Post by Dead Greyhawk on Oct 6, 2007 16:26:32 GMT -5
The city of Flen unfolds before them as they ride out of the Good Hills. The short, stout walls of the city are built with rock of different shades and hues, reflecting the dirt, stone, and ore drug from the ground within the city. The city itself flows into the surrounding hillsides, where the deepest mine shafts lie. The mines of Flen are profitable, with iron, tin, and gems flowing through the hands of the merchants and then further into the Kingdom to be turned into durable goods. The Kingsway, connecting fallen Istivin with Niole Dra, passes to the north, its wide stone surface overseen by the squat towers of Flen. The city appears serene, with commerce flowing into and out of the city towards the Kingsway. In contrast to the battle-scarred lands surrounding Longspear, Flen appears surreally peaceful.
The Company passes between the broad gates that bar nighttime entry into the city. The city is not unprepared or undefended; Keoish soldiers man the walls and siege weaponry is neatly arrayed to protect the city gates. Some quiet questioning of one of the city guards provides a few recommendations for lodging. Flen apparently has a large open marketplace adjacent to the mine adits. The city guard also suggests that, in this time of conflict, that the Company restrain itself from any untoward activities. "Tensions are high, and a bunch of swaggering sell-swords aren't going to be viewed in a friendly light. Why aren't you on post along the Javan River?" he asks.
"Friend," says Raven, "we are the saviors of Longspear!" The guardsman's response is less than overwhelming. Rather than rely on the word of a sullen Flenman, the Company opts to return to the Drinking Gnome, the large inn that Dell and the others stayed in the last time they traveled through Flen. The Drinking Gnome is a large establishment set far away from both Kurgan's Hill and the confusion of the market district. While pricey and possesses a style far beyond what the Company usually pays for, it is large enough to keep all of the Company's horses and goods under a stout roof and the eye of several grooms.
Antonus stands amazed at the bustle that the Company causes as they enter into the Drinking Gnome. The disorder and chaos is palpable. Raven throws money at the innkeep and starts ordering up rooms while the others carry in almost everything that the horses were carrying. It is almost as if they doubt that Flen is a town of law and order! Sooner, rather than later, the Company is settled into a suite of rooms on the second story of the building. From their lofty perch, they can see both the entryway to the stables and the road beyond.
Oaklock, Eig, and Antonus are sent to search for the Roost. At first, Eig and Antonus are stunned that they, the newest of those traveling with the Company, would be given such important rolls, but then Raven bursts their bubbles. "They won't recognize you as part of the Company if they see you. We've crossed with these folk, or at least their lackeys, before, and they likely know our good looks," explains Raven. "Dell knows where the building is. He can give you directions."
Indeed, Dell sends them into the southern end of the city, where a maze of narrow streets and alleyways creeps up the side of Kurgan's Hill. The roads within Flen are circuitous and winding, dating from long ago and built for lighter traffic than they now receive. The three of them quickly become lost, with Eig and Oaklock chattering at each other in some foreign tongue. Antonus, frustrated with the elven bickering, asks a passing woman for directions. She gives the three of them, the human in street clothes with his armored and unarmored elven guards, a strange look, but gives them directions through "the Labyrinth." She also warns them to keep their hands on their purses and their noses out of other people's business. The Labyrinth doesn't sound very inviting to Antonus.
Antonus's instincts are good. The Labryinth can only charitably be called a slum. Virtually all the buildings and roadways are in a sorry state of disrepair, trash and refuse littering the streets. Those few folk that inhabit the buildings are little better than their surroundings, a rancid collection of ragged children, liquor-breathed derelicts, alley-bashers, miners without strength or will, and cutthroats. Antonus fades back a few steps, to the security of Oaklock's armored form. Where previously Oaklock had stepped lightly with his cloak wrapped about him, he now openly displays both his heavy platemail armor and his wide array of weaponry. No longer do the elves gaily chatter back and forth.
As the three of them continue through the Labyrinth, the quality of the buildings begins to rapidly improve. The ruined, ramshackle dwellings give way to an unsightly mix of tenement housing, second-hand shops, and grimy taverns. Nearly all the buildings are stoutly constructed of wood and brick. In the midst of what is plainly a better part of the Labyrinth rises
a nondescript, four-story building. Its exterior appears as run down as any in the immediate vicinity, but its height causes it to stand out. The buildings on either side of the Roost are two-story brick-and-wooden structures, with flat roofs. Directly across the street is a row of small one-man shops in a long strip of frame houses. "That's it," mutters Antonus. "That's the Roost."
