Acqua Alta

[Cocoa]

Ariellana smiles at the young woman.

"Thank you for your help. Without you, it would have been harder to defend ourselves from the assault."

Ariellana introduces herself, and then indicates her companions. She looks questioningly at the young woman in case she wishes to further the acquaintanceship.

Ariellana wanders around, inspecting the prisoners. They appear to be tied securely enough. Ariellana peers more closely at their clothing and their possessions, looking for anything out of the ordinary, anything hidden. Surely there's some reason why they'd go out of their way to attack here, and to continue their attack in spite of our opposition.

When Ariellana's steps take her close to the inn's proprietor, she talks to him in a quiet voice to match the one he was using.

"Why do you think these people tried to attack your tavern? Are you sure the cleric you're mentioning is not behind it?"

She nods in agreement when the proprietor suggests leaving before the guards arrive, and taking their prisoners to a place where they can be questioned, and hopefully not merely executed. It's usually best not to involve the official authorities unless you know for sure what they will do. Ariellana has no desire to be arrested for Brawling While Foreign.

[love2readking]

Akaysha steps up beside the Eladrin woman and peruses the detainees with her. After a couple of minutes of quiet study she decides they are not under any magical control.

"I have seen my share of people who are spelled and this group doesn't seem to be. Whatever reasons they had for attacking here, they are mundane, not magical. If the plan is to take them to the Garden of Preparation, I would like to go along. I'm curious if they'll tell the cleric the reasons behind their attack." Glancing down at her cheese stained tunic and trying to brush off some of the sticky mess she then says, "I'm not fond of introducing myself when I am such a mess, but I'm Akaysha, songstress and entertainer, at your service.

[Umiushi]

Using the pretense of stroking his mustache to cover his mouth, the tavern master replies in a very low voice, "We used to enjoy the patronage of the Temple of Lightning's Spear, but since spring, the Matchless Gang has been growing in power, while the Temple's influence in Beilston waned. What's more, everyone suddenly became very aggressive in exerting themselves. I changed our allegiance some weeks ago, but I was one among many, and neither the most prominent, nor the wealthiest, to do so. I thought the risk from the Matchless Gang was the more serious to consider.

"I'm acquainted with Hegumen Piast, and know he has no truck with these games of influence. Even if he did, he wouldn't ignore the decision to return his people to him, rather than handing them over to any of the Guard factions, all of whom favor the Matchless Gang."

Morgran has walked over to be able to be able to hear what the man has to say.

"I can stay behind to wait for Myn, and talk to any guards that show themselves," he says.

[yukonhorror]

"If you don't mind, we would like to borrow your cart to carry them in and something to cover them with."

Zephyr puts the bound enemies into the cart, places their possessions at their feet, and covers them so as to not draw attention.

"I am sure I can carry this cart with Ariellana's help. Tanglar, I think you know the way. Why don't you lead and we follow. Let's make haste before we make more trouble for ourselves."

[Cocoa]

"Don't worry about the mess, Lady Akaysha. No one looks their best after being attacked. We are lucky to be alive. A little bit of stuff on one's clothing is a minor thing in comparison."

To the tavern owner, Ariellana asks, again in a very quiet voice, "The Matchless Gang? I hope, that after we settle these people, we can ask you more about the situation here in town."

Ariellana thanks the tavern owner for all of his help as she and the others load the cart.

[Myn]

Myn rounds the corner to find his party and the inn's patrons preparing the cart for travel. Padding up to them, he shifts out of his wild form and says "She got away. Lost herself in the city." Flicking glances at his bloody and sore friends, he continues "Is anyone seriously injured? I can lend aid if needed."

While waiting for his companions to respond, he steps to the door of the inn and takes a careful look at the aftermath of the fight, hoping for a clue as to the attackers' origin.

[TheGreenLabrador]

Tanglar continues loading the unconscious bodies onto the cart as Myn arrives, watching the change of form.

"We should go now before the guards get here."

[Umiushi]

This is the twentieth Acqua Alta main post. Players' posts in either thread are due by 11 pm, Tuesday, June 9th. The next main post will appear by 11 pm, Thursday, June 11th.

The five of you and five servants hastily take your leave of the establishment, with Zephyr relieving one of the servants from the task of hauling the vehicle. The still-sodden cloaks hugging your bodies mainly serve the purpose of concealing your non-human features from what curious eyes there are in this downpour. Two of the servants flank the group, carrying oil lamps with translucent horn shutters.

