Gaja, meanwhile, set a leisurely pace up the main road to the compound's gates.  As they rode, she sang her own traveling songs. They kept a steadier rhythm than the ones Sarnai would know, but the scorpion's legs moved like metronomes, compared to a horse. The heat of the sun didn't seem to register for her—even after hours in it, she sat straight and didn't so much as sweat. The waterskins had been entirely for Sarnai's benefit so far. She gave the guardposts and patrols as much attention as they offered: next to none. If they eventually fell on her, she'd probably do more damage surrounded, anyway. Still, though...

  "It's so strange to be close enough to smell them, but not fighting. You know? I spent months imagining what it would be like when I entered Vissio. I never pictured this." She gestured vaguely at the surrounding farms, then at an approaching patrol. "Sarnai. If anything turns violent today, I want you to run for Szkarik. Get on, knock twice on the base of his tail, and stay low. And then definitely do not fall off, because that's the killing signal, and he doesn't know you as well. Lean the way you need to go, and get away. If I'm alive, I'll find you."

  Even with the power to guarantee she couldn't be overheard, she went quiet after that. For all she knew, the Falchetto had their own sorcerers, and this wasn't the time to find out who was more influential. She focused on the path ahead—they were nearing the gate, and they wouldn't go unchallenged much further.

Vasati's form shifted to become that of a minor house servant. Most would not bother him now, and he knew to keep his eyes downcast around the house guard or the house nobles themselves.


As they approached, Sarnai kept her voice low and her eyes downcast, but she took glimpses of her surroundings, and made a quick whisper to her 'mistress' "Ok. I take it back. THESE city folk know their horses." And the horses did to be of high quality. Apparently that was another of Falchetto's advantages. It made sense given that they were known for having a wide ranging territory.

[EDIT - Sorry, this should have gone in the main thread!]

Vasati moved furtively, the outer walls of the manor opening for him as easily as the alleyways had before.  It wasn't that they physically parted, he just always seemed to find the path through.  Anyone else trying to follow would find nothing but cold stone greeting them, and be confounded by how easily he had slipped past the seemingly immobile barrier.   The concrete presented a significant problem, but not an insurmountable one.

He needed to get over the vault, directly over the vault.

No messing about with arrow laden hallways and armed guards and especially no confrontations with guardian wraiths.  If the wraith attacked whoever opened the vault, then the trick would be not to open it at all.

OOC:  Going to see if my City passive lets me drop into the vault directly from above, circumventing the hallway, the guards, the vault door, and the conditions of what happens if it's opened without a family member nearby altogether.

Vasati had no trouble infiltrating the exterior house: the guard barely glanced at him, and he walked through the outer gate without any difficulty.

Gaja and her servant were a different story entirely.

A rather martial looking clerk and two house guards with shields and spears guarded the large outer wall that protected the central manor house, a large building built of concrete with marble accents. It had a few enterences, though each was guarded by at least one guard. The doors were open - it looked like the places was mostly open in the day and most enterances were sealed at night. Taking this place if it had any warning at all would be difficult.

There was also a large tower in the center of the manor with a warning bell, and an arbelist at each of the manor house corners. Good grief, these people were paranoid! Or were they just well prepared?

"Greetings. What is your business with house Falchetto today? Are you expected?" Asked the clerk, neutrally. He didn't look suspicious, but everyone here seemed quite serious and professional.

  "I am not."  Gaja let the half-answer hang in the air for two beats, just long enough for someone to begin calculating the odds that she was making a threat.  The way she's sitting really would make for an easy bolt target.  "But I expect by now your masters have heard wild rumors of impossible boats, sea monsters, even a Republican war machine that can leave the island.  And I have heard rumors that your masters are canny enough not to leave a sword lying about where other hands might claim it."