The three of them look up and down the street for some place to sit and observe the building. The shops all appear to be small and the three of them are likely to draw attention if they linger. In the middle of the block is a building with barred windows, the symbol of Lirr, her open book, showing that it is a mission or refuge of sorts. At the far end of the book is what they search for, a tavern of small hopes, in which they can pay their way and be left alone. As they walk up to it, the sign over the door shows a copper senator, the smallest coin of the realm, with the edge clearly clipped out of it. "It'll always come back to you," mutters Oaklock.
The three of them gather at a table near the back of the one-room tavern. The proprietor, Varkin Jelas, seems willing to talk and tells how his business is fine and upstanding. He's paid his debts, his taxes, and his protection. "Nothing ever happens around here," proclaims Varkin. The dried bloodstains on the barroom floor and in the dark corridors that lead to the other rooms tell quite a different story. Eig carefully questions Varkin, using words Antonus has never heard before. His curiosity almost overcomes him, but the fact that Varkin continues conversing with Eig in this strange cant stops him. Eventually Varkin goes back to tending his bar and the three of them depart, tipping Varkin heavily.
Eig relates as they hike back towards the Drinking Gnome that Varkin has told him many important things. Varkin is the holder of a pass phrase that allows beggars entry to the Roost, through the lower, basement door. Those with special business are to approach the front door during daytime, because those who are not members of the Roost are not allowed at the front door after dark. Oaklock and Antonus are befuddled; they sat at the same table, but heard none of this information. Eig smiles. "Misspent youth" is his cryptic reply.
The three of them report back to the Company about what they've found. Dell assesses the new men traveling with the Company. It is not plain that he likes what he's seen, and Antonus quails a bit inside. To not meet up to Dell's standards is to risk his future learning! The rest of the Company begins bickering again, over what are, to Antonus, trivial matters. Only Jasper, the quiet monk, remains outside the fray. Antonus sits by him and tries to strike up a conversation. Jasper is happy to talk, but it is generally about the pretty colors, or what that dog had to say, or if Antonus has any food he could have. Antonus sighs. As he gets up to leave, Jasper looks at him and asks, "Do you have any big, heavy books for me to carry? Winthrop asked me to carry his books, and you look a lot like Winthrop, so you might have big, heavy books too! I like carrying things." Sadly, Antonus must say no, but he heads up to his room thinking heavily.
That night, with some trepidation, Dell dons the mithril circlet. His vision again blurs, darkens, and changes perspective. A vision of dark countryside floats before him, dead grains gone to seed bent and broken to the nearby ground. The torn, ragged bodies of emaciated fanged undead, ghouls from their size, like strewn about in piles. A great sword, covered with runes, dangles to one side, ichor dripping from it. Dell searches the sight for a landmark or some other sign, but can only see the stars above. The constellations seem to be the same, though perhaps set a bit further north than those in Flen. Suddenly, Dell's eyes squint shut in pain as a huge pressure builds inside his skull. "Have you now!" echoes sepulchrally through his mind as the pain increases. With a trembling hand, Dell reaches up and knocks the circlet from his brow and staggers to bed.
The following day, Dell staggers down to the main room well after noon. His head still pounds. Eig sits alone in the main room, and he wordlessly hands Dell a large cup of tea. "Rough night, eh?" says Eig. Dell merely glares at him. "You might consider whether or not an extradimensional space would block the conduit of mental control," says Eig. "It's likely such controls only exist on this plane and not across the interplanar boundries." Dell thinks about this for a minute, seeing its logic and trying to determine what extradimensional spaces he might have on hand. Dell then places one hand on his mage-killing dagger and slides the ebony rod down his forearm into his other hand.
"What are you talking about?" asks Dell sweetly, as he envisions the three killing trajectories between his hand and Eig's eye.
Eig points up to his ears. "Good ears, you know. You half-breeds don't get all of the range that we have. You moan and talk in your sleep a lot. You should avoid doing that. It'll compromise you someday," states Eig bluntly. Dell is stunned into immobility. Eig smoothly rises from the table and walks back upstairs, either blithely unaware how close his life came to ending or evincing a distressing amount of cool-headedness.
"Talk in my sleep. Good ears. Half-breeds! I think I'm losing my touch," thinks Dell. Once his headache fades, he goes back up to his room, prepares himself, and then goes to find Raven to talk over Eig's notion. Raven is in the stable, talking with Giuseppe. Dell coughs to avoid startling him and then explains Eig's idea. "I'll need a rope," explains Dell, "and then we can try it out." Raven hands a rope from the wall over to Dell. With a quick set of arcane passes, Dell sets the rope hovering in the air. "After you," directs Dell.