First, the group turns left along the broad road that Myn briefly chased the fugitive assailant down. Though not quite wealthy, the shuttered buildings here do not show any signs of poverty. For the first time, you see more private residences than shops. A number of peddler's stands rest along only the south side of the street, all of them packed up and abandoned. The buildings themselves are more lively, often with smoke rising from their chimneys and illumination peeking through the second story windows.

The rain assaults you in wave after wave, hurling itself directly against you. For Myn, this is an unheard-of environment, and even the rest of you rarely find yourselves having to face these conditions outside during the Path of Storms. After a few minutes of this abuse, by unspoken consent, your guides make a right turn and abandon the boulevard in favor of wending their way through narrower, but sheltered streets. The only sounds that compete with that of the downpour are the near-constant bursts of thunder, and the cascading noise of the numerous, grated drains. The party makes a brief detour after encountering a work crew, ankle-deep in ashen water, hastily attempting to clear out the blockage of one such drain that is flooding an alley.

Soon, the group finds itself traveling along the north edge of a vast expanse of stalls, some temporary, and others quite permanent-looking. Wooden planks that form the pavement here are well-worn and speckled with muddy pools. At last, some commerce is to be seen again, as merchants and customers brave the weather amidst the partial shelter. Around this time, the captives begin to stir, but they are stilled by the guarding servants without any excess of gentleness. For whatever reason, not a single patrol of guards or watchmen is spotted as you travel.

Finally, you approach the far side of the settlement. The eastern walls rise up, adorned with a row of ten tower mills. Bereft of their sailcloth, they stand strikingly still in the windy storm. Here, the party reaches its destination, a large, walled compound built like a miniature version of the inner bailey: a mound within the mound. Above the wall that tops the earthwork, the foliage of hedge trees can be spotted.

Among the holy symbols of the Great Master, the one chosen for this place is the Fist. If not for that, starkly emblazoned on the double doors at the top of a flight of steps set in the slope of the motte, the place could quite well be mistaken for an unusually fortified manor, possibly belonging to a wealthy mercenary company. Two dragonborn stand guard, in white-badged chain mail, with sheathed, white-ribboned swords.

"Here, the rest of us should part ways with you" one of your guides says, as the guards come within sight. "The cart won't be allowed through the main entrance, and wouldn't make it up there, anyway. What's more, we can explain what's going on well enough on our end, but you might run into some trouble if you try to do so on your own. I'll stay with you, so let me get you in for your introduction." She approaches the dragonborn and confers with them while the other guide puts out his lantern, as there is still enough light to see dimly, and takes over from Zephyr, pulling the charrette around a corner of the motte. After a moment, the first guide returns, appearing to have concluded her discussion without any difficulty.

"The Hegumen is in residence, and is available for an audience, they say," she reports. Accompanied by her, the group climbs the steps and is let in by two humans and two dwarfs in similar garb to the dragonborn from the barge.

"Cross this lintel in peace to find peace within. Cross this lintel in war, and find war within. We, servants of the Great Master, bid you welcome to the Garden of Preparation," says one of the humans. To your right is a simple, wooden hall, but directly in front of you is a towering hedge, easily over sixteen feet tall. The ground appears to be a layer of gravel strewn over dirt. Ignoring the building, the acolyte leads you into a gap between the leaves and directly into a hedgerow maze.

At first traveling along one side, then penetrating deeply into it, later traversing the opposite side, the party follows the acolyte through the greenery. Partway through their wanderings, a white moth flutters past, despite the rain, and alights briefly on Tanglar before flying off. A little while later, the sound of rhythmic blows can be heard, and along one side course, a goliath is seen smashing his sword into the side of a practice dummy and ignoring the sheen of water that covers his entire body. He bellows loudly for a new shield to be mounted on the dummy as the party leaves sight of him.

Almost taking you by surprise, you find yourselves in a clearing around another wooden building, slightly larger than the one at the entrance, but still completely engulfed by the maze. This building is well-lit, well-built, and clearly occupied. As you approach, conversation and some laughter can be heard from inside. Stepping within, you find yourself in an aptly-named Hall of Heroes, the quarters where the devotees reside. Possibly (but not necessarily) excluding Zephyr and Myn, all of you have found yourself visiting such a place on one or more occasions in the past, especially Tanglar. Designed like a feast hall in an archaic style, the place holds a motley assemblage of persons, most of them well-armed and armored with no sign of badge or ribbon. Indeed, many of them are busy at work sharpening, oiling, or otherwise maintaining their arms. Many look up at the party, while a few continue with their tasks, unheeding. Their expressions are as varied as their appearance.