   Her phrasing left open the possibility that she was talking about said war machine, but her body language put the idea to rest.  She was, head-to-toe, just tense enough to act suddenly, and she sized up the armed guards like some stunt she was planning, not like an actual threat.  Then she shrugged impertinently and turned her empty hands palm-up.  There was no way to miss her tattoos, with that gesture.  "If I must return to the city and offer my exchange to another house, I will do that.  But I am more comfortable with people who respect open spaces.  You should leave the decision to someone important enough to take my weapons before I meet them."

The man blinked, and took the situation in. The guards looked a bit tense.

"I'll get a senior Family member, immediately." He said, and whispered over to one of the guards - Gaja had no trouble hearing. "Get Giovanna or Roberta or another senior family member.. and Don Giovanni."

The man ran off back to the manor.

"Very well then. Someone will be along shortly. Would you prefer to meet in the courtyard, or the manor house?"

He did not say much about the Scorpion. A few had taken second glances at it, but riding scorpions were not TOTALLY unheard of, just rare outside of the desert, and Falchetto did a fair amount of it's dealings with the nearby land.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:07, Thu 18 June 2020.

Eyes downcast, Vasati moved through the estate until he could find a place just over the vault.  He wasn't sure exactly if his gifts would accomplish what he needed, but the only way to truly know was to try.  Once he was over the vault, her tried to drop into it from above, seeing if the floor would part for him into a stairway just as the allies had cleared his path back in the city proper.  It wasn't opening a way, it was just finding the path that had always been there, even if it had always been there only for him.  That space between spaces, the angles just at the edge of everyone's perception.

Well, everyone's perception but Vasati's.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:19, Sun 16 Dec 2018.

It was surprisingly easy to Vasati to make his way inside. The vault was dug out of the foundation itself, and in roughly center of the building.

The guards took a brief glance as he walked inside, but he looked as though he belonged, so he was not bothered.

One of the kitchen matrons did immediately ask him if he had the carrots, but it was clear that Vasati was not the servant she was looking for, and she scowled and stormed off.

This was the closest call Vasati had as he made his way to a cloak room on the second floor that was directly over the vault in the basement. There was another room directly beneath him between him and the vault.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:35, Mon 17 Dec 2018.

Wouldn't do to drop in uninvited if someone important was there.

He found a stairwell, one that might not necessarily have ever existed until that moment.  No matter, no one would think it odd. Still, he was careful now.  He crept, rather than walked, though even that was disguised.  He pretended to dust, giving himself and excuse to move slowly, carefully, and low to the ground.

You find yourself in a room in complete darkness. Your draconic eyes quickly adapting to the dark, you take a brief look around.

It's an odd sort of room built into the center of the building. There doens't seem to be any exit into this place (at least till you suddenly created one). However, on inspection, you find two steel section of the wall that might serve as a door, if "door" is the right term. A battering ram would have trouble getting in through that, with a double bar of steel barring it and bracing plates.

The room itself has a few cots that look clean but rarely used, and the place lacked the usual dust and dirt you'd find anywhere humans regularly lived. There were also some privies in a corner of the room, and a storage of water and food in sealed barrels and amphora, as well as a nice selection of armor and weapons. It's fairly crampt, and the walls must be at least 2 feet thick with internal soundproofing.

  Gaja gave an indulgent smile, at that, and a glance back at the road she'd traveled.  "I would prefer to meet wherever causes your household the least concern," she responded, and slipped fluidly down from the back of her mount.  It followed her gestures as well as her riding signals, but this did suddenly drive home the fact that there was no rein or tether compelling it to.  She walked forward toward the gate and the (now only two) men holding it against her.

  "I am glad you've chosen to take my offer seriously."  She reached toward the clerk's cheek, and when his hand came up defensively, she redirected and clasped it in greeting.  "No one deserves to become an example, you know?  Only your choices are your fault."  Maybe it was a language thing.  Her Patrian was significantly accented.  Behind her, Szkarik idly brushed its mouthparts clean with the bristles on its claws.

Searching about, Vasati looked for the concrete block that contained the prize.

