"Err, not so fast mio amico." Tag pipes up just as Forte is stashing the stuff. "If I may I would like to take a look at the stuff. I can tell you all what it might be worth for a start. I would like Golthar's daggers if I may. The one I bought is not of the best quality and I would like the chance to chose one of these, but I would like to examine them closely. May I see that scroll as well please Caboto?"
Tag examines and appraises the gems, daggers and the rings. He too cannot make head or tail of the scroll. "This scroll appears to be one for a priest of Jerboha. Perhaps Plebius, you will be able to make sense of it." Tag hands the scroll to Plebius." The Russian coins are a puzzle are they not, why would she have such, unless she were from that country or intended to pay or buy something from someone there. Arkady, you are of Russian stock are you not? Do you know why she might carry such coins? Have you 'been one of her recent clients?" Tag chuckles.
Arkady shakes his head. "Nyet Nyet!!! I have not had this lizard bitch. She is far too skinny, blech!!. As for the coin, well there are many of my kind around, merchants, soldiers, mercenaries, it could have come from anywhere. She could have been anywhere, hard to say really...."
"What is your motivation for being here Arkady? Are you here for treasure alone, or do you too have some grievance against the Bishop as do I?"
Arkady sighs. "I came here to serve as a guard to the Doge of Venice. For 4 years I stood post in Venice and traveled with him to Padua, Milan and Florence. During that time I grew to love Italy and it's burgeoning culture of science and magic. The intellectual exploration here is awesome and very inspiring to an amateur scientist like myself. I feel that there is knowledge untold to be found here in this peninsula. I search to increase my store of that knowledge. I seek now to right the wrongs of the Bishop, to remove my cursed dreams, to free my soul of the weight of fear that the Bishop's threats have put on me. To escape that which I burned in the Inn..........." He falls silent and gloomy. His hand strays to a small pouch full of folded drawings. Whispering he continues. "Maybe one day I will be free, and the only voice I hear will be my own........."
Taglio estimates that the gems are worth anywhere from 20 to 100 gold florens apiece. Total value has to be something near 5000 gold florens, as the purse is bulging full. The daggers are well-balanced for throwing, though not for combat. They are fine manufacture.
When everything is being taken, Plebius casts his detect magic spell and looks upon all of the gear. He also looks upon the captives for any other magical presence and then upon his own group for any ensorcelments.
Tag realizing the intent of the spell, shows Plebius the daggers he took from Golthar. "Are any of these enchanted, mio amico?"
Plebius' spell is quite revealing. None of the gems are magical, which is not a surprise. Not surprisingly, both of Golthar's rings are magic, one on Arkady's finger and one on Rhune's, as is the woman's tube which Plebius now holds. He can tell immediately that it is a priestly spell scroll. The woman's shield, lying on the ground to be left, and her mace, which Forte has taken, both glow, as does Sligh's shield, which makes him rather uncomfortable. Golthar's daggers are fine, but do not glow.
Plebius relays the results of his detections to Tag.
When Plebius shares his findings, Rhees expresses an interest in the shield and suggests, "Pietro, Plebius, you have not claimed anything as yours yet, perhaps one of you should take the scroll. It is possible I could decipher it, but if no one objects, I have more interest in the woman's shield."
Plebius holds the scroll still," I have it."
"Please give me the scroll, I can to decipher it with Plebius, since it probably is a scroll for Jerbohan priests. I will try through. Plebius, can you spare me a moment?" Pietro takes the scroll, and makes sure Plebius can read it as well. Silently, they scan the scroll for its contents.
Plebius helps Pietro with the scroll. As Pietro desires to keep it, Plebius gives it to him.
Arkady's sylmar blade glows, stronger than any of the other things the spell picks up. The group's spell books glow, which makes Plebius think of Amibar's book, which must have been taken from him. It had some more powerful spells in it than Plebius' did. Pietro feels the flask in his pouch that he's had a long time tingle a bit. Looking at it, it glows dimly. Rhune's chain mail, which she still wears, glows. Nothing else comes to your attention.
Pietro again moves to the backroom, preparing his prayer. "Hermes, All-Seeing, please enlighten me with the ability to see magical and mystical bonds on a being. There is need to be able to judge this situation, seeing charms will help me in that." For a moment, the priest's pupils turn white as an albino, before returning back to their current purple color. He moves back into the main room, looking at a number of persons for a moment.
