It was late in the afternoon and the summer heat was starting to bear down on Cordelia as she made her way through the streets of Korvosa. Weeks without making progress on her search had started to frustrate her as she made her rounds in Old Korvosa, looking for the kind of pesh-heads that might be able to give up a name.

Seeing a group of steely-eyed thugs bearing the insignias of one of the many bandit groups in Korvosa, Violetta's hand slipped towards her belt pocket where her knife was held. To her surprise next to her knife in her pocket was a card. Pulling it out she found a Harrow card, The Juggler, with a note written on the back.

---

Anya's search had dead-ended once again and with no further prospects on her hunt for Gaedron, she had entered a tavern for an early supper. The bowl of porridge had arrived and been just as bland tasting as it looked. A commotion at the door, a couple of low-lifes trying to sneak out of the tavern without paying drew her eye and when she returned to her bowl, a single Harrow card, the Vision, was resting carefully on top of it. Looking around she didn't see anyone else near her that could have placed it so perfectly.

---

Kraw had been wandering the streets for awhile, his fortunes coming and going as he climbed his way out of the depths of addiction. One name kept coming back to him over and over again: Gaedron Lamm and yet when pressed nobody seemed to know where he was located. It had been a frustrating week as his remaining gold had begun to dwindle. He had been able to at least get the name of the shiver supplier that had nearly killed him but that was as far as his search had gone. Earlier that day he had picked up some nuts from a merchant and feeling the pangs of hunger he reached into the bag but all he found was a single Harrow card, the Big Sky.

---

On every card was the same handwritten note scrawled on the ornate backing in a strange white ink.

<quote>
I know what Gaedren has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Gaedren must face his fate, and justice must be done.


The address leads to a tiny home tucked in the Midlands a couple blocks away from the West Dock. The road is busy, even at the late hour, but nobody pauses to notice the adventurers lingering in the road. The door to the home is open and a fragrance of flowers and spices drifts out of the home to mix with the strong smell of fish and salt water coming out of the West Dock.


OOC: Feel free to detail your recent adventures and times in the city as well as meeting one another all standing around looking at the house holding an aged Harrow card in hand.

Anya had spent the day in town. Her boss had no work for her in the coming few days, waiting for deliveries from out of town, crafting new merchandise - and with Sunday coming up, he had told her to check back in on Oathday. She did not mind, she had plenty of gold saved up, and Liris - her martial mentor, friend and cousin, was out of town anyway. After making sure old Daria was set with food for the day, something she did to show her care but which she did not need to do since Daria was quite capable of caring for herself, she left Trail's End and walked into town. A quick stop to buy half a loaf of bread and one slice of cheap pork sausage, then a long stop at High Bridge, watching a fishing vessel enter Jeggare River and moor in West Dock, watching one of the hippogriff riders of the Sable Company fly over the river - daydreaming and eating. Then on towards the peninsula and the main part of the city, right when the city guards were about to chase her away for disturbing the order or for possibly blocking the passage should three carriages pass over the bridge towards Korvosa and navigate between the houses in one of those narrow passages or whatever rotten excuse they could come up with to bother a seemingly jobless Varisian like herself. She did not want to bother them though, carrying that heavy pick she had stolen off of a traveling dwarf's cart so long ago, she was always a bit on edge these days and did not want to get into trouble.

Once on the other side of the bridge, she got to it. A quick pass by the gate to Gray District to try and find one of the Pharasmites - preferably one of the women, they were always more helpful, while the men found it oh-so-important to watch for any moldy old skeleton that might SUDDENLY rise up and kill innocent children (of which there were hardly any in Gray District throughout a whole day) - yielded nothing, she did not spot a single person. That might be for the best, Anya found them all rather ridiculous either way, the Pharasmites. Then on towards The Heights. It should not be hard to find a guard willing to tell if they know something about this crime lord, to someone offering to help searching and give information back if any is found. It was hard though, as it turns out. Three guards refused to even look at her; one told her flat out that he would not aid a druggie make her connections and that frankly he should take her to jail to teach her a lesson; after which a guard looking old enough to retire, out of sympathy, told her everything he knew - which turned out to be nothing more than what she knew already. Gaedren is a dangerous man, thank you very much for that.