Vasati glanced around. It was slightly disorientating, as it wasn't obvious what part of the house this was, but it clearly wasn't the vault. Getting his bearings, he realized he was on the first floor still. Once more to go.

Besides, this place was.. odd. It looked more like a long abandoned barracks with an armored exterior, which was weird thing to have in the middle of a building. I suppose though, if you wanted a room above a vault, you wouldn't want it easily accessable.

There didn't appear to be any means further down, so Vasati would have to use his "city" trick to go down one more floor.

* * *

Meanwhile above, the man nodded, not wanting to disagree with her. As a greeting clerk, he absolutely did not want to piss off this woman in any way if she was anything close to what she claimed.

Either she'd kill him or the family would for offending her.

"Our actions and decisions define us, yes. I hope you end up working with our family." He returned the handshake, trying not to look intimidated either by Gaja's beauty or the idea that she might kill him with a word. Or she might just be faking, in which case this was not going to go well for her.

After an awkward minute, two guardsmen a woman in leather armor, and a very heavily armored knight made their way out of the manor and strode towards them. The woman was clearly the leader in the group, walking with a a casual demenor that subcontiously said she didn't care what you thought. The knight was hard to get a read off - plate mail covered every extremity, after all, with not a stitch of skin or face revealing his expression. That had to be quite hot in this weather.

She was the only one who spoke.

"So! It is the woman who escaped from Laiser and was spit out of the great beast who wields song as a weapon! I am surprised. I thought you would be at least seven feet tall. Though, I see you ride a giant scorpion, so you certainly get points for that."

She took Gaja in, giving an nod. If nothing else, this woman could certainly be the woman she'd heard rumors of: she certainly had a striking appearance!

"I am Roberta d'Falchetto. I speak for the house here. My father is dealing with affairs in the city, and my brother is out riding in the estate at the moment. This is Don Giovani, our best arms-man, one of the best in the city." The way she said that wasn't quite a brag, but it certainly in the same territory.

Giovani was not a particularly large man, but again, it was hard to gauge his exact size due to the heavy armor he wore. He gave a brief nod to Gaja and sat at an at rest position.

"From the brief summons I received, I got the idea you were interested in selling your services. Our family is always interested in hiring talented agents who can get things done. We value talent, and that's helped us grow our holdings to the point where we provide a significant amount of the food and raw materials for the city.

But of course, I suspect you do not want to hear about us bragging how great our house is quite yet. What kind of relationship did you have in mind with our house?"

Hoping that the wraith was keyed only to the door opening, and not merely to anyone entering the vault, Vasati found the next staircase and descended.  He crept now, any pretense of belonging within the mansion abandoned as the way opened for him.  He was a thief, after all.  It felt good to stop pretending to be anything but.    True, he had played so many other roles over the centuries that he had lost anything even close to a semblance of a count.  Yet it had always been a means to an end.  No matter what story he had spun, what tale he had crafted, that essential nature had always remained a core to his identity.

Thieves crept when they broke into vaults, and so Vasati played the part.  He had no other choice, that was how this story went.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:35, Mon 17 Dec 2018.

  Gaja kept to herself after that, while awaiting her audience. She'd rattled the guards as much as she meant to, and some of that sympathy was genuine, in any case. As the noblewoman and her bodyguard approached, Gaja did what she could to seem non-threatening. She was terrible at it, but the effort was visible.

  "You've heard more than I thought." She grinned and tucked a wind-blown  ribbon of hair behind her ear. "So much for offering to disarm. You have a lot of faith in Giovanni." She gave the plate mail an appreciative eyeball and a fair berth, but really, heavy infantry was beyond her ability to evaluate.

  "I left my home to find a better way for my people than running around in little packs, dependent on their herds and always fighting each other. I had thought I might learn the state-arts from the pyramid dwellers, but they betrayed me into slavery. So I come here next, to Vissio, and I think I might learn more by watching than by lessons. Meanwhile, I settle scores for people who do not want the scores to be known. For money, if you have nothing better, and cheaper if the Lorenzi come out the losers."

