Conspiracy Theories

The party had been criss-crossing Korvosa all day, chasing obscure clues from Zeeva Foxglove’s mysterious Harrow reading. They weren’t really sure what was going on, but they had a growing suspicion that the Sczarni fortune teller who had performed Zeeva’s reading, Jaelle Goldtooth, might be planning to poison people at Zeeva’s Green Market. They had finally arrived at the Green Market, and most of the group began methodically making their way up the aisles, looking for the Chelish diplomat, Lord Amprei, who might or might not be a target, or anything else suspicious (although they weren’t really sure what ‘suspicious’ might look like).

Nat, however, had no time to waste on ‘methodical’. Instead, he ran full speed through the market, screaming “DON’T EAT THE BLONDBERRIES!” at the top of his lungs. He suddenly did a double take. He had just run past Zeeva Foxglove, who was staring at him in open-mouthed horror as he ordered her customers not to eat her produce. Standing next to her was Lord Amprei, just reaching his hand towards a bin of fat, juicy blondberries. And standing beside Lord Amprei was a large Shoanti man. Tomas spotted the Shoanti about the same time, and recalled that one of the actors at the Kendall Amphitheater had sold Goldtooth a packet of Dust of Illusion, which she had wanted so she could “look like a Shoanti”. As they watched, the Shoanti drew one hand out of his pocket, and made a surreptitious sprinkling motion over the bin of blondberries that Lord Amprei was reaching for.

Nat darted back to Zeeva’s side, hoping to explain the situation to her. “Did you make this flyer?” he asked, waving one of the pages they’d found at the Frisky Unicorn in her face, “Or is it a forgery?” Zeeva just stared at him, her mouth still hanging open. “Are you crazy?!?” she finally sputtered. “I asked you to help me, not put me out of business!”

Tomas didn’t see any need for exposition or backstory. Instead, he whipped out his bow, and sent a pair of arrows straight for the suspect Shoanti. One missed, continuing on through the crowded market, fortunately without hitting any bystanders. The other sank deep into the Shoanti’s shoulder.

The market erupted into chaos – someone had just pulled out a weapon and started shooting innocent shoppers! The market was crowded – people were trying to stock up on recently resupplied foodstuffs after the rioting. Now people were screaming and running into each other in their panic. The Shoanti let out a shriek and pulled a fat tube from beneath his cloak. “The Shoanti will dance on your ashes!” he screamed (in a surprisingly feminine voice), and lit a fuse on the tube. An instant later a column of colored fire erupted from one end of the device, and the Shoanti tossed it into a nearby bin of peanuts, setting the bin on fire. The flames and smoke only added to the turmoil, and the Shoanti disappeared into the panicked crowd.

Another Shoanti man appeared from around a corner, drawing a rapier as he stepped towards Tomas. Tomas saw him coming, and braced to dodge the thrust, but the attacker neatly feinted, leaving Tomas completely off his guard as the blade sank home. Two more Shoanti stepped out from behind displays of food, and fired crossbows at Tomas, but missed. Wren and Jax saw their friend under fire and moved to his aid. Wren hit the nearest crossbowman with her mace, while Jax darted past the burning bin and clambered up onto a nearby display of sweet potatoes; however, the uneven footing made him slip as he swung. Both were struck by the non-traditional weapons the Shoanti attackers were using, but even more so by the fact that the three attackers looked identical to one another, as if they were triplets.

Unable to make any headway with Zeeva, Nat shifted his attention to Lord Amprei. The Chelish diplomat was backing away from the burning bin, face pale as he was buffeted by panicky shoppers. “Those blondberries are poisoned!” Nat shouted in his face. The nobleman looked blankly at his hand, as if not sure what he was holding, then threw the berries to the floor as if they were on fire. Suddenly, Nat felt a searing pain in his back. He spun, and saw the Shoanti, trying to dart back behind another shopper, to make it look like that person had attacked Nat. The wound burned from something on the Shoanti’s blade, but whatever poison it was didn’t take hold. At this close range, Nat could see the Shoanti’s appearance flickering, and could almost make out the visage of a woman beneath the illusion.

