http://gamejag.net/i...ewtopic&t=78391
All Critiques/Comments welcome
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Heritage of Evil:Siblings
Beregost was a town built to provide services for travellers. Nestled in the hills, just off the main road that traversed the length of the coasts, the inns and stores of the town provided a handy resting place for caravans and travellers headed along the road from Amn to Baldur's Gate. The locals complained about the often raucous nature of the wayfarers who passed through Beregost, but the coin they brought with them was always welcomed.
On a quiet street, buried between two mansions, was an ivy-covered two-story house with brightly coloured flowerbeds covering the front lawn. A small, discrete sign on the door read 'Amala's Boarding House', beneath that sign hung a shingle proclaiming 'No Vacancies'. Amala's house had never, to the knowledge of the Beregost citizens, had a vacancy. "My people are so considerate," Amala would say, blue eyes shining in her round, kindly face. "They always find another tenant to take their place when it's time for them to move on."
Amala was the leader of the Beregost thieves, and her house was a favourite spot for thieves to rest in on their way to or from Baldur's Gate. It was also a convenient place to sell excess goods. More than one storekeeper in Beregost was willing to purchase things from Amala's guests without asking foolish questions.
Many people of questionable morals stayed at the boarding house; assassins, cutpurses, pirates, child-killers, all had at one time sought refuge in the waystation. Amala tolerated them all, but even she found the behaviour of one of her newest quests to be unacceptable.
There was a look of sheer fury in Amala's eyes when she strode into the cramped sitting room that served as a library. "That detestable companion of yours is at it again," she stated with flushed cheeks and her hands on her hips.
Shann looked up from the map of the area northeast of Beregost, where reports placed the main camp of the bandits plaguing the regions, at the glaring woman, and sighed. "Yeslick's preaching doesn't harm anyone. I know you believe he convinced Selina to quit the life ..."
"Ah, the poor wee lass," Amala said, dabbing moisture from her eyes with a scented handkerchief. "She had such promise, a fine, deft hand with a purse. Why, that girl could swipe the sword from a Flaming Fist mercenary without being noticed. And that swine has her toiling in a store for mere pennies."
"If Selina's not happy, she can always quit her job," Shann said crossly. "Honestly, if a couple of remarks about morals affected the girl that much, then she had no business working outside the law in the first place."
Amala sniffed. "That priest cast a charm on her, I know it. Selina was one of my girls, but I am willing to accept her loss. I am nothing if not understanding. However," she said, shaking a finger at Shann. "I will not allow that priest to subvert another guild's follower. It's just not polite."
"I'll go talk to him," Shann said, laying aside her maps and standing up. "Where is Yeslick?"
"Down in the kitchens, lecturing a very sweet boy who just came in from Baldur's Gate," Amala said, taking Shann by the arm and dragging her down the hallway. "A charming lad. Far too nice to be dragged into a life of law-abiding drudgery by that dwarvish friend of yours."
"There," Amala said, giving Shann a small push through the kitchen door. "Now go help the poor dear."
Shann looked towards the boy Amala spoke of. The youth had a frizzy head of brown hair and his wide brown eyes watched Yeslick with evident fascination. He looked at Shann when she came in, grinned, held a finger to his lips and nodded at Yeslick who was so absorbed in his speech that he did not notice Shann's arrival or the boy's actions.
Shann crossed her arms and frowned as Yeslick continued speaking about the rewards of a virtuous life. She waited a moment, and then spoke. "That's enough games for today. Leave Yeslick alone, Jarond."
"Ah, good day, Shann," Yeslick said, turning around. "I didn't hear you come in. I was just telling this young lad, Berel, I believe he said his name was ..."
"Yeslick," Shann said. "His name is not Berel, and he's not a boy."
"I ... what?" Yeslick said, furrowing his brow.
"Take another look at the young lad," Shann said, pointing at the boy. "Jarond's the one who brought me into the Thieves Guild a few years ago. He's been like a big brother to me, and I'm very fond of him, but he does have a rather annoying sense of humour."
Yeslick looked at Jarond a little closer, and grunted. "A halfling?" he asked, and Jarond winked at him. "I thought yer boots seemed a mite overlarge for a human youngling."
"Don't let on to anyone who I really am," Jarond said seriously.
"Jarond has been supplying me with information about Sarevok's actions," Shann said.
"Speaking of which," Jarond said, and then stood up and bowed to Yeslick, who looked as though he was not sure if he should be angry or not. "I have some matters to discuss with Shann. If you'll pardon us, we will take our leave."
