“Maybe instead of getting more cards ...” shades begins to say concentrating with all of his effort “what we need to do is ‘stack’ the deck. I’m sure there’s someway or other that investigating one of these rumors we’ve heard will help us with another.” He then looks glumly at the floor. “I just can’t figure it out all. It’s too much thinking for me.” He mutters under his breath, barely loud enough to be heard, “stupid head injury” and falls silent again looking to his companions to work everything out. 

Uncle nods at Shades' comment. "I couldn't agree more. Playin' fair is for suckers." He pats around at several pockets before fining the pastry and taking a bite out of it. "What I think is we need to build a nice foundation of allies, support, and what-not. Get some people owing us and some some grateful. Later we get some afraid of exactly what cards we are holdin'. Leverage. Some of these plays are time-sensitive, like the hospital or that masquerade thing, others not so much. My vote is we look into helping the hospital first. That way we ain't exactly doing nothin' wrong while we test the waters." 

Uncle looks around for second, then flinches. "Who is Twitch?"

Terin looks at Uncle puzzled, "A good question, Shades mentioned the person but I assume she knows who it is. As for our beginning I am in agreement, assisting the hospital is a good way to begin. So the next question would be, were can we acquire the supplies it needs?"

"Count me in." Sparks adds in.  "Do we know what supplies they are needing?  Once we know what they need, we can check and see if we can find sources for those things..."

Shades raises an eyebrow and glances over at Terin after being referred to as a girl but makes no comment about it.

Shaking his head he turns to uncle “She’s one of those artsy types. Does a fair bit of drawing and mostly political in nature. I’ve met her a handful of times. Mostly to collect things and then leave them elsewhere. If you catch my meaning. I’m also fairly confident she illustrated some of the flyers that have been distributed recently as well as some graffiti in the steeps.”

He pauses for a moment and sighs heavily “Trouble is, if she has been caught, she’s most likely in Seatower. Getting someone out of there is ... difficult to say the least.”

After a brief pause he continues, “I agree with Harper and Sparks. Helping the hospital should take priority. Do we know when the Bormuls masquerade party is going to be? Sounds like a good opportunity to scrounge up some more gambling money, maybe help some of the ‘less fortunate’. I’m also curious about the slaughterhouse out in Sow’s foot, but it doesn’t appear to be very pressing. Although, if the hospital has need of food, there are sausages ripe for the taking.” Seemingly satisfied with what he considers a grand plan, nods his head approvingly at himself and looks to doc to hear his thoughts.

"The ball will be on their ancestors naming day, it should be very soon if I recall correctly," Terin says. "Gaining entrance for myself should be easy enough and any documents we could procure should help anyone able to blend in."

Doc leans back in his chair and rests his hands on the top of his head, "The hospital is in dire need and there's really only one resource. The local garrison." He pauses to wince slightly. "An easier but far less effective route would be to scrounge what we can and I can contact some friends I know from another city. But getting 'contraband' smuggled in is going to take some time and I don't know if we have enough. The silver lining on skimping the garrison is that they have more than they need by a long shot. If we don't make a big show of it we could take maybe," He pauses as if doing mental calculations, "15% of their stocks without them noticing for a month or so."

Julian shifts forward and puts his elbows on the table. His hands steepled in front of his face he looks around the table, "What do you all think?"

"I'm game."  Sparks says with a nod. She pushes some of her hair behind an ear as she looks to the others.  "Nice to take from those with too much to give to those in need..." She says with a raised eyebrow.

Uncle looks around at the team with admiration. "I think this is a game we can play. High stakes, sure, but a good pay-off if it works. There's a few details we will need to handle when they show up - maybe finding a way to explain a shortage if they notice the missing stuff - but we can burn that bridge after we cross it. For now we need intel. Do we have leverage on anyone that works there? How many are there and what are their schedules?" Martin "Uncle" Flintmore stands and starts gathering his stuff. "Who's ready for some recon?"

“I’m up for a bit of recon.” Shades says nodding approvingly. Gathers his cards and stows them back in his pocket. “But, just to be clear, we are all going to scout the same place? Or would it make sense for Terin to gather information about the ball if it is to take place soon? ... It feels to me like too good of an opportunity to let slip through our fingers.”

He looks around the room to see what his companions think of splitting up. Not sure what he thinks of the idea himself.

“Although, if it is time to leave, it would be best not to traipse out all at the same time. I suggest leaving individually with a random interval of 5-10 minutes after each person to avoid giving away the safe-house here. Forgive my poor memory, but where is the garrison again?” Shades stands near the table seemingly embarrassed and waiting for someone to tell him which way to go.

"I am not against scouting both locations, but it might get dicy if we get into any trouble that way."  Sparks speaks up.  "If we are all together, then we can back each other up easier."

From previous operations, you are all aware of the likely locations that could be used to store confiscated goods.