Someone kicked the flaming firework out of the burning bin; it pinwheeled through the air, landing on the stone floor behind the bowman Jax and Wren were fighting. Tomas took a step back, and feathered his assailant with two more arrows, and Shadow added a Magic Missile. The Shoanti feinted again, then thrust, but this time Tomas was able to avoid the blow. The other two dropped their crossbows and drew rapiers of their own; one closed with Tomas and dealt him a glancing blow, while the other missed Wren badly.

Shadow fired another Magic Missile at Tomas’ original attacker, and he dropped to the floor. As he fell, his features and clothing changed; instead of a broad-faced Shoanti warrior in traditional hide clothing lay a weasely-looking Sczarni thug in studded leather armor.

The tables began to turn. Jax swung again from his perch atop the mountain of potatoes. He felt certain his blow would go wide, but he heard faint whispering voices, and some force seemed to redirect his blade at the last instant, slicing through the Shoanti facing Wren. He leaped off the bin, easily avoiding his foe’s riposte. Tomas took another step back, and sank an arrow into the other Shoanti crony.

Someone in the crowd kicked the flaming firework again as they ran; it spun across the floor to land between the feet of the Shoanti facing Wren. Faced with the prospect of continuing the fight while burning alive, he elected to flee. Jax was able to slash him as he ran by, but he dashed across the market and out one of the exits. Wren wanted to pursue, but her way was blocked by the column of flame from the firework. Thinking fast, she toppled a stack of pickle jars from an adjacent display, and the brine quickly extinguished the flames.

Their leader, having injured Nat, tried to make an escape, dashing north towards the far end of the market. Erin swung as he passed, but missed. Nat wasn’t about to let him go; he let out an Ear Piercing Scream, that stopped him in his tracks, dazed as blood ran from his ears. Nat raced after him, drawing his club and smashing it into his ribs before he could recover. Shadow followed, drawing the silver dagger they’d gotten from Verik Vankaskerkin. He thrust it deep into the leader’s guts, and the jagged barbs on the back of the blade left a gaping, bleeding wound. Erin was right behind him, and her sword opened a slash across his midsection. The big Shoanti crumbled to the floor, and the illusion that had cloaked him vanished. A middle-aged Sczarni woman with a gold tooth now lay on the floor of the market. She was unconscious, and near death, but blood still pulsed weakly from her wounds.

“Good riddance,” Nat panted, a surprisingly cruel look on his face. But Erin intervened. “No! We need to find out what she knows, and turn her over to Field Marshall Kroft. Kneeling by the dying woman, she laid her hands on her chest, infusing her with the healing power of Iomedae. Wren arrived a moment later, and repeated called on Pharasma to Rebuke Death, until the woman gave a weak gasp and her eyes fluttered open. Across the market, her sole surviving lackey, himself near death, had thrown down his weapon and surrendered as soon as he saw his boss go down.

Goldtooth quickly realized her situation. “I’ll lay all my cards on the table,” she offered before they even had a chance to speak. “I was just doing a job – that’s all. None of it was my idea.”

“What were you doing?” Erin demanded.

“Some woman hired me to kill the Chelish dandy,” Goldtooth responded. “She said I had to make it look like it was done by Shoanti, and to make it as public and flashy as possible. I have no idea why – that’s none of my business. I just take the money and do the job.”

“Who was she?” Erin asked. “How did she connect with you?”

Goldtooth shrugged. “Some Vudrani woman named Meliya. That’s the only name I got. Me and the boys had run into some trouble in Magnimar, and relocated here a few weeks ago. Took up squatting in Traitor’s Mews. She showed up there one day, and said she’d heard I might be the person to do a bit of work for her. I have no idea how she found me – like I said, I didn’t ask.”

Alarm bells were going off in Jax’s head, and they were all being rung by the name ‘Meliya’. The love letter they’d found on Verik had been addressed to someone named Meliya. What were the odds that there would be two people with that name mixed up in trouble within a couple of weeks?

