In the morning, having experienced an unusually quiet evening and achieved a practically unheard of six continuous hours of sleep, Kinnaka barely make it to breakfast before Kentaro does. Afterward, and after getting directions to the Guards Headquarters, our heroes go to meet the Chief Constable,Jennix.

The HQ isn’t hard to find, and they are readily shown in to see Chief Constable Jennix, who turns out to be a gruff-speaking, but good-hearted man who in his youth was big and burly, but now in his 50’s, he has gone soft with age. When he asks what he can do for his visitors, Kinnaka shows him the Field Agent medal, explains their role, and asks how they can help in the investigation. Kentaro is both surprised and happy to see his partner actually explaining things, rather than simply demanding to have his way. On the other hand, Jennix doesn’t look happy. Rather, he looks stunned then suspicious.

Jennix:

How th’ hell … She’s only been missing two bloody days! How th’ hell did Greyhawk get you here so quick?

Kinnaka:
bq. Rong story. She didn’t terr anyone in Greyhawk where she was going. Disappeared from Greyhawk before zhe Count courd terr her she needed to be in Ryerr Pass. We sent to giver her message. In a way, we been rooking for her for severar weeks.

Jennix:

Uh huh. I see. I think. … So you been chasin’ her down all th’ way from Greyhawk? Now that’s tenatiousness we don’t get a lot of around here. Yer not lookin’ for work as guards are you? Your size an’ work ethic? You could move up fast, an’ I could use few more hands.

Kentaro:

We were hoping ter have somthan more ter do with the investigation. What do you think Kinnaka?

Kinnaka smiles:

I don’t zhink Dame Permas wourd arrow zhat.

Kentaro laughs:

Ya mean ya don’t wanna start back at the beginin of our carrerrs? (he says jokingly)

Jennix:

All right, all right. Suit yerselves. It’s a shame, but I’m not done askin’. ... Okay, lessee where we stand now. I got men canvassin’ the town, tryin’ to check up on her movements. Lookin’ for witnesses. Who saw what, that kinda thing. Covered ‘er staff. ... Tell you what. Can you read?

Kinnaka:

Hai.

Kentaro:

Aye.

Jennix:

Hmph. I’ll take that as a yes. Rare that is. Sure ye don’t want … Oh, never mind. Here. Take this. [Hands them a stack of papers] Case notes. Scribblin’s mostly. Sit in that room over there. Read ‘em through. See if anythin’ sticks out to you. I’ve read ‘em a thousand times, and there’s nothin’. But maybe new eyes’ll spot somethin’ I missed. Can’t hurt to try. ... Can I get ye something? Don’t have much. Coffee’s about all.

Kentaro:

Coffee sounds just fine. Thats a right kind o ya.

Kinnaka:

Coffee wirr be fine.

Jennix:

Black good? I hope so. Ain’t got no sugar an’ the milk’s off.

Kentaro:

Ah, wot ya gots fine

Jennix shouts for the office boy to get coffee for their guests, then shows the two to a small room across the hall where they can get comfortable … well, as comfortable as possible, given that the chairs are small wooden chairs, barely accommodating for Kinnaka’s large frame and totally inadequate for Kentaro’s enormous size. No problem, Kentaro assures him, he’s used to sitting on the floor. By the time the two men are set up and ready to begin reading the case notes, their coffee has arrived, which the boy puts on the table – the only other piece of furniture in the room.
The case notes are the combined notes from all the guards on the case. Fortunately, most of them cannot write, so the notes are written by a single hand, probably some office functionary whose job it is to interview the guards and turn their mental notes into physical statements. There are enough different hands, however, that reading through them is difficult. Complicating the matter is the fact that this isn’t a simple story. It’s pieces of facts that need to be discovered, sifted, sorted, and put into a coherent tale.

The tasks takes several hours – long enough that the two are thinking fondly of lunch by the time they get through, but get through they do, having discovered the following basic facts about the case:

1. Dame Hakkima purchased an estate named Owl’s Dene, which is about a mile outside town, and like so many of the other estates that litter the area, abuts the lakeshore.
2. The servants who provided the most information about her are her butler, Lorpha, and two ladies in waiting named Yarabal and Vinnissa who are long-term servants who traveled with their mistress everywhere. Other hired servants have barely spoken to her.
3. She arrived on 9 March. Since then, people were constantly coming and going from the estate. She was very engaged with people of “her class”, but not with the servants. Workmen and deliverymen have also made frequent visits to the estate.
4. Dame Hakkima was last seen at the estate on 12 Mar. On that day, she had lunch in town with a friend (no one seems to know which friend) then went shopping. She returned to the manor after 1:30, dropped off her purchases, had a cup of tea, and went out again after 2 bells. She had an appointment with her lawyer (Chavers) at 3:00. She hasn’t been seen since.
5. When Dame Hakkima missed the appointment with her lawyer, nobody thought too much about it, because she frequently missed appointments with people she wasn’t that interested in, and the lawyer definitely fell into that category. They began to be concerned later that day when she missed a dress fitting at Ursular’s – she NEVER missed dress fittings. That night, she didn’t come home, but that, too, is not unusual. She was very sociable, and frequently received and accepted invitations from friends, and not infrequently, from lovers. The following day (Mar 13) she missed a purchasing appointment after noon, which ramped up the level of concern, and then missed a dinner party at Sir Lidmin’s residence. When she missed the party, the constables were alerted.

1. Lorpha (the butler) reports that the two new servants seem friendly enough and are fitting in nicely. The other servants like Yarabal and Vinnissa, and even though they are ladies in waiting, thus outranking most of the other servants, they treat them very well. The exception is the Head Chambermaid (Kandice), who feels they are simply being fake because they are new. In her opinion, they will show their true colors after the move is complete, when things have settled down somewhat.

When they finish going through the case notes, Kentaro and Kinnaka have a few more questions to ask Chief Constable Jennix. From him they find out:

1. The location of the lawyer’s office.
2. Sir Lidmin has been very helpful in the investigation, but hasn’t been able to provide any really useful information. He only knows her socially—that is, they’ve been to each other’s parties and they met for supper once when she first arrived. They aren’t officially “an item”. For starters, he’s married, though Jennix still suspects they might be having an affair. He has no corroborating evidence of that; just gut instinct.
3. The servants don’t know why Dame Hakkima went by herself on this occassion. She didn’t often go anywhere by herself, but she has done so, usually when there’s a married man involved. She was less discrete with her single lovers.
4. The day was cold, and Dame Hakkima left wearing a heavy cloak with a large hood.

1. Sir Lidmin does not usually travel with guards, but that doesn’t mean he’s all that approachable.
He’s superior in every way—not in an “in your face” kind of way; more like in an “I know I’m superior, so I don’t have to prove it” kind of way. He’s sociable and pleasant, the kind of person everyone wants to be around. He has an innate confidence born of absolute certainty that he is right and he is entitled.
2. Jennix doesn’t know how Sir Lidmin functions as an enforcer of the law. The knight hasn’t been here very long, so Jennix hasn’t had the opportunity to observe him in that capacity. This is the first case that could fall under his jurisdiction. Jennix hasn’t gone to him out of habit. He’s just not used to having someone he can go to. The buck usually stops with him. Why Sir Lidmin hasn’t approached him is an interesting question, and one that Kinnaka notes down for follow-up.

