"Very well," Harper replies to Utar. "But don't forget that Olisara's day job is that of Lady-in-Waiting to Lady Dala Silmerhelve, the head of House Silmerhelve. She has all the noble support she wants in this town, especially considering how close of an alliance she had with the late Lord Valero Brokengulf." He scratches his chin for a fraction of a second. "And to your other question, she might not want to consider even the hint of an alliance with House Cadorna. Sure, they seem well-behaving nowadays, but their past is a gray at best, and quite the dark one otherwise. Their roots trace back to a family of fabric weavers and at least one dragon slayer. It is a long story, theirs, but suffice it to say that one of their historied members, one Porphyrys Cadorna, had risen to de-facto leadership of Phlan before being caught metaphorically delivering the keys to the city to the spirit of a dead dragon. Quite the scandal, that. He was run out of town over 150 years ago, and his betrayal was commiserated by the city naming the Traitor's Gate after Porphyrys, later known simply as the Traitor or the Lost Scion of House Cadorna."
(OOC: You would all know that the Traitor's Gate is the inner city gate that separates the eastern and western parts of the docks. If you'd like to see if your character knows more details about the history of House Cadorna, please roll a history check.)
With Harper busy focusing on the topic of House Cadorna, Sirge steps up to continue the conversation with Doozey: "The least we can do is ask, but I wouldn't wait for a decision awake. That said, I suspect you may want to narrow your scope a bit. Showing up with requests for favors involving Jeralla, Krulek, and House Cadorna all at once is a sure way to get the door slammed on your face."
All faces then turn to Raist as he briefly expands on having one of Jeralla's possessions. Harper is very interested in Onwelror: "Well, well! Talk about sweetening the deal. If this is something you are willing to donate to the Harpers' coffers, I am sure it would go a long way in getting Olisara on your side."
Harper's words spark Utar's memory, but he is not sure to what extent he can recall the history of Phlan, although he is sure he has passed through the gate a number of times.
"Might we stick on the topic of House Cardona a moment longer? They have us seeking a lost artifact of theirs, believed to be taken by Krulek. They called it the Heart of Myth Drannor?"
(Note: As Doozey isn't technically from Phlan, any recall from him would more likely be taken from the perspective of somehow who's heard of them from abroad. If there would be nothing, including what became of Porphyrys after he left Phlan, feel free to ignore the above roll)
"'course, only the one angle then."Doozey assured Sirge. When it later came to Harper's reaction, the halfling wouldn't even try to hide his grimace. Yet before he can say anything, Utar's insistence on stayin on the topic of House Cardona meant mustering the wherewithal to be patient. So, he leaned back in his seat, and with a sigh crossed his arms.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Yes, of course." Harper says while turning back to Utar. "It's some expensive bauble gifted to House Cadorna once they were accepted back into the Lords' Alliance. It is a symbol of them turning a new page after ol' Porphyrys' despicable acts."
Sirge nods in agreement to Doozey's six words and lets his eye linger for a moment. It is safe to say that Sirge noted the halfling's grimace.
Utar has heard bits and pieces of this story before, and Harper's retelling helps the orc string the bits together:
Porphyrys Cadorna was the son of Eugenia Cadorna, the Cloth Merchant of Phlan. In his youth, Eugenia escaped from Phlan under strange and unclear circumstances, generally assumed to be all caused by Eugenia's poor decisions and failures. While in "exile," Eugenia told his son about their lost fortunes left behind in Phlan. Hence, Porphyrys was raised listening to his father's embittered stories of the family's lost grandeur and withered wealth.
As an adult, Porphyrys was guided by the dreams of his parents and joined the efforts of reclaiming and rebuilding Phlan from one of its many historical crises. Over time, Porphyrys climbed the political ranks in Phlan until he became a member of the Council of Ten, the ruling entity in the city back then. He devised a complex plot in order to regain the powers once possessed by the Cadorna family, and then some. He hired minions and performed various missions against the monsters that infested the city. This earned him political power inside the Council. Porphyrys quickly rose to the position of First Councilman.