“What’s a Vudrani?” Wren asked innocently. Shadow’s eyebrows went up. “Wow, you really have led a sheltered life, haven’t you? Vudra is a country way on the other side of the world. Vudrani are people from Vudra – you know, those dark-skinned people  that run all those great curry take-away shops?” Wren still looked blank. “You mean you’ve never had curry?” Shadow asked, astonished. “Man, have I got some things to teach you!”  

Korvosan Guardsmen were starting to pour into the building from all directions, and fingers were universally pointing at the party as ‘the ones who started it’. Luckily, some of the Guardsmen recognized them from their visits with Cressida Kroft, and were willing to accept their explanation at face value.

As they prepared to haul away the two prisoners, Nat approached Lord Amprei. “You realize we saved your life, right?” he asked, expecting at least a ‘thank you’. Instead, Amprei launched into a diatribe.

“Zis backwards hell-hole of a city should be wiped off ze map! First a person can’t get a simple breakfast, zen he’s accosted by barbarians while he’s trying to sample some fruit. Eet iz a shame ze Hellknights are no longer here – zey know how to deal with scum such as zis!”

“But … but we saved you!” Nat stammered, taken aback.

“As you should!” Amprei said haughtily. “Eet is your responsibility to protect your betters!”

“Ignore him,” Erin muttered, pulling Nat away as Amprei continued to rant. “We need to get to the Field Marshall and tell her what happened.” They followed the Guards as they led the prisoners to Citadel Volshyenek. As the prisoners were taken down to cells, they went straight to Kroft’s office.

It took several tellings before Kroft could sort out all the threads of their story, but once she had it straight, her face took on a deep frown. “This could have been very, very bad,” she said. “The last thing we need right now is an international incident with Cheliax. And it bothers me that the person who hired the assassins was named ‘Meliya’, the same as Verik’s girlfriend. He’s refused to give us any information about her, but frankly, it didn’t seem all that important. Now I’ll go back and press him harder. And I’m going to see what I can find out about this nobleman who was the target.” She sighed. “And I need to get the word out on the street that this attack was not done by Shoanti. There’s enough distrust of the city’s Shoanti community as it is, without throwing more fuel on that fire.” She looked up. “Once again, I owe you thanks. I can’t pay you, since I didn’t actually hire you for any of this, but you can have your pick of the gear the assassins were carrying.”

A good ten days passed without incident. Life in Korvosa seemed to be returning to its normal rhythms. They continued to use Zellara’s old house as their base of operations, although Tomas returned home to check on his parents regularly, and Wren and Erin also stayed in touch with their adopted families. They returned to the Old Fishery several times, looking for any sign that Lamm might have returned, but it seemed totally deserted.

One afternoon, there was a firm rap on Zellara’s door. Nat answered, and found a Guardsman there. “Begging your pardon, but Field Marshall Kroft would like you to meet her at Citadel Volshyenek as soon as possible.” Not knowing what to expect, they geared up and set out for headquarters.

Vencarlo Orsini

When they arrived, they heard quiet laughter coming from Kroft’s office. That was a bit of a surprise; they weren’t sure they had even seen her smile up to this point. Opening the door, they found her in the company of a handsome older man. “I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine, Vencarlo Orsini,” she said.

Vencarlo bowed to the party, and when he reached Wren and Erin he kissed the back of their hands, offering Wren his seat. Unlike the smarmy hand-kissing Wren had experienced from Maximos, this gesture came across as the height of elegance. Vencarlo himself was a tall man, easily 60, but his twinkling green eyes and a bounce to his step hinted at the inner fire of a man half his age. He wore his long silver hair pulled back in a bravo’s topknot, and he moved with the smooth grace of a dancer. A long rapier with an elaborate silver basket guard hung from his belt. Nat and Tomas recognized the name; the Orsini Fencing Academy was one of the most renowned and respected schools for the instruction of the honorable arts of swordplay in Korvosa.

After introductions, Kroft got down to business. “The incident at the Green Market last week left me very concerned. The fact that a Vudrani woman named ‘Meliya’ had contracted the assassins was part of it, especially since she seems to be the same woman who was involved with Verik Venkaskerkin’s desertion. Verik has still refused to reveal anything about her, and all his comrades could tell us was that he had a “foreign girlfriend”. The Vudrani community in Korvosa is small, and we’ve asked around, but no one seems to know any Vudrani woman named Meliya.

