Sapphire:Sessions:20150523
Evening, Feast Time 5, village of Warton in Smorshal. The group is in the village's shabby tavern. Chalker is questioning Mose Kintoth, first mate of the ship White Star, which is anchored 400 yards offshore. The captain's name is Loopy Stockbrand.
Chalker: "Still with me, Kintoth? Pandemonium Dagger Guild seems to have a hit out on me. Would you like a drink? Something strong?"
The bartender starts to claim he stocks nothing stronger than cheap ale, but then he pulls a ceramic jug out from behind the counter and pours out a mug of homebrew. Chalker counts the coins in Kintoth's money pouch and lays down a silver piece for the bartender. He puts the mug to Kintoth's lips; the first mate takes a large swallow.
Chalker: "What is the Captain's part in all this?" Kintoth: "He's cutting a deal between a priest, the Baron, and some wizard from up north." "The Tower Wizard? Is that who?" "yeah." "Is the wizard in town?" "No." "Your Captain's probably focused on money. Any idea what it's for? "Some long-term plan. The Captain is a need-to-know sort, very tight-lipped." "Is it on the ship?" "The Captain hasn't had time to bring it together."
Chalker: "You know a lot about me... what about her?" He indicates Shawna. Kintoth stares at Shawna, who is wiping mud and gore off of herself. Shawna: "Shut up, Chalker, I'm tired."
Chalker asks the innkeeper, Margaret, how dead bodies are taken care of in this village. She explains that there is a graveyard, and some traveling priests of Damaroth include Warton on their circuit.
Chalker to Kintoth: "I'm sure your dead will be taken to the ship. Will it be three -- or four?" Kintoth: "I'm waiting for the Captain to come to the tavern."
Chalker addresses the few other patrons. "Want a drink? Mose, here, is buying." They all accept.
Shawna speaks pointedly, "Are we going to break up the meeting?" Chalker asks Kintoth, "Where is the meeting?" Kintoth: "At the shrine of Asseraah south of town."
Chalker leaves a silver piece (from Kintoth's purse) with the bartender to keep Yasser supplied with ale. Chalker warns Kintoth, "If you try to leave, my friend will beat you unconscious." Chalker explains to Ahn-Lee, "You and me and Shawna are going to a shrine, leaving Yasser here. Yasser, make sure the hurt guy and the other sailors don't leave. Use your own discretion."
The shrine is said to be a mile south of the village. While they are still a quarter-mile away, Shawna can feel that the area is 'sanctified' to Asseraah. Shawna: "Thinking of turning back?" Chalker: "No." Shawna: "Didn't think so."
There are creatures moving among the tree branches, following them, their sharp claws scraping the bark. There are four of them, moving in formation.
Lanterns hanging in the trees light the clearing. At the entrance to the shrine stands a tall, thin, grey-haired priest in jet-black robes, a silver dagger at his belt. Leaning against a wall behind him is a stout quarterstaff banded with iron. Chalker greets the priest and inquires about the Captain. "Stockbrand is not exactly a faithful child of Asseraah, though he does give observance. He has been here, but something came up and he had to leave quickly. It seems that Lord Dar has been quite busy tonight. ... Roo has stepped in and made his plans more interesting."
Chalker enters the shrine, approaches the altar, and gives observance. The shrine is dedicated to the Chaos aspect of Asseraah. Shawna enters the shrine, standing a few steps inside, her expression impassive. Chalker addresses the priest (whose name is Adalith), "Tell your lord I came and I prayed. Why is this shrine radiating so much power?" Adalith: "In the past it has housed foundation stones, and this part is very important to my lord." Shawna walks deliberately toward Adalith, her eyes boring directly into his; at first he meets her gaze boldly, but after several moments he lowers his eyes, seeming to shrink into himself.
Shawna turns to leave, stopping in the entrance and staring intently at the quarterstaff. Chalker reaches out and takes hold of the iron bands with his telekinesis -- and can't let go fast enough. He reels and retches, feeling "that staff was going to eat my soul!" He watches Shawna cautiously, ready to jerk her away in case she is overcome. But after three long minutes, she bares her teeth in a mirthless grin, turns her back on the shrine, and strides away. An instant later, Chalker sees the staff vanish and reappear in Adalith's hands.
At the edge of the clearing, the four creatures -- opossums -- are still perched high in the trees, watching the group. Shawna walks up to one tree, looks up and calls, "Come down, little one." Chalker and Ahn-Lee look on as the possum climbs down the tree until it is level with Shawna's head. Shawna reaches out her right hand and places it on the possum's head. (She senses that this is no monster, but a natural creature under Charesoon's illicit control.)
Looking on, Chalker calls out to the Mother of Night, obtaining a portion of her attention. "Don't make me hurt your children, Mother. They're much too small."
