Hagren's Hirelings
General Summary
With the Warden's having dealt with the threat posed by the Red scarves they returned to Billies' Tavern for a well deserved drink. They proceeded to ask each other some overdue questions over a few beers before retiring to bed. Unable to let a question lie until morning Myra proceeded to Yamil's room to ask about some more personal matters before retiring.
Myra's Memory
Having left Yamil at his door, tears still fresh in her eyes, Myra stumbled down the hallway. The number of drinks from the game before weighing on her as she struggled to make her way to her room. One violent spin caused her to stumble falling, landing unceremoniously on the floor of the hall. As she closed her eyes to collect herself the coarse wood under her hands seemed to soften. As she gripped the once floor she felt the silks and velvets of her sheets gather beneath her hands. Rolling onto her side she kicked something as she pulled her eyes open to a knocking on the door. Sitting up, a ten year old Myra took in the familiar surrounding of her extravagant room. The four post bed lines with sheer curtains draping across them. The dragon plushie she was cuddled against, one of many strewn across her bed, laying beside her as she surveyed the room. As soft music wafted into the room another knock came at the door, "Madame, are you ready. Your mother is expecting you. Your presence is required." Myra got out of bed looking into the ornate vanity in the corner straightening the emerald colored dress with gold filigree she wore. "One second," she called. Rushing across the large room, stuffed animals grouped in one corner while in the other stood an ornate wood desk next to a forebodingly large wardrobe. Opening the door the tall lanky body of the butler stood outside frowning at her, "Your mother will be most displeased about your hair," he commented. Myra tries to run her hand through the hair to no avail as the butler sighs and begins leading her down the corridors. AS they pass through a number of rooms the music seems to swell louder as they begin passing guest in formal attire. Crossing into the sitting room there appear to be three people in the room, Myra's father a larger human man stands in front of the fire while a man in a burgundy suit sits opposite Myra's mother. As Myra enters the room she curtseys to the group before making her way over to her mother's outstretched gloved hand. "Darling you look lovely but what happened to your hair?" Myra stared dejectedly at the ground, "I'm sorry I was just playing an-" "A lady does not play Myra. A lady requires eloquence in all things," Her mother corrected as Myra's eyes sink lower to the floor. "Did you greet our guests darling?" Myra's eyes drift lower as she sinks into her self further, "I'm sorry. I couldn't remember their names. There are just so many of them. I'm sorry." Myra's mother coos and mentions that Myra will need some new tutors. The man sitting across from Lady Stagwood chuckles and makes a comment that Myra couldn't catch. Lady Stagwood replies that she's sure that's not necessary, "The academy is not a place for a lady. Those studies are best left for those without aspirations." The burgundy man makes another comment lost to Myra but her father remarks, asking Myra what she was studying. Myra lists off a number of studies with her mother commenting that some more tutors may be necessary. Myra's mother seems to take in Myra's current state and suggests that she go to bed and that dinner would be sent up to her room. Myra, holding herself together, curtsies again and follows the butler back toward her room. As she makes her way back toward her room she nods at the other guests, trying not to cry, as they note her and make comments to each other as she passes. Reaching her room the butler opens the door to the dimly lit room inside, "Best for you to return to bed, knowing your mother there will be three new tutors in the morning." As Myra enters the room she hears the door close and a lock turn. She races over to a pile of stuffed animals stacked in the corner, grabbing an armful and dragging them to add to the pile already on the bed. Outside the window she sees a flash of light of different colors. Sitting amongst her friends on the bed she watches the light for a minute before turning to her assembled council. "It would be ok if I went out for just a minute right? I mean no one would notice. I mean I would return before anyone came to check." Several of her animals fall over in clear agreement as Myra creeps over to the window and slips outside. As she lands on the ground, looking down at the city below, she slips through the yard and the gate into the town below. Following the lights she passes an area under construction preparing for metal carriages, knowing that her father has already ordered two. As she continues to follow the lights she hears a crackle of fire and the ringing of metal against metal, a sign sways above the source reading Soot and Steel. As Myra peers at the figure standing in front of the forge a small voice whispers from behind, "What ya looking at?" Myra starts, turning around to find a young girl standing behind her holding a bundle of wood. "Your dress is very pretty," she smiles. Myra mutters a thank you before years of training kick in and she extends a hand, shocking the girl into dropping her bundle. "I'm Myra, what's you're name?" She gets in before beginning to apologize for knocking over the girls sticks. "They were going in the forge anyway, I'm Sky." As Sky responds and they start picking up the sticks, Myra's vision goes fisheye again as a soft voice whispers in her ear, "Magic is not always what you learn about in books, sometimes it's something more." As Myra awakens the next morning she's been tucked in bed.Hagren's New Hires
The group reconvenes the next morning Yamil asking how everyone slept, while Adama quickly pushes to go buy a number of doughnuts before the interviewees arrive. Returning they find that four people have lined up for interviews with Hagren looking to fill three spots. Yamil sits in the corner sayin that he will let us take lead as they are our spots to fill. Starting the interviews is Meko Tidefin, who the group recognizes from the bar the day before. Meko introduces himself indicating that he is a priest of Sekolah in 'the great hunt that is life.' He indicates that he is looking to explore the sea more and find a new Shiver to join for 'the final hunt'. He indicates that he has no real enemies as he has only been above the water for a short period of time and prefers the water to exploring inland. He asks about how loot would be split indicating that he thinks that whoever deals the killing blow should have first right followed by the rest of the pact. He inquires about the Wardens and what they are hunting both in a bigger picture way as well as specifically. The group