"I do. And faith in myself." She tapped the blade at her side. "If you meet a Falchetto who cannot handle a blade, it's because they miss an arm, are too old, or have not yet learned to walk."

She spat to the side at the mention of the Oasis. ""The Oasis? Ugh. At least you learned how not to run a state.

I do not know if you will work with us, but I promise you this: we do not betray allies. Even when we were removed from the council, our family died and bled for this city. We prefer to deal with our allies and our enemies straight."

She eyes Gaja, sizing her up. Her eyes light up as she meets Gaja's. Of course they did. It was hard not to like someone with supernatural charisma.

"Hmm. An interesting little idea. The problem with going after Lorenzi is that it's hard to do that without pissing off half the city. Everyone eats fish, after all.  Even I have a weakness for sardines."

She considered a few moments.

"Besides, Lorenzi are coin obsessed fishermen, but at least ONE of those professions is honorable. There are other families who I'm far more concerned with.

There's something I've been trying to figure out for a while with another family, and I haven't been able to work it out. You ever get one of those bad feelings? Like that someone was about to do something stupid that might get a lot of people killed?

I'm getting that, right in my gut, and I'm usually right about such things."

For some reason, the Don looked like he was suppressing a chuckle for a moment. There was clearly a story there.

"If you could find out a few things for me about a certain affair involving
Del Schiavone, I'd not only reward you, you'd be in our families good graces. It would show you can handle yourself with discretion."

She smiled, impishly.

"After all, we don't dare you incurring the wraith of the fishwives of the city. Not even our walls could withstand their cursing. Of course, if that's not really your desire or suitable to your talents, we'll work something else.

But hey, you just sort of dropped out of the sky here, so I figured I'd ask if you could swat this particular unswattable gnat, right?"

* * *

Down in the vault, Vasati was busy making it look easy, and looking good doing it.

The stairs formed in the closed room, descending downward. There was a momentary force pushing back against him, probably some minor magical effect, but Vasati's innate magic crushed it after a moment, and a small spiral staircase suddenly formed into the vault downstairs.

Vasati made his way down into the vault.

It was a two part affair: there was a cage set up on the far side of the vault, where Vasati worked out where the actual "entrance" would be. Barely visible on the other side of the cage were drawers and small vaults that looked like they might conceal papers. There were also numerous ledger books and a few buckets of what looked like petty change.

What was on this side was far more interesting.. larger vaulted safes on four corners of the room, and a large structure that reminded Vasati of a stone tomb with a removable lid.

Scrawled on the tomb(??) are the motto for the house in careful relief, and the name of some ancient hero. Scrawled onto the large stone top is "BREAK ONLY IN THE EVENT WE ARE UTTERLY FUCKED" and "IF THIS LID IS AJAR AND YOUR LAST NAME ISN'T FALACHETTO, YOU ARE ALREADY DEAD." A palpable sense of dread eminates from it.

The entire back end of this place behind the cage looks like it hasn't been used in a while. One of the vaults looks like it, at least, has been opened a few times. The other three don't look like they have been opened in a long, long time. The stone lid is quite heavy, and it would take a lot of men working with crowbars to pry it off, and it would make quite a noise from clattering to the ground. You recall that, if they are keeping to protocol, there are two guards behind the vault door. At least they'd have trouble getting in here quickly.

The stone/steel that Vasasti is looking for is beneath the tomb. Of course it is, it would have to be, wouldn't it?

  "Discretion.  Of course.  If there is anything the Vissians have taught me, it is that no blade is as sharp as flowers.  I expect you have specifics to share, especially about the particular discretions you will need."  Gaja spent a few long seconds tapping her chin thoughtfully as she worked through something.  The answer she found clearly impressed her; when she looked back up at Roberta, she straightened her back and fixed the woman with noticeably more of her attention at once.  Her mouth was tight, but her eyes held the suggestion of laughter.