1. As for the case, Jennix is using his manpower doing things to help Dame Hakkima in case she’s still alive, so he hasn’t done certain things like scour the roadside areas for a body. He gives Kinnka and Kentaro permission to do that if they want.

That about does it for useful information, though when asked if he suspects anyone is lying to him or withholding any information, Jennix responds with a laugh that he always suspects that everyone is lying to him or withholding information, and in his experience, he’s rarely wrong.

Kinnaka, thinking about a place to meet with Sir Lidmin that will get him out of his comfort zone, asks Jennix for the name of one of the lower class bars that offers private rooms, and is told that the Grasshopper has private rooms, and is about the lowest class pub that Greysmere has.

Just about the time the conversation is wrapping up, a constable named Haph comes in and excitedly reports to Jennix that has been out questioning people along Dame Hakkima’s most probable route, which passes through the main market. Questioning permanent market sellers has finally turned up one (Onnis) who says she remembers seeing Dame Hakkima around mid-day on 12 March: she passed through with a man named Kresley, a resident of Nalli’s Crossing, a village about a mile away from Greysmere. Jennix says he’s just going to “pop over” to have a word with that person, and invites Kentaro and Kinnaka to come along.

Kinnaka immediately decides to put plans to search for a body and question Sir Lidmin on hold, and agrees to accompany the Chief Constable. Jennix instructs the office boy to fetch two sets of constable identification to help the agents from Greyhawk while they’re in the local area. Within 10 minutes, everything is in order, and they are ready to ride.

The Chief Constable, Constable Haph, Kinnaka, and Kentaro spend 10 minutes riding to a tiny town called Nalli’s Crossing. Fortunately the rain has let up, though the mud remains deep enough that all are very muddy by the time they arrive. Just a few quick questions are required to inform Nellix where Kresley’s house is located. Moments later, they stare at the house itself, little more than a run-down two-room shack. All realize that something doesn’t feel right, but it takes a few second for the party to realize what the problem is—the house feels empty, really empty. Not “the owner isn’t home” sort of empty, but “the owner hasn’t been home for some time” sort of empty.

Non-plussed, Nellix stumps up to the front door and knocks loudly. Receiving no answer, a few moments later, he knocks again more loudly. This time he gets an answer from the neighbor’s house. An old lady sticks her head out a window and shouts at him in that way that people who are hard of hearing always shout everything, that he’s wasting his time. Kresley hasn’t been home in two days. Drunk in some bar in Greysmere, most likely.

Nobody misses the fact that Kresley was the last person seen with Dame Hakkima, and both were last seen two days ago. With a sinking feeling, Nellix thanks her and despite feeling it’s a waste of time, assigns Kinnaka and Kentaro to watch to exits for anyone who may attempt to run rather than answer questions. While the two impromptu deputies move into place, he and Constable Haph re-approach the front door. This time, in lieu of knocking, Nellix sends the door flying off its hinges with a single kick, which is not really an impressive feat, as the door was barely holding on anyway. After a second to make sure there is no obvious sign of resistance or protest from anyone who may be located inside, the Constables enter the house. The search doesn’t take long; less than a minute. Nellix calls K&K back to the front of the house, and informs them—using enough profanity to impress your average sailor and vaguely annoy Kinnaka—that not only is Kresley absent, but so are whatever clothing and personal items he may have owned.

Having dispensed that news, Nellix bellows again for the old neighbor lady, who has nothing useful to add to her previous statement. Nellix wheels on Constable Haph and tells him that he wants three Constables here in 15 minutes knocking on doors. By suppertime he wants to know everything there is to know about Kresley—no scratch that. He wants to know more than everything there is to know about Kresley, and if he doesn’t get it, Haph will be riding Post for the next fortnight of Sundays. Haph salutes, jumps on his horse, and rides off at full speed back to Greysmere.

Kentaro jokingly suggests in an aside to Kinnaka that they start kicking in doors as well, but Kinnaka is not in the mood for jokes, and ignores him. Instead, he asks Nellix if he will be asking after Kresley in the bars and taverns. Nellix responds that there are none in this town, but that he will be canvassing the drinking establishments in Greysmere as soon as they get back.

The ride back to the Guard HQ is taken with Nellix mostly in a sullen silence. He’s fuming, but he’s obviously thinking, too, though he does bark an answer to the occasional question by Kinnaka or Kentaro. As soon as they arrive, he leaps into frenetic activity. First he tells the first Constable he sees, an older Constable named Ednard, that he wants second shift to ask around all the bars in town and in neighboring towns to find out who knows Kresley. Who are his associates? What are his favorite watering holes? Who does he owe money to? Has anyone seen him in the last two days? The usual routine. And if he doesn’t have answers by midnight, Ednard is to turn in his badge—and he’d best do it through messenger, ‘cause he’ll skin him alive if he doesn’t have the information he needs by then. Ednard smiles, nods, and leaves at a fairly sedate pace.

Nellix then pulls a sheaf of papers from the middle of a stack on the left side of his desk, glances at them, shoves them back in, and grabs more from a stack to the right. At his point, Kinnaka and Kentaro decide that they can do the most good by beating the bushes along the road between Owl’s Dene and the edge of town, looking for Hakkima’s body. They bid farewell to Nellix, who absently waves them off, then shouts for the office boy. The lad runs into Kentaro on his rush to respond to the summons. He apologizes with a look of fear that is so comical that Kentaro can’t help but laugh, and steps aside to let the two men pass before continuing his headlong dash into Nellix’s office.

The two leave Constable Nellix and the office boy to do their jobs, and head for a late lunch, it being somewhat after 1 bell when they leave the Guard HQ. After a leisurely stop for a change of clothes and lunch, they head off to search the bushes for bodies. By the time the sun goes down at half-7 bells, they are tired, muddier than ever, and no wiser about the location of Dame Hakkima.

They head back again to the Horse and Stables, where Kinnaka changes again, washes up, and calls one of the cleaning women to take his growing pile of muddy clothes out to be laundered. He meets Kentaro in the common room, and the two share a large and surprisingly good meal before returning to the Guard HQ for one last check on the progress of the investigation.

They find Nellix excited, impatiently pacing the hallway. He informs them that they have a few leads. Nobody’s apparently seen Kresley since the old lady reported. However, they have turned up the names of two of Kresley’s cronies: Vindal and Thadge. Vindal has been spending quite a large amount of money over the past couple days. They share an apartment in town, so Nellix has dispatched a couple of Constables to fetch them. He’s expecting them back soon.

K&K settle down to wait patiently, while Nellix returns to pacing. Though it seems longer, they wait for maybe 20 minutes before four Constables bring in these two nasty looking dudes.

The constables drag them straight through the main room into one of the back rooms. Nellix smiles and follows them, gesturing for K&K to go into the next room, a waiting room. They do so, finding a table and chairs, but not much else. From the noises that soon emanate from the next room, the Chief Constable’s guests are not being as free with their information as they might have been.

