[PF Korvosa] Chapter I: Edge of Anarchy

[Disciple of Sakura]

"I know that the old fishery once belonged to a fisherman who plied the rivers until he was eaten by a devilfish. As is customary law, the property reverted back to possession by the crown because he lacked an heir, and it has sat in squalor while the king's men determine what to do with it. Just the kind of place for a rat to hide. Gaedren uses it as a hideout, but he also makes a tidy profit by purchasing catches a fisherman would otherwise be unable to sell - long dead fish, mutations, aberrations... He makes the children work there, turning this noxious filth into a slurry which he sells to impoverished dock workers as a low-cost foodstuff. If you've ever had 'dock-dumplings,' you've eaten his product. He has no more than a handful of adult conspirators, and a pet alligator.

It is possible that some of the children are so broken that they might put up a fight, but I highly doubt it - the despicable and deplorable way that he treats his 'little lamms' is so monstrous that I expect most to simply hide until the fighting is over.

"The fishery is old and derelict, so it's not in the best of care and there may be areas that would be unwise to tread, but it also is not the ideal location for complex mechanical traps to be installed. Gaedren thrives on brute force more than such subtlety."  

[Raganui Minamoto]

"I see... well then, my last question is this... got any tobacco?"  

[jennibert]

Bekra tosses off the last of her drink and jumps to her feet. "How terrible! I'm sure Faern would not approve of such a thing! Let's get right in there and bust some heads!" She starts towards the door, though she won't leave until she's sure at least some of the others are following her. She's a bit impetuous, but not suicidal.  

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

"I wouldn't put it past Lamm to put some of his kids in the slurry, too, if they get out of line or too sick to work. Mr. Dainty Paws and myself are pretty good at moving around sneaky-like. I think we could do a bit of scouting, if that was what we needed. But I'm just happy to kick in the door (well, for someone who has decent legs to kick it in, at any rate) and settle this matter."  

[MT the Clown]

Looking at the female with curiosity, "I cannot say I know who Faern is, but if it's a god... I really doubt they care. Nobody heard our cries as children, just like how nobody heard the cries during the war. Why should they?" Putting away the vials, John stands and bows to the gypsy-woman, "Ma'am."  

[Disciple of Sakura]

"One final thing I could do for you all is perform a Harrow reading, if you'd like. It may warn you of coming difficulties, and certainly has been known to bolster the confidence and luck of some of my clientele. It'd be free of charge, of course."  

[Raganui Minamoto]

"I'll take that as no on the tobacco then. Alright, line em up." He tugged on his hat and actually leaned forward towards the table.  

[jennibert]

MT the Clown

Looking at the female with curiosity, "I cannot say I know who Faern is, but if it's a god... I really doubt they care. Nobody heard our cries as children, just like how nobody heard the cries during the war. Why should they?" Putting away the vials, John stands and bows to the gypsy-woman, "Ma'am."

"Oh, Faern isn't like that at all! He just saved the world not too long ago, you know. He and his druid companion--who was a dwarf like me!--and a couple of other people, one of whom might have been a squirrel. But then Faern just recently took the Test of the Starstone to become a god, so he wasn't able to listen when you were a child. But he listens now! I know he does. I'm one of his first clerics!" Bekra's eyes actually seem like they are lit by fire from within as she speaks about her god, and everyone who listens to her can tell she's a little bit of a fanatic. She smiles broadly.  

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

"I guess a Harrow reading couldn't hurt." Aeth pries her Harrow card from Mr. Dainty Paws, who is once again attempting to devour it without success. "Sorry about the slobber. Does that count as it being marked?" she says as she hands it back to Zellara.  

[MT the Clown]

Laughing politely not out of spite or mean-spirit, but because he actually thought it was adorable, "Heh. That's cute. It really is. If there really is a god, you think they'd care about me?" Shrugging his shoulders in a tired way, "Probably not. After the number of 'Damn you!' shouts. I really don't think there's anyone who can do anything for me." Taking out his hard and flashing it to the party before offering back to the gypsy woman, "My card should just about tell you what I did during my last military service elsewhere. Nice pick too. Did you Harrow read my past as well? If you did, I'm surprise you can remain civil in my presence."  