Raven climbs up into a featureless gray dome with a slightly darker floor. Dell comes up through the floor as well, pulling the rope up behind him. He pulls out the bag containing the mithril circlet and places it on his brow. The circlet sits there like a cold lump of metal. Raven eyes him and notices no change in his demeanor or style. It appears to be a success, though what the success is worth is unknown.
The two of them climb out of this strange magical space to find Cyfael in the stable. Otto must have arrived. Indeed Otto and the gnome Pfiffwin sit in the common room regaling the others with the tale of their travels. The bear, Eats Salmon, is outside of the city under the care of Herbert, the druid. The four of them traveled up to Cryllor, where Pfiffwin had hoped to find gnomes who would be able to aid him in expanding his understanding of his somewhat unique magical abilities. Cryllor is a grasping town, smaller in size than Flen, recounts Otto, where all of the inhabitants are focused on gold and how to get it as quickly as possible. The townsfolk see the profitable mines of Flen and compare them with the less impressive ones that lie near Cryllor and are filled with an envy that erodes their soul. Pfiffwin had no success with the gnomes of Cryllor, finding their requests for compensation to be outrageous, even by gnomish standards. After days of frustrating conversations, they left and headed for Flen.
Flen has been no better. Though Flen is ruled by gnomes, being a territory of Baron Schepni Quartfinder, the actual rulers live outside of the city in traditional warrens in the Good Hills. The Baron's extended family nominally oversees the operation of the city. Otto and Pfiffwin find the gnomes to be remarkably insular and wealth focused. None of the gnomes are willing to talk unless first receiving a "present," preferably in the form of gemstones, for their time.
Pfiffwin, by talking with a few of the apprentices, believes that a gift of hundreds of gold eagles would be necessary to gain a meeting with a learned gnomish mage, and then the cost to trade or purchase a rare magic would be exorbitant. This lack of willingness to help a fellow gnome infuriates Pfiffwin, but the apprentices all told him about something called market economics. Whatever this is, it must have something to do with having the miners work in conditions no gnome would tolerate. With refugees from Sterich filling the streets, the gnome mine owners, so Pfiffwin hears, have taken to firing experienced miners and hiring refugees instead.
Otto is perplexed by the Company's story of meeting Thomas Louvaine. Otto is confused that a King's Man would act in such a manner, surprising the Company from ambush. When Raven admits that he shot the first archer without warning or waiting to see what the archer was about to do, Otto holds him blameless. Otto even questions the reasonableness of the blood money paid to Thomas Louvaine after his men's death. "His word is that of the law," bursts Dell. "When the law asks money from you, you give it to them!" The others look at Dell with surprise before realizing how accurately that reflected their own experiences in the Hold of the Sea Princes.
Eig travels out of Flen to visit with Herbert and Eats Salmon. He and Herbert exchange impressions about the Company and their trips from the Dreadwood. Eig's elven nature allows him an instinctual communication with forest dwellers, and Eats Salmon is pleased to have someone to talk with. Herbert's and Otto's prayers allow them to communicate with the great bear, but only for short times. Eats Salmon is easily bored and constantly hungry. The topic of food never is far from Eats Salmon's mind, and he gazes upon Eig hungrily. Herbert pulls a large, succulent berry from his pocket and feeds it to the bear, seemingly assuaging him. "Berries are good," rumbles Eats Salmon. The druids agree.
The Company tries to make a plan, with little success. Dell suggests pretending to be King's Men and using the warrants that Antonus took from Thomas Louvaine. "Now, if we put Stalman Klim's name on there... and use these badges we got from the king's men that we killed... we might be able to have some fun," he jokes. The rest of the Company seem surprisingly uncomfortable at misrepresenting themselves in such a manner. Perhaps it is their staid Keoish manner, or just fear of the King, he muses. "Ok, ok," reassures Dell, "I'll come up with a brilliant plan , featuring: flying, invisibility, thousands of sliver coins thrown on the ground, a giant lens and a series of mirrors, a massive quantity of waterproof cloth, and the ring of wishes. All my plans lately end with "and if all that screws up and it looks like we're gonna die, use the ring of wishes." He leans over to Raven and whispers, sotto voce, "One thing, though - while we're staying in the town run by the thieves guild, our planning sessions will take place inside that pocket dimension."