Before long, however, the noises stop and Nellix comes in to see K&K looking like he’s aged a decade in the few minutes since they last saw him. He tersely reports that the suspects have reported that they killed Dame Hakkima and dumped the body in the lake. They also passed the name of their ring-leader, a local who goes by name of “Spider”. They’ll be bringing him in soon, but he lives about an hour’s ride away, so it will be a little time before they can get to him, assuming he hasn’t skipped town as well.

Kinnaka looks like he swallowed a canary and quietly contemplating his next move.
Nellix also says that he’ll be sending some constables to gather up some fishermen to do what they can to drag the lake, but it’s a big lake. He’s not confident. Kentaro reacts to the news by cursing in disbelief. Kinnaka takes it more in stride, but vows to remain to observe the dredging. He wants to tie up as many loose ends as he can for the report to Dame Permas.

The Chief Constable tells them that nothing will be done in the morning. He cautions them to say nothing to anyone. Any news about this case will come from him personally, do they understand. Both nod, and leave, quietly contemplating their own thoughts.

The next day, the Ill Wind sets off early again. Despite that, they don’t find themselves arriving at Hardby until shortly before 11:00. As they approach, while Kentaro and Dagan enjoy the view of the large town getting nearer by the minute, Kinnaka seeks out Captain Dinntin and obtains directions to the town hall. Kinnaka follows the instructions, and by 11:30, they are leaving the building with a guide to show them the way to Teakwood, Dame Hakkima’s former estate.

They find out at the town hall that Dame Hakkima has sold Teakwood and left town, though Gadsby, her seneschal is still in residence. Before long, the trio arrives at the estate, a fine old house amidst a cluster of other fine old houses. From their conversation at the town hall, Kentaro and Kinnaka know that Dame Hakkima’s family owns all of the buildings in this cluster. Fortunately, the buildings are clearly marked with elaborate plaques that identify them. In addition to Teakwood, there are Oakwood, Cedarwood, Cherrywood, and North House. Mentally comparing those buildings against the list provided by Pharndich, the guardsman in Greyhawk, Kinnaka concludes that the only residences owned by Dame Hakkima’s family that are not immediately before them are Beechwood and Mahogany, which are apparently somewhere else in Hardby, and Rosewood, which is in Orz.

The door is answered by a butler, who leaves them waiting on the doorstep while he fetches Gadsby. The seneschal himself comes to the door shortly, and although initially reluctant to provide any information at all, upon being convinced that Agents Kentaro and Kinnaka do indeed represent the Count, he confirms the information they already have, and adds a few details as well. Dame Hakkima purchased an estate named Owl’s Dene in Greysmere. She left town about a week ago, to take possession of the property and begin the process of moving in.

Kinnaka thanks him and after leaving, suggests that they leave for Greysmere after a good lunch, a suggestion that is greeted with enthusiasm by his partner, and with equanimity by Dagan. So it is that by 1:00, the trio begin the long ride to Greysmere – nearly 100 miles away.

Little of import occurs on the road to Orz. The team travels at a leisurely pace, arriving just about suppertime. A few casual questions reveal that the best inn in town is the Gilded Bushing. In reality, the place is very well appointed. They find out from the bartender that although Dame Hakkima did indeed visit the inn, she passed through at lunchtime, then left. She most likely stopped at High Pass for the night.

However, High Pass being some 15 miles further up the road, they have no choice but to settle in for the night and leave in the morning.

11 March

The small group sleeps late and therefore doesn’t depart Orz until after 8 bells. That’s not a problem, as they only have 15 miles to go today. They set a leisurely pace, and arrive at High Pass well before suppertime. It’s too far to the next major town – Ogremound, which is another 15 miles further along. That journey, however, is for tomorrow.

They ask around, and find that Dame Hakkima spent the night at a rambling old place known as the High Pass Arms, so they check into the place themselves. A few more questions elicit the intelligence that Dame Hakkima didn’t spend any more time in the place than necessary. She received an invitation from the Mayor less than an hour after she arrived. Naturally, she accepted, and was off an hour after that. She was gone until the early hours, and checked out early the next morning, which was the 3rd of March, 8 days ago.

With that determined, the trio again have a relaxing evening of nature walks, legal study, and drinks in the High Pass Arms common room as their interests dictate.

12 March

Again with a short day of riding before them, they depart depart High Pass rather later, at nearly 9 bells. Consequently, they arrive in Ogremound at a little past 6 bells.

Upon checking in to Diggory’s Inn, they get a bit of good news. Apparently Dame Hakkima accepted an invitation from Baroness Amian at her temporary quarters at Hounds Tooth estate, and wound up spending three full days there before leaving for Eastvale. Because she didn’t leave until March 8th, that they are now only 4 days behind her.

They’ll lose a little ground over the three days they will be riding to Greysmere, due to the fact that because of the large distance between Ogremound and Eastvale (40 miles), she hired a fast carriage to Eastvale. Assuming she does likewise to cover the 30 miles between Eastvale and Greysmere, she is expected to have arrived in Greysmere on the 10th. Since Kinnaka, Kentaro, and Dagan will be riding, they will take three days to cover that same distance.

Bottom line – they’ll be some 5 days behind her arrival in Greysmere.

13 March

Given the large distance (70 miles) between Ogremound and Greysmere, they set off as early as possible, leaving Ogremound at around 6 bells. They ride through the day until the sun sets, not reigning in until somewhere between 6 and 7 bells.

After so many consecutive days in high-end inns, sleeping rough comes as a bit of a shock to Kentaro and Dagan, but there is no alternative, so they don’t grumble any more than strictly necessary. … Well, ok, perhaps slightly more than what is strictly necessary, but eventually all is silent as one by one they drop off to sleep. For his part, Kinnaka truly enjoys the opportunity to get back to nature, and is happy when his comrades fall asleep, leaving him to the relative peace of a night in the wild.

14 March

Kinnaka’s night is over far too soon, however, as he wakes up in a cold sweat, despite the early morning chill and the light dusting of the snow that fell overnight and continues falling in light flurries, at least two hours before dawn. The early rise gives him a chance to start preparations for departure, so that by the time the others stir, they are almost ready to go. By 6 bells, they are again in the saddle.

At midday, they go through Eastvale, where they eat a decent lunch at a quaint little place called the Shoebox Inn. The serving girl passes word that Dame Hakkima did indeed spend the night in Eastvale, a few nights ago, arriving in a fast carriage from Ogremound, and leaving the next morning in a similar rig, bound for Greysmere. She is well tipped, not only for providing the information, but also for her tendency to bring overlarge portions, a fact that is well appreciated by both Kentaro and Kinnaka.

Unfortunately for two of the three, Greysmere is too far (30 miles) for them to reach today. They set a steady pace that will get them there well before sundown tomorrow, but that doesn’t prevent the day from being a thoroughly miserable one, with snow falling all day long – sometimes hard, most often lightly, but non-stop. By the time they begin to set camp, at least 2 inches is on the ground. Kinnaka loves the way the moon, waning, but still nearly full, plays on the snow. Kentaro, too likes the snow, and is not all that bothered by the temperatures, which have dipped into the high 20’s, with more wind today than in recent days. With his huge bulk, it will take more than a little cold snap to ruin his day. Dagan, however, is miserable, and isn’t afraid to let the others know it. Kentaro commiserates with the human; Kinnaka ignores him.

