This morning the street outside the Hound’s Tooth was blocked by protesting poor people.  Elth and I watched the excitement for a while and then went out the backdoor.  But as we turned down the street we encounter a more extreme example of the class issues in Graltontown.  A couple thugs had a sandy-haired dandy held on the ground and a rough looking woman with greasy deadlocks hanging off her scalp was brandishing a sledgehammer.  She was ranting about how he’d never worked a day in his life while her brother had had his leg crushed by a loose barrel.  It was clear she was going to hobble the poor sucker so I reached into the Bag of Tricks and produced a boar – which I sent charging at the trio-mob. 

While her compatriots fled dreadlocks gamely stood her ground and took a swing at the boar – getting gored in the stomach for her troubles.  Clutching at her bloody ribs she staggered away and Elth and I helped the man to his feet.  He had a rapier on his belt but admitted that he never used it and was hoping that just carrying a weapon would keep him safe.  He introduced himself as Armin Alento but before we could talk further a guardsman whose uniform seemed to have gone unlaundered for weeks stumbled into the alley reeking of sweat and ale.

He was clearly drunk and arrested Elth, I’m not even sure what he was thinking, despite our vehement protests.  He was too loaded to even take the bribe we offered.  He dragged her to the jail and she was placed in cell.  The place was unadulterated chaos.  It seemed like a castle under siege – people running every which way and shouting conflicting orders and information.  Clearly the civil unrest is worse than I thought.  Or on the other hand it could just be the incompetence of the Graltontown authorities.  While Armin tried to vain to get someone to tell him why Elth had been arrested I simply took the key to her cell off the belt of a guard and got her out myself.  We walked out without anyone even questioning us.

Once he had a chance to thank us properly Armin gave me a gold ring as way of thanks and invited us to accompany him to a ball that evening.  I had intended to see to a few things today but I felt this was a chance to show Elth something more than wandering around grubby taverns and crowded markets gathering information so we spent the rest of the evening getting ready for the evening’s event.

I gave Brigid some gold to rent us appropriate dresses, I could have used my ring but I wanted to feel the actual fabric of a fine dress on my body.  Elth of course knew nothing about cosmetics or proper hairstyling but I was able to transform her into a proper looking lady.  I, obviously, looked ravishing.  Armin arrived in a carriage to take us to the ball and as we chatted he asked if I was a sorceress because of the trick with the boar.  I told him that of course I was, Eleen Buks of Upper Narhold – I had been born with a deformed hand, but the magic coursed through my veins and I had healed myself at the age of six.

Armin made quite the entrance with the two of us on his arms.  The affair was dreadfully paltry by the standards of Duke Eaglevane’s court of course, but it was a nice diversion and a reminder of better times nevertheless.  It was clearly the best night of Elth’s young life.  She didn’t embarrass herself too much with her countrified ways.  Obviously I was the belle of the ball.  There was one moment one unpleasantness when some rioting laborers managed to force their way into the grand hall wearing sacks for masks and wielding shovels and chair-legs, but the exotic sorceress of Upper Narhold stopped them in their tracks with a snarling jungle cat (I had the Bag of Tricks hidden in my petticoats) long enough for the various men-at-arms to send them packing.  One overly bold fellow was mauled by the cat right on the dance floor – much to the amusement of those in attendance.

After this unpleasantness conversation naturally turned to the current “situation” and I happened to mention that in Gevudan they recently had a similar problem and how well the mayor had handled it – what we need is a firm hand like that on the rudder, not the hesitant fumbling of Mayor Deveris and  the incompetence of Graltontown city watch. 

We didn’t return to the inn until the small hours of the next morn.  There a note awaited me saying that the woman with the greasy deadlocks had been in there asking about me.  I suppose it’s time to find a new place to stay.

____________________________________________________________

Funds: 86 gold 

XP: 8876

Inventory: Signet ring, Ring of Many Garments, noble’s traveling outfit, thieves’ tools, disguise kit (9 uses), land deed, Bag of Tricks (rust), gold ring

Revenge List: Duke Eaglevane, Piltis Swine, Rince Electrum, watchman Gridley, White-Muzzle the worg, Percy Ringle the butler , Alice Kinsey , “Patch”, Heroes of the Lost Sword, Claire Conrad, Erist priest of Strider, Riselda owner of the Sage Mirror, Eedraxis,  Skin-Taker tribe, Kartak, Królewna & Bonifacja Trading Company, Hurmont Family, drunken guardsman

Anti-Revenge List: Dorehe the maid

Rumors : Exiled noblewoman (Reoccurring), vigilante “Litheria”(45%)

Behind the curtain : The month is up so I subtracted another 50 gold for cost of living. I couldn’t think of anything for the Mutiny event so rerolled and got Entrapment.