The others seem unconvinced by Dell's blithe responses. They continue to brainstorm possible ways to enter the Roost. Antonus suggests impersonating the assassins that were sent after the Company in the Little Hills. Perhaps Stalman Klim would allow them in his presence.
Raven dismisses that approach out of hand. "I think that it's been over a year since the assassins tried to kill us," starts Raven. "One of them we captured and freed after he took us to his hideout. Other than that, we make no effort to have a low profile, and frequently make quite a splash whereever we go. I mean, I'm sure that the story about an evil hand pulping the face of the High Priest of Pelor travels fast."
Dell, with some pangs of regret, seeks to deflect attention from discussion of an evil hand pulping the face of the High Priest of Pelor. "The Company of the Blue Sun is not known for its subtlety. News of our survival probably reached Klim rather quickly. Not to mention that one of the assassins - thanks to Otto's foolishness - is still alive," barks Dell. Otto scowls at Dell and begins to respond to his criticism, but Dell continues steamrolling over him. "I'm thinking a two-pronged assault might be best for this mission. A team from the roof down and another team from the bottom up," says Dell, waving his hands about. "I'd like to do it during the day, so that the beggars and pickpockets and stuff aren't all crawling around the place - it'll make things a touch easier. Plus, I'll need them when I take over the place." Dell smiles.
"When Dell says 'foolishness,' it should be heard as 'goodness,'" says Raven, clapping a reassuring hand on Otto's forearm, which has started a disturbing slide down towards Giantslayer. "I considered a two-pronged assault," agrees Raven, "but without Cedrus it might not work. Do we want to check the sewers? I'm sure there are underground entrances."
Dell looks as if he's bitten into a lemon. Drawing up his haughtiest appearance, Dell glares at Raven. "Dell regrets to inform you that he does not 'do' sewers anymore. But his apprentice is ready and willing to take his place," says Dell, jutting a thumb at Antonus.
Antonus, who has followed the conversation with great interest, pipes right up. "Ready and willing! How effective or inconspicuous I'll be in an unlit sewer tunnel remains to be seen," he says, running his hand down his voluminous white robes and shaking his staff, the end of which glows brightly.
Eig strolls back into the Drinking Gnome in time to hear Winthrop's contribution to the planning session. "Just set the building on fire and kill all that come out of the building. Then once the fire is put out we can check for the loot in the basement. Much safer that way," chuckles Winthrop. "We can live up to our, or should I say my, reputation of torching buildings." Everyone stares at Winthrop, his open expression of what some of them, at least, have been thinking seeming to be a conversation ender.
Eig, new to the Company, appears to be a firm believer in Winthrop's approach. "Even better, search about, board up all of the entrances and exits, then light the building on fire. That way, you don't even have to worry about killing people that exit," adds Eig. "Unfortunately, while easier, this will reduce the effectiveness of scavenging the bodies."
Raven, leading from the front, tries to restrain the mage and druid. "Just remember that we need to burn down the building with regular fire and not magical fire," is, unfortunately, Raven's best effort. "We want to collect magical items, after all."
Antonus is aghast. He now recognizes that Maximilian has sent him to the Company to give moral fiber to the Company, to set them on the paths of righteousness and good. He gets to his feet, his white robe billowing in a slight draft. "From all you've told me, 'the Black Lotus' are the de-facto ruling body of Flen. The wholesale slaughter of said ruling body and the torching of their, for want of a better term, 'town-hall' is perhaps a bad idea. Do we even know that Stalman Klim is their leader? Perhaps he is just a high ranking member turned to the worship of a dark god, or some imposter planted in their ranks. Undead armies are not good for business, whatever your business is. Whatever the story, completely destabilizing the entire area should not be our goal. Armies of undead directly to the west have laid waste to the earldom of Sterich, a humanoid army menaces the entire region and parties unknown are launching some fell scheme to resurrect an evil dead god who we dare not name. Flen is not exactly prime real estate right now," lectures Antonus, waving his staff around to emphasize his points. "But a humble apprentice would never presume to understand Master Dell's motivations." With that last word, he turns and walks off upstairs.
The Company sits for a brief moment to let Antonus get into his room, before they continue on, totally unaffected by Antonus's words of wisdom. Otto is concerned about the possibility of an undead army marching on Flen. Most of the people in the city that he's spoken with are extremely blase about the idea, since several groups of Knights of the Watch rode through the city a week ago, and the Keoish Army guards the Javan. Few priests of power are in the city since Lord Highrider sent his call from Longspear weeks earlier.
