Sapphire:Sessions:20150117
Sapphire Harbor, aboard the Moedian ship Far Quest, Shawna addresses the merchant trader Solt Delameter. "Excuse the unconventional and inconvenient hour, but I am here to serve a lien against this ship and its cargo."
Chalker, fast-drawing his sword, strikes an opponent in the wrist. The man steps back, clamping his hand tightly over his bleeding wrist, staring warily at Chalker. Chalker asks, "What is your position?" "Second mate." Chalker appraises him as a level 2 mage, greedy, amoral, determined, and a regular temple-goer. "I'm going to hold you hostage. If you do anything except heal your wound, I will cut your head off." Carefully, the man casts a healing spell, greatly slowing the loss of blood from his slashed wrist.
Up near the bow, Trace runs here and there, peering over the rails and calling out, keeping the crew busy looking into the dark water, whether for boarding parties or crewmen gone overboard, who can tell?
Chalker and his hostage make their way to the merchant's stateroom. Delameter: "After the lien is served, I am free to leave the harbor?" Shawna: I'm afraid that determination is not within my authority as the King's representative. Chalker: Who was your shield? Delameter: Seaman First Class Allen. Chalker: Two of your men have met an accident in the water. They're not coming back up. The sentry at the base of the mast is... breathing. You are to tell the others "false alarm" and send them back to their bunks.
As Delameter takes notes, he subtly casts a spell. Shawna: If you're wanting to bring in a third party, this is really not the time for that. Chalker glimpses something, a rustle of cloth. Chalker: Did you just get contacted? I'm not alone, I'm just not in charge. Second Mate: I didn't do anything. Delameter: Why do you think I was involved? Shawna: That is outside the terms of the lien.
Delameter picks up a quill. "I suppose you expect me to sign this." With a sudden flick of the wrist, he throws the quill at Shawna, who snatches it out of the air. Shawna: Do you refuse to sign? Delameter: I'm afraid I can't. Shawna fast-draws her sword and slugs him in the jaw with the pommel, stunning him.
The Far Quest's captain, Murrel Lansbury, appears in the doorway. Shawna: I know this looks bad, but it's strictly business. Lansbury wants a definition of the 'personal property' that is excluded from the lien. Shawna: Tell me what you are declaring. Lansbury: My merchant's ledgers and trade documents. Shawna: I assume he called out to you. Such loyalty! Lansbury: My crew is well trained. Shawna: We will overlook the attempt at bribery [he had, in so many words, offered payment is lieu of confiscation].
Trace hears one of the hatches slowly rising. The crewmen below decks attempt to throw up the hatch, but Rory had blocked it and it slams back down on their heads. To confuse things further, Rory yells "Die, Empire!" and fires his bow. Other crewmen slip and slide on Trace's oil slick.
Lansbury: I need to talk to my first mate. Chalker: Has he signed the paper? Shawna: He refused. Chalker evaluates Lansbury's aura: Dark, level 3 mage, has dealt with demons, but has no particular link with Asseraah. Lansbury: You're definitely not an acolyte of Asseraah. Chalker: I have to talk to him every so often.
Shawna lays her sword atop the writing desk, then ties Solt Delameter's hands. Captain Lansbury calls to First Mate Brandon to stand down. "We'll be turning over the ship to pay for damages. We are knee-deep in Imperial politics over something that happened in the last 24 hours."
Lansbury negotiates with Chalker over the disposition of the crew, care for the injured, and personal property. Chalker: What House are you from? Lansbury: I am part of the Quest Consortium. Chalker: Explain where you stand in terms of royalty. Lansbury: I am captain of the Consortium's flagship Far Quest; I am not part of the ruling class. Chalker: You're evil. So you *are* royalty. Lansbury: Moedia doesn't have royalty. We are a trading city. This ship is owned by three people, two of whom are high up in the hierarchy. They will not be pleased at all. Chalker: They'll kill Delameter. You'll be fine. Lansbury: There are worse things they can do.... Chalker: Like kill them and raise them up? Lansbury: That tends to anger Damarot. I want to die in bed and meet Dara. Chalker: You know we'll both die by pointy things. What were you going to do with the statuettes? Lansbury: Deliver them to one whose identity would be provided.
Rory lets down rope ladders for the Empire sailors who are boarding the Far Quest, then shouts to get the group's attention. Chalker: Captain, we need to go calm the Empire down.
With Molly's gang and the acolytes of Asseraah still tailing them, the group returns to the Boar's Head around midnight. Bajeeter is still at work. Shawna drinks a glass of light wine. Rory helps the stableboys tend the group's horses and acknowledges Jim and his lads who are hanging around.
The next morning, Chalker and Shawna check the Far Quest's manifest versus the inventory list. There are around 20 items that aren't listed on the manifest, mostly curios, but including three magic items. The strongbox contains about 500 gold as well as bags of precious gems. The ship's next two ports of call are shown as Flynn (trading port) and Byness (capital of a duchy).
Rory keeps an appointment to talk with Trivett about apprenticing Jim. Trivett is interested and even offers the boy a place to stay.
Mid-morning, Shawna and Chalker get Trace and they go to the Far Quest. In the captain's quarters, Chalker finds a wall cubby carved into a beam. Opening its hidden latch, he finds a sheaf of orders and an itinerary for the next month. The ship was here to have two artifacts delivered to it (not the two statuettes from the bar) and to deliver packets to certain Moedian merchants residing in Sapphire. There is also a sealed packet to be delivered to Moedia. One note reads "Call at Flynn, pick up standard drop" and another mentions Byness. Another sheet says "Reroute to Wicera, pickup from exploration team." The ship was to reach Wicera by the 5th of Feast Time and wait for up to six days for a "very important pickup." Chalker locates the captain's personal stash, containing 5g, but the magelocked footlocker is gone.
