Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

It was proved again - Lionel could never outsmart bureaucracy of any kind, he had to stick to the swords. "At least this is on the same street with the wizard," said the dwarf apologetically, but Ketch's idea reminded him of the obvious: "Since you did not provide any information about the Customs and Traditions yet, what are the customs and traditions the guests should be aware of?" He simply could not imagine any broader question.

He looked up with an unimpressed look on his face, "I'm afraid you've already broached the topic of citizenship, to which I've given you sufficient information to proceed. It sounds like you have a second question about the laws in Sigil. Please return to the front desk in order to schedule a follow up meeting, and please return your chip to this bowl.  If you wish your requests to be linked, please reference appointment number ....." his finger runs along a paper he's writing, "....622-0422-5552-C32".  

"Appreciated," through the clenched teeth, but nevertheless answered Lionel. He looked at the piece of paper - his only catch of this sad morning - sighed and slowly walked to the exit. "Looks like we got all we could here. Should we ask Tommy to show something else or should we go straight to the wizard? And that actual bureau too." (He was not going to discard the idea just yet)

Meepo just shrugs and follows The Lionel out.

     “The other guy likely to make ya wait too, I suspect. If you plan on going about this official stuff, go and get told how long ya need to wait and while waiting we see the wizard?” Ketch suggests, bureaucracy already having sapped his will...

"That's true - you could get an appointment at the Bureau, and then go see the wizard whilst we wait for that.  But you might have to put your name down for the application process before they give you the materials - don't know if you want to do that with your real name?"

Mordekai holds back his urge to tell Tommy what he really thinks about his great idea to take them to the Hall of In-Frustration.

"Why go see wizard?" Meepo asks the others. "Wizard said if need anything, Meepo think we no need anything wizard want to give. Wizard likely bring Meepo and Meepo friends here, so wizard not going to help getting home. Maybe wait on wizard until we have plan..."

     “We need information.  Wizards always have that.  They don’t always share but they always have it,” Ketch answers.

     “I’m not sure he brought us here but if he did that would also mean he knows how to send us back.  Even just knowing if he could do such a thing would help us plan.”

     “If nothing else, he knows how clueless we are.  If he brought us here he likely doesn’t want us jailed or killed so he’s likely to give us enough information to at least help prevent that?”

On the way out Lionel was nodding as a bobble head toy to all the explanations. "Let's just do that then - the Bureau,i to see what I can get there (no, I do not mind to give my real name - truly what else they can do with me?), and then the wizard. Now, we need Tommy to bring us to Lady's Ward. It seems the place is not what I thought it is."

As the group, looking rather forlorned and frustrated comes out to Tommy, you find him sitting on the stone edge of a raised garden box. He's chatting with another kid who scrams as you all approach.  Tommy has a big foolish grin on his face, "Now see here ya lot.....that took waaay longer than I thought...most people jus' storm back out right away!  Ya'll really gave t'a shot! I'm sorry...it's just....yer so clueless....its just...what we do. But see here, I stayed round....usually we drop off some clueless then head off lickity split.  Ok ok, like I say...so sorry... look, I'll make it up t'ya.  I'll take ya to a library I know that is actually good...and ya can really learn some stuff if ya want." 

His red smiling cheeks make it difficult to stay angry at the troublesome youth.

"His red smiling cheeks make it difficult to stay angry at the troublesome youth."
Not that difficult at all for Ulthan, but then his face is almost perpetually stuck in a scowl of sorts. On one hand he's confused at giving up so easily, on the other hand he's come close to having enough of this city about 200 steps in which is impressive when compared to other cities at 10 steps in.

"An expedited meeting there cost us some gold. We should really take it out of your fee, because that waste of time was your fault. However, what you perhaps don't realise is that a visit to that kind of establishment actually helps to give someone a good read of a place, if they know what they're looking out for. I certainly feel like i know one side of this city better now than I did. Now it's your job to show us the other side."

"Take us to the library," translated Lionel. "And after that - Lady's Ward if you know that place." He was not completely disappointed ... Ok, he was. But there was some glimpse of hope too - as funny as words "hope" and any kind of "bureau" sound together in one sentence. He did not give up on that crazy idea and tomorrow they could "enjoy" the visit here again - who knows, they might learn something. "Just take us to the library".

Meepo just grins, he didn't mind the trip to the information place, he would get to meet the city people tomorrow and, hopefully, learn more about their lost and found. Definitely not a waste of his time.

His red smiling cheeks make it difficult to stay angry at the troublesome youth.

((You obviously do not know your players that well!))

     Ketch listened to the kid and growled. "Shoulda kept yer mouth shut," The Half Orc said with a glower. "Shoulda steered us right in the first place.  But if ya was going to screw with us, shoulda kept your mouth shut."

     Ketch's hand slipped to the hand of his battle axe.  He stroked it thoughtfully while considering the kid.  Weighing  the options, he decided public bloodshed was probably frowned upon in this 'culture'.  "You're end of job tip just got cut 10%.  That is twenty gold pieces you just lost by being a smart Alec.  You can get rich working for us, kid.  We're clueless and have gold to throw around.  You're only hurting yourself by playing us.  By not being up front and honest."