hedges, not explicitly talking about the scrolls while talking generally about trying to stabilize the world. Meko is intrigued by the idea of someone hunting the group when Myra brings up the kidnapping attempt and say, if chosen, he would hunt those trying to hunt us. Adama questions his bravery after him being absent during the bar brawl with the more insightful of the group realizing that Meko was ashamed for not participating more. The group has good reviews internally and tells Meko to wait below and they would have a decision out shortly. The second interview is with Random Factorial (Rand), the mage of The Ay Collective Hagren and Myra met the previous morning. Rand begins by pulling out a sheet of parchment where he's begun sketching out what he believes to be the workings of the ship given Myra's line of questioning yesterday. Myra immediately picks it up, turns it around and begins checking it for accuracy and making corrections, causing Rand to wince and start greying. When asked about his area of expertise Rand explains that he's still deciding on his final school but thinks he would be a good fit given past experience. When asked about defense he discussed practical applications of his first thesis defense where he worked in a research library on a novel approach to summoning outer planar beings for home care. When asked by Hagren to show us he begins conjuring a fire elemental, which Adama counterspells under the table. Rand begins to panic as Adama turns to how he found us. Myra, seeing the distress of Rand comes around the table giving him back his notes and a paper bag to breathe in. As rand pulls himself together he explains that he used two scrolls from one of his advisors. The first allowed him to teleport to Lion's Crest where he talked to other sailors who thought he was crazy for looking for a flying ship. After failing to find us there he scryed on us and talked to Mama and arranged transport to get to Beater's Point. While the group gets that the exact events may not have been exactly as he says he's being truthful about the overarching strokes. Rand counters asking if anyone else has asked about studying the ship and while Hagren says no Myra replies that they have bids in from Thompson causing Rand to go white at the idea of competing with bids from industry. Myra explains that if Rand was accepted into the crew his research could not be published immediately and would need to be reviewed by the wardens before release. Also IP discovered through the research of the Divine Reach would remain in control of the Wardens. Rand is hesitant to the agreement until Myra explains that he would also be compensated for his time at which point he considers it a very generous offer. Before he leaves Hagren insists on seeing that he can perform magic causing Rand to panic into creating a number of squirrels on the table who play with Sarya and shoot dagger eyes at Raijun before vanishing. The group concludes asking Rand to wait in the bar below and that their deliberations should be complete within an hour. The third interview is with Korthak, the bugbear who formerly tried to attack the group in The Red Scarves Return - Tracking Thompson's Treasure. Currently wearing a magical ankle bracelet Korthak indicates that he's most interested in joining to get out of the town and out of his sentence. When Myra inquires about his affiliation with the Red Scarf Gang given the recent run in Korthak indicates that they left him after getting caught and he has no loyalty to them. When Raijun asks about the previous threat to his life Korthak says it shouldn't be a problem as long as Raijun 'stays out of his way'. This prompts a fight between Raijun and Korthak over a series of doughnuts. When Hagren asks for Trenchcoat's opinion on Korthak, Korthak visibly recoils from him asking him to get away. Adama asks about defending himself and Korthak says that the group is to blame for the loss of his weapon, a two handed maul. As the group asks Korthak to wait below, several members express hesitation with Korthak while Adama vehemently supported his hiring. As the final candidate comes up the stairs Myra is intrigued to see the figure she met in jail the other day comes up before her. Adama jokes that Myra knows how to make friends with her finding them in jail, as Myra asks the persons name and what their pronouns are. The figure, currently dressed as a draw female, explains that yesterday she was an old man and she doesn't have a set of pronouns they go by regularly. Myra makes a guess and asks if they can change, using alter self to look like the old man Adama present. This appears to excite the figure as they also mimic what Myra was doing and change into old man Adama so three now sit at the table. Hagren says it's useful that they can make an illusion of themselves, causing Myra, Adama, and the figure to turn and try to explain it's not an illusion. Hagren rolls his eyes and continues asking for the figure's name or at least what they like to be called. The figure replies that they were once called Persistent and liked that name. When Hagren asks them more about themselves they explain that they like to observe, to watch, to learn things. They remark that they weren't allowed to fit in while they were younger so now they like to watch and observe though the idea of traveling in a group is foreign to them. Hagren asks about ship experience and Persistent says they've only worked about three months on a boat but is a quick study. The group asks Persistent to wait below while they conduct their final deliberation. Once alone Myra voices first that if they are only taking three she feels like they shouldn't take Korthak. She notes that she especially wouldn't feel especially safe with him around after the red scarves attack. Adama says he doesn't trust him except that he thinks he will act in his own self interest which makes him very easy to predict. The group ultimately decides to exclude Korthak with Adama deciding to buy him a new maul. Adama choose to break the news to Korthak on a walk where he buys him a new maul (10gp) and also gives him a month of pay (16 gp) but explains that while Korthak had his support they decided not to go with him. Hagren lets the rest of the applicants know the good news and says that we set sail at dawn the following morning. As the group makes their way back onto the Divine Reach Myra takes a moment to install arcane locks on the doors. As they head to bed for the night Myra pulls Yamil aside and asks if he saw her after their conversation last night. Yamil says he didn't, saying that he assumed that in the state she was in when she left him he assumed she wanted to be alone. Myra off handedly remarks that she rarely ever wants to be alone before thanking him and heading off for the night.
Report Date
19 Dec 2021
Primary Location
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