A couple of young girls in Midland, looking to be Varisians like herself, pointed her in the direction of a suspicious lair, and things got interesting. After half an hour of climbing through the shingles, trying to follow their cryptic description of the way to the place they had stumbled upon in one of their games, she found a man who looked like he had been twice as old as old Daria herself when he died - and now probably several weeks older. She gave up, reported the dead old man to a couple of guards who did not seem to care at all, and entered a tavern for an early supper.

---

"The vision, the vision, the vision..." she mumbled to herself, staring at the card. The sun still was not setting, and it seemed to her like she had been walking around for three whole days already, just waiting! There was a small, hard knot in her belly, fear, but she tried not to feel for it. She felt light and alive, the card and its appearance fascinated her. And made her nervous, afraid. No, not afraid, she did not want to be afraid! But she was. "But what does it meeeaaan?!" she said out of frustration. "I wish Daria was here." Daria knew harrowing, and Anya had tried to learn most of it, but it was hard. Putting the card in her pocket, Anya walked up to the house. She was a young woman, though old enough to have a family. She looked capable. Alert, cautious, strong. Her bright reddish hair did not reveal it, but the multi-colored and patterned scarf wrapped around her waist did show her Varisian heritage, her belonging to the generally lower-class human people originating from the area around Korvosa. Thankfully, the scarf covered most of the sharp heavy pick she carried for defense, as well as the daggers. The spellbook strapped to her belt was somewhat harder to conceal. Walking towards the house, she nearly jumped in fright over nothing but the built up suspense of the situation as she first caught the smell of flowers from the home, curious to find out what this was all about.

Kraw had been milling about the poorer sections of town, of late. As he struggled to overcome his addiction, his mind became clear enough to start looking for those who had gotten him hooked in the first place. But money was hard to come by, especially for a bladesman who couldn't even afford a sword. He'd sold it to pay for more drugs, and all he had left were a few daggers and a pair of kukris. Still the knives were useful when he had recovered enough to want to track down the guy who sold him the Shiver . He found the man on a corner near the wealthier section of town. Although he tried to get close enough to take some measure of revenge, he found himself constantly being harassed by the guards, who especially didn't trust any member of the tengu who thought it was a good idea to ply their trade in their town. At one point, a nobleman seemed to take the notion in his head that the young avianoid might be an escaped slave, and directed the guards to take him in. Kraw led them a merry chase throughout the boroughs of the city, eventually losing them near Fish town, by the docks. Despondent that his attempt to get revenge on the Shiver seller had come to nought, Kraw decided to drown his sorrows in a nearby tavern. He was on his third drink, and counting out a few coins from his dwindling stock of them, when the card appeared atop his cup, stopping him from taking a drink when he reached for the cup. He plucked the card, looking at The Big Sky image. Turning it over, he reads the message through bleary eyes. Once he has digested the contents of the message, he takes water from his waterskin and splashes some into his eyes to clear them. He then rereads the passage. Someone who knew where he could find Gaedron Lamm...and offering him a chance for his vengeance. he thought. For the first time in weeks, Kraw felt a surge of hope and excitement. Quickly he pays for his drinks, and goes outside. His knowledge of the city serves him well, for within ten minutes he is standing outside #3 Lancet Street. He sees a young Varisian woman also standing nearby. As he tends to do near most strangers, he melts into the shadows
to avoid notice, but keeps his attention on the front door of the house he'll be entering soon.


06:38, Today: Kraw rolled 19 using 1d20+10 with rolls of 9.  Stealth.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:39, Thu 14 June 2018.

As much as Cordelia Abbey would've liked to have been on the search for Gaedren Lamm all day, every day, life simply wasn't that kind to her. While her connection to her patron goddess did grant her power and influence, she was still a rather low girl on the totem pole. There was much training to do, and a fair bit of work necessary to 'pay back' her church for taking her in. As it was she could only occasionally step out to tap old contacts and search the alleyways and old neighborhoods. While she was admittedly begining to take some risks she really shouldn't, stepping into the territory controlled by more troublesome gangs, she was at least keeping the more superstitious types at bay with her holy symbol of Calistria. Assaulting a devotee of the goddess of vengeance tends to be a rough idea after all.