The largest monstrous threat in the city of Phlan at the time was a dragon possessed by an evil spirit. When his minions finally defeated the dragon, Porphyrys attempted to seize control of a source of magical power hidden deep beneath Phlan known as the Pool of Radiance. Details on what exactly happened next are quite obscure but it is generally accepted that Porphyrys betrayed Phlan to the spirit who had possessed the dragon, and that the Zhentarim were also somehow involved. Porphyrys' betrayal became public and he was run out of town. The Traitor's Gate was so named to serve as a reminder of the Cadorna family's disgrace.
With time, the rest of House Cadorna regained some semblance of respect in Phlan (their vast wealth surely helped), but their past and Porphyrys' infamy are never truly forgotten by those familiar with the city's history.
@Doozey:
The name Cadorna does ring a bell in Doozey's mind once it is associated with the term "dragon slayer." This is a story famous enough to have traveled abroad, but not one famous enough to be in the popular knowledge base. It is a feel-good story about perseverance and heroism. Doozey probably herd it from a storyteller.
The Cadorna family was brought to prominence by Magnus Cadorna from an obscure background as nothing but a small family of humble weavers. The family business suffered greatly when their home and its surrounding lands became plagued by a red dragon. As the family's eldest son, Magnus joined the local militia assembled to fight the winged wyrm. Unsurprisingly, the militia failed, but not before the dragon was wounded. Enraged, the wyrm rained fire on the village. Most of the militia was slain by the dragon; Magnus Cadorna was the only man standing, desperate and badly hurt. The stories vary widely on how the managed to drive the dragon back, but the end result is always the same: Magnus conquered the dragon with a fatal blow.
The feat made Magnus Cadorna a hero, and his family received money and accolades that elevated the Cadorna clan to a position of power. Soon enough, members of the now greatly respected Cadorna family spread across the region, forming a profitable textile trading company. One of their bases of operation would be later installed in Phlan.
"Well, between Magnus Cardona putting them on the map and their textile business, make sorta sense they were given a second shot."Doozey commented. "Be all that as it may, and forgive me for speaking a little outta turn here for a second. But, if we were to donate the book, would Olisara do everything in her part to free the spirit... even if that meant losing the book?"He asks pointedly. "Not that I doubt her character or that of the Harpers as a whole, but I'd be remissed if'n it weren't asked. Apart from that-..." He looks to Raist. "Far as that goes, the final decision I'd leave to you, Raist, seeing as you and the spirit have already established something of a rapport."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Regarding Doozey's follow-up question, Harper laments "I... I can't speak for her there, my friend."
Eyes turn to Raist again as he passes the proverbial ball to Onwelror himself. Silence follows.
Noticing the awkwardness of the moment, Harper offers: "Perhaps we can start by using the book for a potential scrying session with no commitment on whether ownership over it shall be passed. We are interested on Jeralla's whereabouts too and having this possession of hers will only help us, even if just for the one casting of the spell. You can then decide what happens after that."
"I think that's a fair enough compromise. And hopefully at some point during these sessions, our shy friend might be of a mind to further discuss his, uhh, circumstances."Doozey chimed in, if but to further chase away the awkwardness from the moment. "All in all, seems were at least largely in agreement that, where the Harpers are concerned, you're at least willing to provide what support you can in the ongoing hunt for Jerella. But as for the Patriots go... that'll need to be at our own initiative, if not another ally of ours, yes?"He looks to the Harpers for confirmation, then nodded sagely at whatever answer is given. "In either case, would it also be possible to either teach Raist or Utar here the means to do much the same? Scrything, that is."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Yes." Harper confirms simply when Doozey asks about CRAP's own initiative on parallel hunts.
As for the next question: "Well, I assumed Utar here was already capable of such a feat, and I further assumed that the real constraint was the spell's expensive cost. Hence the offer to escalate this to Olisara. No offense meant by my assumptions, of course. But should only my second assumption be wrong, by all means, let us have Utar do it."
He clears his throat before turning to Raist: "As for teaching the spell to your new wizard friend here, Olisara could be convinced to put ink to paper and offer a spell scroll. But that would surely come at a cost of her choosing."
Harper turns to Raist: "Is a potential agreement involving a spell scroll to your liking?"
