Stalsii wanted to cause damage, but they didn't want it to spread to neighboring buildings. They took the oil and tinder, and spread it over some of the stacks of merchandise near the loading dock. Here the fire would likely be spotted from the street before it got too out of control. Then they struck a flame to the oil, before exiting the way they entered.

The flames catch and begin to quickly grow. Smoke is already billowing over the ceiling as you exit. "Former employee or you with the competition?" comes a voice from the alley. You see an extremely beautiful female elf. But her features are sharper than most any other elf you've met and her hair resembles a cluster of red hyacinth flowers. She smiles as she glances back into the warehouse where you can see the fire burning away at the one ignited pallet.

[Private to GM: Anthousai Nymph]
This message was last updated by the GM at 19:22, Mon 25 Sept 2023.

Stalsii was caught off guard by the voice. Their mind raced for a response as they looked up at the beautiful elf, then a grim grew across their face, "if you were a guard, you'd know if I was an employee." They bowed deeply and headed back up the ally, but stopped before entering the street, and looked back at the elf, "Come on if you want to talk."

The woman walks quickly to catch up, "I'm sure. Though they would love to get to know an arson.

"So do you do this often or was this a one time thing? I can't help but notice that you at least seem to know your way around a locked door well enough."
This message was last updated by the GM at 19:22, Mon 25 Sept 2023.

Stalsii moved from alley to alley to get some distance from the warehouse, but chatted with the elf as they went, "If people didn't keep locking their doors I wouldn't need to get around them, would I? This isn't my usual business; there's too much work, and no profit unless you find the right clients. Now whats your story? You don't seem the type to loiter in alleys behind warehouses."

You hear a distant alarm and someone calling out 'Fire!'. The woman gives a half smirk and glances back over her shoulder where you can see a pillar of darkness where the clouds vanish against the night sky. "I just happened to be wandering by, not so much loitering. But I've found myself in alleys at times when it is required.

"I'm sure you'd rather not this information getting out to the authorities. And I'd be just as likely to bet you don't want the wrong people from the Grey Village knowing you're working in their territory. They don't take kindly to competition and you seem so skillful I'd hate that to go to waste.

"You see, I'm not here to talk about my story. I want to hear more about you. And I'm sure I have a friend that would also love to meet you...? I didn't catch your name. You can call me Aspara."

This Aspara, if that was her real name, was trying to manipulate them, alternating from thinly veiled threats to offering a contact.

"We met in an alley, so why don't you call me Ally, at least for now. I'm making it obvious so you know that I'm a liar, but I'm an honest liar. I've had the authorities, and others, after me in the past, but I've always vanished into the shadows, and come back with a torch for those who wronged me, as you've seen tonight. That's what you need to know about me. If your friend is a friend to me, we can know each other better later."

"Ally is an excellent choice of a name. And my friend can be excellent to those with the right talent. But given your skills, I think you'll get along great.

"Why don't you go home for the night, Ally, and get yourself cleaned up. Meet me at the Three Daggers Tavern in the Grey Village tomorrow at midday. Lunch is on me."

Stalsii bowed deeply to Aspara, "until tomorrow," Then they moved away, out of the alley, but keeping aware of her until they were out of sight.

I'm assuming that this might overlap with "The Ruins of Justice and Flame quest." That quest is a priority if there are time conflicts.

Aspara stops and stands, watching you as you walk off with a slight smile on her face. After a couple building lengths she turns and cuts down a side alley and out of sight.

The "The Ruins of Justice and Flame" quest happens outside the city. There's really no way to do a single timeline. So they kind of overlap. You can do them simultaneously, assuming they happened at different times. Or you can finish the "The Ruins of Justice and Flame" first and then do this one, assuming you still met at the agreed upon time. Or, you can say you skipped the day and came when you wanted.

In short, I will run with timelines as all loosey-goosey.

Ok, then I won't worry if they overlap. I didn't want to leave the others waiting on me while I'm on a side quest.

The next day, Stalsii arrived at the Three Daggers a bit early, and still disguised like the previous night. They made a note of where the exits were, and sat at a table where they had easy access if they needed.

As you approach the Three Daggers, you see a small, unassuming building with peeling paint and a faded sign showing three unsheathed daggers crossing. The front door is old, battered, and shows a number of small carvings done by the hands of vandals. Pushing through, you're immediately hit with the smell of old ale. The main room is dimly lit, with the only light coming from a couple of poorly placed torches that allow large shadows to cover a third of the room.

The tavern isn't too crowded, but the air still feels thick and damp. Aside from the entrance, you see only two other doors. One leads to a kitchen in disarray where you catch a glimpse of a rotund halfling dumping a bowl of something into a cauldron nearly as wide as him. The other door leads opposite the entrance but which remains closed.

Finding a table near the entrance, you take a seat. Most of the patrons have already looked you up and down, a couple seeming to keep an eye on you with regular glances or shifting so you are within their peripheral sight. The bartender, a young male leonin steps into the kitchen a moment and then exits seconds later. He scans the room as he walks over, "What do you want?" he asks somewhat aggressively.

[Private to GM: Bartender is a changeling]

Stalsii had eaten in many places like this. The food was usually simple, but filling. "beer and stew," they said to the bartender. They chuckled to themself when the bartender left, lunch is on me, she said. Luckily, they're a cheep date.

From the closed door, Aspara exits. She spots you immediately and walks over to join you at your table. The leonin comes a moment after with a very thin stew and flat, watery beer. Aspara holds a hand up and shakes her head, "This won't do, Ebder. Ally here is a guest of mine. Please let's provide some measure of hospitality, please." Ebder nods and takes back the beer and stew.