Still, the Harrow card in her pocket caught her off guard enough to make her abandon her search momentarily to check it out. She couldn't remember anyone getting close enough to slip the card onto her person, let alone next to her knife. And the message . . . was far too tempting to ignore. Sure it could be some kind of trap, but damnit, it's the first lead she'd had in ages. She was fairly familiar with the West Docks of course, and eventually managed to find the Harrow Card owner's home . . . and another person. The pretty girl slowed, frowning for a moment, before clearing her throat. There were no words, just staring at Anya as she casually crossed her arms, Harrow card held between two fingers and in plain view to see what her reaction would be. Alas, she completely missed the ever-sneaky Tengu.

Kraw attempts to hide in the shadows but it is a busy avenue and almost immediately someone bumps into him.

"Hey you lousy feather brain! Watch where you're going!"

Nevermind that Kraw was standing still and the man bumped into him but it was enough to ruin the element of stealth as everyone nearby turned and looked at the commotion.

Anya turned wide-eyed, startled, to see Cordelia. Then Kraw was bumped into, and Anya suddenly was not so alone. ”Uh, I got this.” she says, holding up her card, showing both sides. ”I think this is where I’m supposed to go, and it says on the card there will be others... Are you also... invited?”
If they are, Anya will introduce herself ”Anya Vinniter, I’m from here in Korvosa. You?” before wanting to head into the strange home.

The humanoid raven steps forward to confront the bold human, and he gives a nod in recognition. "My name is Kraugh Kickkaw, but most folks just call me Kraw. I, too, received a Harrow card inviting me to #3 Lancet. Mine mentioned a loathsome enemy of mine named Lamm. Did either of you send the card to me?" The tengu is dressed in studded leather armor and a buckler. He carries a pair of daggers in sheathes at his side.

Well that was an awkward way for someone to surprise her! Cordelia jumped at the sudden yelling and revelation of a frickin' Tengu of all things snooping around, but she recovered quickly enough. Both apparently had cards like hers, though at a glance of Anya's card it looked like she had a different card than hers even if the message was the same. She nodded to the pair, glancing around the street before speaking up.

"I'm Cordelia Abbey, Devotee of Calistria. Perhaps we should take this conversation inside our destination rather than out here on the street. You never know when a Lamb is lurking about, listening in on you."

To clarify, Gaedron Lamm uses orphans and street urchins as runners, spies and pick pockets. For various reasons you would all be familiar with the reference to Gaedron’s “little lambs”.

---

The house can be generously described as "cozy" and is filled with a thick haze that makes it difficult to navigate. The haze comes from several sticks of incense smouldering in wall-mounted burners that look like butterfly-winged elves. The smoke itself seems to soften edges and gives the room a dream-like feel. The walls are draped with brocaded tapestries, one showing a black-skulled beast juggling men’s hearts, another showing a pair of angels dancing atop a snow-blasted mountain. A third tapestry on the far wall depicts a tall hooded figure shrouded in mist, a flaming sword held in a skeletal hand. Several brightly-colored rugs cover the floor, but the room’s only furnishings are a wooden table covered by a bright red throwcloth and several elegant tall-backed chairs. A basket covered by blue cloth sits under the table.

On the table is another note, written in the same handwriting as was found on the backs of the Harrow cards.



Sure enough, a glance in the basket shows a loaf of slightly old bread and a bottle of cheap wine.

Kraw digests both Cordelia's introduction and the written note. Kraw finds a comfortable seat and takes a portion of the bread. It was the first solid thing he'd had to eat in several hours. He ignores the wine; having recovered from Shiver, he had no desire to dull his senses another way. "So, follower of the many-faced one...you, too, seek vengeance against Lamm? And Miss Anya, how are you connected, if I may ask?"