Raven reminds the others of how Cedrus was able to divine the location of Clan Mumatandin in the south and the undead horde pursuing Gitmo and Naboth. Now that Hugh and Adrienne are more powerful, they should be able to track this undead horde in a similar manner. The two clerics agree, and they head off to do so, a process that involves riding across town to improve their triangulation.
The Company passes between the broad gates that bar nighttime entry into the city. The city is not unprepared or undefended; Keoish soldiers man the walls and siege weaponry is neatly arrayed to protect the city gates. Some quiet questioning of one of the city guards provides a few recommendations for lodging. Flen apparently has a large open marketplace adjacent to the mine adits. The city guard also suggests that, in this time of conflict, that the Company restrain itself from any untoward activities. "Tensions are high, and a bunch of swaggering sell-swords aren't going to be viewed in a friendly light. Why aren't you on post along the Javan River?" he asks.
"Friend," says Raven, "we are the saviors of Longspear!" The guardsman's response is less than overwhelming. Rather than rely on the word of a sullen Flenman, the Company opts to return to the Drinking Gnome, the large inn that Dell and the others stayed in the last time they traveled through Flen. The Drinking Gnome is a large establishment set far away from both Kurgan's Hill and the confusion of the market district. While pricey and possesses a style far beyond what the Company usually pays for, it is large enough to keep all of the Company's horses and goods under a stout roof and the eye of several grooms.
Antonus stands amazed at the bustle that the Company causes as they enter into the Drinking Gnome. The disorder and chaos is palpable. Raven throws money at the innkeep and starts ordering up rooms while the others carry in almost everything that the horses were carrying. It is almost as if they doubt that Flen is a town of law and order! Sooner, rather than later, the Company is settled into a suite of rooms on the second story of the building. From their lofty perch, they can see both the entryway to the stables and the road beyond.
Oaklock, Eig, and Antonus are sent to search for the Roost. At first, Eig and Antonus are stunned that they, the newest of those traveling with the Company, would be given such important rolls, but then Raven bursts their bubbles. "They won't recognize you as part of the Company if they see you. We've crossed with these folk, or at least their lackeys, before, and they likely know our good looks," explains Raven. "Dell knows where the building is. He can give you directions."
Indeed, Dell sends them into the southern end of the city, where a maze of narrow streets and alleyways creeps up the side of Kurgan's Hill. The roads within Flen are circuitous and winding, dating from long ago and built for lighter traffic than they now receive. The three of them quickly become lost, with Eig and Oaklock chattering at each other in some foreign tongue. Antonus, frustrated with the elven bickering, asks a passing woman for directions. She gives the three of them, the human in street clothes with his armored and unarmored elven guards, a strange look, but gives them directions through "the Labyrinth." She also warns them to keep their hands on their purses and their noses out of other people's business. The Labyrinth doesn't sound very inviting to Antonus.
Antonus's instincts are good. The Labryinth can only charitably be called a slum. Virtually all the buildings and roadways are in a sorry state of disrepair, trash and refuse littering the streets. Those few folk that inhabit the buildings are little better than their surroundings, a rancid collection of ragged children, liquor-breathed derelicts, alley-bashers, miners without strength or will, and cutthroats. Antonus fades back a few steps, to the security of Oaklock's armored form. Where previously Oaklock had stepped lightly with his cloak wrapped about him, he now openly displays both his heavy platemail armor and his wide array of weaponry. No longer do the elves gaily chatter back and forth.
As the three of them continue through the Labyrinth, the quality of the buildings begins to rapidly improve. The ruined, ramshackle dwellings give way to an unsightly mix of tenement housing, second-hand shops, and grimy taverns. Nearly all the buildings are stoutly constructed of wood and brick. In the midst of what is plainly a better part of the Labyrinth rises
a nondescript, four-story building. Its exterior appears as run down as any in the immediate vicinity, but its height causes it to stand out. The buildings on either side of the Roost are two-story brick-and-wooden structures, with flat roofs. Directly across the street is a row of small one-man shops in a long strip of frame houses. "That's it," mutters Antonus. "That's the Roost."
The three of them look up and down the street for some place to sit and observe the building. The shops all appear to be small and the three of them are likely to draw attention if they linger. In the middle of the block is a building with barred windows, the symbol of Lirr, her open book, showing that it is a mission or refuge of sorts. At the far end of the book is what they search for, a tavern of small hopes, in which they can pay their way and be left alone. As they walk up to it, the sign over the door shows a copper senator, the smallest coin of the realm, with the edge clearly clipped out of it. "It'll always come back to you," mutters Oaklock.
