Selvin waved a hand a bit. "Honestly? We should try t'find Tarrov." He glanced at Lucky, "He was stayin' behind t'organize resistance against the Queen...an' it sounds like he did just that!"

He frowned. "Though...he's probably a lot harder t'find these days, hidin' from the Queen an' all her forces. Hm."

"I agree that we should look for Tarrov."  Zuni said, Leaning against the side of the ship.  She looked over at Selvin.  It was odd to see him without Zac surrounding him.  She was just so used to there being an otherworldly aura surrounding the Half-Elf.  On impulse, she reached over to poke her finger at his shoulder.  Normally she'd be poking Zac but now it was all Half-Elf.  Maybe that was the reason why he seemed to be so withdrawn at times during the trip back to Korvosa.

"At the very least, Tarrov would have a better idea of what was going on in Korvosa."

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 7):

"Hmmm," Chandanar hmmms.  "Well.  Lemme think.

"Rebels would need supplies.  I would think that would mean black market.  We could maybe try to find someone in the black market and get a message to him.

"And wasn't he like...all theater people type?  We could ask around the artsy fartsy set.  Bet some of them are in his group."

He considers.  "Ya know...this may sound wonky.  But what if we do call attention to ourselves?  Like...break something big.  In public.  Make some kinda announcement.  Bet he would hear about us being back in town and come looking for us.  So would Queenie. But isn't that really a matter of time anyway?"

He leans back off the rail. "Ya know...not only am I really sexy, I'm full of good advice.  Yah me."

Selvin slowly turned his head to look at Zuni after she poked him. A lopsided grin slid on to his face. "Careful, Zuni. I might poke back."

He looked over at Chandanar when the cleric spoke up. He listened and gave a small nod. "Sure. That'd make sense." He tried not to think about the black market, Gaedren, his previous job or any of the other dark, sad thoughts that threatened to bubble up. He had work to do. He couldn't afford to wallow.

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 9):

The ship pulls into dock.

The town looks busy, but in a weird way.  Soldiers are surrounding the port.  Their livery is not Korvosan.  You think they are the local baron's people.

The soldiers are holding back a large crowd, who are trying to get down into the dock.  Once your ship is sighted, the crowd seems to get restless.  People are shouting from shore asking if they are taking on passengers.

The captain shakes his head.  "Everyone's tryin' to get as far away from Korvosa as possible these days.  I've had people offer me their houses to take them away."

"Hmmm sounds like it is a good time to be in the shipping business!"  Lucky says with a grin and giggle.  "All this chaos should make it easier to get into the city through without any problems.  I am game for whatever we decide to do."

Selvin looked at the crowd, eyes a bit wide, eyebrows lifted up. He glanced at the captain when they spoke up. It was one thing to 'know things are bad' but to see what it was driving so many people to....it was a little bit of a shock, even so.

He cleared his throat. "Right. Well. Guess we should stay outta trouble an' go see what we can find out." He started to head out.

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 12):

You can pick up some facts on your way out of the docks.

The crowds are, as you probably thought, all refugees from Korvosa.  While this area is not under Korvosa's rule, it is expected the Queen will start invading the surrounding lands quite soon.  The baron whose lands these are is apparently recruiting mercenaries.

Anything you want to do here?  Or should we move on to Korvosa?

Thanks

Lucky listened to the banter of the refugees and one particular one had him thinking so he asked the others, "We could try and get hired as mercenaries by this Baron we've heard people talk about.  As I said, I am open."

Izzick hated the sea and he hated the idea of heading back - the way they'd left Korvosa, he wasn't sure if living in the Ashlands might actually be better. But then again, that was exactly why they were heading back. And hopefully, they'd gained enough allies and power to make it different.

"The queens already none too happy with us. She's sent assassins before, I don't think we'll be doing much but painting a bigger target if we try to make too much noise." Sure she may have thought they were dead by now, but the assassins wouldn't have reported back. Izzic didn't hate the clerics other ideas though, "Black Markets might be our best bet, otherwise I'm sure someone in the theater circles still has contact with him." Assume there weren't any weird dragon cats to deal with.