The results are strange, as Pietro has not attempted this spell before. He gets strange sensations not only from Sligh, but also from Golthar and the woman. What is most interesting is that he also detects such emanations from Rhune!
Looking up at Pietro, "So what did you find?" Rhune asks then sees his frown at her, "What? What is it?" a puzzled look comes over her face.
"This is all too strange." Pietro looks puzzled. "I never used this prayer before. It seems that all our prisoners have been affected by mind-magics. I will tell them before we leave, maybe they will try to find the source of it, before coming after us."
"Oh. That is odd I suppose. But why are you looking at me like that?" she asks.
Pietro shrugs. "My friend, you want to how your baby is, won't you? I am not sure, but I think I can use a detection prayer to see if your baby is still alive. Should I give it a try? I can only do this after a pretty long period of praying, but I think you know that." Pietro smiles at Rhune. "You'll be ok, you are a very strong woman."
Her hand caressing her belly, "Yes I would like to know if the baby is alright. That way I can tell Asif when he returns." she says to him, "Perhaps we can do this at the rendezvous spot"
Realizing that this is not the time to regain powers Ullar sighs. "We should get away, however, we're in an awful state! I for one am unable to defend myself and that renders me useless! We're here to find a guide at the first place and we still need a guide to get through Death's Head Country alive. Perhaps that Sligh guy knows where we can find employees around here."
Ullar approaches Sligh, walking slowly not to open any of his barely closed wounds, and asks if Sligh knows any place in Threshold, particularly in this part of town where one can find an employee.
"Uh, Ullar," Forte begins before the ex-gladiator can start asking Sligh about guides, "do you remember the last time we asked a local to help us find a guide? Do you remember Hrothgar? Look where that got us," he says, gesturing around them. "We can't trust him. He thinks this shit--" he Forte kicks the bottom on Golthar's foot with his boot--"is an honorable man. We need to interrogate them, cremate our dead companions, and get the hell out of here."
Ullar just nods, hoping that somebody else will do the interrogations. "You're right, absolutely right" he says with a sigh.
"I want to get out of Threshold, but I don't want to lose my head in Death's Head Country so I'm convinced we need a guide. How do we find one?" says Ullar, the frustration dripping from his voice. His look is saddened, black curves around his eyes and blood all over his body. With his left hand he 'protects' the now closed wound on his stomach. Softly cursing he sits down, watching whoever is going to take up the task of interrogation.
Caboto shakes his head. "Are you fellows blind? We have two agents of the Bishop and their charmed guard, no offense Sligh. This is the perfect opportunity to try to lean something. No one objected to my searching their persons, let's ask them a question or two too. As the shipwrights and navigators, among others, who tutored me might have said, knowledge is power."
"OK, I know I'm just a big dumb sword-slinger, but a few minutes ago I did say we need to interrogate these people. Did anyone hear that?" asks Forte, a small flush of anger creeping up his neck. He turns to Cabato. "I will hold the lady with my sword at her throat. One false move and she's dead." He looks at Sligh for his reaction.
Grinning, "Seems like the moment has everyone on edge Forte" Rhune utters.
Caboto watches Sligh as well. "You were heard by me, Forte. 'Twas Ullar to whom I was responding."
"Yes it would be a good time to ask some questions, Caboto. I would like to know why some of us are not to be killed." Rhune replies as she wipes her eyes on the back of her good hand.
In a whisper Pietro looks Caboto in the eyes. "I'm sorry, I have not gained enough faith or given powers to do so. Hermes willing, I may be able to do it in future."
Caboto intends to quickly probe for information. He sees that there may be some urgency to leave, but 20 more minutes or so won't matter.
"Look Sligh, I will unbind the Lady's mouth that she might answer a few questions. If it looks like she will try to cast a spell, I will stop her but not slay her. Is that clear?"
Sligh nods, "I expected as much. She is wise. She will not attempt to cast against such odds."
Forte holds the lady with one hand, the other keeping his longsword in place at her throat during the questioning. "Be sure and ask her if she's his whore," Forte reminds Caboto. He leans over and blows gently into the woman's ear.
Caboto nods and suppresses any reaction. "Forte is unusually violent, Lady, but seldom uncivilized."
As Caboto removes her gag, she slowly responds in a cold voice, "I will kill you for that, fat man. I will hunt you down and kill you, by Jerboha's graces I will!" She turns her attention toward Caboto as he begins his series of questions.
