Intelligence Report – Part 3

House Thrune Intelligence Report on Elements C, G, L, Q, and V

Day 4 cont. – Kintargo (Rova 4, 4715)

The elements considered a visit to the salt works that same day too dangerous, since V had already invested some of his powers in searching for secret doors and casting sleep. They therefore made their way to the Tooth & Nail, a tavern in Old Kintargo run by Setrona, which was very quiet at that hour and which—as is only proper—also displays a likeness of the queen. Setrona's remarks on House Thrune's rule over Kintargo were rather less edifying.

Directive: Keep an eye on Setrona from now on.

As L joined them with his cheeks stuffed to bursting with blackberry tartlets from Luculla Gens's neighboring pastry shop, one incautious element asked G why he smelled so strongly of flowers, only to be regaled by a broadly grinning mountain of muscle with tales of snakes slithering into hiding places.

For the record: Element G most definitely has NOTHING to do with the Poison Pen; his acquaintance with Ratline, however, has left its mark.

Q mentioned that Setrona had kept him hidden and that L, too, had been a regular at her establishment. Setrona had even sent Q to Aria Park, just as Marquel Aulorian had sent C and V.

After a few beers and some stew at G's expense, the group decided to go through the Salt Gate (O4) and take a closer look at the Sallix Salt Works (O3). Along the way, C and Q were stopped by 2 Queensmen, but the red-skinned hellspawn managed to convince them that the slip was her lover. An admittedly unappetizing notion, but sadly not entirely implausible given the coarsening of morals in Kintargo. Once the Queensmen had been dismissed, however, C discovered in her pocket a poem by the agitator Poison Pen, who has been disparaging Chelish culture in Kintargo with his pseudointellectual rhymes for more than a year. How the missive had found its way into C's pocket remained a mystery to everyone. V decided to ask his brother about it; after all, he too wields a pen, and with that crippled arm of his he is incapable of doing anything useful.

The poem, verbatim:

The Poisoned Pen A twist of the tip by candle light Firm grip, knuckles tight Slowly the pulp rips, starting to fight This, my poisoned pen Iron fluid drowns the page Fears abound 'n rattled cage Easing words then formed to rage This, my poisoned pen Stop the thought! But the ink still bleeds Stop the thought! But the page still feeds Burn the thoughts to turn them numb But iron ink stains the shaking thumb This, a sign of what's to come This, my poisoned pen.

The group then split up: V decided to spend the night at his family's estate, while the rest went to the Wasp Nest.

Marquel Aulorian remarked that the poem was stylistically accomplished and that he admired the Poison Pen as a brave man; he himself was too cowardly for such things. An assessment one can endorse where the cripple is concerned. Auxis Aulorian reacted far more sternly: enraged by V's absence over the past few nights, he locked his wayward foster son in his room like a little boy. Heh heh!

For the record: Auxis understands order and propriety. We can build on that.

Day 5 – Kintargo (Rova 5, 4715)

On the morning of Rova 5, V climbed down the ivy from his bedroom window to meet the other companions at Laria's. V identified some of the potions found at the Silver Star as healing potions, and 4 scrolls as prayers to Sarenrae. He also showed them a tag he had devised that could serve as the Silver Ravens' symbol and could be applied in a matter of seconds.

Toward evening, the companions visited the Salt Works and gained entry. L revealed a certain talent for disguise, using magic to assume Kossrani's appearance and thus deceive and attack the sleeping Queensmen.

An exchange of blows ensued, in which the group eventually defeated Kossrani and 8 Queensmen. C struck Queensmen blind, V knocked others unconscious, G split skulls, L sank his swords into the dwarf, and the slip did what he does best: he busily slit the throats of unconscious and blind Queensmen (disgusting!).

Eventually the elements managed to free Forvian Crowe and 5 other workers. Their acquaintance with L, their rescue from honest labor, and the hellspawn's healing hands drove them into the arms of the group, which now introduced itself as the Silver Ravens and recruited all six.

Directive: Open a file and cross-reference the elements as members of the new Silver Ravens (SR).

The bodies of the Queensmen and Kossrani were sunk in the river, the night was spent in a nearby empty fisherman's hut, and—once V had applied the tag—the group left the old harbor again with assorted loot from the raid. It was no restful night for Q: the rat bites he had suffered a few days earlier had caused filth fever and left him babbling in delirium.

Day 6 – Kintargo (Rova 6, 4715)

Rova 6 thus became a day of rest. Loot was divided, and items were sold through Laria Longroad. C took charge of treating Q. A message from Tiarize Izone was found in the dead drop, with the following contents:

Prove your loyalty. Who took out the Queensmen? Where is the hideout you mentioned? What do you know about a rebellious tiefling? What about a rebellious halfling? Where can we find these elements? What do you know about a disloyal Queensman named Gellius? Find answers to these questions.

The elements decided to leave it unanswered for the time being.

Day 7 – Kintargo (Rova 7, 4715)

On Rova 7, the elements began investigating the Victocora estate. Before long, a flying accuser devil telepathically ordered them to leave the property. V wanted to try to convince it that he had a right to be there, but G shot at the zebub with his new composite bow, whereupon it spawned two lemures and fled. The lemures were defeated, but out of concern that the zebub could share its memories with others, the group decided—after a fruitless search of the ruins—to leave and return to the Coffeehouse by separate routes.

During the night of Rova 7–8, part of the Wasp Nest's ceiling collapsed, burying one of the SR's new fighters beneath it. Good. More of that, please.

Day 8 – Kintargo (Rova 8, 4715)

The five SR therefore set off, somewhat dejected, for Devil's Nursery, where C wanted to find out more about the murders among the tieflings and investigate rumors of the Temple Hill Slasher's return. A tooth left at the crime scene raised the suspicion that the attacker might have lost it. C, who had earlier introduced a tiefling friend named Zea, therefore decided to act as bait to lure out the Slasher. Zea had told them that a 6-year-old tiefling named Arvid had gone missing. The SR resolved to look for him as well.

That night, the slums' dental department went into action. C was overcome by sleep, and by the time she awoke, one of her molars had already been stolen by a ghastly creature—though in this instance, a most likable one. A total of eight tooth fairies from the First World, quite uncharacteristically immune to sleep themselves and also possessed of fast healing, attacked the SR with sleep, venomous bites, and nasty pliers eminently suited to crushing fingers (right, L?) and pulling teeth. They even succeeded in pulling at least one tooth from every element except V. After a little study of his book, V managed to consign them to the realm of unconsciousness with color spray, where Q further cemented his reputation as a frag stealer and “Quell De Grace.” L's treacherous sword thrusts at the little fey must not go unmentioned here, nor the stinking clouds as the creatures burst apart afterward.

Two fairies that had escaped were tracked down by the SR a few alleys away, in the ruins of Dead Crow's Tavern, an old, abandoned tavern where they had set up camp in a hole in the floor. Summoning the last of his strength, V managed to knock these creatures unconscious as well, allowing the other SR to defeat them.

In the hole in the floor, Q discovered the boy's corpse, mutilated in a truly horrific fashion, wrapped in strips of sinew and decorated with Aklo characters.

Day 9 – Kintargo (Rova 9, 4715)

On the morning of Rova 9, the body was handed over to the tieflings of the Cloven Hoof Society, who held out the prospect of a cremation. V discovered that the boy had been part of a ritual that had allowed the fairies to come here in the first place. Further investigations with Rexus Victocora may reveal more.

But there is still some time to go before then…

Ex-IMV

H SR!