“I’m even more concerned about the fact that someone tried to arrange the assassination of a Chelish diplomat here in Korvosa. Relations with Cheliax have been delicate ever since Varisia gained its independence, and Cheliax has a much stronger army and navy than we do. We can’t afford to provoke them.

“I asked Vencarlo to see what he could find out about this Lord Darvayne Gios Amprei, and why anyone might want him dead. Vencarlo hasn’t always seen eye to eye with our government,” (Vencarlo gave a chuckle at that comment) “but he loves this city, and he seems to have more sources of information than anyone else I know.”

Vencarlo took up the narrative. “I haven’t been able to find out anything definitive about Lord Amprei’s attempted assassination; as Cressida said, until we can find this Meliya woman, we may never know for sure. But I can make some educated guesses. The fact that the assassin wanted to make sure she appeared to be Shoanti is an important clue. If a Chelish diplomat were to be assassinated by a Shoanti, Cheliax would take it as a personal affront to their honor. Such a murder by anyone would be bad enough, but for it to occur at the hands of a race that Cheliax views as sub-human barbarians would be more than they could tolerate. It would likely provoke a declaration of war upon the Shoanti.

“Now if Cheliax were to go to war with the Shoanti, they’d have to move their army to the Cinderlands." The Cinderlands was a barren plateau to the northeast, just beyond the Varisian border, where most of the Shoanti tribes had been driven generations ago. "The natural jumping-off point, and critical supply station for such an invasion would be Korvosa. A war between Cheliax and the Shoanti would make some people in Korvosa very rich — especially if they knew the war was coming in advance. Now I have my own personal list of likely suspects, but without proof, there’s little to be done … at least for now.

“But that’s only part of the story,” Vencarlo continued, leaning forward in his seat. “I had to ask myself — why target Lord Amprei? If you want to start a war, why target an aide to the Chelish ambassador and not the ambassador himself? So I did a little digging on Amprei. The man’s disdain for Korvosa is well known, though he’s taken great pleasure in what our city has to offer. Even before our recent unrest, this man was ready to recommend to his government a sanction on trade, or perhaps even an embargo. I’ve learned through my sources that Lord Amprei’s actual goals are to undermine Korvosa’s economy to the point where he can buy up large portions of the city from desperate landholders. He plans to establish himself in a position of power here before advising the end of the sanctions with his allies in Cheliax. That could explain why he was targeted — the same people who might profit from a Chelish war on the Shoanti are also people who would not want to see a new player in the city’s power politics.

“We can’t let Amprei’s bias or personal plans hurt Korvosa. Yet neither can we take drastic action — not only would killing him be wrong, but it would give Cheliax an excuse to take action against us. Fortunately, the ambassador has his foibles. It turns out that Ambassador Amprei has been making fairly regular visits to a place in Old Korvosa called Eel’s End. This den of vice is run by a dangerous man named Devargo Barvasi, better known in Korvosa’s alleys as the King of Spiders.”

Field Marshall Kroft took over the discussion. “I’d love to put Devargo out of business, but he pays his vice taxes regularly and never causes any problems — in fact, since he keeps his business constrained entirely within the five ships moored at Eel’s End, he’s actually one of the least of my worries. Truth be told, I can’t decide whether Devargo is a stirge or a kraken. He seems like a bloodsucking pest most days, but sometimes I fear just how far his tentacles have wormed their way into our great city. In this case though, his insidious web stretching across Korvosa’s underworld might be to our advantage.

“Devargo would never let someone he recognizes as an ally of the Guard into Eel’s End, but your group’s a different case. I’d like you to pay a visit to Eel’s End and try to secure an audience with Devargo. Find out what he knows about Amprei, get proof of any illicit goings-on the ambassador might be involved with, and bring that proof to me. Hopefully, we can use it to undermine any forthcoming attempts by him to get Cheliax to cut us off. Devargo might not be willing to part with his information easily. I’ll supply you with some gold to bribe him, and whatever’s left over you can keep for yourself. Remember: Devargo is dangerous, but so are you — if things get violent, I wouldn’t mourn his passing. But also remember: bringing down Devargo isn’t the mission — gathering information on Amprei is. And you cannot identify yourselves as being associated with the Guard.”