To Utar: "So, is my assumption correct? Is the scrying spell within your repertoire?"
To Neya: "Not that it is much of my business, but just so we cover all our bases: is CRAP ready, willing, and able to purchase such expensive spellcasting components?"
Satisfied that handing the Heart back to House Cardona is not going to create some kind of new threat, Utar confirms that the spell is indeed in his repertoire.
(OOC Apologies all, have been with a method to post for a few days. Normal service now resumed.)
While he wouldn't deny Neya's claim, there was a bit of an eyebrow raise from the halfling of the party from it. Though, it would take one of the Harpers noticing his reaction for him to awkwardly clear his throat and confirm things, citing the expense coming out of an "advance" for the ongoing bandit hunt. "Glad we have all that sorted out. But... one question does remain. If we do manage to get a positive id on her location, do either ya'll tend to come out with us to put a nail in her coffin? Or would you prefer try'na monitor her fer a bit, and see if maybe -- just maybe she might do somethin' that might lead ya'll to learning more 'bout the cult and its members? 'cause as things stand, without a more reliable means of shutting off her ability to teleport, we'd be fully reliant on catching her so unaware as to take her out from the get-go. Which is, eh, easier said than done."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"They are good for it," Sirge confirms Neya's assertion even if he is the least informed person in the room regarding CRAP's history and success over time.
Harper then nods to both Utar and Raist, letting the pair know that he registered their answers.
"Tempting us with information?" Harper responds to Doozey with a smile on his face. "You'd make a good Harper agent!" He laughs fully now. "I like your train of thought. Once we find her, why don't we let her think that she managed to escape scot-free... learn a thing or two... perhaps even learn where it is that she teleports to when things get ugly. Near no escape then."
"If you agree," he continues, "then I think I have my orders. I'll let Olisara know that you were the last ones to see Jeralla and have one of her belongings. I'll also inform her that you prefer to do the scrying yourselves but are one spell scroll short of doing so. At that point, I'll hand her the 1,500gp you are about to entrust me as payment for her scroll-scribing services and hope that she sees the benefit of selling you one of these to you at cost. She'll need some 25 days to complete this. In the meantime, you'll rummage your own coffers for at least another 1,000gp so you can buy a proper scrying focus for Utar here. This will serve you well in that you don't have to wait for Olisara's scroll, but by the end of it, your plan will let half of your team be armed with such a powerful spell." He points at Raist to accentuate his last point. "At some later day, you'll scry on Jeralla while I'm in the room so we can all benefit from this collaboration and we'll continue to spy on her until we are satisfied with the information we have gathered. Then, we strike. And, yes, you'll have a Harper agent with you for support when the time comes." He pauses for dramatic effect before concluding: "Does all of that sound like a plan?"
Sirge adds: "And we'll speak not of either Krulek or House Cadorna when it comes to striking a deal between CRAP and Harper management, yes?"
Doozey lets out a low whistle, having anticipated a steep price, but still finding himself going a bit bug-eyed hearing the exact accounting. "Mn. Sounds fair enough. If not by our means, I'm sure we'll think of somethin' else for dealing with the patriots.. But thank you. Both of ya. Even if most of this mutually beneficial, it don't mean we aught not appreciate your candor and assistance in all this." He assured the Harper pair, then turned to the rest of CRAP to discuss the finer details of payment. Without hesitation, Doozey offered to throw in 50 of his platinum towards the more immediate acquisition of the necessary scrying focus.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Utar ponders his finances for a moment. His own needs are simple enough and he would not like to leave his friends footing the bill without him. Doozey has already led the way and he feels he should match it, fifty platinum. But other's might not be as solvent, and he determines that should it be needed, his pockets are deep enough to help out, he just hopes to keep enough to keep the home fires burning and contribute at the House of the Hand too.
