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Session 3, Applied Economics and Self Defence |
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Written by Pytorb
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Wednesday, 05 August 2009 |
Septon Garrick lead his dawn service with Maarz making a somewhat
pained appearance acknowledging his guilt and penance. After binding
Maarz's wounds of the previous night the two of them were then joined
by Cadfael as they started to look for smugglers (with Seton Garrick in
civilian clothes). As Masters Tyrion and Gwint are looking amongst the
wealthy they decide to go to some of the worst dives in Rocksport where
Maarz would reprise his act as a merchant's factor looking to move less
than legal goods. They ended up in the Lusty Sailor a tavern and
brothel of ill repute and crossing the barman's palm with silver told
him the kind of person they are looking for and asked him to send them
over.
A little while later no-one had come to speak with them so Maarz
decided to become more acquainted with the girls and Septon Garrick
offered to treat them for free. Septon Garrick then tried to use any
goodwill he had gained in treating the girls to get some names of
likely smugglers out of the barman/owner but to no avail. At the same
time Maarz decided to take a more direct approach and went up to the
wealthiest person in the bar and asks them if they are interested in
doing business, resulting in a swung punch and a warning to back off.
Cadfael left and was followed shortly after by Maarz and Setpon Garrick
as they were thrown out for attempting to publicly threaten the
barman/owner into co-operating with them over the health of the girls.
Meanwhile, in the much better dressed part of town, Masters Tyrion and
Gwint were sitting down to an expensive meal in a luxury dining club
beloved by the richer class of merchant. After the meal they moved on
to the gambling tables where they swiftly got in to a four-handed game
with a visiting merchant Mikel and a Rocksport shop owner Arlo. Over
the course of several lost hands, some more badly than others, they
managed to convince Mikel that they were genuinely interested in
shipping a large quantity of liquor and weren't overly keen on paying
taxes to Lord Rocsly at the same time. He was angling to get a trade
deal with their father but left the table empty-handed. Mikel suggested
they should speak to Arlo more privately at his recommendation. When
they did so Arlo told then that tonight they should dine at the
exclusive Gilded Lion tavern that evening where they would be joined
for dinner and should mention his name.
Meanwhile, Josiah awoke in a spare watch cell used for drunkards and
went to rejoin his new-found watchmen friends. After a while of
regaling then with tales of criminals and watchmen from Kings Landing
and Kinnemorne lands to gauge by the watchmen's reactions what kind of
town Master Tyrion was in he noticed the atmosphere beginning to
change. As new men came on duty and tales of Lord Rocsly's reaction to
Master Tyrion spread Josiah soon realised that he was becoming less and
less welcome. With a cheery invite to buy them a drink he left and
found an inn to sleep of his hangover. He woke a few hours later and
went in search of Master Tyrion.
Maarz and Septon Garrick went in search of Cadfael and found him in a
nearby sailors tavern, oblivious to the pointed remarks about
land-lubbers. Maarz again tried to convince the occupants of a tavern
that he was a merchant's factor and was interested in shipping some
exotic goods but to no avail. Giving up in disgust, Septon Garrick went
to a nearby tavern and tried to encourage a fight exhorting passers-by
to fight to prove their strength before the Warrior and the Seven. It
was to this disturbance that everyone else was drawn. After comparing
notes Josiah went off to investigate the customs officers whilst
everyone else prepared for the evening meal at the Gilded Lion.
Josiah quickly discovered that the customs officers were much more
willing to talk to him. What he discovered shocked him. A few years ago
Lord Rocsly had introduced a new customs regime where the inspectors
would only board a ship in the morning, taking the day to do an
inventory and work out what taxes were due. Any ship that arrived in
the afternoon was not allowed to dock but anchor off-shore. Some did so
within sight of the town in the deep anchorage there, others a bit
further out, just beyond the island with the watchtower/lighthouse on
it. In both cases the ships were not prevented from allowing
shore-leave to their sailors, provided they did not unload cargo before
morning. The boats containing these sailors were not routinely searched
for small items of contraband.
Later that evening at the Gilded Lion Masters Tyrion and Gwint sat down
to dinner. Septon Garrick in his second best robes watched them from a
nearby table whilst Maarz, Josiah and Cadfael watched the bar from the
outside. The Gilded Lion was part one of four L shaped buildings around
a central courtyard, all with gates on to protect those inside and
promote the feeling of exclusivity. Inside there was lots of gilt,
plush furnishings and statuary, private booths and well dressed people.