15 March

Once again, they begin early, moving rapidly, both to warm themselves up and make up for some lost time, since for a change they overslept – even Kinnaka. They are on the road by 7:00, and fortunately, the cold has relented somewhat, with the temperature climbing to above freezing. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the precipitation hasn’t given in yet, so it continues to fall as a light, then a heavy rain.

The rain serves to get rid of yesterday’s snow in all but the most inaccessible corners and the deepest drifts, and make the horses’ footing a little less sure. So it is that they arrive Greysmere well after they had intended, close to 7 bells.

The first inn they see in Greysmere is a cozy-looking, if not particularly high class place called the Horse and Carriage. They enter the common room and find the place crowded, but pleasant. They very quickly find themselves the proud temporary owners of three small rooms. While Kinnaka retires upstairs to clean up and change clothes, Kentaro and Dagan chat with a few of the locals while they dry off by the fire. They find that the mere mention of Dame Hakkima starts the tongues a-waggin’. Apparently she blew into town maybe a week ago, spent a fortune, played a whirlwind on the social scene, and disappeared without a trace a few days ago. Everyone has an opinion about what happened and why and who’s to blame. No two theories resemble each other in any way, and each is more far-fetched and outlandish than the last.

Kentaro, trying to find out where she spent her fortune, asks whether there are any casinos in town. He finds out that there is one casino, but she isn’t known to be a gambler. She spent her money on clothes, furnishings for her new estate, clothes, horses, clothes, entertaining, and clothes.

When Kinaka returns to the common room and catches up with the conversation to date, he opines that the country must be in sad shape if the authorities haven’t been looking for her. Kinnaka’s comment causes twice as much commotion as before as the locals leap to the defense of Chief Constable Jennix. The authorities HAVE been looking for her! They’ve been questioning everyone she’s known to have seen (which is pretty much everyone), but haven’t turned up a thing so far.

Kinnaka acts even more surprised and wonders if they are still asking everyone questions or if the investigation has stopped. He finds out that the investigation is still very active. They are double checking people they talked to before, finding new people to talk to, but as far as anyone in the tavern knows, no one has been detained, and the Chief Constable appears more frustrated by the hour. It’s like she just vanished into thin air. ... Of course, it’s only been a couple days, and the town, while not that big, is a flurry of activity that has nothing to do with the Baronet’s disappearance. In addition to that event, a Knight of the Ram has already arrived and has started moving in, and he says that more are coming—half a dozen at least! Construction, as in so many other places Kinnaka and Kentaro have been, is flourishing as the infrastructure is expanded to accommodate these new arrivals. New people are arriving daily from every direction.

Kinnaka asks for information about the new Knight of the Ram, and finds that his name is Sir Lidmin. He lives temporarily on the top floor of the Harvest Moon. A moderately sized estate is being built for him, but it’s only just underway. Having received that intelligence, Kinnaka announces that after supper, he and Kentaro will head to the Harvest Moon to have a chat with Sir Lidmin.

The Harvest Moon is a tavern on Greysmere’s main square. It is rich and lavishly decorated. As Kinnaka and Kentaro (Dagan stayed back at the Horse and Carriage) enter, the doorman (a doorman!) gives them a long hard stare, but lets them in without a word. Inside, a tall, thin man behind a podium stands in the lobby. He looks down his nose at them as they enter, sniffs, and asks in a snooty voice if he can help them. Do they need directions someplace? Before answering, Kinnaka glances through a doorway to his right and sees a common room full of exceedingly well-dressed people talking quietly in small groups. Kinnaka fears he and his partner are terribly under-dressed, but decides to press forward anyway.

Kinnaka glances back at the man behind the podium and announces:

I am Kinnaka. Zhis is Kentaro. We are in need of finding the Sir Ridmin, the Knight who has so recently on the top froor rented the froor. Prease be pointing him out. We arso are in need of a washbasin and a cup of hot tea. Brack if you prease.

The man look as if he’s just realized he has stepped in something nasty:

I am NOT a waiter! And Sir Lidmin does not wish to be disturbed. If you care to leave your card, I’ll see that he gets it.

Kinnaka:

Prease be pointing him out. He wirr see us.

The man says nothing.

Kinnaka:

Before, I lose my patience, prease. The Rord High Chancerror wirr not be happy if you keep me waiting.

The remainder of the short conversation need not be recorded here, but suffice to say that the man behind the podium is adamant that Kinnaka and Kentaro will not enter the establishment. Kinnaka is just as convinced that they will. It isn’t long before Kentaro feels it necessary to once again try to diffuse an escalating disagreement between his partner and a human.

As Kentaro tries to stabilize the situation, it becomes all too obvious that the commotion is beginning to attract the attention of some of the guests, the man behind the podium rings a small bell, a ring that is immediately answered by two armored men with crossbows stepping out from a concealed door behind the podium.

Kinnaka has a few words for the guards, who are temporarily brought up short, though a few more words from the man behind the podium once again has them moving toward the agents from Greyhawk. As Kentaro begins once again to try to calm everyone down, an immaculately dressed man steps into the lobby, waves the guards back, and in low tones asks Kentaro and Kinnaka to please step into his office. He gestures in the opposite direction of the crowded dining room.

Kinnaka bows slightly:

Hai. Arigato.

Kinnaka walks towards the man’s office, ignoring the snooty man. Kentaro follows, too, muttering, “Oh thanks ‘eaven’s.”
The man leads them into a fastidiously tidy office and offers them a seat. He then introduces himself as Grennith, the manager of the hotel and asks them to please explain what this is all about.

Kinnaka:

We are from Greyhawk and zhe Rord High Chancerror’s office wizh a message for Sir Ridmin. Your man was rude and refused to announce us.

Grennith:

I apologize for that, but first things first. May I please see the identification you showed him?

Kentaro:

Well…yea…he was kinda rude, but we are sorta out a place ‘ere. I understand ‘is behavior.

Grennith smiles. The smile doesn’t reach his eyes at all:

Hmm. Yes. Your identification please?

Kinnaka:

He asked for none. [Kinnaka hands him his card.]

Kentaro:

He didn’t ask fer any. Jus’ assumed that we didn’t belong.

Grennith looks at the plaque:

You don’t. Not dressed like that. … You should have displayed this up front, without needing to be asked. … Now then, a few harsh realities gentlemen. We provide services to many rich and powerful people—people who generally do not wish to be disturbed. You cannot expect to show up at the door to this respected establishment, dressed as you are, and expect to be shown immediately up to the room of our most esteemed guest without even providing any identification. That’s amazingly short sighted of you. Frankly, I’m shocked you thought you could bluster your way through the front door. My advice to you is to leave. You won’t be missing anything. Sir Lidmin is not receiving guests tonight.

Kinnaka:

I understand. Unfortunantry, I am not bereiving zhat zhe Count was expecting Dame Hakkima go missing an our being sent here. Be zhat as it may, I bereive zhat we need to be talking to Sir Ridmin. I am beleiving when he know why we are here, he wirr be zhinking zhe same. It hurts you not to announce us. We wait here.