IN the merchant's stateroom, Chalker finds two empty hiding places. In the writing desk is a ring bearing the crest of a royal house. Shawna relates that the house had been that of a baron with magery in his lineage; when the Empire outlawed magery, the house was banished and had probably fled to Moedia. "Thus the Calventine Empire birthed its own enemy." Another set of books accounts for the fifteen missing items; the three magic items are noted in code, and the others were apparently hidden to avoid taxes.
In the cargo hold the group finds the three special items: A 1/10th scale harp sculpted of ivory stone; a toy cart carved from wood with turning metal wheels; a rune-carved polished hardwood wand about a foot long. Trace recognizes about half of the runes, about 10% of which are in the Venettian style.
Up top, Trace uses the box and looks in the direction he couldn't see last night. He detects a portal, twenty miles out and headed in a westerly direction. He asks divers to check around the ship to see if anything was thrown or dropped overboard.
Meanwhile, Rory gets the "real" tour of the Merchants Guild and has lunch with Trivett to discuss Jim and the deal made with Captain Lansbury.
Entering the Temple of Asseraah, Chalker gives observance and walks around, talking seemingly to himself. "I told you I would come. You've been following me. I need to ask a couple of questions, because I'm confused." As he completes his third circuit, Chalker notices someone has fallen in step beside him and nodded in acknowledgment to Shawna. "Question?" "The Second Chosen. I don't understand why they share power -- it's unlike you to 'share.' Why bring back those who have been banished? I know of four of them." "Asseraah does not share." "You're bringing them back; you must share." "I must?" "I don't understand chaos. Are you for demons or against?" "Yes." "The captain from Moedia who's had dealings with demons. Was that on your behalf? I have reasons for asking." "I know." "Are you going to do anything about it?" "I have." "Is it okay for me to kill him?" "If you are able." "Thank you for your permission." "You may also kill yourself." "It's not my fault things aren't going as you planned. I'm here to spread chaos." "Your 'chaos' manages to order itself." "You've discouraged me from visiting Aaoo." "She'll be disappointed." "She is wonderful... and terrifying. I actually *like* crazy." The priest bows, thanks Shawna, and takes his leave.
The group drops most of the artifacts, except for the wand, at the Boar's Head, then Trace leads them around to check the different portals he has detected. Around 5pm they cross paths with Rory, who has bought sweets to hand out to the kids. They spend a few hours checking portals (Venettian gates). None are above ground. One of them, not as deep as the others, may be touching "sub-ruin levels" of Old Town.
Around 7pm Shawna leads the way to the famous Green Lantern Tavern, a stand-alone building on a well-lit street. Before entering the tavern, Rory notices Jimmy lounging in an alley. Rory and Striker go over to the young man. Rory: I heard this is your part of town. Jimmy: "Let Little Sal know you're a friend of mine. My gang will watch your horses."
Inside, hanging from a rafter, is a glowing green lantern which shows as a holy and magic item. The musicians entertaining the crowd are known to Shawna -- Alvin the Harper and Skylar Lucius (who plays the lute). Dancing near the stage is a lively young faun (who Chalker recognizes as Dash). Behind the bar are Big Solly and Little Sal. Chalker is amused to see that two priests of Asseraah have seated themselves as far away as they can get.
A nervous-looking woman with dark red hair steps inside; it's obviously Molly in disguise, but she walks up to Chalker's table and says, "I'm Polly. Welcome to the Green Lantern." Rory stands and offers Polly his chair, then goes to talk to Little Sal.
Polly: You just drip danger and money. Need any... services? Chalker: Does your influence extend outside Sapphire? Polly: Unfortunately, no. You dropped new territory into our laps! You observed the harbor for a long time. Again, do you need any services? Oh, and the King has issued a proclamation; we won't be seeing any more Moedian ships. Chalker: They're not the only ones following us. What House are you from? Polly: The procurement house, of course. If you need me, just tell one of the people who are following you. Chalker: See you at the palace. Polly: No, not for a long while. They don't like that I took something away from them. No, you can't buy it -- you couldn't afford it.
Rory learns from Little Sal that Mr. Manring found the green lantern in some Venettian ruins, or was given it by ancient elves, or possibly by blue aliens. It had been stolen and was missing for awhile, but had been recovered six months ago. "If you helped Jimmy, you're a good egg in my book."
Chalker goes into the gambling room and buys-in at one of the card tables. After fifteen minutes a bouncer steps in and speaks to a group in the corner. Suddenly the main hustler turns honest. Chalker ends up 1.5g ahead. Chalker gets up from the table and shakes his head slightly at the hustler, who stares boldly back at him.
The entertainers, Alvin and Lucius, have taken a break. Shawna goes up on stage and sings "Red Falcon" followed by "Lady of the Forest." Soon she has the entire tavern (except for the two priests of Asseraah) singing a rondo. The Lantern appears to glow more brightly. Chalker tries to look through the Lantern, but whatever it's made of is too dense for him to see through.
Neil, Baron Melroy's man, is waiting for them outside the Green Lantern, and follows them back to the Boar's Head. "Anything to tell the boss?" Shawna replies, "I'm not volunteering anything."
Just after 8:00am the next morning, Neil enters the Boar's Head and takes a seat at the group's table. He presents them with a formal written request for anything to act on, anything of interest. "You don't have to answer now." Trace borrows some ink and parchment from Rory. He rolls the runed wand in the ink and transfers an impression to parchment, which he sends with Neil to show to Baron Melroy's mages.
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