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"Yeah..." Aeron replies, a lurch in his stomach. "And I could do with some familiar faces after today."

 

"I know just the place - The Reliable Lyre. I go there all the time with Charon. It's not the fanciest place in the world, but they won't poison you." He motions for the others to follow him.

ooc

I imagine it being a fairly normal tavern, nothing special, but at least it's not fish. The owners are an elven male named Lysander and his wife Sylvie.

"Sounds good," Sisera responds to Dessarius' suggestion, allowing the newcomer to their group to lead the way.

"No complaints here," Alierin adds, happy to go with Dess' suggestion.

"Lead on then," Aeron says with a nod, hoping the food is as reliable as the lyre.

Leaving the boardwalk, you make your way back up the switchbacks carved into the side of the cliffside, reaching the edge of Groznid Heights. From there, the massive Old Bridge leads you into Vozto, then across the Akame Bridge and you've finally returned to the Low Docks.

With Dessarius leading the way, you find yourself at the Reliable Lyre, whose moderately busy nature belies its mediocre food and ale. You spend the meal relatively unhassled, and as dusk approaches, you head back toward the Elvish Quarter.

Around a half-past seven, you reach Alierin's home once more. Gerirl sits outside on a bench, his gaze unfocused and his attention elsewhere. He hardly notices you until the six of you nearly surround him. "Oh, hey," he manages, standing up and brushing his pants off. His eyes narrow as he looks you over carefully. "You guys look like shit. What'd you get up to today? Hauling logs?"

With her stomach full of the average inn fare, Alierin steels herself as they walk to meet up with Gerirl, resolute in her determination to solve the mess her brother has gotten himself into. Here we go, she thinks, spotting him on the bench.

"I wish," Alierin intones in reply to Gerirl. "That would have been more straightforward. Should we go over the plan?" She asks, aware they have grown in number since Roofboy advised them of the situation.

"Yeah, I got a few minutes," Gerirl answers, beckoning you inside.

Their home is cramped, yet familiar to you as yet another hovel the first immigrants constructed in the Elvish Quarter almost two decades ago. The walls are formed from wattle and daub, reaching up to a thatched roof that needs yearly work as evidenced by the leak this morning. A pair of doors one on side lead off to living quarters for Alierin, her brother, and their mother. This main chamber has enough space for a kitchen and table, and little else — especially with the seven of you occupying it.

"Mother's sleeping, so keep it quiet," Gerirl warns, already beginning to pace.

"So, I don't know what we're running, or who it's for," he admits. "But I do know that it's leaving the Bay, not entering it. Donleg — that's the guy who sets all this up — must have some local seller who wants something moved without the Clan getting a cut. We're supposed to meet in Southward, on that last big wharf that didn't go up in flames. There's an old shack there, got an anchor painted on it."

Cymril nods along, paying rapt attention. "So, what do you guys even... do on a usual night?"

"Donleg's got a couple dinghies he keeps there. We take two of them out on the bay, load them up with goods from visiting ships. It's pretty simple work — just keeping our heads down, avoiding any of the clan-guard, and moving a bunch of heavy stuff. But this is the first time I'll run something out, so I'm not sure what the plan is. I'd guess the same thing but in reverse." He sighs, shrugging. 

Dessarius enjoys the food, though deep down he wishes for Charon to be here. Our anniversary is coming up. I should make things more formal. I know he wants us to be committed. He thinks, but as food is finished and the time approaches, Dess follows the others to find Gerirl. He grimaces realizing Gerirl doesn't even know what he's moving, but opts not to mock him, "So we're meeting on the last wharf. They won't get cold feet if a few extra elves show up?" He asks, wondering if their presence actually helps anything.

Feeling at least somewhat reinvigorated after a well-deserved meal, Aeron's thoughts can't help but race as they head to meet Gerirl. Let's hope this isn't as much trouble as the rest of the day was. He follows the man into the hovel, one of his homes away from home in the years prior, and takes a spot around the table.

"You're lucky you've got a sister who gives a damn about you," he says with a heavy sigh over the man's ignorance. Maybe he's kept in the dark, but he shouldn't be getting into messes like this in the first place. "So a shack with an anchor on it. That should be easy enough to find. Anything else we should know?"

 

Sisera listens to the man speak, his explanation of his normal activities reminding her of their own of past days. He is caught in this 'smuggling' clearly, like us. Why the clan here cares so much about what things are brought in or out, I do not know. Trade is trade, let people do their business. Too many rules, too much pride.

"Why the change?" she asks the man. "Before, you unloaded. Now you load. Something different, what changed?"

"Uh, if you just show up, the jig's up," Gerirl answers Dessarius. "I thought that was your whole hang-up, right? Making sure these guys get caught in the act? You'll need something better than that."

He shrugs at Aeron. "Quit being an ass, Aeron. I've worked hard to help provide for Mother. You know as well as I do that the docks just don't pay enough, and above-board work around this city isn't exactly easy to find for us."

Turning next to Sisera, Gerirl shakes his head. "I don't know. I've only done this a couple times before. Might be Donleg's just taking what business he can get? He doesn't seem to be that well off considering he's the one running the show."

