Arben and Can Go to Calpe
With everybody else busy, Can and Arben are itching for adventure with no one to point them in the right direction. They bug Oeonoe to whip them up a stone of continual light. She asks in exchange for either a young boy to rend limb from limb or the smiting of her childhood enemies. They talk her down to an owe-ski. This too, proves to pricey for Can, but Arben is more than willing to owe-ski for a glowing rock. Eorl warns Arben about his first attempt get Oeonoe drunk, but luckily it goes off without a hitch and he gets his rock. He and Can decide to celebrate by hitting the town. They track down Naum at a local pub, who seems to have put their bad blood behind her. They share some booze and wish eachother well for the future.
Arben and Can dick around town some more. They try out the glowing rock in the tunnels beneath Chrysopolis and make fun Eorl's skeletons. It's becoming increasingly obvious to Eorl that if he doesn't give them something to do they could end up burning down the town on their quest for "adventure". He tells them of an evil rat-rogue named Norwit who lives in nearby Calpe. "This foul rogue once robbed the treasuries of Chrysopolis and stabbed me in the back to boot" Eorl tells them. "This sounds like an adventure" think our boys. Eorl gives Can a pair of silver daggers and the two ride out on borrowed horses.
After creating a suitable multi-layered cover story with matching disguises, Can and Arben stroll into Calpe. Most people seem to think they are cat owners, but other than that their entry is without incident. They hit the bad part of town in an attempt to contact to the theives guild. After making a splash in the first establishment, they're directed to a place where high rollers can get in on a game called Destiny; the password is "Kismet". Arben tells Can to wait outside for ten minutes, and then to go in and challenge him to a game of Destiny, so that they can look like high rollers. Arben heads on in ingratiates himself to the local low-lives with high rolling and witty repartee. He's invited to a back room meeting with Norwit himself, who offers him the opportunity to assassinate Eorl. Arben leaps at the chance (or does he?). Can, meanwhile has picked up a rat off the ground and is trying to train him. He suddenly remembers he supposed to be doing something, but has, unfortunately, forgotten both the poorly defined details of the plan and password to the casino. He bangs his head against the wall until he remembers Kismet, then bursts in the club bellowing "hey, has anybody seen my friend Arben...I mean, John? We're here to play Destiny". Arben is led back to the casino when Can arrives, so he quickly ushers him out.
They head out towards an inn Norwit reccomended, en route running into Lleryn, Perun, and several mysterious strangers. Not anxious to blow his cover, Arben greats them as casual aquaintances from Chrysopolis then continues with Can over to the inn. Lleryn shrugs, now growing used to this kind of idiocy; nevertheless, he advises his new friends that it would be best if they checked this out. They follow them back to the inn and after bribing the inn keep, head up to the boys room. Meanwhile, Can and Arben carry on a little disinformation campaign, carrying on about their willingness, no overwhelming desire, to kill that bastard, Eorl. They then release the rat to pass along their lies to the were-rat thief king. Lleryn is a little confused about their loud, rambling murder plans, but they then explain that they're not really going to kill Eorl, and that it's all part of a plan to infiltrate the theives' guild and "take care of" Norwit. Lleryn decides it's best not to ask questions, and instead introduces his associates, Martialis, a young Galatian druid; Brynos; and Lugurix. Arben asks Lleryn to head back to Chrysopolis and tell Eorl what's goind on; they're going to do a little more digging and head back the next day.
Lleryn, Martialis, Perun, Brynos, and Lugurix head back to their inn and crash out; primed and ready for their ride back to Chrysopolis. Arben and Can (or should I say John and Man) roll back to the gambling establishment. Arben meets back up with Norwit, who introduces him to a leukemia-ridden gnome illusionist who bad mouths Eorl. Then he shows off his secret tunnel to the governor's mansion at Chrysopolis. Arben makes his excuses, and then grabs Can and busts out.