Grennith:

I’m sorry. Sir Lidmin left strict orders that he is not to be disturbed, and at this establishment, we pride ourselves on satisfying our guests’ desires. However important you feel your message to be, I’m sure it will be just as important in the morning.

Continued entreaties fail to move Grennith from his unwavering position, even when Kinnaka invokes the name of the Lord Chancellor as an incentive. Ultimately, they are forced to depart without their message being delivered to Sir Lidmin. Kinnaka is not a happy elf.

On the way back to the Horse and Carriage, Kentaro continues to try to settle down the situation.

Kentaro:

Bunch of bastards they are. Maybe we coulda presented ourselves a bit better but geez.

However, Kinnaka is not interested in talking about the staff at the Harvest Moon:

Tomorrow we see Chief Constabre and see what he knows.

Kentaro:

We’re not gonna try again at that place? Try to git a message to Sir Lidmin?

Kinnaka:

No.

Kentaro:

All right.

When they arrive, Kinnaka heads straight up to his room without another word to Kentaro. The half-giant, for his part starts to head upstairs, but upon seeing that the common room is still hopping, heads there instead. Unfortunately, their poor reception at the Harvest Moon has ruined his mood. He spends an hour in the common room, taking in the atmosphere, but speaking very little, which is unusual for him. He does manage to find out that the Harvest Moon has a reputation for being unwelcoming anyone without a title or a heavy purse, but the news doesn’t improve his mood, and it isn’t too much longer until he follows Kinnaka’s lead and retires for the night.

In the morning, Kinnaka, as usual is up and about first, but is surprised when Kentaro comes out as he passes the half-giant’s door. The two exchange pleasantries, then head down to find Crym in animated conversation with Tyrillya, the Silver Spoon’s owner. After another round of pleasantries, Crym leads them toward the Ivory Tower, but leaves the familiar road and sets off down a side street. After a short hike, she pulls up at a short, very narrow, but otherwise nondescript building that looks like it’s been squeezed between its neighbors, which dwarf it in every sense.

Inside, the main room is very light and clean. Crym greets the woman working behind a desk by name and asks for Grimman. The woman heads to one of the back rooms and brings out the man himself, a tall, exceedingly pale and gaunt man wearing all black. He has a full beard, well and closely trimmed, and as he extends his hand in greeting, one can’t help but notice that it is manicured. His handshake is firm, he smells faintly of gardenias, and he earns Kinnaka’s respect by doing his best to imitate the elvish greeting Kinnaka renders.

He is also in no particular hurry to get down to business, and at least half an hour is spent in drinking coffee or tea, eating biscuits and cakes, and casual conversation. Kinnaka is highly pleased with the proceedings, though by the time they actually get around to the reason they came, Kentaro is ready to chew his own leg off to escape.

Eventually, of course, business takes over, and it takes nearly no time for Grimman to reveal that Dame Hakkima hired his carriage from 28 December on an open-ended rental. She terminated her contract on 22 February, with her final journey being in the early morning of that date. She and two others were taken to the Port. He apologizes that the file is not more specific, but the driver of that carriage was Christian. He will be able to give more details, but won’t be back until this afternoon.

Kinnaka and Kentaro disagree about what to do in the meantime, but as usual, Kinnaka wins the argument, and they will do nothing in the intervening hours. With that decided, Crym is pulled into service as an impromptu tour guide, at least until 2 bells, when they return to Grimman’s. They find Christian in, and from him find out that he dropped Dame Hakkima off at pier 7, though he didn’t note the name or any real particulars of the vessel, apart from the fact that it was a bit smaller than most of the others in the Port.

Minutes later, the three arrive at the port, where Crym leds them to the Port Authority building, a small, ancient clapboard building, badly in need of paint. In fact, it’s needed paint for so long that the boards are grey under what little paint remains.

Inside a watch desk cuts the visitors off from the majority of the building. The far wall contains floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the river. A couple of small offices to one side complete the building. A bored-looking youth stands at the counter.

The young man is basically rude and uninterested, but he eventually does fetch Tessa, the Captain of the Port Guard and his boss. Tessa takes one look at Kinnaka’s badge, looks like she wants to kill the young man, and is very anxious to give the special agents what they need.

What she gives them is the information that there were four vessels at Pier 7 on 22 February:

• Arrivals
  1. Valhalla’s Bane, a schooner from Dyvers left 25 February
1. Bright Day, a bilander from Amundfort; left 01 March
2. Departures
3. Ill Wind, a caravel from Hardby; arrived 18 February

1. Ingrid, a caravel from Safeton arrived 19 February

At Kinnaka’s question, Tessa informs him that Ill Wind is a regular transport under command of a Captain Dinntin that shuttles back and forth between Hardby and Greyhawk every other week or so. In fact, she’s in port now, at Pier 4, and scheduled to leave later today. Kinnaka decides that Captain Dinntin may well be someone he’d like to have a word with.

The Ill Wind is an older ship, but is obviously well maintained. Several crew members are visible scurrying around the deck, preparing the vessel for departure. Hailing the deck quickly brings for the Captain, a small, middle-aged man with wild white hair, who goes by the name of Dinntin. He takes one look at those on shore and begins to shout.

Captain Dinntin:

Aye, ye’ll be Kinnaka an’ Kentaro. Yer passage’s already booked. We leave in an hour, and ye’d best not be late er we’ll be leavin’ ye behind an’ no regrets. Yer servant, er partner, er whate’er th’ hell ‘e is, is in th’ Tangled Riggin’, ‘cross th’ way.

Kinnaka:

Oh? We are with you reaving?

Captain Dinntin:

Aye, if ye be on time.

Kentaro:

We booked a ship did we?

Captain Dinntin rolls his eyes:

D’ye remember bookin’ a ship? … No, booked fer ye ‘twas, o’ course. Any more questions, gennlemen? I got a ship t’ prepare fer departure.

Kentaro:

Ya … Who booked it fer us?

Kinnaka [at almost the same time]:

Prease, who is our …um….purchaser of tickets?

Captain Dinntin explodes:

Why th’ fuckin’ bloke what’s waitin’ in th’ Tangled Riggin’ fer ye! Ye both daft er what?

Kinnaka turns around and looks. Sure enough, almost directly across the street from the dock is a large inn called the Tangled Rigging. He then turns back around and thanks the Captain:

Arigato.

Captain Dinntin:

Jess don’t be late.

Kinnaka gestures to Kentaro, and the pair head to the pub. Upon entering, they find it crowded with teamsters and sailors. Despite the clientele, it is clean, with an open, friendly atmosphere. A voice nearby calls out, “Kinnaka! Kentaro! Over here!”

They look up and see a young man with wavy dark hair and a ready smile getting up from behind a table and approaching at a rapid pace. Kinnaka and Kentaro meet him halfway. Kinnaka bows slightly to the man. Neither says anything.

Dagan:

Well met, gentlemen. The name is Dagan, at your service. I’m a junior prosecutor attached to the Judiciary Ministry. Dame Permas hired me to teach you about County law. She told me to wait for you here. Actually, we expected you to arrive yesterday, but no matter.