Alierin smirks slightly as Aeron and Gerirl bicker. Those two never did really get on.

"It'll be a better plan than that," Alierin reassures Gerirl. "We're meant to meet up with Roof Boy before hand to work out the plan," she clarifies.

"When it does happen, make sure you get away," she adds. "Otherwise all of this will have been for nothing."

Let's see how you take care of your mother when you're dead, you big oaf. Aeron sighs, eager to let Alierin take over for once. He nods along as she explains the plan. "Yeah. They'll probably be too distracted to notice you slipping away anyways."

Sisera nods as the young man responds to her question, finding his answer uninteresting, but satisfying nonetheless. It seems he knows very little about what he is doing it, but does it anyway for the pay and what it can provide his family. He is not so different from us in that regard. A fool he might be, but an honorable one. Hopefully his sister can convince him to save himself from this operation we are tasked with performing.

Dessarius finds himself nodding along, listening to the words of his new traveling companions until a name comes up that he doesn't yet recognize; "Roof Boy? Who's that?" he asks, looking towards Alierin for confirmation.

"Our contact with the group that are planning to fuck over Gerirl's group," Alierin explains to Dess. "We pissed off the wrong people a few days back and got roped in to helping them a couple of nights ago. We're free of that debt now, but he was nice enough to gives us a heads up on this."

If only there were enough real jobs. At the end of the day, we all need good jobs that pay just well enough. Vaughn sighs, lost in thought on if it would be possible to mobilise the workers for a common goal. Maybe the Star Speaker could help organise the workers. Though, would such an movement be better with a figurehead? Would endowing those at the top with decisive power be too much of a risk for corruption?

"Hold on, who did you piss off?" Gerirl asks, stopping his pacing as he peers at Alierin. "You failed to mention that part earlier, sis. You owed them a debt? What was it and how did you pay it off?"

"I said already. The group that are planning to fuck your Gerirl's group," Alierin retorts. "We ruined their operation so they had us help them. It doesn't matter anyway. What matters is making sure they don't kill you," she elaborates, her tone growing frustrated.

"It doesn't matter, but they're trying to kill my crew off?" Gerirl responds, his eyes narrowing. "Sis, who are these guys? I thought I was playing with the pros but evidently not."

"They've got ties with the Clan," Aeron hisses, acutely aware of how helpless all of them are in this situation. "They've got their hands in every pie, criminal or legitimate. And they probably want their cut from this deal."

Gerirl's eyes go wide, and he takes a beat before responding. "Well, isn't that great. It's all one big fucking mess, isn't it?"

He shakes his head. "Look, I gotta get on the move. Let's hope you figure something out. If all else fails, I'll just hoof it when the time's right."
 

If such plainly delivered news is enough to rile him up, he seems doomed to perish in this, Sisera thinks, frowning at the thought of the man's short fuse causing him to give away his knowledge of the raid. And then what? We will have done this for nothing, and Alierin will be out her brother, her mother out a son.

"We will protect you," Sisera responds, trying her best to sound reassuring. "Just listen to your sister."

Gerirl shrugs at Sisera. "She's not so bad, huh?" he says, cracking a smile before turning to Alierin. "Don't do anything stupid out there, and don't worry about me. I'll do what feels right. Just keep your own hide safe, okay?" He takes her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "I love you." Eventually, he takes his leave.

Cymril sighs. "We should get going, too. Let's hope Roof Boy has any news."

OOC

Ready to move to Ramjan Lumber to meet with Roof Boy, or any last minute stops?

"You be safe too, Gerirl. We'll do everything we can for you," Aeron says, giving the man a wave as he departs. He might be an idiot, but he's important to Alierin, and to all of us.

He gives a nod to Cymril. "Yeah, let's get going. The more time we have to prepare, the better."

"I'm sorry," Dessarius starts, "Ties to the clan?" He asks, clearly a little upset. "I know I hopped on without asking many questions but you don't think at least I should have been warned about that?" He asks, for a moment his intentions to help out with Gerirl's problem wavering. If Idrial finds out that I'm sticking my neck this far out for anyone, especially a bunch of people I barely know, I could lose my damn job! He thinks to himself.

Alierin smirks slightly at Gerirl's words to Sisera. "You too," she replies to Gerirl, returning his hug. "See you after everything," she adds as he takes his leave. She nods in agreement with Cymril and Aeron, ready to head to Ramjan Lumber.

"Don't worry, we're helping them out here. It'll be ok," she tries to reassure Des. "This shouldn't get us wrapped up in anything more," she says, hopeful she's right.

Dess hesitates and silently questions himself as to whether or not he can commit. "Fine, I trust you. For now, at least. You haven't given me any reason not to." He says, committing to the task.

You depart Alierin & Gerirl's home, heading toward Vozto where you've been instructed by Roof Boy to meet outside Ramjan Lumber. The skies have since opened up — greys and blues now replaced with purples and oranges as the sun dips behind the mountains upriver from Groznid.

Akame Bridge rises to greet you. The pine boards that line the railings are pocked with sap, oozing from wood that was standing upright not a year ago.