Plebius shakes his head," Such vindictive intents are not in the path that Jerboha leads."
Forte laughs. "My love, it is I who hold all the cards - and you!" He softly kisses her cheek. "We will have SUCH FUN together when this questioning is done."
The woman replies coldly, "Yes, we will. I am sure of it." She then turns toward Caboto's question.
After this remark, Ullar raises one of his eyebrows, thinking that it must be impossible to feel anything for this lady needed to 'perform'.
Rhune shudders as she watches and listens to Forte"
"How does the Bishop of Florence send orders and instructions to you."
She shakes her head, "What are you talking about? We take no orders from the Bishop. Fool." She almost spits at him in disgust.
"Where is your crucifix, if Katolik priest you be?"
"One does not need to bear a symbol to be embraced by the love of the Lord. Were you aware of this, you would not be such a person as you are." Her words sound rather rehearsed.
Being no stranger to rhetoric, this vehement woman reminds Caboto of a particularly unpleasant Jesuit tutor. "Such a diversionary riposte, Lady. How illuminating. Perhaps you only pretend to be embraced by Jerboha, his Son and the Ghost and actually worship Another."
The woman smiles, "Ah, devil-worshippers are oft prone to accuse others of their own sins. Not clever or original, I fear."
"Do you willingly ally with this fellow?" "All I do I do with the good grace of Jerboha. That is all you need to know!" is her defiant answer.
"Why were you willing to kill us for the map? Do you think we can help you find something? If so, you had better be damn forthright and convincing. We've just lost two companions thanks to you, and I in particular bear you some great dislike." Caboto spits.
This time she does spit, on the floor, "We had no interest in killing you. If you had turned over the map, you would have been released. That is all we wanted. YOUR actions led to the death here, not ours!"
"Then you are the greater fool, Lady. Convince others if you must that you are the pious heroine, to yourself do not lie. Too quickly can one reinvent the past." Caboto pauses, then speaks in a passable imitation of Golthar:
"If you flee, we kill the other one. If you fight, we kill the other one, then kill all of you. You have no hope. Surrender and give us the map and maybe some of you will walk out of here. You have ten seconds to decide."
"These words were said. By your own greed and haste did you bring about this doom. You chose to negotiate by force, and failed. Spare me further false righteousness lest you fall further in our estimation."
The woman shrugs roughly, "And what care I of the estimate of heathens and heretics? Even if you kill me here, I will go to a higher place, while killers and villains like you will rot in the deepest Hell! As for your ears, they are selective, just as your fat friend's words are. If the map was given, you would have left alive. Such I am sure will not be our fate, lest you act as faithful as you pretend to be."
"Tut tut, dearest," says Forte softly. "If you had not wished to steal something of ours and kidnapped our friends, no death would have occurred here. And it was your pimp, my sweet little whore, who ordered our friend's death."
The woman's fury does not change, though she shows no visible sign of it. "To capture those trying to kill you, and to attempt to reclaim that which you stole from my master? Interesting how you alter the truth to suit your needs." She grimaces once again in disgust.
"What were you going to do with the map if you had obtained it?"
"Follow it! Fool! It leads to treasure unrivaled, where you at all intelligent you would understand that." She replies hastily.
Plebius sighs," You seek after treasure which holds no value in Jerboha's eyes."
"Such naked greed and ambition. I take it that you will have no part of the meek who shall inherit the earth, and the poor who shall have the kingdom of heaven." To the perceptive it may be clear that Caboto is trying to both counter her lies and bait her. But to what end?
"What heretical quotation is that? None that I am familiar with. Strength belongs to those who believe in the Lord. To believe that being weak merits time in heaven is foolish. My lord believes no such thing."
"Would you like to escape the influence of the Bishop of Florence? There are better ways to serve God than as a lackey to his ambitions."
"You are doubly a fool. The Bishop is the greatest agent of God in all of the area. Why would I not follow him? Such would brand me a traitor to the faith. Because you are refugees, you wish me to be one as well? I would rather die!" She glares defiantly.
"You answer your own question Lady. You fear the brand of heretic more than you wish to live a good and righteous life."
"Bah!" She says dismissively. "To be heretical is not good or righteous. Would that you knew what you were saying. You are not a holy man. Rather a heretic yourself, so of course it benefits you to convince others they are so."
