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After Vee has taken down the rat king into the garden in her cape, the children begin to arrive, and like Martin suspected, they help clean the house with enthusiasm. When he returns to give his show, even a few parents show up, they bring watered-down ciders and biscuits for a short celebration. In fact, the whole thing becomes kind of a housewarming party. Several people point out that Serena had not been a weaver (the weaver lives in the house closest to the square, next to the tinsmith), but sold haberdashery, making buttons and trimmings herself. Indeed, between the paving stones of the shop they had found fragments of wood, horn and bone buttons.

As Kristina had mentioned, matresses are hard to come by at this time of year, but for little money, the beds are outfitted with straps to make them comforable to use with bedrolls. The neighbours leave some of the (somewhat worn) stools and chairs they brought for the party, saying "they're spare in our house, you can use them better right now".

The only thing that would stretch the group's purse is a new lock, a good one would cost them 100 GP and it's only made to order, delivery time two days.

Just as the party is drawing to a close, Kim comes back, surprised to see that the house is full. "I'm sorry I am so late" is the explanation. "But after visiting the constabulary, I went to see Mr. Soulstaff. He allowed me to consult Sanbalet's spellbook, and I could copy some new spells into my book" there definitely is some pride in Kim's voice. "Also, he gave me this paper Amon had found in one of the books."

The scrap of paper shows three lines:

I - xxx
II x-x- 2
III - - -

At sunset, Vee performs the ritual she sees fit to give the rat king a proper salute on its way to the otherworld.

The next day, two young men present themselves to the group. "We're volunteers with a boat" the taller one says with a grin. "The »Lizzy« is big enough for twelve, yet small enought to get into the smuggler's cave below the old mansion. We have a few days for trainig, so we can all row together"

So everything seems to go well for the little group, exept that at the evening of day two, Vee begins to cough and develop a fever. A few hours later, Gunter follows suit. The tall and muscly ranger feels feverish and very weak, he coughs so hard he feels he can hardly get enough air into his lungs during the fits of coughing.

(Those were the d20s you rolled. The rat king harboured germs, because you treated it carefully, your saving throw was poison with a +4 bonus. Everybody made it except Vee and Gunter, who also handled it most intensively. Had you just thrown out the matress and thus spread the germs in the air, the saving throw would have been with a -2)

My suggestion is that the group use my absence to discuss a plan for the interception of the smugglers!

Reller inquires as to the nature of the paper at some point. He is curious as to what is going on.

"Ah yes of course, you were not in town when we arrived, were you?" Kim answers Reller's question. "Brax, Searos, Gunter and I arrived from inland with Eret's last caravan. Vee came by ship across the Azure sea. We heard about the spooky old mansion no one dared investigate and thought we'd do it. The apprentices of Daos Soulstaff came with us. We found out that the "haunting" was part vestige of an old alchemist's work, but mostly reinforced by a group of smugglers who used a cave under the cliff as a base. We found this slip of paper in what you could call the office of the smuggler's leader, a mage called Sanbalet. We believe it to contain the code of communication between the local band here and the ship that brings in the goods on moonless nights, the next of which is in little more than a week."

Brax notes the worsening condition of Gunter and Vee's condition, visiting Christina, and having her lunch with Ara, she collects some herbs and sets to work making the pair as comfortable moving them both into the master bedroom for now.

------------

"Indeed Kim, I forgot that Reller was not with us also." She says stepping down to the main after checking on Gunter and Vee, "We have less than a week, then the smugglers are due to come again..." She pauses, throwing back her hair, lines of worry evident on her face.

"Of course we have no proof they will come back, after all they know the Mansion is no longer safe, do we know what they are smuggling yet? Did someone say Weapons?" She asks shifting on the stool, crossing her legs in the process.

"Oh, aye, weapons - enough to start quite a rumpus. Possibly even a skirmish, or perhaps a fracas. But they are now locked away in the basement of some public building.

"I wonder: these smugglers of yours, do you suppose they lit out of here on board the same ship that is due to arrive next week? If so, I don't suppose they'll be back. But if the group you inconvenienced is merely the landward side of the operation, then it may be possible they have not yet gotten word to their compatriots, in which case the ship may still be coming."

(during this time Gunter is busy feeling like crap, hallucinating, sweating, etc!)

(And Brax is busy looking after him where she can, cue lots of brow mopping, soup making and you get the idea.)

"Indeed, perhaps they have no idea, we will assume they are coming regardless." She agrees with Drake, "So we have a small boat, and a crew, perhaps we should check out this cave, go there before the ship is due, then hide out there and wait for the smugglers to come? Myself, Kim and Reller can all see in the dark, enough to plan an ambush."

(Searos spends his time drinking, gambling, and if possible whoring)

"If we can convince them that we are overzealous local officials, that might be a good disguise." Reller prompts with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Possibly yes." Brax agrees with a thoughtful nod.

"Begging your pardon, friend, but even the most stupendously over-zealous officials would be unlikely to row out to a smuggler's ship in dark of night, particularly without armed escort. It's not believable. And a visible armed escort would likely get us killed before we even got aboard.

"No, only criminals would meet a vessel under such circumstances, so we who make contact must appear to be somewhat...unsavory. And yet non-threatening. It's a fine line, for we must appear dangerous enough to sell the image of being malfattore but not so dangerous as to be shot on sight. Once on board, we must be compelling and believable, or we must appear mad enough to confuse them to the point of distraction, and in thence into inaction.

"Our associates, in turn, approach the vessel unseen and unheard due to the aforesaid distraction, and make their way aboard.

"Of course, that is when things get ugly. For despite having the advantage of surprise on our side, we must still be able to make use of that advantage. I don't expect the smugglers are going to immediately surrender just because we say 'Gotcha!', do you? We are in for a fight, and even with Frik and Frak backing us, we may be hard-pressed, even though I just love fencing on board ship. Particularly when repartee is involved. It's just so exciting."

"I believe Vee, Gunter and myself can handle that.." Brax says softly, "Part of me is thinking Searos should go with the first boat, what do you think Searos?"

"So, we are either mad or powerful as a distraction." Reller seems slightly amused. "I am leaning towards mad if that is the option. I am sure there will be lots of sword play on deck to support that theory, too."

"Mad might work." Brax grins, watching the Jester. "He fits that bill."

"'I am mad but north-northwest. But when the wind is southerly, I can tell a hawk from a handsaw.' Of an egret from an egress. Or a duck from a dwarf, if necessary." Martin intones. Then he smiles and says: "But how about those codes. We still need to work those out. Could be important."