Solo Behind the Majestic (Job)

[Kynier]

Timestamp: 30th of Spring 518 AV

Kynier followed from twenty paces behind in the crowd. It was just after midday and the city was active. A double-edged blade for his task. The crowd made it easier to conceal himself from the three men he was following. But if Kynier did not watch them constantly he could very easily lose their trail. The three men in question were Daggerhands, Kynier was reasonably sure. A few bells ago he witnessed them peddling the Eagle Eyes drug to a few citizens. This was the first real opportunity he had to learn something about their organization.

Their destination was somewhere north in the city. It began in the Commons and they had loitered around there for some time looking for customers. Kynier could see the bridge to Stumble Alley ahead where the crowd tapered off. He decided to increase the distance between them as they began their crossing. Once they had a nearly crossed the bridge Kynier resumed following. They weaved their way through the alleys at such a pace Kynier sometimes had to nearly run just to glimpse them turning down a new path.

Kynier rounded a corner and the three men were out of sight. Quickly he ran to the next intersection and looked around. Nothing. Kynier took the right hand path until it met the next road. The men were not here either.

"Damn." He turned around and went down the other alley. When it met the next road Kynier still couldn't find his leads. At that he cursed again. Next time he would have to play it less safe. Kynier started walking through the alley. For some reason it seemed darker than the rest. Kynier felt his skin prickle as he walked through. Then he felt a small brush of djed in the air and stopped. Looking around there was very little of notice, some garbage, rubble, and...

Kynier looked at a sign that was partially broken that said The Majestic. The door below it was very easy to overlook. Like a shadow on the wall it had no way to really catch the eye. His curiosity was peaked. The door creaked loudly as he opened it. The inside looked like... a wreck. Shelves lined the walls but there were mostly empty. A few clumps of webs were here and there. But what was really terrible was the smell. Feces were scattered across most of the floor. A Sunberthan rat was also in the room staring at him.

"I'm not here to bother you," he said to the Brat. He ignored it hissing with its buck teeth to look around more. Each footstep unsettled the dust on the floor. But Kynier could still feel the presence of magic nearby. Summoning his own djed he called forth his Sight. Slowly the room filled with smokey auras. Kynier scanned the room, looking for more than the Brat and furnature auras. When he looked at one side of the room he blinked in surprise. The whole wall emitted an aura. Kynier focused his sight on it. All he could glean was that it was a shield. Kynier ceased his Sight as a headache began to form. All he could see normally were a set of book shelves.

Before he could step forward to investigate there was a muffled thump. Kynier held his breath, waiting. After chime there was another thump and part of the bookshelf... swung open. A man of not very advanced age came out, yelling.

"They should have been here long ago! Why is it so hard to...". The man that came out was... glowing a little. For a moment they both stood there looking at each other. "Who are you?" Before he could answer the man turned his gaze on the Brat. "I told you to get out of here! Now scram!" To Kynier's surprise the did as he was told.

"I..." Kynier began. But he was shushed by the man.
"You're one of them aren't you? Aren't you!? Well it won't work out well for you, you can be sure of that. If you think that I would just stand by and allow that to happen you are gravely mistaken!"
"I just came in because I felt the ambient field of the shields you have here." The man glared at him with what looked like a shock in his eyes.
"Another wizard? That's unexpected. Well, no. I won't train you. No one's worth my effort in that regard."

Kynier was baffled to say the least. By chance he had stumbled upon another mage in the city. From the look of it, an advanced one at that. He couldn't let a connection like this slip away from him.
"I'm more than just a wizard. I can go unnoticed within the city when I want to. And learn secrets that no one wants in the open." Perhaps it was an exaggerated claim. But if Kynier was honest with himself, he was reaching a point of serious desperation. The wizard looked at him skeptically.
"Well of course. Dressed like the rest of the filth in the city. But if that were true I could use that talent. A courier will be visiting the Jolly Good Stables to deliver a message to Tieria Sunstrider. Learn what is in that message without her knowing." And just like that he turned back through his secret doorway and closed it. Kynier stood in the silence for a chime convincing himself that that had just occurred.