Kinnaka:

Oh? And why are we reaving on Captain Dinntin’s boat? We are not knowing where Dame Hakkima has gone yet.

Dagan:

Ah, well, my orders are to go with you, wherever you go, so lead on, my good elf!

Kinnaka bows his head slightly and turns to go back to the boat.

Dagan [to Kentaro]:

Doesn’t talk much, does he?

Kentaro:

Nah. He’s not much fer words. Sometime tha words ter my advantage

Dagan:

Right. Well, he’s getting away. Lead on!

He and Kentaro move off quickly to catch up with Kinnaka, who is already at the door. They catch up a few paces later.

Kentaro:

Well I guess we should star askin the crew about her where abouts dontcha think Kinnaka?

Kinnaka:

Hai, that is being the pran.

Seconds later, the trio arrive at the Ill Wind. Kinnaka hails the Captain once again. It’s pretty obvious that he’s a very busy man, as their brief conversation is interrupted by various people asking questions, getting guidance, obtaining a signature, etc.

The upshot is that the Captain confirms that Dame Hakkima did indeed go to Hardby a couple weeks ago. Kinnaka thanks the Captain and leaves him to his preparations.

Kinnaka turns to Dagan:

Prease be heading to Sirver Spoon to fetch our horses and gear. That be herping.

Dagan looks surprised, then starts laughing. When he stops, he turns serious:

Look, let’s get something straight. I’m a lawyer. Dame Permas hired me as a tutor, not a servant.

Kinnaka:

Same zhing. Prease be reaving so we can continue.

Dagan:

Nice. I’ll be in my cabin when you need me.

To Kinnaka’s shock, he turns and heads on board. Kentaro, hoping to save his friend from further misadventure, leaps in.

Kentaro:

Er … ah … we’ll go get our stuff, won’t we Kinnaka?

Kinnaka:

Hai, I wirr never understand humans. Zhey say one zhing but mean anozher.

Kentaro:

Ya … I know. I know

They return to the Silver Spoon, grab their meager belongings, and lead the horses back to the boat. The horses are no sooner secured on deck then the Ill Wind begins to move slowly away from the dock. The passengers are shown below decks and led to their cabins, which are next to each other. The sailor also points out Dagan’s cabin, which is across the passage. Each finds a similar room, compact, but tidy, with a bed, a small chest, and a small porthole. The beds are fairly small. For Kinnaka they are merely too short. For Kentaro, they are completely inadequate. The half-giant sighs when he sees it. He’ll be sleeping on the floor on this trip.

Kentaro leaves the claustrophobic room and sees Kinnaka standing by the railing with a smile on his face, watching Greyhawk recede into the distance. The half-giant shakes his head and turns to watch the sailors expertly perform the tasks required to keep the ship sailing in the correct direction. They are obviously well trained and highly experienced.

He waits perhaps an hour before things calm down enough for him to have a word with a passing sailor. He finds out several important facts:

1. Usually, they sail first thing in the morning, sail all day, and put in at Peculiar Manor overnight. The next day, they leave early, sail all day, and arrive at Hardby late in the day.
2. On this trip, because Tessa, the Port Captain, was playing power games, their departure was delayed several hours. There’s no way they’ll make Peculiar Manor today. Instead, they’ll have to overnight twice, once at Two Ford, then again at either One Ford or Crossford.
3. The Captain is really a rather nice guy, for a ship Captain, but he’s in a foul mood today because of Tessa.

1. Dame Hakkima got off at Peculiar Manor and spent the night ashore. The sailors didn’t accompany her ashore, so they don’t know where she went or what she did there. On board, most of her conversation was vacuous, when she bothered to speak with them at all. Most of it seemed to involve clothes and purchases and such things. About the only useful nugget of information seems to be that she was definitely intending to sell her manor in Hardby and move to Greysmere.

After finishing with the conversation with the sailor, Kentaro joins Kinnaka at the rail and watches the seagulls whirling overhead. Little else happens for the rest of the day. Supper is served. The two sit down for an hour with Dagan before Kentaro loses interest and wanders off to throw walnuts at various objects on shore, while Kinnaka stays focused for another hour before he, too, has had enough.

Just after the sun sets, the lights of a middling sized town appear around a bend in the river. They have arrived at Two Ford.

09 March

The next day, the Ill Wind sets off at first light. The entire day is spent sailing, apart from a short stop at Peculiar Manor at midday, during which time the sailors and stevedores work at a very fast pace, moving some boxes and barrels from the hold to the dock, and others from the hold to the dock. By the time Kinnaka, Kentaro, and Dagan have returned from their leisurely lunch ashore, the crew are making the final preparations for departure.

In all, the change of cargo has been made in near record time, but even so, it is well after sundown before they drop anchor at Crossford. The town is actually slightly further downriver than One Ford, and it’s on the Wild Coast side of the river, but Captain Dinntin prefers the night life of Crossford, and has decided to reward his crew for their extra efforts this afternoon. The sailors don’t invite their passengers along for the party, so the trio from Greyhawk are forced to entertain themselves as best they can.

All in all, the evening is entertaining for Kentaro and Dagan, who find a very pleasant inn with a decent band and friendly atmosphere. Kinnaka leaves the others early, and finds his own entertainment in the fields outside the town.

Hours later, Kinnaka is awakened in the middle of the night after only a few hours of sleep by the dreams that plague him constantly. That isn’t unusual at all, but tonight for reasons he can’t explain, he feels restless and feels the walls closing in, so he decides to go out and walk the streets. The early hours and late winter cold combine to ensure that no other people are on the streets.

Did I so “no other people”? That’s wrong. There is at least one other person out and about. Hearing a noise that attracts his attention, Kinnaka swivels his head upward to sees a person in dark clothing climb out a window on the second floor of a building nearby. As he begins to bring his trailing leg out of the window, he catches his heel on the sill. Overbalanced, he briefly windmills his arms wildly before plummeting to the street. Unfortunately for him, his caught heel ensures that he turns over in mid air. Surprisingly, he does not scream, and hits the ground headfirst in nearly total silence, the only noise being a sound similar to that of a large melon falling from a tree. He does not move.

Kinnaka pulls his knife out and heads over to the man. There is surprisingly little blood, but it is obvious from the odd angle of his neck and the sizable dent in his head that the man is dead. Kinnaka looks around and sees no other activity on the street. Apparently, the man’s final plunge has not yet attracted the attention of the locals.

Looking more closely at the dead man, Kinnaka sees that he is dressed in tight black clothes, including a close-fitting hood. A bag he was wearing on his back has burst its seams, spilling its contents on the ground. These include a number of metal objects Kinnaka doesn’t recognize, along with a hammer and a crowbar. One object that seems out of place is a highly polished box about 6 inches square and 12 inches long. It is made of some sort of dark wood, and inlaid with gold.

Kinnaka looks around briefly and notes that the building the apparent thief fell out of is residential right down to street level – unusual for a town. The other buildings nearest the place where the man currently lies are of the more standard two-stories-above-a-business type of structure, the nearest being a tailor, a bookseller, and a silversmith.

