Note that the information found out in this session is reported at: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~chinnery/norse/tess/reports/1027_05_19_Blue_Eye_and_Krikk_info.txt Tess doing stuff in a prior Norse session ========================================= Grey was 'requested' to find out about a dragon which lives north of Sind. The Rajahirajah received a message from a wandering prophet that the dragon would ravage the countryside. They have traveled north looking for information, and Grey asked Tess to find out what he could with his contacts. Tess successfully found out some information for them. He did pretty well, told them some useful stuff, and they have gone north. Technically it's illegal to travel north into it's territory. The territory is the dragons. No one really knows, since a deal was stuck long ago that people won't cross the border into each others territory. Some people do anyway, smugglers and the like. They have paid a smuggler to transport them northwards. Information from the Seekers *1027/05/06-1027/05/12* ============================ Minora and Arni have disappeared. According to a divination with priests of Petra in Karameikos, "She is in my garden" - i.e. Minora is with Petra. Tess is requested by Grey to find information out on Krikk and the lands north of Baratkand. Tessarael heads up with Hiresh to villages on the Sindhi side of the Karakanddar border. Tess uses his Sindhi trader disguise, Danesh, and makes enquiries about Karakanddar - under the cover of looking for trading possibilities north of Sind. Tess and Hiresh head into Karakanddar with a smuggler as guide and find out some info from villages there, before Grey teleports Tess and Hiresh to Slagovich to find out information ont he Company of the Blue Eye. Slagovich *1027/05/12-1027/05/13* ========= **Tess bought 3 red steel daggers for 20gp each, and two red steel bracelets (20 sp each) for Phoranin and T'zaz respectively.** Tess found an inheritor selling red steel in a seedy part of town, though the inheritor looked respectable. The inheritor looked much like a mage, but had no pouches. According to Hiresh's mind-reading, the merchant was mildly concerned that Hiresh and Tess were members of the local government. Note that Tess was using his Danesh Bidwani merchant disguise in Slagovich. The inheritor merchant was thinking that we were there to shut him down - that his business selling red steel was not legitimate. The inheritor is part of some group which controls trade around here, but not within Slagovich. Tess released Aldara to keep an eye on the merchant for a bit. From Aldara's spying, the inheritor sells nothing but cinnabryl and red steel items. He mostly sells to the reasonably well off, frequently adventurer looking types. Tess thinks he might have some leads if equipment has been sold to the mercs recently. Tess and Hiresh look around for info on the Company of the Blue Eye, pretending to be merchants looking to set up trade, who need some guards. They talk to local people who do the guarding, not heads of the company. Tess establishes some basic signals with Hiresh, so that when they're talking if there's a problem that Hiresh picks up, Tess can back off on the questions. Tess will check that inheritor out again and press him for whether he knows of or has made any large orders recently? (Tess will be bluffing as more official now ...) The inheritor clams up. The inheritor says his order will respond if he is harmed (although you think he is bluffing too). He seems very uptight, but calms a little when Tess tries smooth talking him. He is paying attention to all around him, obviously expecting someone else to be there. Tess suggests chatting somewhere more quietly. The inheritor concentrates briefly, and a ball of fire 6 inches across appears in his hands, saying, "I will not be intimdated! The order of inheritors will not be stymied by your government!" He doesn't look like he is going to throw it. Tess sighs. People move back a bit - but keep watching. Other people arrive and start arriving to watch as well. Tess tries to placate him, "Sir, we have no objections to your business. We are very concerned though that others, not your order, may be a threat to our security. Which is why I enquired about any orders ... Please ... this will only make things more difficult." The inheritor replies, "The order will deal with any rogues. If you have information about them, please tell me." He closes his hand and the fire dissappears. The people look dissapointed, and start to drift away. Tess: "Seriously, I am happy to talk to you somewhere where you would be more comfortable. You can choose where. I didn't want to attract undue attention. We need your help in this matter - the security of more than this city may be at stake. And that affects people like you, though I have no doubt you can defend yourself well." The merchant looks at Tess searchingly, then gestures "in here". Tess follows the inheritor into an adjacent building after the inheritor pulls boards down over his stock. Inside appears to be a small bedroom/living area. Tess: "Have there been any large orders of red steel weapons? or armor?" Tess will also mention the golem components that have been bought recently elsewhere ... Merchant: "Who are you?" Tess will nod softly. "I am from Sind. We suspect that there are plans to attack us. Not directly involved with Slagovich of course, at least we hope it's not." The merchant nods and replies, "I know of no such sale recently, although