Masters Tyrion and Gwint were halfway through a very enjoyable and very
expensive meal when they were joined by a richly dressed older woman
who introduced herself as Elsa.
After Tyrion confirmed that they had spoken with the merchant Arlo
earlier that day and he had recommended the Gilded Lion she engaged
them in some verbal fencing about how rich they and their father's
estate was whilst trying not to give anything away about the merchants
in Rocksport and how far they would go to avoid Lord Rocsly's taxes.
Septon Garrick looked around at this point and decided that other than
a slight flicker of interest as Elsa sat down this was a clientele that
were studious in their determination not to see what happens at other
tables or in the private booths in the Gilded Lion. After some verbal
sparring Elsa left to go the bar leaving some coins behind as she
thought the 'boys' would need them. Masters Tyrion and Gwint were
convinced though that she definitely was connected to the smugglers so
left the table to stretch his legs and speak to Maarz, Josiah and
Cadfael.
Outside the Gilded Lion Maarz was starting to attract the wrong kind of
attention. The crowd of men and women enjoying themselves in the not so
exclusive taverns around the Gilded Lion had been joined by a small
group who were singling out Maarz for attention including the bouncer
from the Lusty Sailor. Septon Garrick had noticed this from through the
glass window and had gone up to the bar and bought two large flagons of
ale. Adding a soporific to them from his healing bag he went outside as
well and offered them round the crowd calling on them to partake in the
bounty of the Seven, ensuring several of the men singling out Maarz
were amongst those drinking. This did not seem to be a sufficient
distraction so Septon Garrick and Josiah persuaded two men in the crowd
to show their devotion to the Seven by engaging in a quick fist fight,
one was a former soldier and they ensured that the other was the
bouncer from the Lusty Sailor. Whilst the two men were fighting and the
crowd was drinking Gwint was able to speak to Josiah and ask him to
ensure that Elsa was followed when she left. Josiah signaled Maarz to
follow her when she left and, using to ruckus in the crowd, as a
distraction he was able to slip away and follow her back to a rich and
secure house. He then returned to bring Josiah back to the house and
together they spent the night watching it.
The following morning after Septon Garrick's morning service he was
reminded that the Septa for the Kinnemeve's would be conducting a
service in the Rocsly Sept as it was her custom to deliver a service
there as the town had no true Septa or Septon of their own. After the
service, full of reminders to heed the King's laws, he discretely asked
questions of his congregation as to who were the lawbreakers in the
town. Unfortunately apart from a tirade by one man against the brothels
in the town, from the Lusty Sailor to the Silken Threads, no one else
came forward.
Masters Tyrion and Gwint continued meeting with rich merchants and
shopowners in the richer bars and taverns but made little progress.
Whilst Josiah and Cadfael watched the customs officers at work to check
out the information they had been told the previous day about the
operations of the customs here in Rocksport. They found it all to be
true and then met with Maarz so that they could watch Ilsa's house to
see who she met with.
Whilst walking through the town Maarz felt a firm hand on his shoulder
from out of a side alley turning him round. It was the bouncer from the
Lusty Sailor stating that whilst Maarz had given them the slip the
night before it wouldn't happen again. Four thugs armed with cudgels
then set on Maarz and Josiah whilst the fifth armed with a knife
attacked Cadfael. Maarz soon found himself in trouble as he was more
practised with his bow than his short sword whilst Josiah, relying on
his watchman's breastplate to protect him, dispatched one of his
opponents. Cadfael took a moment to get the measure of his foe before
punching him so hard the he flew into a nearby wall breaking his nose
and cheekbone. One of Maarz's opponent's soon followed struck so hard
blood was running out of his eyes.
The remaining two thugs fled, hotly pursued by Cadfael, until they
dived into the back of a tavern barring the door behind them. Cadfael
considered breaking the door down but decided against it, returning to
the site of the brawl. Maarz was leaning against a wall, the cudgel
blows having fallen badly on some of his previous bruises whilst Josiah
checked the unconscious thugs. The one armed with the dagger was better
dressed than the others but what caught Josiah's eye though was the
decorative silken threads wound around the haft of the dagger. Fearing
they had attacked a nobleman he tried to arrange the thugs to make it
look as if they attacked each other and then hiding the knife in a pile
of rubbish. Maarz and Cadfael then returned to the inn to get Septon
Garrick to treat Maarz's wounds whilst Josiah carried on to Ilsa's
house to unobtrusively watch it.
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