"Very well," Harper replies to Utar. "But don't forget that Olisara's day job is that of Lady-in-Waiting to Lady Dala Silmerhelve, the head of House Silmerhelve. She has all the noble support she wants in this town, especially considering how close of an alliance she had with the late Lord Valero Brokengulf." He scratches his chin for a fraction of a second. "And to your other question, she might not want to consider even the hint of an alliance with House Cadorna. Sure, they seem well-behaving nowadays, but their past is a gray at best, and quite the dark one otherwise. Their roots trace back to a family of fabric weavers and at least one dragon slayer. It is a long story, theirs, but suffice it to say that one of their historied members, one Porphyrys Cadorna, had risen to de-facto leadership of Phlan before being caught metaphorically delivering the keys to the city to the spirit of a dead dragon. Quite the scandal, that. He was run out of town over 150 years ago, and his betrayal was commiserated by the city naming the Traitor's Gate after Porphyrys, later known simply as the Traitor or the Lost Scion of House Cadorna."
(OOC: You would all know that the Traitor's Gate is the inner city gate that separates the eastern and western parts of the docks. If you'd like to see if your character knows more details about the history of House Cadorna, please roll a history check.)
With Harper busy focusing on the topic of House Cadorna, Sirge steps up to continue the conversation with Doozey: "The least we can do is ask, but I wouldn't wait for a decision awake. That said, I suspect you may want to narrow your scope a bit. Showing up with requests for favors involving Jeralla, Krulek, and House Cadorna all at once is a sure way to get the door slammed on your face."
All faces then turn to Raist as he briefly expands on having one of Jeralla's possessions. Harper is very interested in Onwelror: "Well, well! Talk about sweetening the deal. If this is something you are willing to donate to the Harpers' coffers, I am sure it would go a long way in getting Olisara on your side."
History - 15
Harper's words spark Utar's memory, but he is not sure to what extent he can recall the history of Phlan, although he is sure he has passed through the gate a number of times.
"Might we stick on the topic of House Cardona a moment longer? They have us seeking a lost artifact of theirs, believed to be taken by Krulek. They called it the Heart of Myth Drannor?"
History: 16.
(Note: As Doozey isn't technically from Phlan, any recall from him would more likely be taken from the perspective of somehow who's heard of them from abroad. If there would be nothing, including what became of Porphyrys after he left Phlan, feel free to ignore the above roll)
"'course, only the one angle then." Doozey assured Sirge. When it later came to Harper's reaction, the halfling wouldn't even try to hide his grimace. Yet before he can say anything, Utar's insistence on stayin on the topic of House Cardona meant mustering the wherewithal to be patient. So, he leaned back in his seat, and with a sigh crossed his arms.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Yes, of course." Harper says while turning back to Utar. "It's some expensive bauble gifted to House Cadorna once they were accepted back into the Lords' Alliance. It is a symbol of them turning a new page after ol' Porphyrys' despicable acts."
Sirge nods in agreement to Doozey's six words and lets his eye linger for a moment. It is safe to say that Sirge noted the halfling's grimace.
History checks
@Utar:
Utar has heard bits and pieces of this story before, and Harper's retelling helps the orc string the bits together:
Porphyrys Cadorna was the son of Eugenia Cadorna, the Cloth Merchant of Phlan. In his youth, Eugenia escaped from Phlan under strange and unclear circumstances, generally assumed to be all caused by Eugenia's poor decisions and failures. While in "exile," Eugenia told his son about their lost fortunes left behind in Phlan. Hence, Porphyrys was raised listening to his father's embittered stories of the family's lost grandeur and withered wealth.
As an adult, Porphyrys was guided by the dreams of his parents and joined the efforts of reclaiming and rebuilding Phlan from one of its many historical crises. Over time, Porphyrys climbed the political ranks in Phlan until he became a member of the Council of Ten, the ruling entity in the city back then. He devised a complex plot in order to regain the powers once possessed by the Cadorna family, and then some. He hired minions and performed various missions against the monsters that infested the city. This earned him political power inside the Council. Porphyrys quickly rose to the position of First Councilman.
The largest monstrous threat in the city of Phlan at the time was a dragon possessed by an evil spirit. When his minions finally defeated the dragon, Porphyrys attempted to seize control of a source of magical power hidden deep beneath Phlan known as the Pool of Radiance. Details on what exactly happened next are quite obscure but it is generally accepted that Porphyrys betrayed Phlan to the spirit who had possessed the dragon, and that the Zhentarim were also somehow involved. Porphyrys' betrayal became public and he was run out of town. The Traitor's Gate was so named to serve as a reminder of the Cadorna family's disgrace.
