I-vell-i-os Nai-lo. His name is stupidly hard to pronounce too.
Enter Ivellios Nailo, High Elf Fighter. He frees us from prison under Arken's command, he knows Kenneth from the war days. Soon after we exit jail – I still can't believe my idiocy in believing Charm Person would work – we go to send a message to Sleaz. It reads thusly:
Meet us at the Crimson Lotus promptly. Near Tower Three at its base. Signed, your patient companion, ~H.
Lovely. I'm a bit disappointed the Crimson Lotus isn't another brothel, it sounds like one. Anyway.
We meet a lovely lady called Griswalda who has magical connections. She apparently had a few chats with some demons last century, fascinating. I did try to flirt with her purely for business reasons, to get information, discounts, the like, but she insults my clothes. So I leave!
We got to a coffee shop after Griswalda closes up. I think we annoyed her but so what, she insulted me. Kenneth acts like an arse and tries to break in. I am dying inside.
Next murder in... the Torran Mining Company. They are trying to get into the Bankers and Traders' Guild, doing mining and small-scale expeditions to the southern continent – next quarter full status.
HQ in thing Square, Stahltfast Arnoldson – on holiday for the past few months, lucky sod. All the buildings around here are mansions. Stahlfast Arnoldson is doing last-minute business before he leaves the city. His halfling servant informs us of this – one Bellear Bitterleaf – while we all stand around breaking our necks. That is, Xanaphia and I are breaking our necks because the ceiling is so low. Kenneth and Sleaz are fine, the tiny men.
There is apparently a rich vein of markite, so strong and pure, that is being looked into by the company. There is no way geology that can explain its purity. It does have side effects, but its strength is undeniable, which is why the company is interested in it.
We have to stick around with our thumbs up our arses and keep guard over Arnoldson. It's a big mess really. We decided this after much deliberation, and decision that seeking out Arnoldson in the city would be foolish and impossible. So we waited for him to return home, realised what a grumpy bastard he is, and still decided he was worth saving. Because I could not stand up inside his house, I went outside for the night. Kenneth and Sleaz remained inside. Xanaphia was outside somewhere and Ivellios was in a tree.
I must have fallen asleep because I was awoken by pain. Huge, metal hounds charge at me and I don't quite... handle them very well. If it was not for Ivellios I would probably be in a much worse shape. There are also people but they are dispatched by a combination of the three of us outside and, when a man does get into the house, Sleaz and Kenneth deal with him. In fact, they capture him.
Through this captive, we find out that these men work for "The Bull": they gather "people of interest," meet in a specific place out in the backstreets, and this captive says he will be killed by the bull for botching this plan.
As if to compensate this man – and to look fucking psychotic! – Sleaz takes the man outside where he... kisses the captive and slits his poor throat. Right there. In public. Where lots of guards are watching. Yes... Sleaz gets arrested and we have to get him out.
After we do, we go to that alleyway. Some of us are disguised and we tie up Kenneth, as if he is the captive Arnoldson we've managed to capture. The Bull does actually fall for this and pays Ivellios but... he realises something is wrong and sets Fearlings on us. Our eyes widen, our own plan is botched!
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'Suck my Wiggly Dick!' - Hieronymus the Liar in the Edranari Empire
Fantasy'Exquisite Mosca am I!' My name is Hieronymus the Liar, an interesting title to be sure. I am no longer a wandering maverick, but a maverick with some half-baked purpose. As may be expected, I did not plan my life to be like this but, upon re-enteri...
