Merchant's Son

The heroes wake the day after the devastating fire that claimed the constabulary and allowed the Fellhammers to escape. They have time to stop at the breakfast line in the caravan's designated section of Frial . They're able to fill in the members of the team that were absent for the commotion last night and share a few uneasy glances at the mysteriously returned Tindel . There's also a a lasting tension between Cordelia and Caellana because of the previous night's revelations.

Not long after they've had their early morning meal does Rehele reach out to the team for assistance with a developing issue. Among the long list of influential locals she's hopeful to make alliances withone in particular stands out, Amon Lohda, a Baradradi merchant with a specialty in medicinal supplies. She was planning to acquire a sizable portion of his stock for a very reasonable price when suddenly the deal fell through. Lohda's son, Amit, has gone missing and a ransom letter arrived with his father shortly after. It demands the medical supplies instead be turned over to the kidnappers tonight in exchange for Amit. Failure to do so and the life of his son is forfeit. The caravan desperately needs this deal to go through, both for the supplies themselves and the reputation such a deal would bring. She tasks the heroes with finding out what happened to Amit and bringing him back safely before Amon gives away the medical supplies to the kidnappers.

The heroes begin their search at the last place Amit Lodha was seen, the seedy little dockside tavern Cordelia visited when she first arrived in Frial, The Unfinished Sympathy. It's still very early when they arrive and only the most dedicated drunks are here at this hour. The bartender, Golan, recounts for them what he remembers seeing. Amit was there the night before but he didn't really know who the kid was until now. He seems to have a strong prejudice toward the Baradradi and the rumors of Necromancy that surround their people but Cordelia is able to get the information she needs in exchange for a favor. She pays the tavern debt of a notorious swindler and crook named Billy "The Demon". Golan asks that they also head to the docks where "The Demon" works as a day laborer and teach him a lesson about stiffing the Unfinished Sympathy. In exchange, Golan tells them that Amit was here the night before with a group of dockworkers and other street scum. He was drinking and being a big showoff. Bragging, being rowdy and trying to look tougher than his scrawny appearance might otherwise portray. He eventually seemed to upset the party he was with and they went outside to settle it. Golan wasn't sure exactly how it ended but he knows one of the men involved was stabbed and left for dead in the streets outside. He thinks it might have been Black Thorn Society related as a number of their members frequent his bar and thinks the kid might have bitten off more than he could chew.

They decide to head down to the harbor to investigate further, knowing that Black Thorn has interests there. The area is clogged with constabular officers currently investigating the Fellhammers' escape and looking for answers as to who helped them and what boat ferried them away. Tensions seem rather high because of their presence here.

First they go to find Billy "The Demon" on the hunch that he might be well connected enough to point them toward the Black Thorn operations. It turns out Billy is a scruffy, disheveled, young man with a peg leg who's earning a very meager amount of coins working as a dockhand. They find him and he immediately tries to escape, fearing they work for one of the many people he owes a debt to or has crossed. Once they catch up to the disabled man they press him for answers and even threaten to take his other leg. Billy tells them he knew the guy who was wounded last night, just some street thug with no affiliation, but he knows for sure that the man survived and must have been brought somewhere close. Caellana realizes the closest such place would be Bianca Loame's apothecary shop. She and Beorna head off to investigate on their own. Cordelia stays in the area, looking for any possible fronts that could be a Black Thorn operation in the hopes she can connect with them and work this out peacefully. McKenna sticks to the shadows and heads along with her. Aelfric, Erik and Berenger decide to go look at boats.

In Bianca's store they're both warmly greeted by the alchemist who's happy to see familiar face. They're quick to discuss the reason for their visit and Bianca confirms that she has the young man in the back of her shop. He was dumped here, a bleeding mess, as is becoming common. She has a reputation for fixing up the injured and asking no questions nor charging anything. She takes them in the back where he's medicated, bandaged and asleep. Beorna uses her magic and a bit of Manacite to restore his wounded torso and wake him. Caellana tries her best at acting tough and threatening him for answers but with Beorna's help he takes it deadly serious. Even Bianca is concerned for his safety. He says his name is Lars and that he and the rest of the men from last night didn't kidnap Amit. They were working with him and the appearance of the kidnapping was all Amit's idea. Him getting stabbed nearly to death wasn't part of the plan but Amit got carried away in making everything look real. He says they all hang out on an old ship that long ago ran aground on some rocks about 400 yards into the lake water. Lars quickly leaves after telling them everything and the pair decide to try and locate the others before tackling the lakebound hideout

Cordelia finds a shipyard warehouse that looks to shuttered and sealed yet too well kept up and with too much foot traffic around it to be truly abandoned. She and McKenna sneak around the parameter of the building and find the building is occupied with a host of merchants, patrons and other lurkers going about business far from the reach of the constabulary. It is a black market bazaar and protection for the many merchant stalls is supplied by none other than the Black Thorn Society. She makes her way inside and finds a number of different stalls selling relics, stolen goods, Balmoran Steel Weapons and Armor and even manacite. The information she garners here is mostly redundant; that the best place to meet up with Black Thorn members is the Unfinished Sympathy where they do most of their recruiting. She does however find the manacite monger is a Frostmerite named Lars Chaffin(it's a good day for people with the name Lars) and that his family has been in the gem and precious stone trade for centuries. He has a book that teaches even non-magicians how to identify the magical potential in items and in manacite itself. Cordelia thinks this family heirloom of his might be of some value and trades him for it with gold and a diamond.