Slagovich is not friendly to inheritors." Tess: "Do you know any details of the Company of the Blue Eye?" Merchant: "I know of them, ahtough I have not delt with them. They prefer to purchase their red steel through government channels." Tess sighs, "Ah, now I understand. Do you have any idea where I could double- check this information? Which are the major smithies and armouries of red steel here? Has the price inflated at all recently?" Merchant: "The major smithies are armouries are both those of the Knights of Halav, they control the red steel in this city. The price of red steel has not inflated recently, although my order normally acts to prevent price fluctuations. Shall we be civlised and introduce ourselves?" Tess: "Certainly. I apologize for my rudeness, my name is Danesh Bidwani of Sind Security. Merchant: "I am Jacindo of the Crimson Order of Inheritors." Tess: "Well met. Has your order needed to put more on the market recently?" Jacindo: "Not very recently. The city states, and Hule, fight amongst themselves often, so they often have large demands." Tess: "Are there others within your order who know more about the Company of the Blue Eye?" Jacindo: "Yes, and if I felt it was to the benefit of my order I could request information from other members of my order." Tess nods. "Very well. Let me double-check with my superior. I believe others may be better known to your order than I - this was a new assignment, I do not speak Slag well unfortunately. Can you excuse me for 5 minutes?" Tess checks over the communicators with Grey and the others - the Seekers know nothing of the inheritors. (The party knows of Jose and Martin from relatively near here, but there are not inheritors.) Tess returns with a wry smile. "Well, it seems they do not have any contacts with you." Tess will shrug and open his hands, "Obviously we would appreciate your help. How can we be of assistance to your order?" Jacindo: "It's no secret my order desires control over the cinnabryl market and mines here in Slagovich. Can you help us in that?" Tess ponders, "Personally, I can give you some help. Beyond that, again, I would have to check with my superiors. If there is information you need - well, I can retrieve information if you know where it is ... or similar actions that are ... how shall we say ... quiet? But my time is limited, I need information soon. I may also be able to arrange payment for your help, which would no doubt help your order in achieving their aims and that would be easier for us in some respects." Jacindo: "Perhaps if you were able to uncover information about the cinnabryl shipments leaving by ship, we could give you information we have about red steel and cinnabryl shipments elsewhere. We know the ships are going to smugglers in the Savage Baronies. We need to where they are going, when they are leaving and the name of the ship carrying cinnabryl." Tess: "Very well. I will do my best to be of assistance to you. I would appreciate it if your people can find out what you can in the meantime too." Jacindo: "It will take some time for me to get the information, a week I would say. I can find out what I can from my own sources in the meantime." *1027/05/13-1027/05/19* So Tess meets back up with Hiresh, and they spend the next week or so tracking that info for them. Trying to find out when, where, number of guards. When the cinnabryl is being loaded etc. The Slagovich docks here are rather more secure than most places. They are in a cavern under the city. Hiresh won't be used near the docks for covert observation - Tess will do that. Hiresh will help Tess information gathering. There is a water lock which allows them to bring ships to the surface, and sometimes ships even travel down the canals. Tess will sneak into the dock area and check it out with Aldara. There is a close call or two (they have dogs) but nothing Tess can't deal with. Eventually Tess spots some shipments of cinnabryl being loaded onto some ships. Tess finds out the number of guards on the ship, amount of cinnabryl, the ship names, and their destinations. The destinations aren't secret, just the presence of the cinnabryl. Tess returns and informs Jacindo. Jacindo: "Excellent! I have some information for you too." Jacindo passes over some documents on the Company of the Blue Eye. Information from the Seekers *1027/05/19* ============================ The Seekers know where the temporary encampmemnt of the Blue Eye is. They have had several run ins with that company - and fled to avoid being caught (not that they couldn't cut their way out). The party is currently recovered from a failed ambush on them. They tried to ambush them, got caught, and almost got ambushed in return. Zim and Lani are dead (temporarily), Grey is dead (not to temp), Turia has fled somewhere, and Roland and Safranna escaped by the skin of their teeth. They ended up fighting Maximus, Krikk, and many of the leaders of the WotBE all at once. They buffed and attacked, but they were detected so the bad guys buffed and attacked. Met in the middle. Krikk basically made mincemeat of the party. The Seekers went and presented their peace treaty, then teleported a short distance away and buffed for an ambush. You see, they thought the other guys were lying. +8 bonus to Sense Motive for the liches Zim and Lani rather helps. One of the problems was, the other guys thought _they_ were lying too. The treaty was signed by the Rajahirajah. When the Company of the Blue Eye spotted Rhi observing them overhead, they got really suspicious.