Sapphire:Sessions:20171104

Frost Time 10: Ahn-Lee returns from his trip across the bay. He takes care of routine tasks (collecting his payment, checking his drops, etc.), then looks to relax after his travels.

There's a new entry in the journey book, from Chalker: Me and Frederick have been recalled to Dolyena. I'm not sure what I've done - or what he's done. We're going to go through the portal. I'll have Trace bring us back and forth. I left my crystals with Jeeves. I've instructed Jeeves that Shawna is now the mistress of the manor and the (unofficial) Envoy of Dolyena.

Ahn-Lee immediately decides to take breakfast at the manor. Jeeves greets him. "Welcome. You just missed Master Chalker. He and Lord Frederick have left." Ahn-Lee: "I trust Chalker left some instructions with you?" Jeeves: "Yes, Miss Shawna is Envoy of Dolyena and has the run of the manor." Shawna, coming up behind Jeeves: "And Miss Shawna is not exactly happy about that." Jeeves: "No, ma'm, I didn't think you would be." Shawna: "I wasn't criticizing you, Jeeves."

Jeeves seats them in the dining room and food is brought out. Shawna welcomes Ahn-Lee back and asks about his trip, but he demurs, "Nothing you'd be interested in. Pretty typical, boring stuff... Well, maybe a higher-stakes job, but nothing too out-of-the-ordinary. Had to find a guy in this city, got wind he was en route, so we intercepted him on the road and... did what we had to do. Moved on, and here I am. Not a bad payment, for what I did."

A swarthy, heavily-built, muscular male who might be taken for a dwarf (except that he's clean-shaven and about a head too tall) rides through the gates of Sapphire and immediately goes to register at the Mercenaries Guild. "Name?" "Dain Keyfiel." "Your purpose here?" "I'm pursuing a bounty." The registrar collects a 2cp fee and comments, "You're the second bounty hunter to check in in two days." Dain looks puzzled momentarily, but only says, "That's interesting." "Would you like to give a description of who you're hunting?" "No," Dain says flatly. "If you'd like to get a meal, most of us like the Boar's Head. There's lodging available in Old Town at The Soldier's Friend. [Bill: "Also known as 'Chalker's Retirement,' but that's assuming something."] They offer mercenaries a special rate."

After a nice chat, Shawna tells Ahn-Lee, "I'd best visit the imperial prison and check on Ren Paret. Then I'll go to the Temple of Santash and report on the recent events in Gateway." "I'll probably roam around the city, then; see if I run into anybody I know."

A message from Branamin appears in the journey book: Have you noticed anybody asking about me, lately? Ahn-Lee writes back I haven't and Shawna, No...

Around the marketplace, Ahn-Lee notices there are a lot of kids that he doesn't recognize. He approaches one of Rory's Copper Kids that he knows. "Hey, ah, what about these kids?" "We're not sure. They're here sometimes, we've seen them before, but they usually hang out farther north, close to the Green Lantern Tavern." "Yeah, sure, why wouldn't they be?" "I've noticed they keep looking at you." "Well, I'm not bad to look at." "Your purse surely isn't. It's very pretty." "Is that right? That's not a wise thing to look too closely at." "Well, you live and you learn, then... you don't live." "Agreed. Well, tell me if you see anything else strange." Ahn-Lee slips the kid 2cp, then walks off, trying to see if he can catch one of the older kids staring at him.

Dain has never before been in such a large city as Sapphire. All he knows is that his quarry is a "rogue assassin/mage" whose name is either "Brand" or "Cinnamon" and has the initials CBL. Dain enters the Mages Guild and approaches the hiring manager. "Good morning. I'm looking for a couple of mages to hire. I've had pretty good word about these two, Brand or Cinnamon. Are either one of these available for hire?" "Uh, there's no 'Brand' and there's no 'Cinnamon'." Dain feels there is more information to be had, but not for free. The manager continues, "We have lots of mages. What kind of work do you want done?" "A mage that's able to do some protection work, help protect people, that type of skillset." The manager repeats, "We have plenty of mages, but there's no 'Cinnamon' or 'Brand'." "Well, I'm, uh, willing to provide recompense to people who could point me to those individuals. They've been recommended to me." "We have one that's registered, but I don't know if he hires out. He's more of a merchant type. He doesn't do protection, though." "Is he a combat mage?" "I think he has some combat skills, but I wouldn't call him a combat mage." "What makes you recommend him? He might have insight to these people, or something?" "No, it's just that his name is close to the one you said, that's all." Dain palms 4cp and lays them on the desk; the manager waves one hand across the coins and they vanish. "Like I say, we have Branamin, and I don't know the extent of his skillset." "You have a point, the name's sort of close." "He's relatively new here. If you like, I can leave a message for him." "If you would, I'd appreciate it. I'll be spending lunch and part of the day at the Boar's Head. I just got to town this morning and haven't got a place to stay yet." Dain gives the manager his name, thanks him (leaving another 2cp) and leaves.

As Shawna leaves the temple of Santash (after reporting on the cursed weapons destroyed in Gateway), she is met by three of Lady Thire's guards. "The lady needs your help. She and her household were attacked at 4:00 this morning." Shawna immediately sets off with them.

While strolling in the market square, twice Ahn-Lee's attention is drawn a particular man -- very tall (6'5"), bony, with bright eyes and very large hands. [Bill: "Shaq hands."] Ahn-Lee's not sure whether the man is following him or not, but something bothers him about the coincidence. Ahn-Lee takes to the rooftops as he shadows the tall man, who enters and walks down an alley. In the darkest section of the alley, the tall man flattens himself against a wall and stands there, seemingly watching for somebody to come into the alley. Five minutes later he walks out of the alley, down another block, and enters a shop. When Ahn-Lee steps in, there are a number of shoppers milling around, but he doesn't see the tall man. After looking around for a few minutes, Ahn-Lee walks out. He returns to the dark alley, and before he reaches the darkest section, he turns around and in the mouth of the alley (45 feet away) stands the tall man, staring at him. Ahn-Lee starts toward him, and the tall man dashes away.

As he reaches the mouth of the alley, Ahn-Lee discovers the ground there is Glued and he is stuck, unable to pull free. In the alley across the street a woman with dark hair and bright eyes raises her bow and fires at him. Ahn-Lee is unable to dodge the arrow, which strikes his left arm. He draws two knives and throws them; she barely dodges both, dropping her bow. She shakes her head. Ahn-Lee throws two more knives, which she dodges adroitly; she draws a throwing knife. Again Ahn-Lee throws two knives, again they're right on target, and again the woman dodges them. Her thrown knife bites into Ahn_Lee's left arm.

Just then a gang of Copper Kids rush out of the opposite alley, swarming the woman. She swats at them, knocking a few of the kids down. Then she turns and runs away.