The three of them gather at a table near the back of the one-room tavern. The proprietor, Varkin Jelas, seems willing to talk and tells how his business is fine and upstanding. He's paid his debts, his taxes, and his protection. "Nothing ever happens around here," proclaims Varkin. The dried bloodstains on the barroom floor and in the dark corridors that lead to the other rooms tell quite a different story. Eig carefully questions Varkin, using words Antonus has never heard before. His curiosity almost overcomes him, but the fact that Varkin continues conversing with Eig in this strange cant stops him. Eventually Varkin goes back to tending his bar and the three of them depart, tipping Varkin heavily.
Eig relates as they hike back towards the Drinking Gnome that Varkin has told him many important things. Varkin is the holder of a pass phrase that allows beggars entry to the Roost, through the lower, basement door. Those with special business are to approach the front door during daytime, because those who are not members of the Roost are not allowed at the front door after dark. Oaklock and Antonus are befuddled; they sat at the same table, but heard none of this information. Eig smiles. "Misspent youth" is his cryptic reply.
The three of them report back to the Company about what they've found. Dell assesses the new men traveling with the Company. It is not plain that he likes what he's seen, and Antonus quails a bit inside. To not meet up to Dell's standards is to risk his future learning! The rest of the Company begins bickering again, over what are, to Antonus, trivial matters. Only Jasper, the quiet monk, remains outside the fray. Antonus sits by him and tries to strike up a conversation. Jasper is happy to talk, but it is generally about the pretty colors, or what that dog had to say, or if Antonus has any food he could have. Antonus sighs. As he gets up to leave, Jasper looks at him and asks, "Do you have any big, heavy books for me to carry? Winthrop asked me to carry his books, and you look a lot like Winthrop, so you might have big, heavy books too! I like carrying things." Sadly, Antonus must say no, but he heads up to his room thinking heavily.
That night, with some trepidation, Dell dons the mithril circlet. His vision again blurs, darkens, and changes perspective. A vision of dark countryside floats before him, dead grains gone to seed bent and broken to the nearby ground. The torn, ragged bodies of emaciated fanged undead, ghouls from their size, like strewn about in piles. A great sword, covered with runes, dangles to one side, ichor dripping from it. Dell searches the sight for a landmark or some other sign, but can only see the stars above. The constellations seem to be the same, though perhaps set a bit further north than those in Flen. Suddenly, Dell's eyes squint shut in pain as a huge pressure builds inside his skull. "Have you now!" echoes sepulchrally through his mind as the pain increases. With a trembling hand, Dell reaches up and knocks the circlet from his brow and staggers to bed.
The following day, Dell staggers down to the main room well after noon. His head still pounds. Eig sits alone in the main room, and he wordlessly hands Dell a large cup of tea. "Rough night, eh?" says Eig. Dell merely glares at him. "You might consider whether or not an extradimensional space would block the conduit of mental control," says Eig. "It's likely such controls only exist on this plane and not across the interplanar boundries." Dell thinks about this for a minute, seeing its logic and trying to determine what extradimensional spaces he might have on hand. Dell then places one hand on his mage-killing dagger and slides the ebony rod down his forearm into his other hand.
"What are you talking about?" asks Dell sweetly, as he envisions the three killing trajectories between his hand and Eig's eye.
Eig points up to his ears. "Good ears, you know. You half-breeds don't get all of the range that we have. You moan and talk in your sleep a lot. You should avoid doing that. It'll compromise you someday," states Eig bluntly. Dell is stunned into immobility. Eig smoothly rises from the table and walks back upstairs, either blithely unaware how close his life came to ending or evincing a distressing amount of cool-headedness.
"Talk in my sleep. Good ears. Half-breeds! I think I'm losing my touch," thinks Dell. Once his headache fades, he goes back up to his room, prepares himself, and then goes to find Raven to talk over Eig's notion. Raven is in the stable, talking with Giuseppe. Dell coughs to avoid startling him and then explains Eig's idea. "I'll need a rope," explains Dell, "and then we can try it out." Raven hands a rope from the wall over to Dell. With a quick set of arcane passes, Dell sets the rope hovering in the air. "After you," directs Dell.