Kinnaka walks to the door of the residential building and knocks on the door loudly. Unexpectedly, the door swings open at his first knock. Inside, the room is dark, but appears to be an ordinary front room, doing multiple duty as a living room and dining room. A dark opening on the far wall presumably leads to a kitchen and stairway.

Kinnaka hesitates briefly, then heads over to the bookseller’s and knocks loudly on the door. After about a minute, an upper window opens and a tousled head pokes out, complaining loudly about the noise. After a short conversation, Kinnaka gets him to realize that there is a dead man on the street, that his neighbor is probably dead, too, and that he needs the man to go for the guard.

After that message gets through, Kinnaka enters the ground floor room of the (presumably) dead man’s house.

He lights a wall sconce, revealing an ordinary main room. Through the door to the rear, a staircase goes upward. Beyond that is a kitchen, just as he supposed. He searches the ground floor for other people, but finding no one, he heads back to the front door to see if the humans have stopped talking and started acting, and that no one is taking anything from the body.

He finds a man dressed in a robe over a nightdress examining the body on the ground. Whether he has taken anything, or is planning to do so is anyone’s guess, but Kinnaka doesn’t note anything missing.

Kinnaka warns him not to touch anything. The man argues, but before anything serious can break up, another neighbor arrives with two guardsmen in uniforms that Kinnaka doesn’t recognize – no doubt because he is now in the Wild Coast. The soldiers take a statement from Kinnaka then take over the crime scene. Kinnaka shrugs and returns to his room.

The morning dawns clear and cold, with no hint of the Spring that in reality is only two weeks away. Kinnaka jerks awake from a nightmare that seemed to have lasted much longer than the 90 minutes or so that he knows he has been asleep. He stretches, trying to ease the kinks that have taken over his muscles thanks to his tossing and turning. It is a morning ritual he is well used to.

He looks out the window at the front of the inn and is surprised to see that the city is already well awake. The Lord Mayor’s Promenade is busy with crowds of people who are no doubt heading off to begin their workday. Kinnaka wonders what his first day as a provisional field agent for the Office of the Lord Chancellor will hold. The first thing this particular field agent is looking forward to is breakfast.

He steps out into the short hallway, around the stairway to the right, and glances at the door opposite the top of the staircase. Judging by the cacophony of sounds coming from behind this door, his fellow field agent is still fast asleep.

Leaving the loud man to his seemingly pleasant dreams, Kinnaka heads off to wash his hands and prepare for breakfast. His plan is to spend the morning exploring the city, or at least as much of it as you can see without straying too far from the main streets.

Three quarters of an hour later, Kinnaka has managed to move some 50 yards from the front door of the inn, his attention diverted by watching some chickens scratching in the dirt. He is so engrossed in this pursuit that he doesn’t realize that he has company until she speaks.

Crym:

You’ll be Kinnaka, yes? Kinnaka. I’m Crym.

He turns to find a small, overweight female Halfling smiling at him bemusedly, arm extended in a gesture of greeting.

Kinnaka stands and bows:

It is being a fine day to be meeting you. May the sun shine bright on your steps.

Crym tilts her head backward to meet the gaze of the tall elf, and then a bit to the side, considering, then slowly withdraws the offered hand, and looks around:

Yep! Looks like it might. It might. Cold though. Not Spring enough yet. No, not yet.

Kinnaka:

Is it cold? I hardly noticed. Although one has to look very hard to see the beauty of this city through the grime.

Crym:

Depends where you look. It all depends. For me, the beauty’s in the people. Buildings are buildings. People are the life of the city. The life.

Kinnaka (frowing):

Hmp? The city must be dieing then. These people are rude, crude, and crass. Much like the braying donkey trying to tell the Lion it is better than he.

Crym:

Hah! You talk like Tar! Just like him! I can see why he hired you.

Kinnaka:

Tar? Sitshurei, I am not remembering that name. We are in the empry of Rady Permas. Oh yes. I remember now. She work for him.

Crym:

Yes, that’s right. You’ve not met him? Not at all? Shame. You’d like him.

Kinnaka:

I wirr be taking your word on zhat.

Crym:

Hmm. Yes, I can work with you. I can. Good! So that’s decided. All decided. Where to, Kinnaka?

Kinnaka looks surprised:

Werr, I was rooking around town, but I zhink zhat there are praces we need to be going during zhe day, so maybe it best to start wizh zhat rist, no?

Crym nods and starts to walk. Kinnaka moves to keep pace with her. They walk southward down the Lord Mayor’s Promenade. As they walk, they talk. Kinnaka isn’t sure exactly how she does it, but before they get to their destination, he finds that that he has told the Halfling his life story—the public parts of it anyway. In exchange, he learns a few interesting tidbits:

*Lord Tar: A short two years ago, he was a Master Animal Handler – the finest Handler of his generation, so it is said. He was instrumental in getting the former Lord Mayor Aphic elected, and was rewarded with a knighthood. He then founded and became the Captain of the famous and highly decorated Tar’s Company, who were, to all intents and purposes, the Lord Mayor’s personal armed troops. When Aphic became Count, he installed the Company’s senior leadership into the County’s most important posts, including Sir – now Lord – Tar as the new Lord Chancellor. *Dame Permas: Although not one of the most senior Knights of the Ram, she was widely respected for her expert leadership over the investigative and prosecution arms of Lord Mayor Aphic’s administration. Her organization was renowned for being tenacious in pursuit and fair in prosecution. Now, as Vice Chancellor and with a new 2nd Class Order of the Lion, she is second only to Lord Tar in the Chancellery. *Herself: She worked with Lord Keuoren, the new Baron of Selintan for the past few decades, from the time he was an Animal Handler Guild Baron, and later the Greyhawk Guild King. Now that he is a Baron, he has no further need of her unique services, and so has released her. She works full time for Lord Tar these days.

Regarding the matter at hand, Crym informs Kinnaka that Dame Hakkima only had one residence in town. She rented a villa in the Ivory Tower. Fortunately, she only had a few personal servants, so she was forced to hire local help. Although those servants will have moved on to other positions, they shouldn’t be too hard to track down. As for her residences out of town, Crym has brought Kinnaka to the Lord Mayor’s Gate, Greyhawk’s southernmost gate, so he can talk to Seth Roggan, one of Greyhawk’s newer guardsmen, who arrived not more than six months ago from Hardby. With Kinnaka’s shiny new medal, Crym suggests he would be the ideal person to talk to Seth. He’s on duty somewhere on the town’s southern wall until noon. They should plan to meet around noon. She knows a nice café called The Circus, just inside the Port/Hub gate that serves a great lunch. Besides, it will do Kinnaka some good to start learning his way around.

Kinnaka watches the Halfling go, feeling mentally tired. Her apparently boundless energy really wears a person out! He decides to go back to the Silver Spoon first to fetach Kentaro before talking to the Constable, and mentally kicks himself for allowing Crym to drag him along in her wake without consideration for his partner!

Kinnaka heads back up the Lord Mayor’s Promenade and finds his way back to the inn with only one slight wrong turn as he attempts to navigate the Low Market—a mistake that is soon put right by a friendly stranger. Back at the Silver Spoon, Van, the bartender informs him that not only is Kinnaka awake, but he had gone out. Van believes he is in the stable.