  "And if it should happen that one of your rivals sent me here, every word you said could be a response to carry back about your readiness.  I like that.  Two audiences, two messages, and you don't need to know which I am."  It got the smile to break free.  "I am interested in your mystery.  If we need to go inside to talk about this, it would be good to have a sunny rock your servants can keep away from.  I do not recommend trying to close Szkarik in a stables."

  Or I can make it a private conversation here, she whispered in Roberta's ear, neither stepping closer nor moving her lips.  It would be hard to explain her having studied in Dulimbai, too.  Her smile was getting playful again.

Vasati hesitated.

The truth was that he wasn't sure what to do, wasn't sure what path the story should take next.  If he'd spent less of his power, he knew exactly how this chapter would play out, and it would have been a glorious story for the ages.  It almost hurt him that he couldn't write that chapter here and now, but his newfound gifts were still just too fragile.  No, better to be the thief.  The legend could wait.

Besides, if it didn't work he could always come back later, try again.  No one needed to know about his failure except perhaps Signora Gaja.  He wasn't sure how she would play.... No, he was getting ahead of himself, he hadn't even failed yet.  He placed his hand over where he knew the Key to the City to be, and concentrated.  This wasn't as natural as following his friends, they eternal alleyways and stairs that always seemed to open themselves to him.  This was a conscious extension of his will, an twisting of reality until he found the one that made sense.

He was a thief, and a thief sized his own luck.  Vasati reached for it...

"A nice trick! I'f I could do that maybe I could get my dancing partners not to step on my shoes. But I think I would like some tea, and I would not begrudge your mount a nice rock to sun itself on."

Falchetto had a fairly wide set of stone and around the house proper, extending out a significant distance of the house. It was already fairly warm to the touch, and must get brutally hot in the summer. Perhaps they were concerned about tunnels? Or just liked stone courtyards. Two guards break themselves off from the house to keep an eye on the scorpion.

You quickly find yourself in a tea room where some cool herbal tea is poured, which is refreshing after the ride.

"I confess, I enjoy Vissian and Patrian wine, but our family frowns on such expense." She took a sip of mint tea. Now.. to business.

There is a house named Del Schiavone. Their specialty is magic and exploration of ancient ruins. It's an odd place, brings in all sorts of riff raff who learn magic, and 'adventurers'." She raised her fingers in air quotes "who ransack local tombs. Most of them die, but when they bring in something good, it more than makes up for it.

They play a lot more risky then most of the other houses. They don't have many permanent assets inside the city, so they can afford to risk far more. Since their primary asset is the magical collegium outside the city, we don't have nearly as good a source as we'd like on what they do.

A few months ago, our agents reported that they'd brought in something that had them excited. They set up a private lab and shut the whole place off. That was mildly unusual. Then, a few months ago, the entire lab was shut down and placed under lock and key, and a number of staff vanished.

Right after that, the Del Schiavone put out a very large reward for the return of their students, as well as a couple Collegium students, wanted alive. I've also heard they've let people in the street know that if they find the item or information related to it, they'd be VERY generous with the reward.

The fact that they were willing to go to the criminals of the city and said they'd public owe a big favor to anyone who brought back the item.. well.. THAT'S very interesting. And it got me to thinking: perhaps they are looking for this item not because they want it recovered, but because they want what they were trying to do with it was bad for the city.

Now, I'm not going to ask you to go find it. EVERYONE is doing that.

What I'm far more interested in is what it is, if it's dangerous to the city, and what happened in the lab that people are being so secretive about. That house has had a number of times where things have gone tits up, and they've never reached out to the underworld and riff-raff of the city before. Nor have they so utterly closed off a lab.

My hunch... says that they are scared, and I'd really like to know what the thing WAS,  what happened at the collegium to this item, and if it represents some danger to the city. or worse.