Raven climbs up into a featureless gray dome with a slightly darker floor. Dell comes up through the floor as well, pulling the rope up behind him. He pulls out the bag containing the mithril circlet and places it on his brow. The circlet sits there like a cold lump of metal. Raven eyes him and notices no change in his demeanor or style. It appears to be a success, though what the success is worth is unknown.
The two of them climb out of this strange magical space to find Cyfael in the stable. Otto must have arrived. Indeed Otto and the gnome Pfiffwin sit in the common room regaling the others with the tale of their travels. The bear, Eats Salmon, is outside of the city under the care of Herbert, the druid. The four of them traveled up to Cryllor, where Pfiffwin had hoped to find gnomes who would be able to aid him in expanding his understanding of his somewhat unique magical abilities. Cryllor is a grasping town, smaller in size than Flen, recounts Otto, where all of the inhabitants are focused on gold and how to get it as quickly as possible. The townsfolk see the profitable mines of Flen and compare them with the less impressive ones that lie near Cryllor and are filled with an envy that erodes their soul. Pfiffwin had no success with the gnomes of Cryllor, finding their requests for compensation to be outrageous, even by gnomish standards. After days of frustrating conversations, they left and headed for Flen.
Flen has been no better. Though Flen is ruled by gnomes, being a territory of Baron Schepni Quartfinder, the actual rulers live outside of the city in traditional warrens in the Good Hills. The Baron's extended family nominally oversees the operation of the city. Otto and Pfiffwin find the gnomes to be remarkably insular and wealth focused. None of the gnomes are willing to talk unless first receiving a "present," preferably in the form of gemstones, for their time.
Pfiffwin, by talking with a few of the apprentices, believes that a gift of hundreds of gold eagles would be necessary to gain a meeting with a learned gnomish mage, and then the cost to trade or purchase a rare magic would be exorbitant. This lack of willingness to help a fellow gnome infuriates Pfiffwin, but the apprentices all told him about something called market economics. Whatever this is, it must have something to do with having the miners work in conditions no gnome would tolerate. With refugees from Sterich filling the streets, the gnome mine owners, so Pfiffwin hears, have taken to firing experienced miners and hiring refugees instead.
Otto is perplexed by the Company's story of meeting Thomas Louvaine. Otto is confused that a King's Man would act in such a manner, surprising the Company from ambush. When Raven admits that he shot the first archer without warning or waiting to see what the archer was about to do, Otto holds him blameless. Otto even questions the reasonableness of the blood money paid to Thomas Louvaine after his men's death. "His word is that of the law," bursts Dell. "When the law asks money from you, you give it to them!" The others look at Dell with surprise before realizing how accurately that reflected their own experiences in the Hold of the Sea Princes.
Eig travels out of Flen to visit with Herbert and Eats Salmon. He and Herbert exchange impressions about the Company and their trips from the Dreadwood. Eig's elven nature allows him an instinctual communication with forest dwellers, and Eats Salmon is pleased to have someone to talk with. Herbert's and Otto's prayers allow them to communicate with the great bear, but only for short times. Eats Salmon is easily bored and constantly hungry. The topic of food never is far from Eats Salmon's mind, and he gazes upon Eig hungrily. Herbert pulls a large, succulent berry from his pocket and feeds it to the bear, seemingly assuaging him. "Berries are good," rumbles Eats Salmon. The druids agree.
The Company tries to make a plan, with little success. Dell suggests pretending to be King's Men and using the warrants that Antonus took from Thomas Louvaine. "Now, if we put Stalman Klim's name on there... and use these badges we got from the king's men that we killed... we might be able to have some fun," he jokes. The rest of the Company seem surprisingly uncomfortable at misrepresenting themselves in such a manner. Perhaps it is their staid Keoish manner, or just fear of the King, he muses. "Ok, ok," reassures Dell, "I'll come up with a brilliant plan , featuring: flying, invisibility, thousands of sliver coins thrown on the ground, a giant lens and a series of mirrors, a massive quantity of waterproof cloth, and the ring of wishes. All my plans lately end with "and if all that screws up and it looks like we're gonna die, use the ring of wishes." He leans over to Raven and whispers, sotto voce, "One thing, though - while we're staying in the town run by the thieves guild, our planning sessions will take place inside that pocket dimension."
The others seem unconvinced by Dell's blithe responses. They continue to brainstorm possible ways to enter the Roost. Antonus suggests impersonating the assassins that were sent after the Company in the Little Hills. Perhaps Stalman Klim would allow them in his presence.
