples." Chalker: "Like monster fish and stuff like that." DD: "He has talked about monster fish from time to time. I'm... uh, surprised that y-you've heard of it..." Chalker: "I am a well-read individual."