Kroft was clearly done with the meeting, but Nat had another question. “Did you find out anything about that key-shaped dagger we found?”

Kroft nodded. “I tracked down one of the old investigators who’d worked that case and showed him your dagger. He confirmed it looked very much like the implements used by the Key-Lock Killer. But he also confirmed that they’d never had any reason to suspect Gaedren Lamm as being involved with the murders.”

“What about the inscription?” Nat asked. “Could Lamm be the Key-Lock Killer’s father?”

Kroft shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

As the party prepared to leave, Vencarlo rose as well. “I’m on my way back to my academy in Old Korvosa – please allow me escort you at least as far as the Narrows.”

As the party made their way north towards Endrin Isle, Vencarlo proved to be a fascinating and engaging conversationalist. He spoke of the beauty of watching the moon rise over Korvosa from a perch in the Shingles, of the relative merits of Vudrani curry versus Sczarni goulash, and shared his thoughts on how the Cousins War had influenced current Korvosan trade policy. He gave Jax some tips on what to look for in a good throwing dagger and even convinced Erin to sing a snatch of an Iomedaean hymn. As they passed the intersection where they’d faced down the mob surrounding Grau Soldado, he waved his hand. “I talked to Grau Soldado the other day – he told me how you’d helped him out here, during the riots. I appreciate that – Grau was once one of my most promising students. And young Mr. Jalento, who was with Grau that night, has enrolled in my academy, so that he can learn which end of a sword is which!” he added with a smile.

Nat had always been the sort of child who was easy to overlook. As a result, adults would often speak of things they normally wouldn’t in front of children, not realizing he was lingering on the fringes of their conversation. And he almost never forgot anything he heard. Now, hearing Vencarlo mention Grau Soldado, he recalled some snatches of overheard gossip – something about some kind of scandal involving the sword master and some of his students, including someone named Grau and someone named … Sabina.

“Umm …” Nat wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. “Have you ever had any … famous students?”

Vencarlo smiled. “Oh my goodness! I’ve been teaching the art of the blade for over 30 years. I suppose I’ve had a few students who have gone on to some renown. Several city magistrates, a couple of prominent arbiters, any number of members of the Great Families.”

Nat decided to just blurt it out. “What about Sabina Merrin, the Queen’s bodyguard?”

At the mention of Sabina’s name, Vencarlo’s eyes grew sad for a moment, then he smiled. “Yes, Sabina was a student of mine. She found her true calling, I suppose. I just hope that it’s something that deserves her attentions. Now, do any of you know the story behind why there are so many bridges across the Narrows into Old Korvosa?”

Before he could complete his latest history lesson, they came upon a crowd gathered in an intersection, surrounding a man in the livery of a royal herald. They hurried forward to hear his proclamation.

“Hear ye! Hear ye! Her Majesty, Queen Ileosa Arabasti, calls upon the loyal citizens of Korvosa to aid in the apprehension of the traitor who murdered her husband, our beloved King Eodred II!” A gasp went up from the crowd, and the herald waited for the hubbub to subside before continuing.

“This foul assassin is a woman named Trinia Sabor, an artist and resident of the city which she has betrayed. The Crown has eye-witness testimony from a co-conspirator that Sabor administered a deadly poison to our beloved King shortly before he fell ill.

“Trinia Sabor is a woman in her mid-twenties, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a lithe frame. Our Queen offers a reward of 1000 gold sails for any information leading to her capture or apprehension, dead or alive.” The mention of this princely sum provoked an even greater reaction from the crowd, and people quickly began to scatter in all directions. With a start, Tomas realized he recognized the suspected assassin’s name. He’d never met the woman, but she had been a friend of his late brother’s, a fellow artist whose work Jarent had highly respected.

Vencarlo’s face was knitted with concern. “I can’t believe Cressida didn’t know about this – and I’m sure she would have said something if she did. Why would the Queen launch a manhunt like this without even consulting the Korvosan Guard?” He turned to the group. “Please excuse me for not accompanying you all the way to Old Korvosa, but I need to see what I can find out about this.” He bowed and then turned on his heel, hurrying off into the city.