Any chance I can sell the Ring of Protection +1 I've got around here? If so I'd like to add to my tattoos

In reply to Izzick (msg # 15):

I am sure, given the situation, someone will be willing to pony up for a ring that might help them stay alive.  You can assume you sell it at top dollar Izzy.

You can do the tat as well. But you guys would need to stay overnight.  Up to you guys.

So one vote for mercenaires and one vote for black market.  Selvin and Zuni?  Any preference here?

I will move us along tomorrow one way or the other.

Thanks

Once Izzick's inking is done, his neck has a large rune tattoo'd into the center of it - a protection sigil and something that would hopefully keep them safe regardless of what they ended up against. The second set of tattoos were swirls and spirals, looking hazy and smoke like, but clearly intentional, across the half-orc's broad back and obliques.

Selvin shook his head at Lucky. "Gettin' hired as mercenaries would get us workin' on other things, whatever that Baron wanted, not necessarily what WE wanted at all. An' it ain't like we need t'make money." He glanced at Izzick, "I think we've got what we need, hopefully everythin' we need, we've got a clear goal in front of us, an' we need t'find our friend Tarrov t'pursue said goal."

He looked at the others. "Yes? No?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:51, Tue 25 May 2021.

Zuni turned suddenly and snarled at a passerby, who quickly pulled back a hand from her backside.  "I'm having a sudden urge to kill someone." she growled as the other individual disappeared into the crowded docks.  One of her daggers spun about in her hand as she contemplated embedding it in someplace very uncomfortable.

"Finding Tarrov should be our first priority."  The shiny dagger slipped bloodless back into a sheath at her hip.  "Let's check out the Black Markets first.  At least that's an area where I'm pretty sure that we are all comfortable with.  We find out what's been going on and then we can figure out our plan of action."

"I have a few contacts of my own that could shed some light on the situation as well, assuming that they haven't gotten themselves killed.  Without my calming influence to keep them out of trouble...you know...like I do with you guys...who knows what they'd have gotten up too."

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 19):

The next morning, after Izzick gets inked, you all head upriver.  You are definitely in the minority. Most everyone else is heading downstream, as far from Korvosa as they can get.

About an hour before sunset you come within sight of the city walls...well.  Make that "walls".  Most of them have been torn down, leaving large gaps like a giant sat on them.  Huge sections of the city now seem to be either deserted, decimated, or perhaps both.  Over head, you count two dragons circling.

Zuni, your new friend snickers in your head.  I'll be able to cut them soon, right?  You're gonna let me cut them?  Cut...cut...cut...

Entry into the city proves to be incredibly easy.  Although there are soldiers guarding, there are so many holes in the walls now, it's like they're trying to cover every hole in a wheel of swiss cheese.

The sections of the city closest to the main avenue and palace have the least amount of damage.  Life seems to be going on there, or at the very least people are there.  The patrols of soldiers get heavier the closer you get towards the palace as well.

There's plenty of empty houses to choose from.  You find a suitable one and camp for the night, taking a moment to relax as best you can.


It takes some doing to learn rumors.  People don't want to talk.  Many seem to assume you're working for the Queen.  But you manage to peel up some information from the few who are too trusting or stupid.

Tarrov's group is going by the name The Repatrioters.  They've been doing hit and runs on Queenie's supply depots but she finally pulled all depots into the palace, which ended that.  Tarrov's group then managed to pull off a nice coup:  they killed one of the Queen's dragon allies.  There's different rumors about how they managed it.  None of the stories you hear sounds reliable.  But everyone agrees they did it.

Of course, Queenie didn't like that.  She made their capture her top priority.  Tarrov and his folks had to go deep underground.

Some say they are holed up in Old Korvosa, the section of the city the Queen has the least control over.  She is apparently having some run ins with that family of weretigers you guys had problems with.  Remember them?  Well.  Lucky wouldn't.  But there were some weretigers.  Just go with it.

There's a dwarf named Leno.  He works with the health detail, carting dead bodies to the pyres that seem to be burning everywhere.  Supposedly he knows a guy who knows a guy that might could put you in contact with Tarrov.