Leaning closer to the man, Rhune whispers in his ear, "Ask her why I am not be killed, please. it would seem logical to do so, then just take the tube. I mean they could have done that when they caught me"
Intent on the priestess, Caboto agrees with Rhune. "They were desperate for the map, but never even searched you. Well, Lady Priest? What do you know of the Blue Tube that some of my companions and I are 'commissioned' by the Bishop of Florence to find ? The Bishop told us Rhune stole it, why didn't you search her?"
The woman turns her glare toward Rhune, "Stupid simpering whiner! Speak to me yourself. Are you so denigrated by the men that you need them to speak for you! Such are elves, in their weakness and imbecility!" She spits in Rhune's direction, "You would have been killed right after your friend. Should have killed you when we caught you. Worthless trash!"
Plebius has heard enough. The soft spoken priest goes back to Manus and continues his prayers.
Caboto notes Plebius retreat through the corner of his eye. He is somehow comforted to hear the man's prayers over their dead friend.
In a sudden uncharacteristic move, Rhune backhands the woman with her good arm which quickly draws a dagger and places it against her throat, lavender eyes flashing lightening, "Listen bitch, I have seen your great bishop cut down people simply because they dare to think for themselves. Which as far as I am concerned is enough to kill you now. But if you ever call me whining piece of worthless elven trash again I will cut your tongue out. But I have heard that I am to be caught instead of killed....." she stops then slips back from the woman muttering.
The woman grins at Rhune's actions, "You will have your chance, elf-maid, have no worries."
Tag places a calming hand on Rhune's shoulder. "Rhune don't, she isn't worth it. The baby has had enough excitement for one day, I'll warrant."
"You're right, Tag. But her words just struck me wrong" she replies as she shakes like a leaf.
"That's enough, my love!" Forte says sharply. He scratches her neck with the edge of the sword. "You might hurt yourself." He presses his cheek against hers. "So, you say you should have killed another? You are so wise, my fair slut, I will heed your lesson well and learn from it this very night." Nuzzling her cheek, Forte closes his eyes for a split second. Then he opens them and sticks his tongue in her ear. "Will this be your first night with a man, without him paying for the privilege?" Forte asks his victim.
She shudders at his touch, and jerks away at his lecherous advance. She does not speak to him, though. She also ignores the blood that seeps down from the cut in her neck.
Looking at Caboto, she utters, "Of course we searched her. We care not about some foul-tongued blue tube. That is not our goal, nor the Bishop's. Why would he care about such?"
"Why indeed?" Caboto claps his hands with pleasure. "Clearly you are not privy to all the Bishop's machinations, as well you should not be. Was it you that failed to decipher the writings on it? It would not surprise me."
She answers with hot temper, "And what care I of it's language or contents? It's a heathen language. Obviously nothing of import could be contained in such a thing." Only the barest hesitation reveals the untruth of her statement. Clearly she is interested in the tube.
"Do not lie, my love, it will only make your ultimate pain more terrible," Forte says to his new lady love. "We know the bishop wants the tube." The warriors looks over at Cabato. "My friend, it is time to replace the gag. I feel my love will not stop cooing sweet love songs in my ear unless we silence her sweet, silvery voice." Forte waits for Cabato to replace the gag. When the gag is back in place, Forte playfully pushes his index finger against the tip of her nose. "God, she's so cute!" he says to the assembled crowd. He then unceremoniously dumps her on the ground.
"Ok, it seems to me it's time to gag her once more. Now we have to decide what we're going to do with them. We can't just leave them here, for they will surely come after us." says Ullar.
"Sligh, what will it cost us to relief you of your oath to guard these two? 100 golden florins?" says Ullar, while picking some of the gold from his belt pouch.
Sligh shakes his head, "There is no amount of money sufficient to buy my honor from me. You would not understand such a thing." He waves dismissively.
Plebius shakes his head," Is that the price that you would pay for us to break our oath Ullar? Regardless of what has happened here, we have made an oath and I will stand by it, no matter whose honor is for sale."
"I hate to say it but Plebius is right. Let's just go now." then turning to Ullar, "See if he will leave them bound till for two hours?" Rhune asks.
Ullar pulls up his shoulders and shakes his head. "Let's get out of here."
Caboto would like to ask similar questions to evil yellow-robe, but he waits to see how GC fares to this point.