Orhan 3 Day 12

We are sitting around in the CBSK with Kyse Pharnese, and he receives an ominous note. Xarna, a barmaid at the CBSK and the current paramour of Kyse Pharnese, has been kidnapped. Oh no! Kyse immediately jumps to the conclusion that the kidnapping is the work of House Alaxatan, an old enemy.

Imre concentrates on the note for a moment and suddenly seems quite sure that we should ask around the seedier parts of town to gain information. Kyse sends D. forth to investigate the city's seedy underbelly. Imre persuades her to take him along after agreeing to do WHATEVER SHE SAYS. Kyse asks the rest of the party to check out House Alaxatan.

D. and Imre dress down and go forth into the Canal Maze. They get a couple of stories of muggings and bodies being transported around very recently, but no specific pattern appears to emerge. They keep at it for awhile and a number of the stories all have three men carrying something or someone in a large sack. Nothing more can be determined that night and they report back to Kyse, frustrated.

Jack, unbeknownst to the rest of the party, displays his mercenary side and refuses to help out unless he gets paid by this Kyse fellow. Divad's response: "Oh yeah, the amount of money you are interested in he craps out his ass every day."

The rest of the party goes to House Alaxatan, ostensibly to pay a "social" visit to the oldest son, Tellus. Oathar gives Vallandra his Chain of Charming and she crushes the brain of the eldest Alaxatan son. Sadly, he seems to know nothing.

Meanwhile, Imre does some icky rat divination and gets some sort of image of a coin or something, which D. believes indicates a particular show, "The Silver Lining," in the Canal Maze. She climbs up the side of a building, and tries to check it out but decided perhaps some backup would be good.

She comes back and tells us all again. We tromp down there. It sure is late. D. climbs back up the side of the building all stealthy like while we wait to back her up. She sees three guys with leather armor and Xarna tied up in a chair.

D. picks the locks to the front and back doors. D. goes back up to listen. We try to make a plan, but it falls apart so we just rush them. They hear us as we get close, and chaos erupts.

Haeraan attacks the first guy who comes to block the top of the stairs. Haeraan deals with one with his whip. But blocks up the top of the stairs so Kyrik has to leap up over the stairs and spends a bit climbing up. D. perforates hers a couple of times with arrows and he gushes blood. Haeraan gets disarmed of his whip so he has to draw a morning star. Sniff. He mauls them both on instinct. "I didn't mean to do that." They fall down and start dying. Haeraan is so bad. We all get up the stairs.

We save two of the bad guys from their deaths. D. runs back to Pharnese territory and gets Kyse, they get a barge and come back. Kyse and Xarna have a happy reunion. Kyse says bring 'em to the barge. We leave the dead one and get out to the barge. We cover the bad guys in tarps and gag them and head out.

We are offered cots and nap. Servents give us the treatment. It's great…

Orhan 3 Day 13

We are well treated at the Pharnese mansion, and that evening Kyse thanks us and offers a reward. Jack jumps in and asks for a favor to be paid later. He offers 2000 Orlini now or 200 Orlini a month for five years. Or lifetime free travel on any of his boats. "But take your time to decide. For now, Dinner!"

We find out that the men were hired by the second son of Alaxatan. Darn! Vallandra missed by one! "We will exchange pleasantries shortly." We hear the implied "Bwu-ha-ha!".

We decide on the income option.

We gets bank accounts set up to get the rewards and time passes.

Orhan 3 Day 33

Kyrik and Haeraan are wandering over a canal at night. Oh dear…

Suddenly they are getting show at in the dark. Ouch! Kyrik takes a few arrows. Haeraan takes a huge bleeding wound.

Across town, Imre and Oathar are eviscerated by a hail of arrows!

D. and Vallandra as well!

Jack lucks out and gets knifed in the CBSK!

Those of us who still stand make observation rolls and see some Ninja swathed head to toe in black clothing carrying bows, with another weapon on their back. One ninja at each site.

Most of us flee our attackers, except Haeraan who charges his, and Jack who get his entangles in a bar brawl. All engaged ninja teleport away. Survivors (all) stagger to the empty CBSK. Imre patches people up.

Orhan 3 Day 34

We find out it was ninja hired from out of town specifically for this job. (D. asks around.)

We go to Veriak again to see if he can get something off the arrows. He lays out the arrows and casts some spells.

He says, "I see a dark and deserted tower standing amidst a marsh, and across the marsh I see thousands of skeletons lying on the ground and echoes of long lost banners and trumpets, and above the tower amidst the gloom, I see a group of stars, and amidst the stars, a baleful eye glares down.".

He draws a stylized eye. Same eye as the hands of the barge/Kadena people. Star pattern looks the same as the cylinder thing. We are doomed.

"I sense patterns within patterns and plots within plots. To all things there is a place, a time to live and a time to die." He starts suddenly and then says, "I sense the pattern of stars here. I suggest you flee. You must leave this city."

After much discussion, we decide to go to Norek. Oathar says he can get us passage to Danarchis and then changing ships to Norek. Gireg Jan sees us off at the dock. Gireg gives Oathar a crystal. (Flat crystaline disk. "If you're ever really in trouble, attune to this. Trust me.") We go on The Dragon's Hoard. It's a great ship. We sail away. "But what about my classes!" "Shut up Oathar."

Orhan 3 Day 39

People often comment on how cool the boat is…

Orhan 3 Day 42

We arrive in Danarchis. We have a day before we have to head off to Norek. Haeraan goes off to the temple. We go to an Inn for the evening. Nothing happens.

Orhan 3 Day 43

D. disguises us. D. uses her unspeakable powers to disguise us and herself. Everyone gets a good disguise except for Oathar who gets his hair butchered. D. turns into a dwarf.

We go to the ship to Norek.

Orhan 3 Day 47

We arrive in Norek. We pull up into Elysia Bay. D. tells everyone we can't write letters to anyone while we're on the run.

We look for an Inn. Haeraan finds one with a picture of Reann on in. We ask at the temple of Reann and they say the Inn has the blessing of Reann. Inn's blessed by Reann, that's got to be good. "Welcome to the Nights Dream". She charges 10 silver for three rooms. (Usually 15, but we have Haeraan. It's still a high price.)

We agree for at least one night. Complementary breakfast is included.

Jack says that there have been Lugroki problems here.

We set some watches.

Orhan 3 Day 48

We wake up having all slept. Some people didn't have any watches, and others were on watch but woke up all refreshed. It was very creepy. "Well, aside from being somewhat alarming, that was great."

Imre takes us to the Trade guild where we find a job listing for Wezmer's Trade Emporium, who needs a party of adventureres to track someone down.