Meanwhile, Aelfric, Erik and Berenger decide to go look at the lake ships in the harbor. While on their leisurely stroll Aelfric introduces them to the delicacy that is "Harbor Taffy", a noxious combination of tar, honey and pickled fishmeal that is suppossedly popular in the harbor cities of his homeland. Erik, meanwhile, comes up with what he thinks is a brilliant idea. He decides to very obviously begin walking around and asking about the Black Thorn Society, reasoning that someone will eventually confront him, asking him to quiet up and that will be their in. He gets many strange looks from the harbor workers and merchants as the subject is extremely taboo. He then notices a man in black cloak and hood heading his way purposefully. Erik does his best to not look obvious and give the man an open approach to him so they can speak. When he nears rather than exchange words the man in the cloak slyly walks past while repeatedly stabbing Erik in the stomach. Erik stumbles and calls for Berenger while Aelfric gives chase.

Aelfric catches up to the man in the crowded streets and immediately attacks. Their fight is short and Aelfric succeeds in beheading him but this commotion also brings a trio of constabulary guards to the scene. They see Aelfric with the severed head and demand he drop his weapons and surrender to them for questioning. He refuses and by the time Berenger and Erik catch up to him Aelfric has murderer one of the guards and severely injured another. The third has already fled into the crowd to gather more guards. They're left with no choice and they flee into the back alleys of the docks where Berenger tries to get a handle on the situation and what happened. At first he believes Aelfric's version which has to do with obviously corrupt constables trying to stop him from killing Erik's would-be murderer. However, as he asks more and more questions it becomes obvious that a terrible misunderstanding that was almost entirely Aelfirc's fault led to the guard's death. Berenger decides the only prudent thing to do is find Caellana, Beorna and Cord.

They eventually find Beorna and Caellana near Bianca's shop. Bianca sees them dragging along an incapacitated and bloodied guard before quickly locking her door and closing up the shop. Berenger explains the situation as best as he can and they decide to leave the injured guard against Bianca's wall. All they can do right now is go about accomplishing the main mission for the caravan and finding Amit Lodha. They make for the harbor again and use all the stealth they can muster to creep through the crowds and the water's edge. Rather than risk a ferry to the old wreck and be spotted they opt to swim out there instead.

They shrug off exhaustion by the time the reach the hull of the old vessel and slowly climb aboard. Erik wonders about possibly fixing up the ship for the Westbound Star Company but Aelfric quickly analyzes the damage to the old schooner and realizes she's beyond saving. Cordelia hears hushed whispers below the rotted deck and lets the others know. Aelfric announces into the dark hold below that Amit and his co-conspirators should show themselves immediately. Caellana and Cordelia adding that Aelfric is a madman who might kill them otherwise. This is not a lie by any means considering the day they've all had.

Eventually several youths no older than Erik (most younger in fact) scramble up to the top deck and drop any meager weapons they were carrying. Cordelia quickly comes to understand this ship isn't the hideout of any criminal masterminds but a gathering spot for ne'er-do-well, orphans and teenagers looking to avoid the constabulary. The two eldest seem to be in charge, a human boy named Rurhan and a girl named Ala, both in their midteens at best and equally filthy. They explain to the heroes that Amit and his sidekicks were all Blackthorn hopefuls looking to earn a place in the organization by pulling off this scam. The medical supplies were to buy their way into a position of prominence. However, Lars, the previously wounded young boy that Beorna restored quickly made his way to the boat here and warned Amit and the others to leave for their sanctuary in the slums. Erik offers Rurhan, Ala and the others a place in the caravan if they can help locate Amit and his thugs. They quickly agree to the idea and inform the how to find the Amit. Cordelia knows this will take them somewhere she desperately doesn't want to bring the others... through the territory occupied by one of the Blackthorns' trafficking hubs.

Cordelia cautiously approaches the long, dark, alleyway where dozens of fences, con artists, hired killers and drug peddlers all go about their business. Brutish guards stalk the entrance and immediately move toward her and the others. She warns her allies to say nothing and follow her closely. She shows the guards her Blackthorn token and explains that they're only passing through. They let her through and she she hastily drags her friends along but not quick enough. The Sharp in charge of this operation confronts her. A Tengu by the name of Sifter who's calm, emotionless demeanor adds extra weight to his fatal words. He tells her to be careful who she brings to market and to keep better control over them (it seems Sifter is aware of Erik's careless plan at the docks) otherwise he will have the local Pact Lords silence them instead. She takes her rag-tag group of allies out and into the greater slums as quickly as possible.

From there it's not long till they come up upon Amit's sanctuary, a boarded up old inn that's collapsing upon itself slowly. They discuss the best way to go about this when Aelfric and Beorna collectively decide to just go kick down the door and deal with them. With little concern they quickly charge the front door howling like berserkers. Their bold action quickly alerts those inside to the attack; the window on the second level bursts open and two young men with crossbows begin firing on the Frostmerites. Erik follows them into the fray while Cord and Caellana decide to take a less reckless approach and enter through the back of the building.

The battle is very brief. The dozen or so young criminals are ill prepared for this and certainly no match for seasoned veterans. Aelfric tries to hold back this time, subduing rather than slaughter them though even these attacks shatter bone and sunder skin. Upstairs, Cord and Caellana find Amit and a few others. Amit tries to attack but his struggle is brief as well. Once captured, they force the merchant's son to return to his father and reveal his duplicity, thus allowing the caravan's trade deal to be completed.

The heroes also explain the events of the day to Rehele who realizes the complication this could bring if the authorities found out. She quickly mobilizes them and ushers them out of Frial to begin their scouting mission while she makes she to clean up any connections the caravan might have to the mess at the docks.