"Quite the eccentric. Best hurry before you lose his interest."

[Kynier]

When Kynier stepped out of The Majestic he took a moment to regain his bearings. Several problems faced him at once. Learning exactly where this place was so he could get back, finding out where the Jolly Good Stables were, and then completing his task. To accomplish the first he circled around the building for any distinguishing landmarks he could use for reference. Unfortunately there was nothing really unique he could use, so he made a larger circle around the area until he found The Library. That would do.

Next Kynier went west towards the center of the city. Following the roads that would lead back to the Commons then down to the Slums. Now there were fewer people in the streets, but still a sizable mass. His plan No Man's Land Tavern was in a fairly neutral part of the city. Asking for a location would not be too dangerous there. But it took nearly a bell to get there. Unless he hurried he would miss the courier and it would become more difficult to do what he needed, whatever that was going to be.

Nearly charging through the door he spared no time. Kynier went straight to the bartender. "Hammer, do you know where the Jolly Good Stables are?"
"I know where a good drink is. Anything else ain't my business," he said a bit surly. Kynier walked away from the man and looked for Lana. She was walking about serving the early supper crowd. He waited until she wasn't engaged with a customer to approach.
"Lana, I'm in a hurry and need to know," he dug through his pockets for two silver mizzas and held them up in front of her. "Where are the Jolly Good Stables?" She looked at the coins and bit her lip. The hesitation was crushing his spirit. FInally she took the coins from his hand.
"The stables are in the center of Sun's Refuge. But you shouldn't go in there unless you want some unwanted attention," she whispered. Kynier smiled and backpeddled.
"Thanks Lana!" he said rushing back out the door.

As he was running through the streets to the northwest he started thinking of what he should do. All he had to do was find out what the message said without Tieria Sunstrider discovering that he had done so. He could intercept the courier, read the message, then deliver it as though nothing out of the ordinary occurred. No, that was a bad idea. Without a solid plan in advance there wasn't a way he could intercept the courier. And perhaps he was the regular courier and she would detect a scheme of some sort. So he would have to wait until afterwards.

His legs were aching and his brow was drenched with sweat. Slowing down to a walk he tried to catch his breath. Running through the heat of a spring day in the city had not been a good idea. During his walk he thought out what he could do. He could pretend to be a customer. By doing so it would be easy to see the layout of the stables. Then he would have a better idea of where to look. Then sneaking it at night to read it. But how would he know if he had read the right message? Perhaps he needed to be there before the courier afterall. Shyke! Kynier began to run again.

As he approached the Sun's Refuge he slowed down until just stopping all together. Kynier leaned bent forward taking large heaving breaths. Wiping his brow he looked around. The buildings looked better kept here and the people dressed a little better. More than a few gave him a suspicious glance as they walked by. Kynier ignored them and stepped into the shade of an alley. He was so hot that he felt the need to strip. Removing his cloak helped a lot. Turning so the gentle breeze caressed his back felt wonderful. After several chimes he caught his breath. Reestablishing his cloak on his shoulders he walked back out onto the road into Sun's Refuge.

Another bell passes as he walked the streets looking for the stables. When he found them we was quite sure that any courier of worth would've delivered their parcels by now. Kynier looked around for an urchin. They were less frequent in this district it seemed. He had to walk nearly a mile from his destination to find one.

"Hey boy," he called, "Do you want five coppers?"
"Yeah, watcha wan'?"
"I want to know if the couriers have already come through with their deliveries."
"Tha's easy, they com through two bells ago." Kynier smiled and handed the boy the copper he promised. Then he gave the boy and extra ten. "Wha's this for?"
"I'm my be around occasionally. And I'll want to know what's going on. But you'll have to tell me your name first."
"It's Garther. Wha's your name?"
"Just 'Sir', Garther. I'll see you around."
"Yes Sir."

So the courier had come by. Now Kynier would have to find out what the message could possibly be. That would take more time. Time he definitely couldn't do until the stables were closed. If they ever closed. He would worry about that later. First he needed to do some reconnaissance. Kynier adjusted his hair to make it look less like a sweaty mess. Then had an inspiration and tussled his hair to make it messier.