After a few moments, Shawna gathers the possum into her arms. The other three skitter away through the trees. Chalker can feel Mother's frustration, regret, and malice. Shawna carries the possum a short way into the woods, setting it down and encouraging it to return to its burrow.
The three return to the tavern. Chalker pays Margaret for four rooms at the inn (still using Kintoth's money). Kintoth repeats that he had "standing orders" regarding Chalker -- "Kill on sight."
Chalker, Shawna, and Ahn-Lee take their horses and ride north. 200 yards out they see a runner start sprinting toward the Baron's hunting lodge. Chalker urges his horse into a run, but the runner screams repeatedly "Riders coming!" and dashes into the dense trees.
The three continue at a trot. Seven men, including two bearing spears, emerge from the building and deploy themselves in an arc. Chalker calls out, "Greetings!" One of the men steps forward, introducing himself as Guard Captain Stevens. Chalker: "Tell Captain Stockbrand that Chalker Jackson has a message for him." Stevens: "He is in a meeting with the Baron. It will be a couple of hours." Chalker: "I'm going to have to insist. Tell them to take a break and let the captain speak to me."
Stevens: "You are confident in your strength." Chalker: "I guess we've gotten past the 'reasonable' part." Chalker snatches a spear out of one of the guards' grasp and sets its point on Stevens's temple; Shawna draws her sword. Stevens: "You're a mage." Chalker: "The mage is back there. We'll need to kill four of you. Will you be one of the three that survives?" Stevens: "Then we will fight and die!"
Chalker shoves the spear into Stevens's temple; the guard captain staggers and drops to one knee. Shawna dismounts and rushes at the other spearman; she avoids his spear, but he mortally wounds her horse. Two guards charge at Chalker and two at Shawna. Ahn-Lee fires his crossbow and hits a guard in the chest.
Shawna stabs the spearman under his chin, killing him. Chalker pushes his spear and urges his horse forward, then starts to turn. The guard Ahn-Lee shot charges at him. The disarmed spearman and one of the other guards run away. Two of the guards raise their swords and await Chalker's charge. Shawna senses a sincere prayer going up from Stevens to one of the First Chosen.
Ahn-Lee cocks his crossbow and drops in a bolt. Shawna sprints toward Stevens. Chalker draws his sword and charges between the two guards, viciously slashing the one on his right. The other guard flees.
Shawna stabs Stevens, disrupting his prayer. Chalker turns his horse and sees a swordsman staggering away. Ahn-Lee shoots the guard charging him, who in turn swings at and misses Ahn-Lee; Ahn-Lee drops his crossbow and pulls out a knife.
Shawna finishes off Stevens by stabbing him in the throat. Chalker strikes the guard as he rides past; the guard remains on his feet but is obviously stunned. Ahn-Lee draws his other knife and stabs his attacker twice, dropping him.
Chalker finishes off the stunned guard. No one has emerged from the lodge. The door is closed and locked, but when Chalker uses his special vision to peer through the door, he sees four guards armed with crossbows. Chalker uses his power over metal to pick the lock on the door. He alerts his companions, "We're going to have some premature ejaculations," before he uses his metal TK to trigger each crossbow in turn. When Chalker pulls the door open and the three charge in, the four crossbowmen are running away.
Bounding up a flight of stairs, the three come to the door of a study. Chalker peers through the door and sees a man standing a few yards away; his aura shows greed and a dark taint, and indicates that he worships Asseraah. Shawna tells Ahn-Lee to stay back and cover them, and she and Chalker open the door and stride in briskly.
In the middle of the study the Baron is seated at a table; Captain Stockbrand sits next to him. There are three people off to one side. To the other side sits a fighting man clad in mail; he resembles an older version of Guard Captain Stevens. Upon the table sits an open chest.
Baron: "Impatient, aren't you? Who are you?" Chalker: "The Captain knows me. I'm Chalker Jackson. (To Stockbrand) Number one, I've been talking to Mose. He's alive but not in good shape. Three of your crew are dead." Stockbrand: "So he messed up." Chalker: "Number two, I have to know what you and the Baron are doing. Number three, I need to find the Tower Wizard."
Baron: "We are doing a business transaction." Chalker: "I asked for an audience with the Captain. Do I seem like a patient person? Captain, are you going to qnswer my questions?" Stockbrand: "He knows what the standing orders against you and your family are." Chalker: "So there's a deal between you, this nobleman, the priest of Asseraah, and the Tower Mage."
Chalker and Shawna move forward so they can see into the chest. Inside are four icons resting on black velvet -- a red lens (such as would be found on a telescope), a green sword, a brown eagle, and a blue bell. Each icon is carved from a different color of jasper. Tiring of the Baron's continued chatter, Shawna casts Paralyze on his vocal cords; visibly upset, he collapses into a chair.