With time, the rest of House Cadorna regained some semblance of respect in Phlan (their vast wealth surely helped), but their past and Porphyrys' infamy are never truly forgotten by those familiar with the city's history.
@Doozey:
The name Cadorna does ring a bell in Doozey's mind once it is associated with the term "dragon slayer." This is a story famous enough to have traveled abroad, but not one famous enough to be in the popular knowledge base. It is a feel-good story about perseverance and heroism. Doozey probably herd it from a storyteller.
The Cadorna family was brought to prominence by Magnus Cadorna from an obscure background as nothing but a small family of humble weavers. The family business suffered greatly when their home and its surrounding lands became plagued by a red dragon. As the family's eldest son, Magnus joined the local militia assembled to fight the winged wyrm. Unsurprisingly, the militia failed, but not before the dragon was wounded. Enraged, the wyrm rained fire on the village. Most of the militia was slain by the dragon; Magnus Cadorna was the only man standing, desperate and badly hurt. The stories vary widely on how the managed to drive the dragon back, but the end result is always the same: Magnus conquered the dragon with a fatal blow.
The feat made Magnus Cadorna a hero, and his family received money and accolades that elevated the Cadorna clan to a position of power. Soon enough, members of the now greatly respected Cadorna family spread across the region, forming a profitable textile trading company. One of their bases of operation would be later installed in Phlan.
"Well, between Magnus Cardona putting them on the map and their textile business, make sorta sense they were given a second shot." Doozey commented. "Be all that as it may, and forgive me for speaking a little outta turn here for a second. But, if we were to donate the book, would Olisara do everything in her part to free the spirit... even if that meant losing the book?" He asks pointedly. "Not that I doubt her character or that of the Harpers as a whole, but I'd be remissed if'n it weren't asked. Apart from that-..." He looks to Raist. "Far as that goes, the final decision I'd leave to you, Raist, seeing as you and the spirit have already established something of a rapport."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"I would say it's up to him" gesturing to the book "though it could be handy for me i did promise to free him...and Jerella must perish"
Laissez les bons temps rouler
Regarding Doozey's follow-up question, Harper laments "I... I can't speak for her there, my friend."
Eyes turn to Raist again as he passes the proverbial ball to Onwelror himself. Silence follows.
Noticing the awkwardness of the moment, Harper offers: "Perhaps we can start by using the book for a potential scrying session with no commitment on whether ownership over it shall be passed. We are interested on Jeralla's whereabouts too and having this possession of hers will only help us, even if just for the one casting of the spell. You can then decide what happens after that."
"I think that's a fair enough compromise. And hopefully at some point during these sessions, our shy friend might be of a mind to further discuss his, uhh, circumstances." Doozey chimed in, if but to further chase away the awkwardness from the moment. "All in all, seems were at least largely in agreement that, where the Harpers are concerned, you're at least willing to provide what support you can in the ongoing hunt for Jerella. But as for the Patriots go... that'll need to be at our own initiative, if not another ally of ours, yes?" He looks to the Harpers for confirmation, then nodded sagely at whatever answer is given. "In either case, would it also be possible to either teach Raist or Utar here the means to do much the same? Scrything, that is."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Yes." Harper confirms simply when Doozey asks about CRAP's own initiative on parallel hunts.
As for the next question: "Well, I assumed Utar here was already capable of such a feat, and I further assumed that the real constraint was the spell's expensive cost. Hence the offer to escalate this to Olisara. No offense meant by my assumptions, of course. But should only my second assumption be wrong, by all means, let us have Utar do it."
He clears his throat before turning to Raist: "As for teaching the spell to your new wizard friend here, Olisara could be convinced to put ink to paper and offer a spell scroll. But that would surely come at a cost of her choosing."
Harper turns to Raist: "Is a potential agreement involving a spell scroll to your liking?"
To Utar: "So, is my assumption correct? Is the scrying spell within your repertoire?"
