“Deception and misinformation are the seeds by which entire countries are brought to their knees. Your job will be to uncover those seeds before they sprout. With a bit of luck and timing, you can prevent many more wars than we ever fight.” —Killian Burke, former Lord of the Tower, to Sue, the shapeshifter.
The Vill, Thieves’ Guild Tunnels, Ground Plane
After her encounter with Marcella, Sue decided it would be well worth her time to investigate the local chapter of the Thieves' Guild itself. There would be more concrete information to overhear as well as physical documents she might copy. Sue had hung around the market for several days, taking the forms of various shoppers, boys and girls delivering supplies to vendors, even a random guard that was on patrol. There was little truly useful intelligence to be gleaned on the surface, but Sue enjoyed ‘the game’, as she called it. At last, she decided it was time to descend into the old waterways beneath the city. Those at the Tower had long known of the Guild’s presence under their neighbor’s very feet. They tolerated a measure of misbehavior, knowing how easily the shapeshifter could infiltrate their ranks.
Many years in the past, a former Lord of the Tower had realized just how useful it would be to permit an arm of the Thieves’ Guild to flourish within easy reach. He had allowed them to establish a base—they thought of their own free will—below The Vill’s homes and businesses. Petty theft, black market dealings, smuggling, small-time gambling dens, fences for stolen goods, moneychangers, and of course brothels. Minor criminal activity was overlooked, but the Guild had learned a lesson not to practice their more violent trades in the region.
There had been a small foray by the Guild into establishing an assassins’ branch in The Vill. Within a week of the first few murders that were carried out by the Thieves’ sanctioned killers, suddenly every individual involved with planning, executing, or covering up said assassinations had disappeared or were found dead in what was assumed by thieves to be the safest of places. There were no letters of intent, no wergild charges taken from the chapter’s coffers as was the rule when an inter-guild contract had been assigned as was expected when a Guild assassin was contracted to remove another member. Sue, with Calian’s assistance, ended up wiping out any and all associates of the Thieves’ Guild that attempted to establish a wing of organized killers. Those that remained quickly decided their futures in crime lay along more peaceful routes.
The shapeshifter smirked to herself as she made her way into the grungy underbelly of The Vill, recalling the events many years ago that led to one of the tamest offshoots of the Guild ever documented. Sue pressed a series of small stones in what appeared to be a random stretch of old wall, then slipped a finger into a crack, pulling the release lever to the locking mechanism. When she pushed against the rough surface, the hidden door swung inward without a sound. The Guild was meticulous with its security and the maintenance of its hideaways. It had to be, considering that a set of rusty hinges or a simple entrance could spell discovery and possibly death for members. Or worse, a loss of Guild profits.
Sue continued down the solid steps into the side passage, the disguised door swinging shut silently behind her. The shapeshifter had taken on the appearance of an average human male decked in rough, worn clothes, cloak, and hood. She passed through the outer rings of the Guild’s base of operations without seeing much of anyone. That in itself she found odd. Typically, there would be small deals being made at the small underground pub, information traded over a mug of ale, plans made for whatever new opportunity had arisen. But there were only a few lone individuals nursing cups at the round wooden tables. They glanced at Sue with momentary interest but went back to their drinks. She moved with confidence and clearly knew where she was going, like one of the Guild, so they let her pass without a second thought.
Sue perused their surface thoughts as she moved through the pub, curious what might have happened to reduce the normal population of thieves so drastically. The Vill chapter may have been hidden underground, but it was a large group. Something was obviously going on, as Marcella had told her. Most of the people in the pub lacked any glimmer of the burning excitement displayed by most that bore a powerful secret. Then she caught a glint from the barman. The little flicker of information kept under wraps could only be made so small, and Sue was an expert of uncovering such things. She stifled a grin and meandered over to the bar to slip onto a stool.
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“What news, brother?” Sue asked, slipping easily into the role of a veteran male member of the Guild. She exuded all the mannerisms of a powerful, but nameless mid-level operative. The barman looked up from his glass with mild suspicion. That was to be expected though. He did not recognize her, but that was not unusual. Agents, operatives, and messengers came and went within the Guild, frequently without ever speaking to anyone. The man put his glass down behind the
“Regarding what?” He replied coolly. “Lots of news coming and going in this place. You’ll have to be more specific, mister…?”