Does that sound interesting?"


* * *

Back in the vault, a rather oversized brass key appeared in Vasati's hand, slightly hot to the touch as minor magical wards were simply overpowered by the Dragon Thief's power. Easy!

It looked shockingly unremarkable except for it's increased size, a simple brass key. In fact, given it's size and the nature of the teeth of the key, it looks liked it wouldn't open all but the most comically simple of door.

The key itself was completely plain other than a small amount of tarnish here and there, and a small, barely recognizable sigil in old Patrian script. Thankfully, Vasati had been around for a while, and had recognized it to be the old Patrian symbol for the place from when before Vissio had broken off from Patria.

The thing had an ineffable quality about it. It wasn't clearly magical in some obvious way, but Vasati was sure that this is what he had come for.

  Gaja somewhat involuntarily warms to Roberta's flippancy, and it's a couple minutes later, with Szkarik already situated, that she remembers to explain what it was about to Sarnai.  She follows where she's led, and the brief defensive bristling when that means leaving the safety of free movement behind and entering the actual manor passes unnoticed, or at least unremarked.  In the tea room, her poise is an impeccable mirror of her host's, of course, deviating only in the case of one meaning-suffused glance at her companion—He would be very curious about this bauble, wouldn't he?  Otherwise, the howler passes the entire explanation quietly sipping at her tea, speaking only when her host has finished and presented her ultimate question.

  "Not at all." She kills her cup with a gratuitous slurp.

  "But you don't want someone interested, whatever you're used to saying.  Signora Falchetto, I could not care less what happens to Del Schiavone, or to the city, or to any of its inhabitants."  Gaja gives a cryptic little smile.  "I would be a terrible mercenary otherwise.  With concern comes scruples, or at least leverage against me.  Instead, I can investigate these questions, and I can tease the answers from whoever holds them, with no purpose but the one you've chosen.  I am... impressed by how consistently you display this devotion to your people.  I will discover whether the Del Schiavone match your faithfulness.  And if what you offer is worth more than the power of the secret, I will tell you.  I would have to think you a fool to make a promise with a longer reach."

  Gaja's eyes make a circuit of the room, particularly taking in the martial escorts, but she settles her most expressive gaze quickly on Roberta again.  "But again, I don't care about how this secret impacts your city, and I have no patience for betrayers.  The Del Schiavone will not have the option of buying my loyalty.  I promise you this much, on my life."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:26, Fri 04 Jan 2019.

Without a moment of hesitation he pocketed the key and rose, taking the staircase that presented itself to him and slipping back upstairs as quietly as a shadow.  He made every effort to exit the estate as rapidly and as stealthily as possible then, relying on his craft to stay out of sight and mind as much as he was able.  This had been an incredibly successful venture, but he had expended most of his power in achieving it.  He needed to get back to the safety of the Estervault, back within the comforting walls of his former prison.  They had become familiar to him now, and there was no where within the city that he felt more at home.  When he had rested and regained his strength he could meet with the representative of the guild and begin the arduous process of rebuilding his legend.  Then he would need to find a way to repay Gaja for her services, and begin the delightful process of incurring favors for Plaga.

For now though, he wanted the story to be as boring as possible.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:21, Fri 04 Jan 2019.

Vasati makes his way out quickly, and it was probably wise, as he heard a low moaning as he made his way away from the vault/tomb, though it never grew into anything significant. It was indeed a very boring story, though a very sucsessful one.


"Good! We'll make it worth your while, and we have roughly the same opinion of betrayers. We can work out payment in coin, or favors, or as you will, once you have looked into matters.

You might want to let me know which you prefer. Though you don't seem the sort to be interested in acquiring power in the city.

If you need something in the mean time, feel free to drop in. You are certainly a breath of fresh air compared to anyone previous who came in looking for employment."

There is a slight tilt of the helmet to the armored knight's helmet.