[Kynier]

Before he even stepped through the door he was greeted by the smell of hay. Traces of it were everywhere though a stableboy was actively sweeping the floor around the welcome counter. A woman with dark hair looked up at him with a customary smile. Kynier noticed how she quickly examined him, his fashion, forming preconceptions about him.

"Welcome to the Jolly Good Stables, sir. What type of service are you looking for today?" he voice sounded pleasant enough, though it was a forced habit. Kynier stepped up to the counter, looking around as he did. There was a small opening in the counter to step into the area that she was in. But behind her were mostly saddles, blankets, halters, and other equipment for horses. Any parcels she had would be directly at her hands which he couldn't see.

"Hello," he said with a cheerful smile. Kynier tried to speak with the mentality of someone that needed a horse. He had never been comfortable around one. The way the lip at their curiosities and their pungent smells. "I realized today that I could use a horse. Only after having to run around the entire city though. And I've heard that the best mounts are available here."

"Well sir, we have a selection available for your choosing. If you follow me I'd be happy to introduce you to the horses." She came out from behind the counter and beckoned for him to follow. As they rounded the corner Kynier glimpsed back at the counter. A few parchments were left on it as well as several ledgers. Do you have any experiences with horses? Sir..." she looked at him questioningly.

"Not realy." Kynier quickly raced through a debate on his introduction. If he used a false name he'd have to keep track of it an everyone he used it with. Then he realized that he'd also have to track those people's movements incase he ran into them somewhere unexpected. "Haltara," he said. Kynier didn't feel comfortable enough to try to develop an alter ego. Though he would have to consider it more. "I rode one a few times when I was a youth."

She lead him outside to a pasture. People were out walking with their horses as they grazed, while other were riding. I would suggest that you make arrangements for a few lessons. Horses are more sensitive that people think they are. If you don't know how to work with the horse it can unsaddle you. I do most of the instruction myself."

"That would probably be wise. What was your name?" She stopped and gave a soft laugh.
"Sorry, I've been absent minded all day. My name is Tieria." Kynier feigned laughing with her with his own chuckle.
"I've had plenty of those days myself, Tieria. How much are the lessons?"
"Ten gold mizzas per lesson. And it can take some people longer to get accustomed to the experience."

Tieria led him to one of the many barns. Inside it smelled of manure and piss, more than hay. Tough the hay and small pale flakes of something had been littered all over the ground. A few horse heads were protruding from their compartments. Tieria introduced him to each horse one at a time. Most reacted the same. They held their heads up and way and pinned their ears back when his hand approached. She told him a little about each horse and their breed. By the end of it Kynier still couldn't really tell the difference between a Zavian and a Mountain Pony. Afterwards they were walking back to the shop.

"Mr. Haltara, I think you should take a few lessons before committing to purchasing a mount."
"I think you're right about that. But based on their reactions they didn't seem to like me very much. Perhaps I should just endure living without one for now."
"They just are startled by you because you haven't been around long enough to build trust. And with a few lessions you'll have more confidence, which they'll sense. I would be happy to arrange a time for you."
"I do appreciate that miss. Though the idea of getting a mount was impulsive. I would like to considered more before making any commitments."
"I understand sir."

As she led him out Kynier checked the doors. Both the front and back entrances had locks on them. Through the halls he did not notice any windows large enough for him to squeeze through either. There wasn't a way of finding the percel during the day, and no clean entrances at night. Kynier bid Tieria a good day and left. For the next bell he walked up the road a mile then turned back to walk the road for a mile in the other direction. As he did he examined the building without noticeably loitering, he hoped. A few men patrolled the area but there were very few places for torches or lanterns for nightfall.

Kynier stepped into an alley across the street and peered around the corner to watch the patrol route. He would have to slip by them unnoticed for his objective. Knocking one unconscious would raise suspicion afterwards, even if he successfully managed that. The guards looked capable of a dealing with a single adversary. The front entrance was too well guarded. There wouldn't be enough time to pick the lock if there were the same number of guards at night. Kynier stepped back onto the road to circle around. A couple of alley led back to where he could get to the back entrance. However, the security extended out here as well.

