5th Fourth Quarter 998
Sapphire and Jack
Let's think about a plan Jack! - Sapphire said lively. Her brother replied:
I think that we should wait for Royal Guards to come. We'll have much bigger chance to get Copper King with them. Looking back at the old mansion, then at the alleys leading to great market she said:
Let's go and find out where they are.[1] Then suddenly siblings heard footsteps coming from the alleys, they heard someone talking on the way. Quickly hiding out of their vision in a small alcove siblings listened to their conversation.
... And what about the Royal Guards? - a tall, stocky hooded man asked his skinny and shorter companion.
They're still busy trying to calm things down in the great market. The situation won't change until King acts himself or sends a regular militia to aid them... Sapphire and Jack couldn't hear more as the thugs have went away.
Great, guess we'll have to rampage through the manor on our own. What's the plan? - clearly vexed with royal guards screwing evrything up Jack asked his sister.
Let me think... - she thought for a while, then told Jack about possibilities:
Attacking through main gate would be extremely risky, but with enough luck we might get through. We could use back entrance through sewers and sneak inside the mansion. It's less risky and gives us an element of surprise. Jack hesitated for a while.
[6]
Let's get there through sewers. Once we're in, we'll sneak inside the mansion. Then I'll rampage through it, distracting guards. At the same time you'll sneak to Copper King's hideout and kill him. Shall we go? After some consideration Sapphire agreed and they got to a nearest sewer hatch, then climbed down the ladder.
[2] It was completely dark and the stench of feces was almost choking. Jack wanted to light up a torch, but Sapphire warned him that sewers tend to be filled with flammable gases. Roaming around blindly in sewage and passing by squealing rats they tried to find their way around this underground maze. Luckily they still could tell where the exit hatch is. Eventually they reached an embranchment and had to decide which way to go.
[5] It was a hard decision, but Sapphire's intuition proved itself to be a great asset. She led Jack right to a hatch, and climbing up a ladder they entered backyard of the old mansion!
[4] Siblings instantly looked around to check if nobody saw them, then through an open window they jumped into a small storage room inside the mansion.
It's time to split up. I'll go first. - Jack said, then ran at full speed towards the doors.
[2] And hit a servant opening it! They both tumbled together along the hall, making a lot of noise!
[1] After a while Sapphire heard footsteps coming from all around. Guards were alarmed and wanted to check what's going on.
[2] Using this opportunity she tried to sneak away from the little cellar, but all the ways were blocked by guards. Luckily nobody spotted her yet.
[6] Jack got up from the ground and caught the servant by hand, then ran outside the mansion dragging him behind. All the guards chased them, and when there was nobody on her way, Sapphire sneaked out of storage and entered the mansion proper.
[5] She thought about a place where Copper King could hide. First she checked obvious ones like toilet and bedroom, but she couldn't find him there. Then she tried other places, like dining or living room. While the house looked like a complete ruin from the outside, inside it was just as great if not better than any noble manor in Wickbreach.
Years of amassing wealth and you can live in a palace. - she thought. Then as she fumbled through the manor's hallways, she wondered what Copper King's day must look like, and how her day could look like if she got that reward for his head. From stuff like managing a business or contraband, to entertainment. Then a sudden idea - Copper King could be for example gambling somewhere right now. Heck, he could even have his own casino. And where she haven't checked yet? Basement!
[3] Sapphire turned back and quickly crept down a staircase. Cautiously moving closer to the open doors of porch opening the basement, she suddenly heard:
Hah! Lucky strike!. She leaned her head a little through the doorframe and saw three man sitting by a table, throwing Qrallan Dice. The man that just luckily striked was an old man with grayish hair, wearing the most exquisite clothing Sapphire ever seen - it was the Copper King, just a bit older than on the wanted poster. Another one was probably one of Wickbreach's lesser nobles. Curiously the third player really looked like Anrelles Mathius - advisor of the king Matigor I. There were was a pouch with gems lying on the table, and Copper King just grabbed it.
You won't have so much luck next time. Same place at the same time, see you next Quarter. - Anrelles said angrily and left the table, moving towards the porch.
[3] Sapphire quickly hidden in a shadow and the man passed by without noticing her.
And about you... - Copper King said drawing a stiletto.
The deal was - you win the game, your debt is paid off. You lose, you die. The noble got on his knees and started begging for his life.
[Sapphire: 4 + 1, Copper King: 5 - 1, Noble: 5] Just as Copper King was about to stab the noble, Sapphire charged out of the porch with a surprise attack! The old puppet master dodged her slash, but the noble seeing a chance to survive grabbed his legs and Copper King almost lost balance!
