Istvan's relieved. If Noric felt it was best to return to the forest, then Istvan would have simply hoped that the bandits were no longer searching the forest for Istvan and his party... but what with bandits, the dark elves, and unexplained weird monster attacks... Taking a ship seemed better...

"Noric says, let's take a ship," says Istvan, and if there are no objections, he guides the party to go do so.

As they walk, though, Istvan speaks to the thief. "I think that since we've helped out, now would be a good time for you to fill us in on everything about this that we don't know..."

"There's not much else to say. Most of the thieves in the guild have managed to keep their identities secret. It's kinda important when you've got wizards who can track you with a weird line. I don't know if a name is enough for that, but who wants to take a chance?" He shakes his head. "Either way, you got the list, and I'm out of the province. That was our deal, so... I'll go my way now. Best luck on your trip!"

With that, he takes his leave. And once you finished your meal, you do the same.

The trip is far more relaxed then crossing the forest, as you travel along the Onyx Peak until you reach a mining town near a river deep enough for ships to navigate. A bit of negotiation later, and you're on your way to the coast, in the company of a traveling merchant smelling like moldy books.

(I'd... wanted to ask him why he'd decided to leave the guild...)




Hmmm... All right...

Istvan is still a little nervous about things-- after that sudden unexpected bizarre monster attack, he probably will be until this job is done... but he has to admit things have been going pretty smoothly since the party left the bandits...

(How long will the boat ride probably take...?)

It was briefly touched on, I think. His identity was discovered, and he had to flee his 'public life'. The guild leaders wanted him to keep working as a thief, but he was pretty much guaranteed to be caught if he did.

The river boat will take a day to reach Merchanton, according to the captain. "The Devil's Vein is a calm river, when there's no storm." You look up to the gray clouds above you, making the captain laugh. "That's just gonna be a light shower. Nothing to worry about!"

(Ahhhhh, an issue of his cover getting blown. Got it.)




Still concerned, Istvan carefully studies everything around him...

(12:36, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,2.  Discern realities.

On a 7–9, ask 1... take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

What is about to happen?)

The captain seems right, there's a bit of rain, but nothing dangerous. Leilatha points out that if a larger storm coming from the ocean collided with the Onyx Peak, the amount of rain that would wash the mountain chain would cause a flash-flood down the river, but there's no risk of that today.

The trip is safe. If you want, you can spend some time talking to the captain or the merchant. Or we can just skip all the way to Merchanton, or even all the way to Metrosan, if you prefer.

(Skip ahead, but one thing first...)

Istvan carefully makes two copies of the list he's carrying. He keeps one copy and gives one to two of his comrades. He's not about to slip and fall overboard when he gets off the ship and ruin the list (with no proof that he ever had it).

Also, he's hoping that making two copies will help him remember at least a few details of the list, in case some kind of magic or incredible bad luck does happen to all the copies and the original and he has to remember details to prove he had it.

You copy the list carefully, though the names are not familiar to him. Still, you're quite confidant that you won't lose the hard-won collection of names.

Your passage in Merchanton is pretty short. You just stay in the lower part of the city, where all the warehouses and docks reside. A quick trip in a bar marked by nine stars, and you have yourself a passage to the Province of the White Sword, offered by a member of the Celestial Nine.

And after a few more days, you return to Metrosan's Breach, and to your guild house. "Welcome back!" The little Corlis greats you as you enter. "How did your quest go?"

"Yes, we Phoenix Blades need to have a talk about that. Here's the short version:
--we found that the person who stole the list ran to the woods
--there to meet up with a bandit horde
--under Noric's blessing of being unseen, I talked to the thief
--then a bizarre monster attacked for no reason
--while the bandits were busy with the monster, I got the thief to give me the note from the bandit chief's tent
--then everyone chopped up the monster, and turning the undead destroyed the still-wiggling parts, although the original monster as a whole didn't seem to count as undead
--then I pretended I hadn't met the thief and didn't already have the list and the bandit leader wanted to charge me 200 gold for the list so I said I'd go deliver that offer
--then we ran away and the thief slipped away and came with us
--it turns out it's a list of names of the thieves' guild. The thief we met got his cover blown and stole the list as insurance
--anyway we got to civilization, let the thief go, and came back here which involved a boat trip.

So there you have it, the short version. But as a fellow member of the Phoenix Blades, I ask you: now that it's known that this is a list of the members of the thieves' guild... what should be done with it...?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:19, Sat 23 Jan 2021.

"The thieves guild?" The guild master, Della, walks closer. "Interesting. It wouldn't do for us to fail to complete such a simple mission... Of course, once they have the list, our contract will be completed. At that point, no one would fault us for leading the guards to them... Mortimer, do we have any magical compass available?"

"But of course!" The elf pulls a crystal hanging from a thread, and casts a short spell while touching the list. "There. This compass will now point toward the list. Now you can return it to the thieves, and discover their hideout."

"Good job." Della turns to you. "We'll signal our contact so you can turn over the list. Once you're done, I'll join up with you with a few guards."

"All right, makes sense to me. Let's go, guys," Istvan says to his comrades, and when things are ready, he goes with his party to return the list...

You reach the meeting point swiftly, and wait for Regh to arrive. It takes a while, but you soon see him run toward you. He stop at a reasonable distance, breathing heavily. "You... ah... you got the list?" He looks nervous again, but this time he's not looking around so much.

"Right here," says Istvan, getting out the compass-aligned list.

Now Istvan expects to be paid...

He takes a quick glance at the list, apparently in a real hurry. "Here." He hands you a bag of coins, barely giving you enough time to make sure the count is good, before running off with barely another word. You wonder if he's suspecting something for a moment, but he didn't seem worried about you...

Great, 250 coins.

Istvan waits for more Phoenix Blades to show up...

