Tales from Talaveroth

"I uh....thanks. Thing is, you saw how destructive these things can be, and I am just one person. There was a small army among them when I left."

Twitch gives Si'Juul a bright smile: "Well, why don't you fulfill your promise and teach me about this powder then? Or do you still think I might be able to use it for bad?"

"I don't recall promising anything. Plus as it stands right now, I can't do much with what I have besides make ammo. And making an entire weapon like this one," patting his holster, "Well, this one took weeks to build. Blackpowder does have many applications though, depending on what you want to use it for, I may be able to think up a way to use it."

Twitch would let up. "Alright, Si'Juul. I'm sure if we put our heads together then you'll be fine."

"Yes, I'm sure we can come up with something, but we will need a lot of materials and time. What exactly are you hoping I will make for you?"

"Well, for one, with this weapon of yours, your main advantage lies in range, am I right? So we should first avoid them being able to make you out easily. As much as it might go against your preferences, but maybe we could make you a cloak or something to let you blend in more into crowds. Next, by avoiding bigger settlements, we might be able to starve them of information. In the meantime, you know where their base of operations are, no? They don't know what the rest of us look like, so you can use us and that as an advantage. And I figure if you made me a charge small enough to be carried but large enough to do some damage to their stores, we might be able to take away their stores of powder, essentially putting them on the same footing as you."

Twitch was enthuastic, plans unfolding before her eyes, taking on an almost feverish sheen. She was determined to help her friend.

Paren chimes in again. "If they are as dangerous as you say a campaign of sabotage would be worth it. Limiting who is able to use such weapons to people like you who will do good with them would be worth it." 

Si'Juul's eyes widen from the how quick Twitch was able to come up with a plan as we as the glee she seems to have in executing it.

"Well first off, I cannot make a cloak. I'm a gunsmith, not a tailor. I wouldn't say I am opposed to the idea of wearing one, as long as it doesn't hinder my flight. As for a base, we..... didn't really have one. We just moved from settlement to settlement, doing what we do. A few men at a time, both as scouts and it is much easier to move as small groups than an entire army. I was usually among the lead group, for obvious reasons. But I do like the idea of sabotage, but only if every single one of them are corrupted. For all I know there may be others who got fed up with the greed like me."

"Well, then, Si'Juul- are you ready to become a spider? Sitting at the centre of your own web? I can probably make you a cloak, at least to hide your wings when we're in a larger settlement. In the meantime, I'm sure that together with Paren, we might be able to pick up the necessary skills to keep an eye out for your company and gather information on them, without having to expose ourselves."

Paren gives a slight smile and a nod. "I'll take it that you've sussed out that I was not always a simple monk either. Yes, I know a thing or two about how to gather information, though that wasn't my specialty." 

"I also have my own ideas for additional distant support, but those will require time, money, and materials. A lot of each. But that's jumping ahead. We need to sort out our immediate objective. Where are we going? How are we getting there? Should we remain in town for another day or two? I have all the things I will likely need for my gunsmithing, unless we can find a place selling metals on the cheap."

"Paren, you know this bartender best. If he is what I think he is, could you both teach our group the necessary skills to keep Si'Juul and ourselves safe? If so, I'm all for helping him out in return. I fully agree that support here might be very helpful, all the more so if we can trust it."

"He's trying to do what he thinks is best for the people of the Alliance. Depending on the skills you want to learn he could probably help. He's gotten good at finding people with skills who want to do the right thing. That's probably why he wants you all to do the job. He used to work as a sort of social spy. He would go along with traders and such, disguised as a guard. Now he works with some Ambassador or something like that." 

"Alliance? Wait, he wants us to go up against Talaveroth's major players? What next, the Dragon Clans?"

(Si'Juul wasn't there when the clans were first brought up ;) )

Poinki doesn't understand half of what's being discussed, but realizes they are trying to disguise Si'Juul. "Maybe bird man need hat more than Poinki does?" he says worriedly, offering the hat of disguise.

"Right, forgot you weren't there. He's asking you to take over the job I was going to do in Dastarius while I head with him to take care of something else. I was going to look into rumours of a potential coup against the Alliance's allies in the city-states. 

The others weren't sure how they felt about that so he gave another offer, just to prove he's not all about the Alliance and nothing else. He has a friend up the road who he's worried about and asked you all to look in on for him. Easy money really." 

"Uh...thanks, but the idea is to cover more than just the top of my head. But you did give me something to cover my talons at least, in case I need them."

Elhanna realise the seriousness in the situation and decide  to sit down on the bed an listen to the others talking. 

"So this guy he wants us to check on...just up the road? He can't just get his bird to take a quick look if he's so close? And our other option is to do some espionage for allies of the Alliance's smaller settlements. I guess we can do both if seeing the guy is so simple."

Si'Juul shrugs.

"Anyone have any better ideas?"

Twitch agrees: "It might be simple, but if Paren's right, it might be a way to test us. My grandfather always said that if you want someone to do you a big favour, ask them to do you a little favour first. This might be that. At any rate, I think he could help us help Si'Juul, so for my part, I'm happy to help, with the reservations I stated before."