[Sapphire: 4, Copper King: 1, Noble: 4] The noble still continued dragging the Copper King by legs, which resulted in him completely losing balance and falling on the basement floor face-first. Sapphire proceeded with a fast and powerful slash, cutting his head off! Blood splattered around as the head rolled on the floor and stopped by Sapphire's shoe. She turned the man's body on it's back and got a shirt off of it, then used it as a sack to take Copper King's head. The noble was shocked and just stared at Copper King's headless corpse.
[4]
Ummm.... Sir, are you alright? - she asked, shaking the man by his arm.
Yeah... yeah.... everything's fine... - he replied, still shocked by what just happened.
I think we should go now... - she helped the noble get up and they moved towards the stairs. Then wandering through still empty hallways they got to the warehouse through which siblings entered the manor.
We should wait here for my brother, Jack. If things get bad, then we'll run.Back when Sapphire was searching for Copper King in his manor, Jack ran to the entry garden dragging the man with himself. Then as guards surrounded him, he thrown him on the ground and drawn his claymore, ready for battle.
[Jack: 5, Guards: 6, Archers: 2] He waited for a first move of his adversaries. He knew it would be a tough battle, as he was alone against ten men on the ground and two archers on a balcony. Archers readied their bows and aimed at Jack. Thanks to his good observation skills, he spotted that and when a guard charged, he kneeled and pushed him into the flying arrows! They easily penetrated through his light leather armor!
[Jack: 6, Guards: 6, Archers: 4] Another quick shots from archers. Jack spotted them as well and dodged in time, falling at guards behind him! They tumbled down towards the entrance! Suddenly the gates opened and a squad of royal guards appeared!
[Jack: 3, Guards: 1, Archers: 6, Royal Guards: 6] Jack quickly recovered and got up, then with aid of royal guards proceeded with slashing through Copper King's guards. They mercilessly slain all the thugs. One of archers tried to escape, knowing what would come, but second one caught him and tried to force him to shoot at Jack. Shaking wildly they fell of the balcony and both died!
With the squad Jack rushed inside the manor to find Sapphire and Copper King. They found Sapphire waiting in a small warehouse with a noble she saved. Soon after they left the old mansion secured by royal guards. They were led by one of officers to the palace, King Matigor I wanted to reward them himself!
Tyr Loknar
Tyr woke up in room he rented in "A cut Florin". He left his bed and got all his things, then after breakfast and some preparations he decided to take that package and deliver it to so called Ivette Jeannis, an alchemist in New Larramsir's great market. He left the tavern and set off to the streets.
[6] On the way to great market Tyr saw a woman leaving her house. It was a short, attractive woman in early thirties, wearing an exquisite robe. She left the house and moved towards the great market without noticing Tyr. He approached her and caught her arm. She jumped away, scared. She was just about to get her dagger, but then Tyr asked:
Good day madam, could you tell me where I may find Ivette Jeannis? She stopped her hand at the hilt of dagger and replied:
I am Ivette Jeannis. What do you want? Tyr took the parcel out of his bag and showed it to her saying:
I've got a package addressed to you, from an alchemist known as Llathandril.[4] She smiled, Tyr noticed a gleam in her eyes when she was looking at he parcel.
Excellent! These reagents will be of great use for me! But let's not talk about it on the streets. We should go to my house! Loknar hidden the package in his bag and followed Ivette to her house. The ground floor seemed like a house of a rich merchant. She told Tyr to go upstairs, where her laboratory was. He entered a room with many shelves, filled to the brim with different ingredients and reagents. There were mortars, calcinators and other alchemical apparatus on a few tables. Tyr left the package on a table, after a while Ivette entered the room with a small sack.
Eight square cut sapphires. Thanks for delivery, should you ever go from New Laramsir to Anxrean border, visit me. I may have something for Llathandril. Tyr took the sack.
Thanks. Out of curiosity, since these reagents are highly explosive in contact with air, how are you going to take them out of the parcel? Ivette was surprised by the question, and after a while of consideration she said:
It's simple. I'll spray around a gas that would make nullify chance of explosion while still keeping [1] Tyr bid goodbye and left house of the alchemist, holding sack with sapphires in his hand and smiling. Suddenly someone bumped at him and he fell on the ground! A cloaked figure took the sack and started running away!
A Thief! Guards! Guards! - he shouted.
[Tyr: 3, Thief: 6] Tyr instantly got up from the cobblestone and started chasing the thief. He almost lost him, but he stumbled at a city guard running to aid Loknar, and they both tumbled forward!