[Disciple of Sakura]

"I apologize about my rudeness! Unfortunately, I do not have any tobacco." Zellara smiles apologetically. "Well, then, shall we begin the Harrowing?"

She gathers the cards and begins to shuffle them, directing each of you to draw a card...

Aeth draws the Cricket, Bekra the Rabbit Prince, Jonathan Jones the Crows, and Jonathan White the Juggler.

"The cards tell me that you, Aeth, are quick witted and fast. Bekra, the Rabbit Prince indicates that you are capricious and difficult to pin down. Jonathan, the cards tell me that you will not tolerate a thief lightly, and... uh... Jonathan, the Juggler indicates that Fate will smile upon you. Fascinating..."

She takes the cards back, shuffles the deck once more, and deals out nine cards in a grid. Reaching for the left-hand, top-most card, she begins to turn over the left column. "Oh, my!" she exclaims. The top card is the Vision, below which lie the Marriage and the Lost. "This card, here!" she points to the Marriage, "this represents the past, unclear whether it is a harbinger of weal or woe. It's crown corresponds to the placement. It is very auspicious. It represents a union, of persons or ideas. Something momentous is about to happen because of an unlikely but fateful meeting of powers. A match that affects everything in the present, and will have strong reverberations throughout the future."

Reaching for the middle column, she turns over the cards - the Empty Throne, the Owl, and the Idiot. "This... oh, my oh my. Two cards of high significance alight the Present. The Owl - I believe that was your card, was it not Bekra? - it represents wisdom of the natural order. It sits in the Unclear Present, meaning that the natural world may well hinder or benefit us. But, it is most clear that it is important in some manner. This card," she says, pointing to the idiot in the center bottom, "tells us that our Present is negatively affected by greed and foolishness. Dire greed is truly one of the seven greatest sins, and our Present is corrupted by it most powerfully.

"And now, to attend to matters of the future..." Zellara reaches for the last column, revealing the Carnival, the Forge, and the Queen Mother. "Hmmm... this future is cloudy, and the cards do not show any great significance. The most monumental once again lies in the Unclear. The Forge tells us that strength is derived from diversity, but whether it affects our future in a positive light or a negative one is debatable. Our positive Future is marked with the Carnival, which tells us that we will be able to overcome obfuscations and false visions, though it is not strong - it may be quite difficult, but it will be necessary to succeed in future endeavors."

{And I even really did the Harrowing. See?}

"From this reading, I see that a union of powers in the past has set our current events in motion, damaging our present through greed and involving the natural world as well. And diversity may well yield great strength, but will it be enough to overcome deception and illusion? I am afraid I cannot say. This future is much cloudier than our past or present. Is there anything else I can answer before you depart?"

{The Harrowing ordinarily provides boons to your fates - each of you gains one Harrow point, which you can spend once in this adventure. You may expend it to reroll one Dexterity-based roll, to gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC for one encounter, or to increase your base speed by 10 feet for one encounter. Once spent, they're gone for good. Bekra, since the Owl was drawn, you gain an additional point, for a total of 2.}  

[Raganui Minamoto]

"I have nothing more to say." He closes his eyes, leaning back. "Whenever the rest of you are ready, me and Henry are good to go."  

[MT the Clown]

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, "Heh. This is such a bad joke. Ultimately everything is unclear and we only know what we don't know. It might have been more believable if you had each of us pick a card and interpret that." Walking forward and picking up The Lost card from the bottom left, "Unless you have the dexterity to manipulate the Inquisitor card from the deck and into my pocket, I'll be taking this with me. A reminder that even the clearest path will vanish underneath you... And that even the lost will have to carve out their own path if they wish to continue living." Shaking himself out of his revelry, John flicks his hand upwards and the card disappears, "Not as good as a street performer, but still decent. I'll give it back when I come back. Allons-y! These bombs aren't going to blow themselves up."  

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

"Naw. We're good. Thanks for the bread. I haven't had a decent meal in a while." Aeth stands up, and Mr. Dainty Paws scampers with an unnatural gait behind her as they move towards the door alongside the two Jonathans.  

[jennibert]

"Oh, yes, it was!" Bekra exclaims when the woman speaks her name. "Neat!"

After the harrowing, she is raring to go. "Thank you for the info, and for the wine. Let's go, everyone!"