Rumors are also going around one of Tarrov's group got caught earlier this morning.  A woman named Benda.  She's being held at a garrison house for "questioning".  She would be your best bet if she wasn't incarcerated and probably being tortured.

There are a few options for you.

Explore Old Korvosa-Old weretiger riddled Korvosa.

Try to find Leno and hope he knows a guy.

Maybe look into rescuing Benda.

You can also check around for other leads.  This is just a few ideas to get things moving.

Will let ya'll decide.

Thanks

Selvin, once they had all gathered together with the information once more, looked down for a moment. He frowned for a second and then slowly shrugged, the frown slowly turning rightside up in to a smile. "I mean...that Leno person is likely the SAFEST bet, as we KNOW we don't wanna deal with the weretigers again I don't think."

He paused dramatically, "But...I mean...come on....breakin' that Benda person out would be MUCH more fun an' satisfyin'. AN' show we are here t'help. Though...I mean...Tarrov should know that already."

Izzick nodded, Selvin wasn't wrong. "But we both know that Tarrov needs every person he can get. Just like we need every ally we can get." Besides, it just felt wrong to leave someone they knew was an ally  captured for torture. "I don't normally vote for more danger than we already have but we don't even know if Leno's a sure bet. I think raiding the garrison's our best bet. Besides, wouldn't be our first breaking an entering job against the Queen either."

Zuni busied herself looking through the pantry of the house that they were staying in.  "...come on...there's got to be something to drink here..." she muttered, closing yet another unsatisfying cupboard.  "...bah..."

"Why does the name Benda sound familiar?" the young woman asked, returning to her companions after a fruitless search.  "I think that we should look into rescuing her as well.  I also want to see if I can contact my old boss, King Pig.  Remember him?  The guy that brought us all together....well actually it was his assassination attempt brought me to you guys.  I made a few inquiries earlier and it turns out that his 'court' is still around, operating as smugglers now, which I can't say surprises me too much.  I think that I know where we can find them.  They might know where Tarrov is, or be able to help us find him."

Zuni looked thoughtful for a moment.  "I wonder if he would still be considered my boss?  It's not like I ever handed in my resignation, just sort of wandered off in the sewers with you guys and never went back."

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 23):

Chandanar hands Zuni a bottle of wine.  "So it sounds like we either try to rescue this Benda or see what King Piggy is up to.

"I think they both sound good.  Why not take a look at both?  If we do decide to spring Benda, we'd have to case this jail anyway right?  Why don't a couple of us go look over the jail and Zuni, you take someone and try to hook up with Pig.

"I mean...what could go wrong?  Am I right?

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Zuni grins upon seeing the bottle of wine.  She wipes the top of the bottle with her sleeve and digs through the cabinets for some mugs.  "That could work." she said, placing a mug in front of each of her companions. There was just enough liquid in the bottle for everyone to get a modest amount of wine.  "It feels like we should toast to something.  To finding old friends and killing Queens?"

"I can go look at the jail.  Seems like stealth may be something needed for that... not to mention cracking some locks."  Lucky said to the others as he was willing to go with any plan as long as it didn't get them killed.

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 26):

"Makes sense.  Izzy and I can go with one of you, and Selvin can birddog the other.

"How's that sound guys?"

I'll let Selvin and Izzy weigh in, then move us along.

Thanks

Selvin looked at Zuni for a moment, then at Izzick and then Chandanar. "Yeah. Okay. I don't like splittin' up....but I get it."

Then he glanced at Lucky. "I'll go with Lucky. I can be sneaky sometimes. An' invisible when needs be. I can summon 'friends' t'go pokin' about if we need also."

Lucky didn't know the strange warrior but he had seen enough of his fighting prowess to welcome him coming with him.  "That sounds great I would welcome the company as long as you say you can do what you say."  Which Lucky had no doubt he could.

"Oh he can do what he says he can do." Zuni said, raising her mug up in a singular toast before downing half of the contents.  She regarded the contents of her mug before raising her eyes to meet Selvins.  "You just be careful, big guy.  Come back safe."  She held his eyes for a long moment before draining her mug.

Zuni downed the rest of her mug before reaching for another one.  "You too, Lucky."