In many of these places, the hegumen's place is at the end of the hall. Here, seated in the position of honor, is a human woman. Her hands rest on a sheathed sword in front of her, as she surveys the hall fiercely. She sees the party enter, and gazes at each one of you as you approach, saying nothing. The acolyte nods respectfully in her direction, but leads the party past her, into a room further back. This is fashioned in the manner of a traditional audience chamber, a rarity in such places. However, instead of a single chair, a broad table sits in the far side of the room and seated at it, with scrolls, quills, and brushes in front of them in the manner of clerks, are a dwarf and a half-orc, both advanced in years. The two of them are clad in blue. The dwarf's hair is white and his skin is tanned. The half-orc has a pallid complexion, and a salt-and-pepper beard, though the hair on his head is still black. The dwarf speaks first, as the half-orc looks on, scowling.

"I am Piast of Yu, Hegumen of the Garden of Preparation," he states, and then indicates the man at his side, "This is my factotum, Hieromonk Kushevx Sastwyrhta. I have some inkling as to why you are here, but I will hear it from your own lips, just the same. Who speaks for you, and what do you have to say?"

[love2readking]

Akaysha steps to the front of the group, as she thinks silently Corellon's lute I wish I weren't covered in cheese. Squaring her shoulders she makes a quick bow "Hegumen Piast, We thank you for giving us audience. The situation we find ourselves in is this, we were dining at The Little Ortalan this evening when this group barged in and seemingly without provocation attacked it and its patrons. After an attempt to get them to stand down, these helpful people and I knocked them unconscious so that they could do no more harm. We brought them here to you, save one who escaped, as opposed to leaving them to what I am told is the unmerciful town guard. I have heard the last couple of days that there may be some trouble brewing in Beilston Mound. My plan was to come here on the morrow and find out what I could, tonight's events have just brought me before you sooner than I expected and in better company." she nods to her companions. Akaysha turns her gaze back to the Hegumen and makes another quick bow and takes a small step back and waits for his reply.

[yukonhorror]

"What she has described is accurate. Here is a clearly unregistered weapon used by one of the assailants. It has very distinctive markings, so maybe you recognize its owner. Possibly these markings are associated with a faction you are familiar with?"

Zephyr carefully unwraps the maul, and handles it by its business end. He displays it to the court so anybody interested can identify it.

"Also, I was hoping to ask about an incident which occurred earlier today. While arriving at the dock, the trade ministry assaulted what appeared to be an acolyte of this church. Is it possible these events are related?"

[Cocoa]

Ariellana feels like a wet cat. She is tired and sore and still hungry. And wet. Did she forget to mention wet? She was soggy through and through. I shouldn't have bothered with the bathhouse, since I'm getting another one for free. Not that the good from the first bath lasted for long, since I hadn't planned on fighting so soon after. In spite of her discomfort, Ariellana keeps her eyes and ears open while traveling through town and into the Garden of Preparation. The place strikes her as being unusual for its type. She doesn't want to consider the implications of that just yet.

She sways a bit as Akaysha and Zephyr present the evidence and tell their tales. She's not sure what she can add, but feels that she ought to say something.

"We would know more of these things if possible, Learned Hegumen. We were told that this was a peaceful town where all visitors checked their weapons and armor, yet we were soon attacked by an armed gang while we were minding our own business in a quiet tavern. They seemed to have some animosity towards us, yet we have not been here long enough to offend anyone. I have not been here in many years, learned sir, yet this does not seem to be business as usual for such an important town. I find myself curious about these events, especially since we have unwittingly found ourselves in the middle of them."

[Umiushi]

"It's a strange chance that I'd hear about these helpful people of yours twice in so short a space," the hegumen replies after considering Akaysha's statements. "Maybe not so strange," he mutters after a moment.

"What's happened is this: we are engaged in conflict against the lesser elements of this city and the stake is our own survival. Unfortunately, some of our band took it upon themselves to blindly counterattack, rather than strike with wisdom, and in doing so, they fell to adopting the tactics of our enemies." His voice is rough-sounding, with an undisguised Dwarven accent, and hints at a low upbringing, but with a broad, learned vocabulary, to those of you who are familiar with such things.

"I hold it as a good thing you were there to punish them for the erroneous path they followed," he says, "Rest assured that the dishonorable defeat they suffered in your hands is not the final lesson they will experience in this matter. Even so, I will require them to be grateful for the mercy you showed in the end."

When Zephyr holds up the hammer, Piast and Krushevx' demeanor indicates that it is well known to them.