Manhunt or no, the group was still on a mission, and they continued on their way. They passed through the city wall, then crossed one of the rickety bridges spanning the Narrows. They followed the river channel east almost to the tip of Endrin Isle.

Eel’s End was a floating playground of barely-legal debauchery. A long pier led to a square platform well out into the water. Four elegantly painted barges were permanently moored to this structure with a larger vessel, a former warship, tied up at the far southern end. Glowing lanterns in the shape of dream spiders and coiled eels were already glowing in the waning light, and the sound of music and carousing echoed from the collection of pleasure boats.

The group hesitated on shore, uncertain how to approach. From what they could see, the people enjoying what Eel’s End had to offer were a mix of races, sexes, and classes – they likely wouldn’t stand out among that crowd. But the found themselves seized by an uncharacteristic nervousness. Only Shadow seemed unaffected, and he strode confidently down the pier.

As he reached the large central platform, a barrel-chested man with a broken nose pushed off from where he’d been leaning against one of the pilings. He was wearing studded leather armor, but no obvious weapons other than a large sap hanging from his belt. “Hello friend!” he greeted Shadow with a warm smile. “I don’t think I recognize you – first time here?”

Shadow nodded, expecting some sort of challenge, but the greeter just smiled wider. “Well welcome! If you’re looking for fun, there’s no better place in all Varisia! Let me give you the lay of the land.” He pointed to the nearest barge, just to the east. “If you enjoy a bit of gambling, you’ll want to head for the Twin Tigers.” Sure enough, a brightly-painted sign above the entrance to the barge read ‘The Twin Tigers – Take the Tiger by the Tail and Try Your Luck!’ “Lucky fellow like you, you’ll be rich in no time!”

He gave Shadow a sly wink. “But you look like someone who’s lucky with the ladies, am I right? Or the boys – makes no difference to me.” He pointed to the southwestern barge, which another sign proclaimed as ‘House of Clouds – The Caress of Our Lovelies Will Take You Straight to Heaven’. “You’ll find no prettier or more accommodating companions anywhere in the city, and all at fair prices.”

He shifted to point to the southeastern barge. Its sign read ‘Dragon’s Breath – Dream the Dragon’s Dreams at Affordable Prices’. “But maybe you just want to forget all your troubles for a bit. Shiver, pesh, k’rrf, flayleaf – anything you want, we’ve got it. And whatever your pleasure, if you overindulge, you can sleep it off here.” He pointed to the barge to their right, the Goldenhawk. “There’s no safer stay in Old Korvosa. Matter of fact, there’s no safer place in all Korvosa than Eel's End. No need to worry about getting rolled or robbed – we’re here to make sure everyone minds their manners.” Shadow saw that there were a number of similarly armored fellows stationed around the various barges and piers.

“What about that ship?” Shadow asked, pointing to the warship moored at the far end of the platform. He could see some people laughing and dancing on the lower deck, but the upper deck was empty save for a pair of guards standing in front of a door. Above, on the poop deck, he could see hammocks strung in the rigging, some with people sleeping in them. “Is that where management stays?”

The greeter laughed. “You got that right buddy!”

Just then Erin slipped up behind Shadow. She’d finally worked up the nerve to enter this den of sin. “I’m his date,” she said, slipping her arm into Shadow's.

“And I’m her sister!” Wren said breathlessly, hurrying to join them.

The greeter raised his eyebrows. “You dog!” he said admiringly, giving Shadow a friendly punch in the shoulder. “I knew you were a ladies’ man!”

But Shadow couldn’t take his eyes off the man’s arm. As he’d punched him, his sleeve pulled up, revealing an elaborate tattoo on his left arm. It was of a moray eel, its toothy mouth open on the back of his hand and its body wrapping up his forearm. Shadow had seen that tattoo before – on the thug who had been with Gaedren Lamm.

The PCs earned 700 XP, putting them at 4,127 XP with 6,000 required for level 4. We’ll be back at Rich & Joette’s next week, but will not meet the following week (Dec. 22).