”He’s a plague.” Anya spurts, chewing on the edge of a piece of bread - still not quite hungry. After a sip of wine, she elaborates. “Met him once... twice... He was no good then, and is no good now. Where I come from, the young ones all sooner or later try that hateful shiver, then they leave their families behind to earn quick money for more shiver and easy lives. They leave their families to fend for themselves, no matter how hard the times! Then they end up wrecks, some even die. And it’s all this man, expanding some sort of business idea, destroying others’ lives.” Anya says this with a sort of matter-of-factly detachment, speaking of others but telling her own story. She darkens a bit with determination as she continues. “He needs to be stopped, for the good of the people back in Trail’s End, and probably for everyone else too. What’s your reason?”

The tengu drops a little. "Shiver" he says. "The bastard got me hooked, forced me to resort to thuggery to keep my habit fed. I finally kicked the habit, and am pulling myself together. My people already have a bad enough reputation among the 'civilized' folks. I also plan a little Justice for the Dealer that got me hooked, Melani willing."

"Well. This isn't vaguely ominous at all."

Cordelia frowned at the mix of good and creepy imagry, even knowing that much of it was Harrow inspired. A glance over the next card and she took a seat, but neglected to take any bread or wine. The priestess had to raise an eyebrow at the fact that both apparently had sorrow linked to Lamm's thrice-damned Shiver.

"Indeed. It's a particularly unpleasant substance, and Gaedren makes as much profit off the sale of it as he does from mass pickpocketing. As for me, I've got a debt to repay. With violence."

A sweet smile, that positively oozed violence. "I've been waiting a long time to get a chance at slaying Lamm."

"Do you think we will?" Anya asks, still with that determined look in her eyes. "Do you know at all who called us here? Whoever that person is, is not here..." Anya looks briefly towards the door, then lays her card down at the table before her. "The vision... I just found it, someone must have given it to me when I didn't notice. I think it represents learning of something, like if we will actually learn where he lives..." Then she looks up into the ceiling, away from the others' eyes, and begins to trail off. "Or, witnessing something... A vision in your mind." She takes the card again, stares down at it. "It's like the shiver... If the card is about me. I don't know, what do your cards tell you?" She peeks around for the other cards.

A short time later an attractive, middle-aged Varisian woman with long dark hair enters the home, closing the door behind her. She smiles at the group and makes her way towards the table, pulling out a Harrow deck in the process.

"Thank you for coming my friends and for putting up with my unconventional method of contacting you. I must remain hidden and out of sight using magical tricks to contact you because a terrible man would see great harm done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. This is a man you know for he has done something terrible to each of you as well. I speak, of course, of Gaedren Lamm, a man whose cruelty and capacity to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched only by his gift for avoiding reprisal. A year ago his thieves stole this, my Harrow deck, from me."

She held up the ornate Harrow deck and offered it to the others so they could replace the cards she had given them back into it.

"My deck is very important to me, an heirloom passed down through a dozen generations as well as my sole means of support. When pickpockets stole it my son, Eran, tracked them down. The thieves were in the employ of Gaedren Lamm. My son recovered my deck but the thieves informed Gaedren of what had happened.  Gaedren then murdered my son."

She paused at this, the words barely able to escape her mouth before she was choking back tears that were welling up in her eyes. She brushed the moisture away and steeled herself with a slow breath before continuing.

"I sought help from the Guard but they turned me away. A poor fortune teller and her murdered son aren't high enough on their list of concerns I suppose. I asked around and paid bribes to find out who had murdered my poor Eran. I even consulted the cards looking for answers and recently I was finally rewarded. I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures.

I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that Gaedren would be long gone before they would ever act. Even if they did arrest him, what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay."


As she talks she begins shuffling the Harrow deck and her skill with the cards is obvious. Without any effort she makes the cards dance in shuffles, riffles, one-handed cuts, the cards just seem flow from years and years of using them to make a living.

"Before you go, however, I ask that you let me aid you with a Harrow reading. If you are willing we can begin the Choosing. Everyone will take a card for the Choosing and then I will deliver a reading for you all, a telling of the secrets of the future."

OOC: Does anyone want to 'opt out'. I don't want to force anyone to deal with mystical mumbo jumbo if they don't want to.