"I didn't expect you to come yourself," Shann said, rounding on Jarond as soon as they were alone in her room.
"I've had to enforce stricter secrecy rules on my people," he said. "This whole sorry situation, what with the bandits and rumours of impending war with Amn, has every power in Baldur's Gate enlisting spies at a ridiculous rate. I can't be sure of my own people's loyalties. The fewer people who know about you, the better."
"After the way I closed down the Cloakwood Mines last month?" Shann said proudly. "Sarevok, at least, must have seen to it that his organization knows about me."
"Ah well," Jarond said, shrugging. "As to that, the whole mess is being kept quiet. Word on the street is some elven archer triggered the destruction. Tamoko says your description made it to Sarevok, but he seems to have dismissed the Mines, and you, from his thoughts."
"He's not admitting failure at all?" Shann asked.
"No, he's focused on grasping power by controlling the flow of iron on the sword coast."
"He's behind the iron shortages in the region, then," she said. "That's more of a problem than the bandit trouble."
"Potentially, and all my sources point to the Nashkel Mines and the man running them, Mulahey, as being the main source of the difficulties."
"More mines. I haven't spent so much time in depressing tunnels since I was a child," she sighed.
"There's something else you should know about," Jarond said, as he passed a paper over to Shann.
"A bounty notice?" she said with puzzlement. "Wait, from this description it sounds like ..."
"Your Bhaalspawn brother you met in Candlekeep, Tiswash. Sarevok killed his guardian, the retired Harper Gorion, but the boy managed to escape."
"Gorion was a very powerful mage," Shann stated nervously.
"Aye," Jarond agreed. "Sarevok is dangerous, and Tamoko says he's more convinced of his own destined godhood than ever. Ye'll never convince Sarevok to give up his quest for power, no matter how many of his schemes you disrupt."
"Perhaps not, but I won't stop trying to stop him."
"Not saying we should," Jarond said. He leaned forwards and jabbed the bounty notice with a finger. "Sarevok's become obsessed with this Tiswash. The longer he stays alive the better. It will give us more time to find a way to expose Sarevok's malicious actions. Now, I've convinced the guild not to cooperate with Sarevok, and that means no guild assassin will try for this bounty. But that doesn't mean some amateur headhunter won't get lucky."
"If you're worried, why don't you just assign someone to keep an eye on him?" Shann asked, and then groaned when Jarond grinned at her.
"No," she said.
"You'll still be able to attack Sarevok's operations," Jarond said. "Tiswash might be untrained, but he's travelling with two friends of Gorion, and my people say they're both experienced fighters and Harpers. You should join Tiswash and his allies. You needed help to destroy the Cloakwood Mines, and the next battle may be even harder."
"If," Shann said slowly. "I agree to this, there is the problem of just how I can become part of Tiswash's group. His foster father was just murdered; I doubt he'll be eager to trust someone. Particularly someone with my ancestry."
"You could try telling him about your shared Bhaal blood," Jarond offered.
"Yes, that worked so well with Sarevok. He'd either not believe me, or be even more suspicious of my motives."
"Then you won't mind using a little subterfuge to get you into Tiswash's party?" Jarond said, a look of delight crossing his face.
"You've already got everything planned, don't you?" Shann sighed.
"The boy's headed for the Nashkel Mines I mentioned earlier," Jarond said, assuming a businesslike manner as he pulled out a map of the area and started pointing out areas on it. "But he's been distracted and at last report was on a rescue mission to the gnoll territories west of Nashkel. We should have time to get you captured and imprisoned by Mulahey in the deepest parts of the mines."
"Throw me in prison; sounds like a fun plan," she snapped.
"I have a couple of agents in the mines that will see to it that you're taken alive. A hint that you're spying on Mulahey for his employer will ensure he keeps you unharmed until he can contact his superiors. Of course, before Mulahey learns you're not a spy, Tiswash and his people will rescue you. It's a classic ruse," Jarond said. "The damsel in distress, ... do you want that Yeslick with you?"
"Will that be a problem?" Shann asked, starting to look thoughtful.
"No," Jarond replied. "Alright, it's a classic ruse, the damsel and dwarf in distress. Tiswash will have to rescue you. I'm sure he'll be willing to let you join him and seek revenge against your captors."
"It seems complicated," Shann said. "But possible, and it may be my best chance to get to Tiswash. I've lost Sarevok to Father's lies, but my other brother may still be saved."