“Guild barmen asking for names now?” Sue chuckled, holding up a few Leaves. “Just wanted a drink.” The man raised an eyebrow but shrugged and draped his cloth over one shoulder.
“Alright, alright. What’ll you have?”
“An ale.” She placed the coins down on the bar and waited while the surly man poured her beverage. Sue leaned forward on the counter as the golden liquid sloshed into the glass. She spoke quietly, but with a slightly conspiratorial tone. “And I’m curious about the gossip I overheard—some mess about orcs and goblins going at it in the south.” She intentionally got the facts a little wrong. People generally liked to correct rumors with the truth if they knew it, even experienced thieves used to keeping their mouths shut. Especially when the shapeshifter’s unique pheromones got to work relaxing their inhibitions. Her approach was more powerful and subtle than simply getting someone drunk enough to spill their guts. The man’s eyes flickered with a token resistance, but Sue pressed him further, adding her telepathic abilities to the natural pheromonal excretions. She learned his name was Rowan, and he had been present at the bar when a small meeting had taken place a week previously. As Sue pressed her assault, the human’s defenses crumbled and he shook his head.
“Yeah, they’re stirring up trouble again, but it’s Fal-Ig-Han that’s in trouble.” Rowan set the drink in front of Sue, and she nursed it, raising her brows in surprise.
“Really? Won’t the Coalition be able to handle a few goblin raids?”
“If that was all, maybe.” There was a devious flash in his eyes, and he joined Sue leaning on the bar. Their heads were only a few inches apart. Where he had been stone-faced and gruff before, Rowan’s expression had turned to one of an old friend sharing a joke. He glanced around as if to check they would not be overheard. “But it’s not just goblins. Southern orcs travel north to attack their ‘civilized’ cousins even now. Word is that one of ours is helping coordinate the mess. A contract, I believe.”
“Well now, that is interesting indeed,” Sue said, taking a sip from her drink. “Any idea what the contract is?” Rowan shrugged, then rubbed at the side of his head as if nursing a headache.
“Er, no. I’m not sure.” He shook his head and frowned. Sue could feel his defenses rebuilding and eased her attack. It would not do to alert him any more than she already had. “I shouldn’t be talking about it, and neither should you. You know the rules.”
“Yes, of course, I was just curious is all.” Sue downed the rest of her drink and smiled at Rowan before moving off through the sewer system, mulling over what she had learned.
The shapeshifter returned to the Tower and reported what she had learned to Calian. The news did not seem to trouble him, but he did ask her to recount the details to him exactly. Calian sat behind his desk and stroked his chin, deep in thought. At last, he sat forward.
“Go to Fal-Ig-Han and uncover this Thieves’ Guild mess. If they have an agent stirring things up between the orc tribes and the goblins, there may be even more intrigue we do not yet see.”
“Hmm. Fine. But the orcs are so dull.” Sue pouted, crossing her arms. “No imagination, all muscle and no brains. Makes them no fun to play with.”
“Just go and find out what you can, Sue,” commanded Calian sternly. “You are our eyes and ears. I will not have Jasper’s rule tarnished with an uprising or another orcish civil war so soon if we can help it. Go now. I will send Pecunia to you for reports after you have settled in.”
“How is the handsome young man?” Sue inquired, grinning mischievously. “I haven’t seen him in a day.”
“Lord Jasper is quite well,” Calian said, arching an eyebrow at her. He spent the majority of the day exploring the castle and becoming acquainted with the grounds. He seems to be fitting in rather well, despite having come from another world.”
“Well now, that’s interesting,” Sue mused, tapping her lower lip with a finger. Calian did not like this, it was one of her many scheming poses.
“You are not to approach him like that again, Sue.” Calian said sternly. “He has enough on his plate and should not have to deal with your unique version of ‘fun’.” Her creeping grin turned upside down into a disappointed frown.
“Hmph. Fiiine. What about the Guild’s operative?” she asked, sobering a bit. “If they’re anything like the ones we’ve encountered before, they may be gone before I even arrive.”
“Hmm. True.” Calian crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “There is not much we can do about that. No matter, we will worry about the operative later. Uncover what you can, and we can make a decision based on what you learn.” Sue nodded.
“I’ll leave tonight.” She grinned, giving her mostly featureless expression a terrifying aspect. “There’s much fun to be had.”