The Tengu steps up. "I have seen the power of the Harrow before. I would welcome any sign of an improvement in my lot in life" he says casually.

The cards dance among her hands as she shuffles them again and again before fanning out half the deck in each hand, offering one above the other so everyone has equal access. One by one the group draws a card and upon its reveal Zellara makes a comment about the chosen card.

Kraw pulls first and draws the Cricket.

"The Cricket is fast and full of life, viewing every chase as a game, even if it is a game of life and death."

Anya draws next and ends up with The Dance.

"The Dance can be viewed as a dance of death, each step a careful position to avoid a stumble or fall."

Cordelia pulls last and draws the locksmith.

"The Locksmith holds the keys to the treasure that you seek."

With a flourish she pulls the chosen cards back into the deck and begins shuffling, walking around the group to take a seat at her table. She continues to speak as she shuffles.

"The Harrow is an ancient magic, one that has been passed from generation to generation. You have all been Chosen. Let my words ring with reflection and I hope that they will come in handy when the time is right. With the Choosing completed we can now begin the Reading."

With skilled practice she shuffles and deals out the cards face down into a 3x3 grid. When she is done she gestures to the first column.

"The Harrow cards reveal the mysteries of the past, the present, and the future. The cards closest to you represent all that is good for you while the cards closest to me represent the obstacles to be faced. The past is revealed first, for it is immutable. The past is always one of truth as it has been carved into the stones of the ages."

With great skill she flips the cards over, one by one.





"The Paladin close to you in the past is a powerful card indicating a steadfast determination. I see you going to extreme lengths to fight for your beliefs and that you are not ones to sit and let wrongs go un-righted.

The Locksmith in the middle represents a changing destiny. What has happened may have been a catalyst to propel you onto a new path. This is another aligned card, very powerful yet still uncertain. Will a new destiny mean great success or terrible agony? One cannot say but the path has been set.

The Keep close to me, a poor alignment. Thus misaligned it represents giving in to temptation and letting one's fears...or addictions control them. Hopefully what is in the past will stay there but there is danger in falling back on old habits."

She waves her hand over the middle column.

"The present is neither truth nor fiction, neither certain nor uncertain. It is exactly what it is as it transitions from the future to the past."





"The Publican says that you shall experience a fellowship or camaraderie. I am careful not to put too much weight upon my own actions but I can only hope that the Publican is referring to this moment right here in the present, of you three coming together in a common purpose.

The Unicorn in the middle represents the end of the road, the item that you seek, that which you have lost. What you are seeking is here in this very present however whether you will be able to get it or not is uncertain, the cards know not the outcome but at least what you seek is close at hand.

Once again another bad card aligned in a bad way. The Fiend is a bringer of death and destruction, of calamity on great scale. Many lives might be lost, many dreams crushed because of something that is happening soon. If the cards are showing it maybe you are the catalyst in some way? Or perhaps you will be caught in the middle of it?"

She sweeps her hands over the right most column.

"The future is the most uncertain, always in flux, always changing, and the most difficult to see. It is what most come to me to seek answers for but I must confess that they are the hardest to read. The future has no concept of time so what I may Harrow may not come to pass for many years or decades, or could be this very night. The future is also ever changing and these cards represent a path that may yet be or may never come to pass."

Once again she flips through the cards, one after another.





As soon as the Tangled Briar flips Zellara grows a bit pale but she recomposes herself and continues the reading. Those listening for it hear a slight quiver to her voice.

"The Tangled Briar. Ordinarily this represents an ancient triumph bearing fruit however it is misaligned completely. Instead it now shows an ancient evil in your future, one that may even be unstoppable as it is a perfect misalignment so its weight in the reading is one of the heaviest. The past will come to haunt you and with this power it may not be stoppable.

The Juggler is the position of fate. It can be on your side or my side if it is known how fortune will land but even with the regular uncertainty of fate and futures, this card in the middle means that the future is very much in flux. I would not rely on fate or destiny to save the day for you, but neither are you destined to fail either. This card, right here, represents that your fate is entirely in your hand, Desna is staying her hand from either side of the scales."