Bella arrives not long after, accompanied by a large squad of guards. "He has the list?" When you nod, she grins. "Good! Now we just have to wait for it to stop moving..." She turns to an elf you're not familiar with, who's holding the compass. "Lead the way, Spriggy."

The compass leads your through the town, until you reach a small plaza, mostly empty at this time of night. By the looks of it, the compass is pointing down.

(11:23, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 4 using 2d6+2 ((1,1)).

Istvan gets 1 new xp...)

Istvan looks around for some sort of hidden entrance or something... he doesn't see anything that seems likely, though...

A shadow watches the assemblage, silent, listening, trying to determine why such a varied group might come to this particular plaza on this of all nights.  She knew none of them, that much she was certain but was it possible their goal might lie with hers?

15:30, Today: Kharla rolled 7 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,1.  Discern Realities.
- hmmm, ask 1.   Kharla is trying to figure out who/why this group is here.  Let's try:
• What is about to happen?

And she'll take +1 forward when acting on the answer

Spriggy was both honored and nervous to be the one in charge of the compass, but did his best to lead the group to where it pointed. After all, he didn't want to screw up during his first official mission for the guild. When the needle pointed downward when they reached the plaza, he whispered to the group, "It must be below us." It was probably obvious to most, but he said it anyway.

But now that they were here, Spriggy wasn't sure what to do next. Look for the secret entrance to the thieves' guild, he supposed. Like Istvan (and unknowingly, Kharla), Spriggy used his sharp elven eyes to scour the area for clues. Of course, being new, he didn't really know how best to search discretely yet...

---

Looking for clues:
22:40, Today: Spriggy Glompgut rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,3.  Discern Realities - guild entrance clues.
First roll = first XP!

If it helps, he would have asked: What here is not what it appears to be?

Kharla quickly realizes the guards are planning to raid the thieves guild. Somehow, they managed to track down it's location... mostly. The guards seems to be guided by a group of adventurers, but they're now looking around in confusion.

Though your group draws attention, no one debates the presence of a squad of guards in this small plaza. And you see no signs of Regh about.

"You seem to be looking for something," the shadowed form moves partially into view, "Or perhaps someone?  It may be that I am aquatinted with the group you seek and have cause to wish you success."

"Don't!" she cautions when guardsmen flinch to move to take hold of her, "Don't presume you can catch me in these alleyways and streets which I know all too well.  At least," a twinkle of white in the moonlight from a smile, "until you hear my offer."

"I will open the way to you, even lead you past a surprise or two meant for the unwary or foolish.  And in return I ask only to be allowed to go my way.  It is enough that this den of lies and betrayal is ended."

The figure cocks it's head, "What say you?  And be quick.  It will not be long before your presence is noticed and your targets scurry away like mice."

10:49, Today: Kharla rolled 7 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,4.  Parley.
- hmmm, will do what I ask but need some concrete assurance right now

I suppose that means Kharla will let the guardsmen hold her as she show everyone the way into the cistern...

Unless you have something better in mind GM
This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Mon 25 Jan 2021.

The woman in red raises an eyebrow, and steps up to Kharla. "Is that so? Are you trying to escape your past, or are you hoping for a pardon? I doubt the rulers would find a bit of guide works to be enough for either. But I may be able to convince them... for a price." She grins. "You'll have to join the Phoenix Blades. You'll need to earn your freedom by helping those who need it."

The guards don't seem too happy with that idea, but this woman, whoever she is, seems to have a lot of influence. "So? Do you accept my offer?"

The moonlight reveals a head of red as the figure steps out of the shadows, a lithe medium build and bright, laughing eyes.  "Well, well, The Blades is it?" her grin is wide, "You've a reputation of service, I'll grant you that."

"But know that such promises and goals were made by the leaders of the den you are about to enter," she shakes her head as she approaches the woman, "How they were the oppressed, how the nobles and merchants stole from and abused the poor.  It is bright and inspiring to its members until the cracks grow large enough to allow the ugliness to reveal."

Stopping before the woman, the newcomer looks round to those gathered and offers, still with that infectious grin, "I am Kharla and I will accept your offer.  You must be confident in the integrity of the Phoenix Blades to make it to me given that which I am about to do to the group that last held my loyalty."

With a wink she points, "Down, as you surmised, into the sewers."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:21, Mon 25 Jan 2021.

Spriggy watched with interest as a deal was made. He had not been expecting the transaction to end with a job offer, but it all seemed to work out. But their apparent destination was less than stellar...

"The sewers?" Spriggy said, curling his lip unpleasantly. But of course it made perfect sense that they would need to enter the sewers, considering that that is what was beneath the street. So he amended his comment with, "Is there a... non-putrid entrance or..." He let his question trail off, fearing he already knew the answer. He sighed reluctantly and moved to follow the newest member of the Phoenix Blades. At least he was no longer the most junior member. "You can call me Spriggy, by the way," he said to Kharla.

"Spriggy has a point." The woman says with a grin. "I'm not too keen on going through the sewers either." She slams her open palm on the plaza's cobble. Streaks of light slitter away from her like snakes, and as you watch, the plaza tears open like fabric. You soon find yourself looking down into a thieves' den, said thieves looking up in surprise at being suddenly exposed to the sky.

Shaking off their shock, the guards charge down to arrest the criminal, as their leader turns to the spellcaster. "That was quite impressive, miss Della Quake. But did you REALLY have to tear open the ENTIRE PLAZA!?!"

Della gives a slightly embarrassed shrug. "Well, I can close it up after..."

"This will still come up in your next review!"

You can only sigh at the scene, getting the impression that it's not the first time such shouting match takes place.

And that concludes the Bandit Hunt. You can return to the Phoenix's Nest to get some in-character discussion. I'll update the job board tomorrow morning.