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| Paulie |
Paulie sat alone in the common room of the newly acquired
Boxer safe house.A small candle, the only thing keeping the darkness at bay, flickered as an ocean breeze moved past him unimpeded. Until all of his deals
where complete he thought leaving the structures with a vacant appearance would be the
wisest course.
“Play to your strengths” he said quietly. As if to continue
an ongoing conversation with the darkness, “I am proud of our organization; the range of
skills held by our members is astounding. When anyone asks me for guidance I
always say play to your strengths. Be the best at what you do, mediocrity is a
death sentence”. He said this with certainty as he locked eyes with Wally
creeping up in the darkness. “Your strength is in the workshop and dealing with
magical hang-ups the rest of us cannot overcome. Stealth without magic will only get you
killed my friend”.
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| Wally |
Gritting his teeth Wally recognized another failed attempt.
“I will get your pipe without magic”
he said smiling as he dropped into an adjacent seat at the small writing table.
“Speaking of the workshop, I have finished your most recent request” Sliding a
small wooden box across the table he glanced down at four identical letters
Paulie had just finished penning.
“Look them over” Paulie said gesturing to the letters.” We
both know your deciphering skills could use a lot of work” he said
sarcastically, never looking up from the box that had been presented to him.
Eagerly opening the box he was delighted to see a platinum and sapphire ring as
blue as the Mediterranean. The new magical energies surging through the ring
could be felt the moment he cracked the lid. “I thought you said it would take
a month or more? You couldn’t find a suitable ring, where did this come from?”
“Your newest charge” Wally said gesturing to the letter he
was struggling to decode. “Lex?” Paulie asked “as payment for what?”
“A gift” Wally said laying the parchment down unsure if he
had accurately deciphered the message. “He said it was to help prosper our
relationship. Naturally I assumed it was your ring and you were just using him
to deliver it. Turns out it was a gift, apparently to both of us. I am still
unsure how he knew we needed it”?
“He and his friends are special” Paulie said.“The night we
retrieved the statue they eliminated the guard with amazing efficiency. There
movements suggested experience well beyond their years. If I didn’t know any
better I would have said the whole combat was rehearsed. Then there is the
night at Warehouse Lex told me to be ready for trouble. He asked if I would
stand by with a fast getaway instead of watching the games. The cannon balls
ripped right through my section of the building. I know if he didn’t warn me
out of there I wouldn’t be here to receive this wondrous gift.”
Wally was appreciative his old friend still admired his work
“As long as we are discussing them Charlie said the Bonded Mind set sail this
morning. It appeared a ship was positioning to follow. I sent word to Metas to
alert the group, however I fear the ship will arrive in Bugibba before the
warning. But if they have means of divining the future”?
“I never said that” Paulie quickly interjected. “Perhaps its
instincts or the favor of the gods, I don’t pretend to know. I said there is
something special, and I am not the only one to have noticed it. As for the
Bonded Mind your warning should be adequate. I helped prevision the ship before
its departure. The majority of the crew seemed capable but they have a few guys
with real potential. If they are being followed I trust them to be able to
handle it themselves”.
“Then why don't you believe Lex and company can do the same”?
Wally asked holding up the first encoded message.
“We have seen many people, some I would call friend
disappear into the clutches of a slaver never to return. These guys have been
targeted by two of the most notorious collection groups we have seen on the
island. Not only have we not been able to assess any buyers but I am not even
confident we know all the players involved. Usually these groups operate fairly
discreetly but there was nothing discrete about the most recent events. Someone
even went as far as to destroy the Half-Tower and you know the group of people
that attack will offend!It appears these collectors are starting to hasten
their efforts. They may even reach a point of public exposure in fear of
missing out on the bounty.There’s a competition of some kind and our new found
friends are the spoils.So yes I am using the network to spread misinformation
about their agendas and to have members keep ears open for any word on Tengu
activity. The Hunter is an enemy you can
see, my concern is for the unseen enemy. After all the Tengu are the reason
it’s called a murder of crows.”
Wally grinned. While he appreciated the cleverness of the joke
he knew it wasn’t far from the truth. “I will get these messages delivered to
our other guilds then. Where would you like them sent?”
“Rysywe and the Sharks can be found in Buggibba.
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| Rysywe |
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| Percy |
Brodie heads the Smelters currently operating out of Cirkewwa. And the Onyx Lady is of course still in Victoria.
That’s about as wide a net as we can cast, hopefully we catch something. Now let’s go over the message in case you are asked any questions.”
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| Onyx Lady |
Friend of the Church,
Let it be known that a group of Gatherers are attempting to assume control
of my newest Flora.
Each of these Boasters has infiltrated holy ground! Will you
stand by and allow it to continue?
Xlendi has been kind enough to house my charge for the
foreseeable future.
Everyone must be vigilant if we are to bringing these
Nameless assailants to justice.
Let us all work together and our garden will be lush for
many years to come.
If you have any information regarding these Shrouded bravos please
send word to your local magistrate.
Surveyer of the sacred gardens, Oxeyes.
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