Shawna picks up each icon in turn. The eagle, carved in a perching position with its wings folded, is a potent powerstone. She remembers hearing of the blue bell icon some 850 years ago. Inscribed on it are the words Liberty, Freedom, Justice, and what appears to be the artist's mark, the initials JC. Shawna: "There's a crack carved into the bell. I don't understand the symbolism, though." The red lens also bears the JC mark. The green sword is very detailed, including nicks and other signs of wear as though it were exactly copied from a real sword; it also has the JC mark.
Chalker elicits from Stockbrand the information that the Tower Wizard is paying "ten thousand gold, plus other considerations" for the four icons. He is evasive as to how the icons were obtained. Chalker: "If you give them to me, I won't burn your ship." Shawna: "Chalker, the captain threatened you and your family." Chalker: "We'll take these and deliver them to the Tower Wizard." Stockbrand: "You don't even know how to contact him." Chalker: "Where did the standing orders against me and my family come from?" Stockbrand: "My leaders don't want you continuing as Ambassador."
Shawna closes the lid on the chest and picks it up, tucking it under her left arm. The older fighter speaks: "Who killed the guard captain?" Chalker: "It was a joint effort." The older fighter mutters, "Thank you." Shawna: "I regret what had to be done. He was a brave and valiant man." Chalker echoes these sentiments.
Shawna removes the Paralyze spell. Baron: "I will give an extra offering to Yasseph for insulting her representative."
Chalker asks the Baron, "Where did you find the icons?" Baron: "Two were bought; the lens was found in a sea cave near Warton; the fourth object was turned up in a plowed field."
Chalker: "Captain, we've come to an impasse." Stockbrand: "You're breaking up a deal long in the making." Chalker: "Now that I know I'm on your Guild's list, I'll have to talk to your leaders. I'm a businessman, but I have no offer of compensation."
The older fighter rises, unbuckles his sword belt and lets it clatter to the floor, then draws a knife and drives it point-first into the table. In a low voice he requests to be allowed to see to his son. Shawna and Chalker allow him to pass from the room.
Chalker says he will take some of the Baron's horses as compensation, adding "Sorry to leave on such bad terms."
Out front, Shawna observes that the older fighter has laid out Captain Stevens's body and dipped his hand into the blood. She approaches and says respectfully, "Your son dwells with Dara now and will return in a future life. I do not blame you for swearing a blood oath, but understand that he died honorably." The fighter does not reply. When Shawna looks back a little later, he has set daggers into the ground around the body and appears to be performing a ritual.
Shawna pauses beside her dead horse and gently strokes its mane. "You deserved better," she whispers almost inaudibly.
Chalker and Ahn-Lee leave their old horses at the Baron's stable and the group takes four of the Baron's best riding horses. The three discuss their next moves as they ride back to Warton. Returning to the tavern, Chalker buys everyone one more round before sending the captives back to their ship.
The four of them ride south until almost dawn. They camp and set watches, moving on again around noon. They encounter normal traffic on the road, some people on foot, some in wagons, a few royal patrols; they pass several farms and a few villages.
An hour or so past sundown they arrive at a coastal town of about a thousand people; a few ships are anchored a hundred yards offshore. They enter a brightly-lit tavern and chat with some of the townsfolk. There is some talk of bandit gangs that are active at the Maston border; their base of operations is in a swamp, and the local duke is said to be talking about flushing them out.
Chalker asks the young serving girl if there are any towers in the area. She responds brightly, "There are some towers in the capital." Asked about any famous wizards in the area, she tells them eagerly about Jacinto Elf-Friend; "He has a place in town, but he also helps the Duke at the border sometimes."
Chalker and Shawna go to Jacinto's home, a two-story stone building. Chalker knocks and the door is answered by a girl in her late teens dressed in work clothes, who exclaims enthusiastically at the sight of Shawna. "Jacinto's back in his lab. I'll go tell him you're here."
Jacinto appears to be about sixty years old, in good health, with gray shoulder-length hair. He wears a plain robe cinched with a belt with several pouches. Chalker notes from his Aura that Jacinto is a powerful (level 4) mage, curious, an explorer, strong with Cor, touched by Yasseph, older than he looks, has been in the presence of demons; he is basically a good person.
Shawna and Chalker quickly get to the point; they are looking for a mage named Tholadan. Jacinto tells them that Tholadan had been kicked out of the capital's Mage Guild some time ago because he offended Damarot (which suggests he was dealing in necromancy). Jacinto studies the brown eagle icon, noting its great power and its JC mark, and says "Danilon stole something with a JC mark about fifty years ago. I was his apprentice at one time." (Chalker figures this must have been Danilon the Younger, rather than the former owner of the manor where he, Rory, and Trace waited out the Godwalk.) Fifteen years ago Jacinto and others killed some members of the Pandemonium Dagger Guild who were active in the country.
As the hour grows late, Shawna and Chalker take their leave of Jacinto. The group will meet with him at his home tomorrow morning after breakfast.
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