The Seatower was a Flaming Fist strongpoint in the middle of the city, but it was rather cramped, and didn't have any large storage facilities to speak of, at least as far as you are all aware for now. While it was possible that some medicines were brought there, it seemed an unlikely option. Similarly, Wyrm's Rock was an unlikely location to store several boatloads of supplies. That only left a handfull of possibilities: One of the warehouses in one of the districts adjoining the Grayharbour, but they'd undoubtedly be guarding the warehouse, knowing how valuable medicine is for the resistance. Secondly, they could be storing it in the Citadel, or any adjoining buildings. Security would be guaranteed, and there was enough space to store the supplies, if they wanted to. But the goods would have had to be transported to the citadel, and someone sure would have noticed a steady train of goods going there. Thirdly, it was conceivable that the confiscated relief goods never even made it off the ship. It was possible that the Fist occupied the ship and kept it anchored in the Harbour, until a safe storage area was found. Any approach to the ship would likely be noticed, and with their command of the entire Harbour area due to the artillery on the Seatower walls, they could keep the ship under surveillance without much trouble. There was no easy way to determine which of these was the most likely, without further intel.

"We should stay to one target but use our individual resources to spread our information gain. If I recall, that warehouse the Fists use in Grayharbour would be a good place to start," Terin suggested. "Those of you more adept at shadow work can see what you can see, I can attempt to make contact with a guard and observe. Others can ask the locals." 

"Sounds good to me."  Sparks agrees with a nod.  "I'll try to sneak around and see what I can find out with stealth."

After agreeing to meet at the Three Goats Heads Tavern in the Seatower district within two days, you get ready to leave. With everything agreed to, you all start heading out, staggering the departures so as to not raise suspicions.

For those with dayjobs, now that the sun has risen, you're probably going to be expected there, but you might use the cover of your employment to gather more information. Terin, since you're mostly a freelancer, your work depends on you, and you can spend your time roaming the city, or trying to keep your ear to the ground for employment opportunities- and other rumours. The papers always contain some interesting tidbits, including job postings for those that can afford the announcement.

Martin Flintmore goes about his "day job" as a smuggler. He asks around about any suspicious shipments or concentrations of guards. His excuse for asking is that if he can figure out what the Imps want or what they are confiscating, he can determine the profit margins for dealing in such items and determine what items are not worth messing with.

Lia would go about her day job, but will keep her ears open to see if she can hear anything of use.

Julian makes his way to the clinic mulling over the morning's discussion. As usual he lets his bedside manner and work speak to his reliability to the patients he sees. Throughout the day he drops hints that he could use this or that supply to people he thinks are even tangentially associated with the areas the cell had identified. 

With the family farm taken care of, Shades has time on his hands to inquire about any job openings at Hamhock's Slaughterhouse. Upon approaching the building, bustling with activity and chaotic efforts of various cattle herders to maneuvre their lifestock into the facility, Shades spots a larger than average number of soldiers on the premises: two squads, totalling sixteen Watch members and their two leaders.

"Move along. If yer looking fer work, come back at dawn tomorrow. We're all full fer today.", one of the sergeants lets him know, in the typical drawl of a Heapsider. Intent to find out more, he could either approach some of the local cattle herders, try talking to the watch, or find out something from the locals by heading to a tavern and talking to the people there.

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Uncle, after a day you find out that the Watch is concentrating in Sow's Foot, and that they've stepped up patrols and activity in Whitkeep, and Blackgate. The Fist on the other hand has withdrawn most patrols outside of the city, and seems to be primarily patrolling the area from Citadel Streets southwards, with about a squad each assigned to Temples, Manorborn, Seatower, and Bloomridge districts. 


You hear plenty of rumours about confiscated medical goods, delicacies, weapons, even prisoner transports… Most of it's pretty unreliable unfortunately. A grumpy dwarven sailor known as Bodrick the Strong lets you know after the fifth ale, that he'd been on the ship with the goods, the Emerald Empress. "'S soon as we ent'red the 'arbour, the Fist came up 'longside our ship, demanded we show'em the goods. The captain was all proper like, givin' em the manifest, an' showin' em where the goods came from. Dunno wha' happened next, but we was told we'd be on shore leave fer the next two weeks, an' that they wouldn't need our help wi' the cargo."

Beyond that, you hear from a tavern keep, that the Watch has started confiscating fortified wines and liquour, and that they started issuing permits for taverns to serve strong alcohol, at 25 guilder a piece. The grim human bartender is convinced that the Watch is doing this without the Fist knowing, in the hopes of making some money on the side.

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Doc, the almost universal answer you hear is the same that you're being told by the hopsital staff as well: Until there are more supplies, you have to make do with what you have, or find alternatives. One of the orderlies spoke about approaching the protesters for the Insight park and ask them whether you could start growing medicinal plants under their protection, before realising what he was saying and trying to play it off as a joke. A rather jaded half elven doctor, Kazimir Rhokkovsko, was already ordering nurses to shred some of the uniforms to create more bandages and dressings. 

Towards the end of the day, a miller whose leg was crushed in a work accident calls you over. Taking a look at his leg, you notice that it's broken, but you fail to see the expected bruising and torn skin from a leg crushed by a mill stone. Before you say anything, the patient says to you: "The milling went bad, but the grain is safe. For now, you'll just have to go to the Hot Buns bakery in Eastway to get your bread." He pauses, to let the words sink in.

A little disappointed that he isn’t able to get inside the slaughterhouse to get a lay of the land, Shades begins asking the local cattle herders who has purchased their livestock and how he could contact that person or persons as he is trying to sell some himself.

Investigation 2+3

Persuasion 5+1

Insight 5+1