     With that, Ketch digs into his clothes and into one of his money pushes, and pulls out a gold piece.  He hands it to the first random person walking by and says "Have a good day!" and then turns to the kid.  "I'm just giving money away here, kid.  Keep playing us, none of it goes to you.  That simple."

Tommy looks fearfully at Ketch, "Fine, straight ta the library with ya, mayhaps ya can learn the dark o some tings."

As he walks you through the streets, he talks, "So, I was talkin t'my friend Tisha. She said you dunna know bout the factions. So...I says to myself, these guys, they're good sports, I'll tell 'em about that. So...she said that like, on the prime were you sod's from, that what people think aren't too important. The world just is. Well....here in Sigil, what people thinks makes a big difference to the verse. So, I think I'll tell ya bout the factions. There's a bunch, but...i'll tell the big ones fer ya. First is the Harmonium. They the one that keeps the peace in Sigil. They'll arrest ya, lock ya up, and send ya to trial if ya break a law. They are like...big on rules....real big...rules is all fer them, so...just...keep it in yer head. People call 'em hardheads, but...they vicious clever sometimes, so watch it."  He points to a patrol. You see a group of eight soldiers walking through the streets. Five humans, all big and muscled, two tieflings, one with spikes all over it's body, and a hulking....thing...looks like an ogre but with an intelligent glint in its eye.  He keeps talkin, "So, I'm takin ya to the Cup of Freedom. It's a place where any'un can use t'books. It's run by the Revolutionary League. They like da opposite of da Harmonium. I think people say anarchist? They believe pulling down the system is the way ta go. No one sure why da lady puts up wit em. But...they run this library, thinkin if people know stuff....they more free to do what they want." 

Still apparently in the same "Ward"...the Clerk's Ward....he's taken you closer to one side of the city...where it starts to curve inwards a bit....you can see quite a ways across the rooftops from here across to the far side of the 'ring'.  The view is....confusing to say the least. 

You find yourself outside a door, with stained brown windows on either side, of a three story building pressed between other buildings and leaning slightly over the street.  "Cup of Freedom" is scrawled on a sign outside.  Tommy sits outside, though gives Ketch a concerned look as he passes by, while you wander in and find....a magnificently disorganized, dusty, mass of a library with books sprawling everywhere.  It's a big space but with a maze of stacks, and only narrow spaces between them. You look like you could vanish in a section of isles and turns, going up half flights or down a side stair to another floor...for hours.  People wander about inside scanning the dusty covers.

A desk at the front has a Bariaur sitting behind it.  He glances up, "Welcome to yer first taste of freedom from the yoke of suppression that sits upon us all!  The library is free to use, brought to you by the Revolutionary League. My name is Polk. Let me know if ya need help finding something!"  He taps a sign on the table that reads, "Assistance with the library provided for a meagre donation of 50 gold to the Revolutionary League."

You look around but fail to see any section names or categories listed anywhere.  Instead you see only volumes piled in tottering stacks on every available surface, all looking as if a crowd of dust mephits had wandered through and coughed up their entire existence throughout the place. 

     "Hmph," Ketch grumbles, reading the sign on the table.  Ketch will not be needing any assistance.

     Ketch does, however, wander around examining titles and looking for...  Well, anything with a title that suggests it could shed some light on things.

(Did the 'hardheads' have a uniform that Mordekai could pick out?)

As Tommy explains about the factions and the Revolutionary League, Mordekai is practically salivating at the amount of fun he would've had once upon a time, stirring the pot, so to speak. But after the events of Barovia, all of those antics seemed a lifetime ago and he now felt some loyalty and responsibility towards these friends. Best to keep a lower profile and not drag them into trouble with him. 

Mordekai looks around taking in a sight that is as impressive for its apparent dysfunction as it is for its scale. He can't help but admire the scam of charging people to make sense of an intentionally disorganised system, and decides he immediately likes these people.

He replies to Polk quietly, "Not so much assistance with the library, but I'm fascinated and impressed by your organisation, and would love to know more. If this establishment belongs to the Revolutionary League, is it safe to have such a conversation within these walls?"

Polk looks at Mordekai with confusion, "I mean....it's organized...whaddya mean it's not organized.  I mean..who has...time to organize in some other way...how would you even? Pfff...it's got a system.  MY system...if you must know. I got it all, locked tight in my noggin."  He taps his head.  A pretty tiefling walks by outside....his eyes stray that way, "Woooah, check her out."   He abruptly looks back at Mordekai, "Uh..sorry...what were ya talkin bout bubs?"  Mordekai re-assesses the situation. If he is indeed dealing with an anarchist....this may just be how this are 'organized'. 

Ketch wanders into the library to look around. The titles he can find in languages he knows are almost a foreign language in their confusing titles. "Trust the Void", "Inception of the Prison", "Flowers without Restrictions", "Cats of the Rivers", "Disasters of your Dreams", "Beings of the decade", "Ships in your Garden"....

(Sorry, I should've capitalised the O in Organisation)

"No, apologies, I didn't mean your filing system for books. I wasn't being patronising about this place. I mean about the Revolutionary League as a whole. I'm genuinely intrigued... and new to Sigil, as you no doubt spotted instantly when we walked in."