HeroesofChaos/ChapterTwoA
The first major stop on their trip to Nexus was a small port near Cherak called Davian's Loss, where the Heroes of Chaos would by necessity weather out the approaching Calibration. Even those destined to rock Creation to it's core do not take to the sea during Calibration unless dire urgency requires them to.
While the Heroes stopped off in Cherak, it was decided that they would remain as low-key as possible. It wasn't a full month before that Mako the Shark and his crew had, in a brilliant ploy involving impersonating Mnemon Rofel and kidnaping the satrap, Ferem Takim and ransoming him off for an Imperial trireme squadron had left wanted posters with sizable rewards for the Heroes all over the region. Still, they needed to ascertain that their presence wouldn't be detected while in the area and so it was the Chahailis was sent into the town. Granted Chahailis, a Cynis through and through, had other motives for going ashore. It was after she had visited a 5th cousin for some weed that things got interesting. As she emerged from her cousins bedchambers, tired but one bag of dope richer when she ran into the mysterious blue-haired man last seen in Eyrie holding a dagger to Rofel's throat, who leaned against the wall casually, balancing a dagger point on his fingertip as was his habit. The man spoke simply and quietly. He was an ally, and he needed to meet with the Heroes of Chaos in an hour at an abandoned tavern near the Mya's Flowing Mane.
One hour later, all the Heroes had met at the tavern, where they were met by the blue-haired man once more. Fearing an ambush they had Kaiju lurk nearby in the form of a seagull.
The blue-haired man was Rain, although after the encounter at the tavern Chahailis and Jasala were positive that there was a hidden Iselsi tacked on to his name. He claimed that he was sent by his superiors, who were impressed with the Heroes' handling of Mnemon Rofel, who had long been a threat to them. He also stated off the bat his own, personal distrust of the Heroes. When asked why they should trust him when he doesn't trust them, he simply stated that he felt candor was the wiser road to take, and better they know his feelings now than further down the road and think him a traitor.
When asked why he had revealed himself to them, he replied that he had been ordered to bring the Heroes of Chaos back to the Blessed Isle, where the elders themselves could speak with them and ascertain their value personally. After much convincing, the Heroes of Chaos agreed to the plan as they were in need of allies. The sole dissenting voice was that of Kaiju, who after the meeting with Rain expressed his fervent desire to visit Nexus and free his people.
However, it was still almost Calibration and thus sea travel was impossible for another 7 days. While Rain arranged for passage across the Inner Sea for the lot of them, he requested the Heroes do a favor for him, although it sounded more like a test. A friend of his, a Junior Officer from Lookshy named Trebizond, had sent word to Rain that he and his unit were pinned down 3 days hard ride northeast of Cherak by a band of Varajtul cannibals. Eager for something to pass the time, and the jade that Rain would be willing to pay for the favor, Mako agreed to the deal and after much wrangling managed to convince the other Heroes of Chaos to do so as well.
The rescue of Trebizond itself was swift and brilliant. Through a combination of Chahailis' sorcery (Death of Obsidian Butterflies), Mako and Kaiju's Deadly Beastman forms, and Jasala's legendary acrobatics, the 500 or so barbarians were swiftly dispatched. Trebizond expressed certain surprise at the Anathema coming to his rescue but in all reality took it rather well considering things. He gave his profuse thanks and promised that he would return the favor one day, and left the Heroes with words of "re-evaluating the legends of the Anathema..."
It was with that that the Heroes returned to Cherak.
Note: If all this seems short and a bit light on description, that's because this is all just sort of abbreviated in order to cut to the next major arc of the story. While the events previously mentioned are vital to the story, they are in the end peripheral to the heart of that story.
The story really began to pick up when the Heroes returned to Cherak. When they met Rain at the old abandoned tavern to board the ferry across the Inland Sea, a betrayal by one of Rain's associates resulted in the Wyld Hunt surrounding the tavern in an ambush. The Wyld Hunt, a sworn brotherhood of some fame headed by a sorceror named Mnemon Bayim, had totally sealed the place off from escape. Also in the hunt was the vengeful Mnemon Raza, who was last seen being carried away from a duel between him and Kaiju, both legs broken. Rain sighed and promised to meet the Heroes again, that the trip to Spider's Crossing would have to wait, and requested they stay alive long enough for that to happen, before he vanished down a secret passage beneath the tavern, which he promptly collapsed behind him, preventing the Heroes from following.
The one useful thing Rain did provide was a name. The name of the man responsible for the capture of Kaiju's people, which Kaiju had made Rain promise to find. The name was Belasco, and nothing else of the man was known.
It was only Jannerin, the mysterious Eclipse from Whitewall, who had briefly joined the Heroes to aid in stealing the trireme squadron and who had bore a message from the Lover Clad to Kaiju, that saved the Heroes from certain death at the hands of a massive hunt. She burst in through the roof, and pointed out how close the building rooves were to each other.
A short while and several building tops later, the Heroes of Chaos plus Jannarin were climbing on board the thankfully unguarded Mya's Flowing Mane. When they said they were heading for Nexus, and when Jennarin expressed an interest in leaving Cherak anyway, it was decided to take her along. And then they were 5.