[Tyr: 5, Thief: 1, Guard: 6] Tyr easily caught up with tumbling thief and the guard. He quickly drawn his dagger and when tumbling men have hit a city wall, he swiftly charged and slit burglar's throat! The guard was having problems with standing, his leg aching terribly. Tyr got his sack and checked it's contents - all sapphires were on place. Then he helped the guard get up.
[5] More guards approached and saw Tyr helping the wounded man. One of them was the same man that he spoke with during the carriage chase.
Looks like you can't stay out of trouble. - he said.
Troubles stick to me for some reason. Luckily I have my wits, skills and some luck to get out of them. - Tyr quickly replied.
Say, aren't you looking for a job? City guards or mercenaries may need someone like you. Loknar thought for a while, then said:
Not my cup of tea, but I'll consider it.[1] After a while guards took their wounded comrade to barracks. It wasn't late but Tyr wanted to relax a bit and went back to "A cut Florin". On the way he heard people rumoring about huge load of silver that guards managed to secure with help of a carriage driver. He noticed someone following him - two huge thugs entered the tavern with him, but waited by the entrance while Tyr approached the tavern keeper.
Hey, aren't you the carriage driver that helped city guards? - a bald, tall man asked with a raspy voice.
[6] The brutes that were following Tyr now moved towards him, one raising a chair and another breaking a bottle and going with a broken bottleneck. People inside - the tavern keeper, merchants and caravan guards just stared at them, and suddenly in a huge wave everyone left their places and rushed into battle. A tavern brawl!
[Tyr: 5, Brutes: 1, Tavern Keeper: 6, Larramsirian caravan: 3, Erdhen caravan: 4, Wickbreach caravan: 5] Seeing what's going on Tyr jumped to the other side of the counter and took a random key, then ran upstairs like hell and found the right room. He doors and got inside. Then he left the building through window, then stopped by the entrance and watched battle. The brutes got mobbed by all the caravans and after a rough beating they were thrown outside, then caravans started in-fighting, with caravan coming from Wickbreach kicking butts of other caravans. Fists swung, tankards and bottles flied. Tavern Keeper got knocked out with a flying bottle. After a good while there were only two caravans left in action - Erdhen and Wickbreach.
[2] Two guards appeared, drawn by noises of tavern brawl.
Shit, another one in "A cut Florin"... - a guard said to his companion.
So... who goes first? They started playing Rock Paper Scissors, but they couldn't settle it.
[1]
You over there! - guard shouted to Tyr watching the brawl.
Get inside and try to calm the situation, we'll be backing you up from here![2] Tyr hesitatingly entered the tavern and immdeiately had to dodge a punch! He jumped into the middle of the room.
[3] After a few more narrow escapes he shouted:
Stop! Guards are coming, they'll put a mercantile fine on your wares if they see you fighting! - Tyr had to make up something so that brawlers would stop.
[5] And it worked just excellently! Caravans stopped fighting and helped tidy the place up. They even woke the tavern keeper up! Tyr left the building and got thanks from guards. He pointed at unconscious thugs that were following him, saying that they started the brawl. Guards took care of them.
After this all the tavern looked like a hurricane went through it. For helping stop the fight Tyr got a free room in the tavern for this quarter. He spent rest of the day helping tidy the place and resting. He started getting some small fame in the city for helping guards all the time.
Euzaroch
Euzaroch left the healer's house with Kallun, supplied with soothing balms. They got back into the forest, to a meadow close to sorcerer's laboratory and set up a campfire. They sat on logs cut off nearby trees by lumberjacks a few days ago.
When I was unconscious, I had a disturbing dream... - Euzaroch started. -
It was long after dusk, darkness all around. I was in a forest, surrounded by ominous eyes staring at me. There was a stick and vine figure of Zyugewolg. I found a vial of firewater and thrown it at the figure, which summoned the dark god. He called me a cannonfodder and made me rot to death.[3] Kallun thought for a while, then said:
Disturbing indeed. You think it's a sign that Zyugewolg is after you? With what was left of his face, Euzaroch made a sad expression and said:
I'm not sure, but this might be why that accident happened. Any ideas how to prevent further such accidents or how to gain divine favor? Kallun looked grim.
There is one way, but it's extremely dangerous. You must go through Trials of Zyugewolg. It takes three nights on your own in forest. At the first night you make a figure of Zyugewolg and protect it. At second night you must find a wolf and kill it with your bare hands and take his fang. And for the third night, you have hunt a moose and deal a killing strike with wolf's fang, take it's liver and then burn the figure and fry the liver on fire. After that eat it to pass Trials and gain Zyugewolg's favor.After a while of consideration, Euzaroch replied:
If it'd help, then I'll do it, starting tomorrow. Let's rest and prepare now. Together they went back to sorcerer's house, to prepare for next night.