To Neya: "Not that it is much of my business, but just so we cover all our bases: is CRAP ready, willing, and able to purchase such expensive spellcasting components?"
"Yes, we are able to supply the funds for the spell." Neya says, assuredly.
Extended Signature
"Yes, we are able to supply the funds for the spell." Neya says, assuredly.
Extended Signature
"I would.never.say no.to.magik"
Laissez les bons temps rouler
Satisfied that handing the Heart back to House Cardona is not going to create some kind of new threat, Utar confirms that the spell is indeed in his repertoire.
(OOC Apologies all, have been with a method to post for a few days. Normal service now resumed.)
While he wouldn't deny Neya's claim, there was a bit of an eyebrow raise from the halfling of the party from it. Though, it would take one of the Harpers noticing his reaction for him to awkwardly clear his throat and confirm things, citing the expense coming out of an "advance" for the ongoing bandit hunt. "Glad we have all that sorted out. But... one question does remain. If we do manage to get a positive id on her location, do either ya'll tend to come out with us to put a nail in her coffin? Or would you prefer try'na monitor her fer a bit, and see if maybe -- just maybe she might do somethin' that might lead ya'll to learning more 'bout the cult and its members? 'cause as things stand, without a more reliable means of shutting off her ability to teleport, we'd be fully reliant on catching her so unaware as to take her out from the get-go. Which is, eh, easier said than done."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"They are good for it," Sirge confirms Neya's assertion even if he is the least informed person in the room regarding CRAP's history and success over time.
Harper then nods to both Utar and Raist, letting the pair know that he registered their answers.
"Tempting us with information?" Harper responds to Doozey with a smile on his face. "You'd make a good Harper agent!" He laughs fully now. "I like your train of thought. Once we find her, why don't we let her think that she managed to escape scot-free... learn a thing or two... perhaps even learn where it is that she teleports to when things get ugly. Near no escape then."
"If you agree," he continues, "then I think I have my orders. I'll let Olisara know that you were the last ones to see Jeralla and have one of her belongings. I'll also inform her that you prefer to do the scrying yourselves but are one spell scroll short of doing so. At that point, I'll hand her the 1,500gp you are about to entrust me as payment for her scroll-scribing services and hope that she sees the benefit of selling you one of these to you at cost. She'll need some 25 days to complete this. In the meantime, you'll rummage your own coffers for at least another 1,000gp so you can buy a proper scrying focus for Utar here. This will serve you well in that you don't have to wait for Olisara's scroll, but by the end of it, your plan will let half of your team be armed with such a powerful spell." He points at Raist to accentuate his last point. "At some later day, you'll scry on Jeralla while I'm in the room so we can all benefit from this collaboration and we'll continue to spy on her until we are satisfied with the information we have gathered. Then, we strike. And, yes, you'll have a Harper agent with you for support when the time comes." He pauses for dramatic effect before concluding: "Does all of that sound like a plan?"
Sirge adds: "And we'll speak not of either Krulek or House Cadorna when it comes to striking a deal between CRAP and Harper management, yes?"
Doozey lets out a low whistle, having anticipated a steep price, but still finding himself going a bit bug-eyed hearing the exact accounting. "Mn. Sounds fair enough. If not by our means, I'm sure we'll think of somethin' else for dealing with the patriots.. But thank you. Both of ya. Even if most of this mutually beneficial, it don't mean we aught not appreciate your candor and assistance in all this." He assured the Harper pair, then turned to the rest of CRAP to discuss the finer details of payment. Without hesitation, Doozey offered to throw in 50 of his platinum towards the more immediate acquisition of the necessary scrying focus.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
The two agents of the Harpers exchange a look and politely wait for CRAP to make their decision.
Utar ponders his finances for a moment. His own needs are simple enough and he would not like to leave his friends footing the bill without him. Doozey has already led the way and he feels he should match it, fifty platinum. But other's might not be as solvent, and he determines that should it be needed, his pockets are deep enough to help out, he just hopes to keep enough to keep the home fires burning and contribute at the House of the Hand too.
"I'm in. And I can add extra if needed too."
Raist shrugs. And slides 50 platinum to the center of the table. "Easy enough"
Laissez les bons temps rouler