"I see you retrieved the Heart's Echo. It was presented to Acolyte Mas by his now-absent father," Piast sighs faintly, "There's no claim we can make to arms won in what we assume to be a fair fight. However, Mas is still young, and I'd rather he learn from his mistakes than be honor bound to pursue a course he may not live through. To that end, I want to ransom the hammer back."

Krushevx looks like he just gulped sour wine, but Piast continues, "For now, let's set that matter aside. So, Ariellana, you say that you are unwittingly in the middle of events? That would not be the first time, if I recall. It's just that this time, you seem to be conscious of it. I cannot say that I recognize your current companions, but I remember you well from your first visit here, even if you don't remember me. Perhaps you never realized at the time that anything would come of it, but we're still dealing with the changes you set in motion, years later."

Piast leans forward and steeples his fingers, "You've come here seeking information, but what will you do with the knowledge you gain, I wonder?

"No, don't answer," he says with a wry smile, shaking his head, "I suppose I owe all of you for your trouble. As you know, it is customary for a business or guild to find as its sponsor one of the leading institutions of the community it operates in. To that end, the Temple of Lightning's Spear, and we by extension, enjoyed the support of numerous prosperous city folk.

"Also as you know, not all leading institutions lead from the front. Here in Beilston, there has long existed a group of people who refer to themselves as the Matchless Gang, out of sheer bravado. I imagine their origins are as disreputable as the name suggests, but over time, they assumed a form much like any association of benevolent aid. For most of my stay here, it looked like their main functions were keeping the indigent fed, firefighting, and marching in festival parades.

"That changed suddenly, less than three months ago. The known agents of the gang started to threaten any shopkeeper or peddler who didn't take them as their patron. When the threats were ignored, vandalism followed, and then violence. Well, this is a temple dedicated to the Great Master of Battle. Do you think we would just cower in the face of such effrontery? When we are struck, we strike back with ninefold force," at that moment, the hegumen looks tired of his own voice. He straightens and gestures for Krushevx to continue.

"The cowards are only 'Matchless' because they take to the shadows and hide from an open fight," growls the hieromonk, stabbing his quill on the table for emphasis. His Common speech is as laced with the giants' tongue as Piast's is with Dwarven. "They were never a sanctioned grouping, but they have corrupted the city authorities from the bottom up. They hold the reins of the city, and, now that the Mound is cut off from the outside, we know they intend to finish us off. We won't go down, though: all our forces are gathered here in the Garden, and we are ready for any siege they care to lay!

"As to the little fools you tussled with," he goes on, "they were tasked with holding our inner defense. The prospect of going through the upcoming battle without having any opponents left to face must have further shriveled their already-puny heads, and they went out looking for action in the wrong place." He snorts, "serves them right!"

[Myn]

Myn is shivering. A subtle tremor rolls up his body every few moments, and his hands shake visibly under his cloak. He walks slowly, and stands as stiffly as his chilled state will allow, mindful of his bruised and battered body.

Despite this, he keeps an upright bearing as he speaks to Piast, "What happened three months ago? Was there some change in leadership that might have brought this about?" Myn's eyes flick to Krushevx before they rest again on Piast, "And how sure are you that they will attack you here?" He looks down and shifts his balance to his other foot. "You say they shy away from any open fight. Perhaps they wish to keep you here, like a bear forced to take refuge in its den, while they have free reign of your territory in the city."

[Umiushi]

Krushevx chooses to answer, "A change in leadership? Yes, probably; not that we've ever known who leads them." He starts to rub his right wrist in a dissatisfied manner, "Unlike those sneaks, we've never made a secret of our membership roles, so infiltration is an option that's difficult to pursue. Even had we started when the trouble began, I'm sure our agent would still be little more than an errand-runner in their organization."

Continuing, he speaks, "If that's their goal: simply to isolate us while they run wild, then their doom is already written. We will purge them from the valley when the waters recede. Now is their only chance to deal the final blow, so now is when we ready ourselves to fight."

He stands up and walks around the table to the party, "Maukab and the others will not be entering the Hall of Heroes for some time. Dry yourselves at our hearth and tell me who you are, for while some of you seem to be known to His Reverence, none of you are known to me.

"I'm sure His Reverence needs some time to contemplate the ransom for the brat's maul," he says, eyeing Piast, "when he's ready, he will summon you again."

[yukonhorror]

"I am Zephyr Fireblood of the mountain septs. I think the spirits have led me to you, so let me know where you could use my help."