The Empty Throne...misaligned, perfectly. A loss will happen in your futures, and upon that loss will carry the tides of misfortune and death. The throne is empty for a reason and only ill comes from it."

She pauses and studies the whole layout before her.


"Taken as a whole, I would say that fate has set you on a path of great adversity. It will be a difficult trial ahead full of pain, loss, and death but fate is not stacked against you either. An ancient evil might be arrayed against you but if you can remember what brought you here in the first place then the Paladin will support you and the Publican will stand beside you. If you remember your past and draw strength from it you might just be able to withstand the fate of your futures."

At the conclusion of her reading, Zellara seems completely drained. Sweat dampens her brow and the color has faded from her cheeks. Her eyelids droop and it seems as if all the life and energy had been sucked right out of her.

"I'm sorry but a Harrow reading is a draining process. I think I will go rest. If anyone has any last minute questions I can try to ask but otherwise I will retire for the evening. My last advice is that from what I recall, Gaedren's little operation is busy during the day, quiet at night. It will be harder to sneak in right now but easier once inside as they will be distracted. You'll see why. At night they board everything up and his goons go down for the night but the place is dark as a tomb and his entire operation is there asleep except for the posted guards."


OOC: Unless anyone has anything else they'd like to ask, I'll be moving us forward shortly.

Anya listens intently throughout the choosing and the reading. When Zellara finishes, she draws breath and opens her mouth to speak... Then closes it, looks as Zellara. Then looks at the cards. Then opens her mouth again, closes it, and opens it again. "This... this is big!" Her eyes wander from the locksmith, to the fiend, to the tangled briar and the empty throne, a wrinkle appears on the outside of her eyes and she looks worried. "And bad... And, it all starts here? Or with that nasty scum Gaedren..?"

Kraw chuckles sourly. "Whether by enslavement or by racial distrust, my people have always been haunted by a past that threatens to swallow them. I'll take my revenge on Lamm and be satisfied with that."

Staring at Kraw, narrowing her eyes. "The harrow has foretold it, Golarion has much more waiting for you than that." Then looking to both Cordelia and Kraw, she holds out her hands towards the cards on the table. "My aunt is a harrower herself, it is an old tradition of our people and I have seen this done many times, but I have never heard anything like this before." She folds her hands before her and leans forward, a sparkle of excitement in her eyes. "Never! I don't know what this means, but it is big."

Zellara gives a sad, tired nod at Anya's observation.

"I honestly cannot say if the danger is starting or is already present. The Tangled Briar would suggest it is something that has been building for awhile and not something from your past or we would have seen it there. No, something big is about to happen and it seems that fate has decided that whatever the future has in store, your path leads through Gaedren Lamm."

OOC: When you're ready to move on just let me know and I'll progress things. Either here or OOC thread

Cordelia, well, Cordelia didn't particularly put a considerable amount of stock into the Harrow. Sure she had Varisian blood, sure she wore the clothes, but it wasn't Desna's faithful who took her in. She could admit that there was something to the cards, and Zellara did her little reading particularly ominously, but through the whole shtick she simply listened to the words and watched the cards. In the end it didn't seem to be anything too relevant, not when what she saught at the moment was vengeance against Gaedren Lamm.

"I've never been one for the Harrow, personally. It wasn't exactly something we studied in depth among Calistria's faithful, so I'll take your word at face value for what you're predicting." A simple shrug, and a faint smile. "In the end it won't change what comes next: Lamm's hideout."

"I've never been much of a sneak-thief, so if any of you have a good idea on whether it's better to approach in the day or at night, I'll trust you on that and try not to slow you down too much."

"I can see fairly well at night, and I'm fairly stealthy as well. I think our best bet is to observe Gaedren Lamm's hideout, possibly from an alley. Then approach at night. Maybe the confused drunkard bit?" Kraw suggests. "That's where one or two people splash wine on their clothes and stagger down the street, then attempt to enter the building of choice as if they thought it was their own home. With any luck, the guard on duty will smell the wine, assume that you're drunk, and turn you away. Meanwhile, the sneaky one, me, gets behind him and saps him into unconsciousness. I'll have to get myself a sap first though. Or just kill the bugger."