"Apologies. Ebder likes to reserve quality service for invited and familiar guests. Thank you, Ebder," she says as Ebder returns with a much heartier stew and full-headed beer. He sets it on the table before you with a smile and much more pleasant demeanor.

"I am quite pleased you came," Aspara says to you. "My friend should be along shortly so it gives us a bit more time to talk without the pressing concern of arrest and imprisonment. So, Ally, I'm curious. Why Lock and Key? And why the fire?" She smiles and looks around the room, "And don't worry. The walls may have ears but they have yet to find lips to utter the whispers they hear."

"Apologies. Ebder likes to reserve quality service for invited and familiar guests. Thank you, Ebder," she says as Ebder returns with a much heartier stew and full-headed beer. He sets it on the table before you with a smile and much more pleasant demeanor.

They smiled at Ebder, thanking him. they said to Aspara, "I suppose that's one way to keep the place from getting too popular."

"I am quite pleased you came," Aspara says to you. "My friend should be along shortly so it gives us a bit more time to talk without the pressing concern of arrest and imprisonment. So, Ally, I'm curious. Why Lock and Key? And why the fire?" She smiles and looks around the room, "And don't worry. The walls may have ears but they have yet to find lips to utter the whispers they hear."

"I'm not a fire bug if that's what your thinking," they said, "my disagreement with Lock and Key is business. We did some work for them, and the manager payed us by accusing us of theft. He was a very unpleasant man. I honestly can't imagine how he got a position of authority dealing with the public. We never stole from them, so I didn't want to prove him right by steeling from them, but they needed to be repayed. So I payed them with some small property damage." They ate some stew, "mmm! this is good stew! Quid pro quo, what's your interest in Lock and Key? I don't suspect you just hang around back alleys by the docks for no reason."

"Business disagreements. I see," Aspara says with a smile of understanding. "As for my business with them, I have no business with them directly, I just happened to walk by at the right time.

"So if you're not a fire bug - though there's nothing wrong with that, it's a skill unto itself - what would you say you are? Burglar? Or more espionage, perhaps? You seemed to know your way around a lock."

"Are you trying to get team together? I'm versatile, I can distract and amuse." They did a little prestidigitation by making a coin appear and disappear. "I'm a master of disguise. Would you believe I'm really an ogre? I can get into places. I can make things disappear. What are you looking for?"

"A team?" Aspara asks with a chuckle. "No. But we may be interested in having you work for us. We already do have a couple ogres for muscle, perhaps cousins of yours? Though neither has your charm nor your finesse. I'll let Mayor Benmur explain, here he is now."

A stout and muscular dwarf with a thick black beard approaches with a mischievous glint in his eye that makes him stand out from those around him. He is dressed in fine clothes, and has a warhammer at his side that looks silver but is lighter in color. Aspara stands and pulls out her chair for Benmur to sit. He looks you up and down and smiles, "So this is the one who scorched up Lock and Key? Ally, yes? You caused quite some mayhem last night. Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Benmur Henhinn, or Mayor Benmur as I've come to be called." He extends his hand to shake yours across the table.

They rise and shake his hand with a smile, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Mayor Benmur."

"I hope you continue to think it a pleasure when you leave, today, too." mayor Benmur says drawing his hand back.

"I'm going to get right down to business. I'd like you to work for me. I've got plenty of thieves, burglars, and bruisers. But I hear you are the master at the cloak and mask and those are in short supply, especially for an ogre," he says with a wry smile. "There's a talent I can use. And in exchange, you'll have coin, finery, and a number of contacts to help you when you find yourself in a tight spot. Not to mention you'll be able to repay me for the damage to the Lock and Key's reputation. With the fire, their reputation will have suffered as fewer will want to store their goods at a place that has such a history, and when they lose money, I lose money. Seeing as how you set the fire, you hold the responsibility for making up compensation.

"But best not to focus on that part, just think of the other parts. You do good work and you find yourself getting wealthy. Sound like a deal?"

Stalsii looked at Aspara and bowed with a grin, "You got me out in the open. I bow to your ability."

They looked back at Mayor Benmer, "I accept your offer on two conditions. One, I don't peddle fish breath. And two, Mr. Yashiro stays out of my way."

Benmur laughs at the compliment and gives a nod of his head in return. "Neither are a problem. I wouldn't make you peddle fish breath, nor any other good-time gear unless you're looking for the extra coin that comes with it. The high-risk, high-reward that comes from that is also risking your other talents and I'm not one for grasping at every copper that could roll my way.

"And as for old Yashiro Sueie, that is already taken care of. He's out of a job seeing as how he clearly couldn't secure what he's responsible for from vandalism and break-in. So if you find him crossing your path in the street, you're free to do as you please. Unless, that is, you'd like me to make sure he knows to keep clear of you. As a sign of good faith on my part.

"Otherwise," he stands and and spreads his arms to gesture to the establishment as a whole, "feel free to eat, drink, take a rest, and have a good time. Ebder knows now to take good care of you." Ebder gives you a nod from the bar. "And if you need anything extra, most of the others here are willing to give you a bit of direction, usually in exchange for coin or a drink. Anything more, I'm sure Aspara can help you out.

"I expect good things from you, Ally," he says as he turns to exit through the same door he came in. "I do hope I'm not disappointed."

After the Mayor left, Stalsii finished their meal, and said to Aspara, "when you need me, leave a message for Ally the ogre on the job board at Predator's Cove. I check it often if I'm not on a job. For now I have to see to other business. Thank you for the hospitality." They bowed again and departed. (unless Aspara had more to say)

Exit to Predator's Cove
This message was last edited by the player at 05:06, Wed 13 Dec 2023.