I had intended to get up early today but the combination of being sick a dog and drunk as a lord isn’t conducive to early rising.  Thankfully I did feel somewhat better today, maybe all that cheap rum burned the disease out of me.  Or maybe I’m developing a resistance to these types of lowbrow infections.  That’s a mildly depressing thought.

After disguising myself as working class sort I went in search of Rago – he wasn’t hard to find, holding court in a working class tavern called the Whale.  Although if you’re in a tavern a mid-day how much of a worker are you really?  He was pontificating on class warfare to whoever would listen to him, which was few.

I breezed up to him and laid it on thick with the revolutionary zeal – he ate it up like a starving man.  I told him that these other soft-minded fools with their protests were going to accomplish nothing.  What we needed was to speak the language of the oppressors – violence.  He agreed totally but bitterly accounted that there were few who agreed with him.  I told him that I had several cousins and other relations that were dying, and willing to die, for the cause of social justice.  All they needed was a leader with conviction.

He was so happy I swear I thought he might cry.  I was able to extricate myself before I got enmeshed in his rhetoric, saying we would meet tomorrow.   I’ll need to recruit some cousins but first things thing – time for the big riddle showdown.  I met up with Edrena and we were off to see the wizard.

You’d think a battle of wits might be somewhat interesting.  You’d be wrong.  Edrena wasn’t unable to answer Bern’s riddle but she asked him a riddle of her own which delighted the fellow – apparently it was a “good one”.  And from then on back and forth they went.  I got so bored I started wondering how I would go about seducing Shalla – I’ve never seduced a woman, it’s probably more complicated.  Bern and Edrena were laughing and carrying on like old friends.  Over riddles.  People are strange.

Even though she had technically failed Bern agreed to the terms of the contest – he would craft a magic item of her choice.  We had discussed this beforehand and agreed on an Talisman of Spying as something that would help us in our campaign against Piltis .

Then Edrena went rogue on me and told her new best friend why we wanted this item.  Bern listened earnestly and expressed his outrage at her sad tale.  Bern could probably destroy Piltis with a flick of his finger but this was a real wild card into a situation I had in hand – I didn’t like this turn of events one bit. Trying to regain control of the scenario I asked if Bern had any information on Piltis’ bold talk of moving on to something “bigger” than dogfighting.

Bern said that it would take seven days for him to make our talisman.  Magic is so frustrating, if it’s MAGIC why does everything take so long?  Edrena and Bern decided on a lunch-date and I adjourned to do some shopping and round up some goons.  I headed to Snake’s End to entreat with the King of Spiders himself, his clear amusement at seeing me again made me somewhat uncomfortable – the problem with lunatics is you never know what they’re going to do.  Nevertheless he gave me some tips on where to find some quality hired muscle and a few hours later I had them rounded up.  I told them to meet me at the Whale tomorrow before the parade and to be prepared for some general mischief making.

I procured a goodly amount of smokesticks, a Toothpick of Pyrotechnics and an Elixir of Thundering Voice.  It was a fair bite out of my funds but I guess no one ever said that overthrowing a government would be cheap. 

Before turning in for the day I spent some time rumormongering.  I got the sense that the word is out about “Litheria” the disgruntled nobleman who’s decided to take the laws into his own hands due to the incompetence of the guard.  Taking his name of course from the Litheria Blossom, a rare but naturally occurring flower with large, pink petals – as befits the tradition of violent criminals choosing sissy flowers for their namesake.   

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Funds: 1140 gold 

XP: 10,209

Inventory: Signet ring, Ring of Many Garments, noble’s traveling outfit, thieves’ tools, disguise kit (5 uses), land deed, Bag of Tricks (rust), gold ring, masterwork light crossbow, Cap of Disguise, Secure Pocket, candlerod (9), 10 smokesticks, Toothpick of Pyrotechnics, Elixir of Thundering Voice

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, Androni Titus, Greasy dreadlocks woman

Anti-Revenge List: Dorehe the maid

Rumors : Exiled noblewoman (Reoccurring), vigilante “Litheria”(Reoccurring), murderous Halfling (40%)

Graltontown Unrest – 2

Behind the curtain – Ela made her first save for Filth Fever and took no further damage but is not yet cured.