The voyage was long and thankfully uneventful. During that time, Mako and Chahailis took turns exchanging barbs and jibes with each other, and Jennarin ingratiated herself into the group. Meanwhile, Kaiju remained rather silent the entire time, as his dreams were filled with the events that had led to the capture of his tribe by Guild slavers. They were filled with images of his younger sister Inari, who called for him..."Kaiju...Kaiju...", her haunting voice echoing in his mind. Each night, he awoke drenched in sweat. Each morning, he became further resolved to seek vengeance if so much as a hair on her head had been harmed.
After being stopped briefly at Lookshy, and then waved through by a grateful Trebizond, the Heroes were a hair's breadth from Nexus. It was decided once they arrived in Nexus, that the first order of business would be to acquire rooms at a reputable inn and then split up and search the place.
Mako swiftly went off on his own, seemingly determined to find something, which he didn't mention. Kaiju and Jasala headed for Coffleblock, the perfect place to find a slaver. Meanwhile, Chahailis dragged Jennarin off to the Harlotry to look for some action, of either the sexual or narcotic kind, although Jennarin was not exactly looking forward to it.
Mako headed back to his old neighborhood, where poor shiphands and oddjobsmen lived, as if in some vain hope thinking his family might still be there. Naturally they weren't. As he walked past an old shanty though, he did see one familiar face. One which hadn't aged a day since he had left, which meant he was still ancient as all hell. Old Man Cralto. Through him he learned that Mako's father had died of tuberculosis, his mother of syphilus, and that those of his sisters who still lived could be found at the Filth. As for his brother, not a thing had been seen of him. When asked about Belasco, all Cralto could say was that he was a wealthy and dangerous Scavenger Lord, and that he was a scary individual. The type who makes people asking after him vanish shortly thereafter. Depressed but having gained at least a kernel of information, Mako made his way towards Coffleblock, where he knew his sworn brother to be.
Chahailis and Jennarin headed for the Harlotry, where Chahailis picked up some rock cocaine for later. A Cynis indeed. Jennarin, who chafed at others' childish actions, regretted tagging along with the debauched Twilight.
Jasala had her hands full with keeping Kaiju from going berserk at the Coffleblock. Kaiju abhorred slavery, and when he wandered through the slave market he was like a ticking time bomb. Each mention of the name Belasco to merchants in the area resulted in tight lips and nervous looks. In short order he grabbed the nearest Guild merchant and lifted him bodily into the air, demanding to know who and where Belasco was. This resulted in a near skirmish with the Hooded Executioners, who didn't appreciate Kaiju manhandling a legitimate trader. Only Jasala's strained efforts kept it from becoming a bloodbath. About that time both Mako and the duo of Chahailis and Jennarin had arrived at Coffleblock to see how Kaiju's search was going. As they began to get frustrated by their inability to find anything on Belasco, a small, nervous-looking merchant approached them, informing them he could tell them of Belasco. When the Heroes demanded he start talking, he pointed out it was a crowded street in the day. He requested they meet him at a secluded quay over at the Nighthammer docks at midnight. In other words, he was inviting them to an ambush, and the Heroes were more than ready to oblige, since they had little else to go on.
So there the Heroes were, at the Nighthammer docks, in an out of the way area, at midnight. As they waited for what they almost knew was a trap, nerves were tense. In order to remain at the top of her game, Chahailis pulled out her pipe and smoked one of her rocks, while Jannarin watched disapprovingly. Meanwhile, Kaiju simply stared out at the filthy water, lost in thought. Then there were a dozen thugs stepping into the lantern light, all wielding billy clubs.
The fight was quick, and very one-sided. As they mopped up the remnants, it was made apparent that these thugs were hired by a person named Ses. Just as they were finishing up, on came 2 dozen thugs, reinforcements. Everyone sighed and readied their stances but it was unnecessary. A flash of golden light and several wounded and scattered thugs later, a mysterious young woman whose caste mark revealed her as a Night Chosen had saved them.
Her name was Huyla, and she wanted to know why the hell the Heroes were looking for Belasco, and the reason had better be good. Kaiju stepped forward and stated that Belasco had kidnaped his tribe and sold them into slavery, and he wanted revenge. Huyla instantly softened up and offered to take the Heroes to a nearby place where more could be said. In a nearby abandoned fisherman's shanty Huyla explained. She was also looking for Belasco, who was apparently in league with a Nexus ganglord named Ophilus Ses in some sort of slave-taking operation on the streets of Nexus. The Council of Entities had sent her to look in to a string of disappearances that were suspected to be related. She had tracked leads down that pointed to a warehouse a little bit deeper in Nighthammer when she heard rumors of strange foreigners asking around for Belasco. The Heroes. If the Heroes were willing, she'd be more than happy to let them join her in a raid that very night on the place. The warehouse was run by one of Ses' more unscrupulous lieutenants named Franco, who would have to know more about Belasco. It didn't take long for the Heroes of Chaos to agree. The midnight raid on Ses' warehouse had begun...
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