Raven dismisses that approach out of hand. "I think that it's been over a year since the assassins tried to kill us," starts Raven. "One of them we captured and freed after he took us to his hideout. Other than that, we make no effort to have a low profile, and frequently make quite a splash whereever we go. I mean, I'm sure that the story about an evil hand pulping the face of the High Priest of Pelor travels fast."
Dell, with some pangs of regret, seeks to deflect attention from discussion of an evil hand pulping the face of the High Priest of Pelor. "The Company of the Blue Sun is not known for its subtlety. News of our survival probably reached Klim rather quickly. Not to mention that one of the assassins - thanks to Otto's foolishness - is still alive," barks Dell. Otto scowls at Dell and begins to respond to his criticism, but Dell continues steamrolling over him. "I'm thinking a two-pronged assault might be best for this mission. A team from the roof down and another team from the bottom up," says Dell, waving his hands about. "I'd like to do it during the day, so that the beggars and pickpockets and stuff aren't all crawling around the place - it'll make things a touch easier. Plus, I'll need them when I take over the place." Dell smiles.
"When Dell says 'foolishness,' it should be heard as 'goodness,'" says Raven, clapping a reassuring hand on Otto's forearm, which has started a disturbing slide down towards Giantslayer. "I considered a two-pronged assault," agrees Raven, "but without Cedrus it might not work. Do we want to check the sewers? I'm sure there are underground entrances."
Dell looks as if he's bitten into a lemon. Drawing up his haughtiest appearance, Dell glares at Raven. "Dell regrets to inform you that he does not 'do' sewers anymore. But his apprentice is ready and willing to take his place," says Dell, jutting a thumb at Antonus.
Antonus, who has followed the conversation with great interest, pipes right up. "Ready and willing! How effective or inconspicuous I'll be in an unlit sewer tunnel remains to be seen," he says, running his hand down his voluminous white robes and shaking his staff, the end of which glows brightly.
Eig strolls back into the Drinking Gnome in time to hear Winthrop's contribution to the planning session. "Just set the building on fire and kill all that come out of the building. Then once the fire is put out we can check for the loot in the basement. Much safer that way," chuckles Winthrop. "We can live up to our, or should I say my, reputation of torching buildings." Everyone stares at Winthrop, his open expression of what some of them, at least, have been thinking seeming to be a conversation ender.
Eig, new to the Company, appears to be a firm believer in Winthrop's approach. "Even better, search about, board up all of the entrances and exits, then light the building on fire. That way, you don't even have to worry about killing people that exit," adds Eig. "Unfortunately, while easier, this will reduce the effectiveness of scavenging the bodies."
Raven, leading from the front, tries to restrain the mage and druid. "Just remember that we need to burn down the building with regular fire and not magical fire," is, unfortunately, Raven's best effort. "We want to collect magical items, after all."
Antonus is aghast. He now recognizes that Maximilian has sent him to the Company to give moral fiber to the Company, to set them on the paths of righteousness and good. He gets to his feet, his white robe billowing in a slight draft. "From all you've told me, 'the Black Lotus' are the de-facto ruling body of Flen. The wholesale slaughter of said ruling body and the torching of their, for want of a better term, 'town-hall' is perhaps a bad idea. Do we even know that Stalman Klim is their leader? Perhaps he is just a high ranking member turned to the worship of a dark god, or some imposter planted in their ranks. Undead armies are not good for business, whatever your business is. Whatever the story, completely destabilizing the entire area should not be our goal. Armies of undead directly to the west have laid waste to the earldom of Sterich, a humanoid army menaces the entire region and parties unknown are launching some fell scheme to resurrect an evil dead god who we dare not name. Flen is not exactly prime real estate right now," lectures Antonus, waving his staff around to emphasize his points. "But a humble apprentice would never presume to understand Master Dell's motivations." With that last word, he turns and walks off upstairs.
The Company sits for a brief moment to let Antonus get into his room, before they continue on, totally unaffected by Antonus's words of wisdom. Otto is concerned about the possibility of an undead army marching on Flen. Most of the people in the city that he's spoken with are extremely blase about the idea, since several groups of Knights of the Watch rode through the city a week ago, and the Keoish Army guards the Javan. Few priests of power are in the city since Lord Highrider sent his call from Longspear weeks earlier.
Raven reminds the others of how Cedrus was able to divine the location of Clan Mumatandin in the south and the undead horde pursuing Gitmo and Naboth. Now that Hugh and Adrienne are more powerful, they should be able to track this undead horde in a similar manner. The two clerics agree, and they head off to do so, a process that involves riding across town to improve their triangulation.