The walk through Vozto is quiet, as it usually is, especially at a later hour as now. Outside of a few redeveloping zones throughout the district, there is little business or reason to be here amongst the long-burnt and ruined buildings that remain half-standing.

Ramjan Lumber stands in one such zone, a sleeping titan nestled amongst its kin — each industrial warehouse or workshop a recent build, no doubt the result of vast pockets of coin invested by interested parties. The lumber shipper appears to be closed down and locked up for the night, no light emanating from its windows. You don't see anyone around.

"He said we were supposed to meet him here," Cymril says, frowning, her hands on her hips.

"Strange," Aeron says, feeling an anxious pit growing in his stomach. "Maybe he's late? I hope that's the case, at least..." He lets out a sigh, looking around for any signs that their contact may have been here. "If he doesn't show soon, maybe we should just make our way to Gerirl's meeting point."
 

Dessarius takes a look around as his prior hesitation makes him slightly more worried about this situation. "You called him Roofboy, any chance he's on the roof?" He asks, groaning slightly.

Mechanics

Perception to see if I can see him: [1d20+6]=4+6=10 oof

"He was one time," Alierin concedes to Dess with a shrug, peering up at the roof herself.

"Hopefully he's just late," she adds, agreeing with Aeron and hoping there have been no further complications to the night's upcoming events.

On cue, you spot a slender, young orc appear from an overhang above Ramjan's entrance. He deftly swings over the eave, grabbing onto the gate to break his fall. His feet quietly pad the dusty flagstones as he approaches.

"Good, you're here. That must mean you didn't do something stupid," he says. "Right?"

He eyes Dessarius, hiding none of his suspicion in the crossed lines in his brow. "And who are you?"
 

Does he climb up there just for the dramatic entrance? Alierin wonders as Roofboy makes his signature moniker-earning appearance.

"He's a friend," she says in reference to Dess. "And we'd never," she adds.

"Why the roof?" Sisera asks in Kurnish, watching in a mixture of surprise and confusion as their contact once more approaches them from above. "You like to climb?" Does he have an aversion to approaching people in a normal way? Maybe he just finds the roof comfortable.

"Had to bolster our numbers a bit with everything we've gone through," Aeron replies to the orc, relieved that he's finally shown his face. Nokve, giant bears, clan business. We need all the help we can get...

"Good," Roof Boy says to Alierin, before turning to Sisera. "Plenty of reasons. Staying out of sight, for one. It worked on you. Plus, you can see the entire bay at night. Try it sometime."

"So what's the scoop?" Cymril interrupts, her arms crossed. "I guess they're smuggling something out this time, not in."

The young orc shrugs. "That's news to me. So our target is Donleg and his little ragtag crew. The cleanest method is to make sure they don't come back from the drop. You know, sink them. There are other ways, too. Like luring the clan guard to them ourselves — but that's dangerous. If we end up getting hauled to the jails alongside those clowns, our employer will make damn sure none of us even make it to our hanging. Don't make yourself a loose end."

Dessarius glances between his allies and the orc. "So you're suggesting that we should off them? What is their crime, even?" He asks, needing to know.

The young orc stares at Dessarius with a look halfway between amusement and annoyance. "It's straightforward. You did it with Kiros' crew, why not this one, too? As for their crime, are you serious? I already told you that. Our employer doesn't need a third party out here, stirring up waves on possible business." He glances toward Alierin and Aeron. "You guys know you have more turnover than an alehouse kitchen?"
 

"We're aware," Alierin replies to Roofboy. "Some people end up less committed than they thought they'd be, that or they cut someone's arm off," she shrugs, thinking back on the others who have joined them in the previous days' adventures.

"We're always hiring if you're keen to get off that roof for a change," Aeron manages with a smirk, a sigh following as the reality of their situation sets in. "Any suggestion on how we sink them? Drill a hole in their boat or something?"

"Good to know," Roof Boy says, as a genuine look of thoughtfulness flashes across his face before it is replaced with a frown. "It helps if you kill them first. I meant sinking their bodies. But I think you may be onto something. There should be an auger inside Ramjan. Question is how you get access to their boat if they're soon to be gathering around it."

Dessarius rolls his eyes at the orc's comment and mumbles something. "Yeah, yeah, fine. Let's get this over with, then." He says with a soft sigh. "If we're quick enough, I might be able to get in and out without being seen. I move... fast." He continues.

"Maybe we can draw their attention away long enough for one of us to sneak inside," Aeron considers, preferring a less violent approach if they can manage one. If no one needs to get hurt, that's all the better... Assuming they can swim.

Sisera nods to the man, satisfied with his answer to her curiosity. I guess I will have to try it. I wonder if Tesni would join me? "What about fire?" Sisera asks, as the conversation then turns towards ending the lives of the crew, and potentially sinking the ship as well. "Kill crew, kill ship, all in one." 

"Fire might be a good idea if we want to try and destroy the boat without being spotted," Alierin says, agreeing with Sisera. "Putting enough holes in it with an auger to stop them just being able to bail it out would take a long time," she adds.

"We can't burn it with the crew inside though," she adds. "How is Gerirl meant to get away then?"