The sun was setting by the time Kynier found his chosen route. Nearly a mile south of the stables near a tavern was a small set of alleys. The guards would probably be more focused on the tavern for any civil unrest. He watched as men slowly filtered inside and the street lights were light. There was only one guard around the alley Kynier had chosen to take. The guard slowly paced back and forth watching the street. It was nearly time.

Kynier sat down in any alley and conjured his res in a liquid state. He smeared the res onto the soles of his boots to weave a shield. Focusing on sound and its prevention. When he was done the shields were of varying thickness. He stood up and took a couple steps around. The shields weren't perfectly flat against his soles and affected his gait. Kynier snarled, but chose to deal with it.

The guard had a definite pattern to his patrol. Kynier waited until the guard was approaching to step onto the road. Timing it so that way the guard would have just turned around for Kynier to slip by unnoticed. His steps were slower and more careful, lest the shields caused a misstep and sprain an ankle. Feigning to walk to the tavern Kynier kept the guard in his peripheral. Once the man turned around Kynier altered his course. With the chatter from inside, combined with his shields, Kynier managed to get by unnoticed.

Once he was in the alley he lingered close to the walls, actively avoiding to brush against them and make unwanted noise. Before each turn Kynier peeked around the corners for more patrols. Gradually he weaved through the alleys to get to the edge of the pasture. Someone was going around lighting the night lanterns. Probably for the people that stabled their horses and occasionally chose to take a night ride. Looking around before moving further, Kynier didn't see anyone patrolling. He began skirting around the perimeter, clinging to the darker edges.

A brass padlock kept the back door shut. Kynier took out the metal picks he had acquired before making a last check for a clear approach. Staying low and taking quick long strides to approach. Kneeling down he began fiddling with the padlock with two metal picks. His right hand pick scrapped against the pins while his left was pressing down. With a racing heart Kynier tried to take steady breaths. For what felt like a long time his right hand shifted back and forth, adjusting the pins, to no avail. After several chimes he looked over his shoulders. No one in sight. Taking a deep breath he continued on the lock.

The clinking indicated four pins inside. Kynier restarted with the first one. Levering it up as much as he could before moving onto the next to repeat the process. Eventually he thought he had them all lined up and tried to twist the other pick. But the lock wasn't giving. Kynier shoved the right one all the way to the back of the lock as though it were a key and tried again. When it clicked open Kynier stifled his surprise. Quietly he took the padlock off the door and slipped inside.

Making his way to the front counter was easy. No one else was inside, but the shields on his feet were fading and straw was crunching softly under his boots. Stepping behind the counter he could see the ledgers and several parchments. Slowly moving his fingers to avoid having the parchment make sound he shifted through the loose papers first. He found one that had a broken seal at the wax seal at the edges. Pulling it out of the pile he quickly read through it. It was an advanced notice on a shipment of apples. "Special apples" for Tiaria's "prized horses". Kynier smiled to himself.

He searched for a blank parchment and quill. On it he copied each word from the message. He didn't try to make it look similar. There was no way to duplicate the broken seal. Afterwards he reviewed his copy to make sure he had written everything exactly right. Then he placed the message back in the middle of the pile and folded the copy into his pocket. On his way out he re-established the padlock and backtracked the way he came in.

[Kynier]

Leaving took longer than entering. With the shields wearing down Kynier had to place his steps carefully. Once or twice he thought he heard someone approaching and would duck low. After a chime had passed he would continue on his way. The night was settling in and the moon was offering very little illumination. Kynier was almost pressing himself against the wall letting a hand glide over its surface so he could be sure he reached a cover.

He knew he had reached the last turn when he saw firelight shifting in the alley ahead. When he reached the corner he peeked around. Two men from the guard were standing at the alley's entrance, engaged in conversation. Being just outside the tavern he was unable to hear what they were saying. Kynier had no means of being able to distract both of them. He would only be able to knock one unconscious, leaving him to fight just a single opponent of superior training. Assuming no one comes out of the tavern. His best chance was to stay until they left.