"Oh, don't sulk, I sought you out specifically. That's different."

There was a slight adjustment of the knight's shoulders.

"The item is called 'the bits.' I'm afraid I don't know much about the missing students or faculty members. None of the people involved were members of Del Schiavone house proper, so I'm afraid my dossier on them is limited, but I believe there's a list of those involved. I'll have a clerk draw up a basic dossier for you."

[OOC - If you have any questions, feel free to ask, or if you need some considerations from the house to begin your investigation. You've come off pretty well, and Roberta clearly likes you, so will be inclined to grant requests. The item you are looking for is called]

Vasati slipped out of the estate without being noticed, blending into any of a dozen roles to coast beneath the discerning gaze of both guards and taskmasters.  Not even Gaja would of recognized him, had they seen him.  That was kind of the point.  Once they were out into the countryside, the whispers went quiet.  After over a month of constant noise, he had to admit that he found the silence deafening.  It was like a part of him was missing, like the phantom tingle of a severed limb.  It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but he was still grateful when they hit the outer wall of the city proper.  He didn't like being out of the loop.

He found an section where there were no wards, and entered through a porthole that was waiting only for him.  His friend the alleyway was waiting for him, taking him on a winding route in the direction of the warehouse district.  He'd barely touched its outer edge when the alleyway ended suddenly at a doorway of dark wood, heavily weathered with age and time.  He didn't even hesitate as he opened it, passing swiftly through a cramped hallway and down onto a winding stair.  There were no torches to light the way, but he moved with the surety of someone who had walked those steps a thousand times.  In a way he had, though truly he had not.  It was the Estervault, it was all the Estervault, and it had been his home for more generations than any but he had cared to count.  From the first moment he tasted its air, he was home.

He moved through seemingly endless halls, navigating the winding labyrinth that had been both shelter and prison for centuries.  Its secrets were all open to him now, and he passed from doorway to doorway towards its heart with hardly even a thought.  In only ten minutes he had reached its core, a massive hall deep under the earth.  There, in the center of it all rested his most priceless possessions, his hoard.  It was not a hoard of gold and gems, no piles of coin and jewelry.  Such material thing could be liberated, stolen from their not so rightful owners, as Vasati had just demonstrated.  No, his hoard was more ethereal than that, harder to quantify yet just as simple to qualify.  It consisted of massive wooden cases, over twelve feet high, lining every available wall of the sweeping room.  Each case was honeycombed by a seemingly endless hexagonal pattern of scroll cases, holding what could only have been thousands upon thousands of scrolls.  Deeds, titles, promissory notes, records of ownership, a thousand collected favors and a hundred thousand outstanding debts.  It was the infinite wealth of civilization, concrete and yet utterly without real form, that made of the Infinite hoard of Vasati.

The Key to the City resting on a chain about his neck, he settled down to rest.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:15, Sat 05 Jan 2019.

  "Names might be enough. If any of them have a reputation to be proud of, that will help most of all. Too many magicians in one place, they get competitive. The pyramids have that problem." Gaja's eyes twinkled. She stood as she spoke, and spent enough time politely disengaging for the Falchettos' clerk to have something put together. Not that she did more than glance at the document before handing it to Sarnai to stow.

  The wind was picking up by the time Gaja made it out to the courtyard and her scorpion. It was a hot one, carrying enough dust to make the horizon blurry and the sky red even well before the sunset. She squinted into the western sky and smiled, waiting for Sarnai to mount up, then turned to address her hosts one last time.

  "I'll have to be subtler for a while," she said, and the pouting didn't quite look sincere. "So don't worry much if you hear less about me. Being very obvious makes it easy to vanish." A sudden gust swept a thick cloud of grit over the manor wall and swirled it tightly around the howler and her companions. When the air cleared a moment later, they were gone.

[OOC - Ok. It looks like the scene is over. Gaja is pretty easy to find on the way back (giant scorpions not being particularly subtle]