For over ten chimes they stood there. Kynier began leaning against the wall and was growing impatient. When one of them finally moved he was coming down the alley. Kynier sunk into the shadows a little deeper, keeping half of the patrolman's profile in sight. The man stopped midway down the alley, and began to piss. Kynier couldn't recall with certainty the patrol pattern around other alleys, but they could've changed just like this one had.

When the guard was done he left the alley, and his companion. The latter continued to stand at the alley's opening. Kynier crouched low and took cautious steps towards the guard. Glancing around he couldn't see any anyone else. I don't have all night. He took a few steps back down the alley and took out his short sword very very slowly to avoid making a sound. Gripping the hilt tightly he slunk up behind the guard. With a last check for any bystanders Kynier stood up with the blade high above his head and brought the pommel down as hard as he could to the back of the man's head.

With a weak groan the man crumpled to the ground. Hastily Kynier sheathed his weapon and dragged the man deeper into the alley. Once he had dragged him out to the edge of the light he pushed the guard against the wall on his back. Kynier almost left when he had an idea. He quickly patted down the man's pockets. He found chewing tobacco, a comb, five gold mizzas, and a hidden dagger in his boot. At his waist was a longsword with a sunburst pattern on the pommel. Sun's Birth enforcer. Kynier wasn't really surprised considering he was in the Sun's Refuge. Not much imagination needed there. Kynier decided to take everything, make it appear that he was just robbed, instead of getting knocked out for another reason.

Trying to hold the sword out of sight under his cloak was tricky unless he took a leisurely pace. Walking out onto the road Kynier made his way east back to Stumble Alley.

It took another bell to find the entrance to The Majestic again. Even with trying to backtrack his steps from The Library earlier that day. The inside hadn't changed since then. Kynier walked over to the shelves that he knew had the shields behind them. With a fist he knocked hard on the wood.

"Hello?" he called. He didn't hear anything and knocked again after a moment. "I got Tieria's message." Kynier waited for a reply, or something to happen. A chime passed. Then two, and nothing happened. Kynier knocked against the shelving a third time. "The message was about an upcoming delivery of 'special apples'." The shelves began to creak abruptly. Kynier leapt back from them as they swung open. The wizard only stepped out partially.

"I knew it!" he cried. "What else did it say?" Kynier retrieved the parchment from his pocket.
"I wrote..." the paper had been snatched out of his hand by something unseen. It drifted over to the wizard and he took it eagerly. Kynier watched him read it several times. Then he turned the paper over several times.
"There's no wax seal on this."
"She'd notice if the original was gone, so I made a copy." The wizard eyed him suspiciously.
"Why do you have that sword with you? It's a Sun's Birth blade." Kynier looked at the blade and shrugged.
"The patrolman wouldn't move on my way out. I knocked him out and took everything except his clothes. That way they'd think..."
"That it was robbery," he finished. The wizard nodded a few times. "Success, initiative, ability to improvise..." he muttered. ""Fine. You have the job. Come back tomorrow for an actual task." The wizard began to shut the secret passage when Kynier called out.
"Wait!" The wizard stuck his head back out. "My name's Kynier Haltara." The wizard's thoughts turned inward as he chewed on the words.
"Never heard of you." he said flatly before shutting the door.

[Kynier]

Grades!

Skill Rewards

• Auristics +1
• Copying +1
• Intelligence +3
• Larceny +1
• Observation +2
• Planning +3
• Rhetoric +1
• Running +1
• Shielding +1
• Stealth +3
• Subterfuge +2
• Tactics +1
• Weapon: Short Sword +1

Lores Learned

• Observation: Don’t follow from too far away
• Location: The Majestic
• Location: The Library
• Short Sword: How to draw silently
• Short Sword: Using the Pommel to render unconsciousness

Rewards

• 5 gm
• Comb
• Tobacco
• Dagger
• Longsword with sunburst insignia on the pommel