Kinnaka thanks Van, and heads back toward the stable. Sure enough, he hears the half-giant well before he sees him. He is talking to the horses as he curries them. Kinnaka listens for a few seconds, then moves in and lets him know how his morning has gone. Kentaro, happy at being able to do the job he was hired to do, pulls his new badge out of his pocket, puts it on, and walks down the street with his head held a little higher than before.

Seeing Kentaro put on his badge, Kinnaka follows suit, feeling a little silly as he does so, but realizing that such trivialities are important to humans.

With those preliminaries out of the way, the pair quick walk directly back down the Lord Mayor’s Promenade, through the Low Market (the correct direction this time), and back to the Lord Mayor’s Gate. A query at the gate soon has the Constable on duty dispatching one of the guardsmen to fetch Seth. It’s almost 10:00 when, fifteen minutes later, the messenger returns with a tall, slender, blond haired, deeply tanned man who introduces himself to Kinnaka as Seth Roggan, late of Hardby.

Kinnaka bows slightly:

Ohayou. I hope zhe day is finding you werr.

Seth:

Nothin’ a bite t’ eat won’t fix. Er a stiff drink – but it’s a bit early fer that.

Kinnaka’s initial impression is that Seth is generally friendly and easy-going, although his attitude is one of caution. He decides that this is completely understandable. Why are these guys here talking to me???

Kentaro:

S’all right Seth. We’d jus like ter ask ya some questions if tha be alrigh?

Kinnaka:

Sumimasen, I am not having any food wizh me. We are rooking for Dame Hikkima and am are wondering where we might find her.

Seth:

Yeah, sure. That’s arright. ... Dame Hakkima, ye say? Yeah she was in town fer a bit – well, rather a long spell, actually. Got herself a new title and stayed to enjoy it, way I hear it. Didn’t know she left though. Prolly went home, eh?

Kinnaka:

We were wondering zhe same thing and were hoping you might herp us wizh zhat.

Seth:

I’d be happy to … well, if I can, y’know. What d’ye need?

Kentaro:

Wot ‘ave yeh herad bout her habits in Hardby. Anythin tha she does regularly…ya know like ‘abits and the like?

Seth:

Dame Hakkima? She does what all them high society ladies do. Parties, balls, dances, teas, all that sort. Regularly, like in just about every day, if what I hear is true.

Kinnaka:

We arso word rike you to ask zhe other guards if zhey saw her reave Greyhawk.

Seth:

Sure. No problem. I can do that. Is that all, then?

Kinnaka:

We are arso wondering where to find her praces of residences in Hardby.

Seth:

Well, her family has several, but she’s got her own in the northeast. Small one, by estate standards, I guess. Name of Teakwood.

Kinnaka:

Northeast of what? Hardby? Greyhawk?

Seth:

Ye asked about Hardby, didn’t ye?

Kinnaka:

Aye, I did, but you didn’t answer my question. Northeast of Hardy?

Seth suddenly sounds like he’s talking to a small child:

Yeah. Northeast o’ Hardby.

Kentaro:

Tha’s helpful it is. Is der anythin esle ya can think of tha may ‘elp us find ‘er?

Seth:

Well, her family has another estate in Orz, though whether that one’s hers or the family’s, I’m not sure.

Kinnaka:

Any other estates zhat you have failed to terr us about? Just zhe Orz and one residence in Hardby?

Kentaro [interrupting]:

Er … wot he means is that it’d be right helpful if ya can think if der is any more family estates that you can think of.

Seth:

Oh, is that what he means? Why didn’t he say so then? Ye want a list of family estates, I can help, but it’ll take a bit of time to remember ‘em all. It’s an old family. Very rich, lotsa properties. I’ll work on it.

Kentaro:

Wot about ‘er servants? Ya know any of em? Could ya point us in the direction of any of them?

Seth:

None what live in Greyhawk. Gadsby’s her main man in Hardby. Talk to him. What he don’t know about Dame Hakkima, I’d say ain’t worth knowing.

Kentaro:

Alrigh! That’s real helpful it is. Would yeh be able ter have those lists by lunch? We’d like ter treat ya fer your trouble. You pick the place.

Seth:

That’s right kind of ye! Ye know Handrid’s?

Kentaro:

Alrigh…ah…where is tha exactly?
Seth:

Hah! Ye don’t know it. Well kept secret that place is. Look, whatcha do is head north on the Promenade … [he gives complicated directions on how to find it.]

Kentaro:

Er…ah…wait a moment. [He turns to Kinnaka.]. We’ve got a meetin with Crym don’t we?

Kinnaka:

Hai. Same time as you getting rost in Greyhawk, I am thinking.

Kentaro:

Ah ha.. yer funny you are. How about we take im with to meet Crym. Tha should be ok right?

Kinnaka:

If you are wishing it to be so.

Kentaro turns back to Seth:

Actually, I forgo’ that we already have an appointment. We’d still like ya ter come meet us there. How’s The circus at noon?

Seth: The Circus? Ye do have expensive tastes, don’tcha? Ok, long as it’s clearly understood that yer buying, count me in!

Kentaro:

Aye. Tha’s a treat innit?

Seth:

Just being clear. ... So, we done here?

Kentaro:

You got anythin else Kinnaka?

Kinnaka:

I am finished

Kentaro:
Tha’s all we’ve got fer ya. Thanks fer yer time. Noon at the Circus.

Seth:

Excellent! In that case, I’ll have to get back to staring out at the countryside to make sure it don’t attack the city. ... I get off at noon. I’ll be about 10 minutes getting there, but get there I will.

As they leave, Kinnaka turns to Kentaro:

We wirr need to find a good source if information in Hardy if we cannot find her here. I am thinking we need to be knowing if she has left the town and where she has been going. We am not knowing if she left for Hardby or perhaps somezhing else has been happening to her.

Kentaro:

Alrigh, so yer sayin we should look fer her here before lunch?

Kinnaka:

I am thinking that Crym will have been finding servants for us to tark to identified. Once we are having zhat informaiton we can be tarking to them.

Kentaro:

Alrigh…wot ya want ter do in the mean time? See where she stayed while she was ‘ere. They say she lived it up.

Kinnaka:

If you know who we shourd be asking, I am very good with zhat.

Kentaro:

No…not really. Wanna check the nicer part o the town and ask around? Probly won’t be makin a lot o progress before lunch though.

Kinnaka:

If we are warking too far, we may not be making our way back to Circus in time. Perhaps just tarking to guards about who has been seeing her reaving.

Kentaro:

Alrigh. Let’s start askin that. Wot gate do ya think sheda left from?

Kinnaka:

Werr zhe Lord Mayor’s Gate is zhe onry gate I know about inside zhe …. umm .. what Crym carr it … zhe White Gate of Tusk? We not have time to get to ozher gates in this section.

Kentaro:

I thin we can make it. Worth a shot anyway. [He laughs.] Besides…we’er field agents for Dame Permas. We can be late all we want eh?

Kinnaka:

It is being rude to be rate. But, zhat is forever, ret us go.

The two head to the Ivory Tower, where they speak to the Constable in charge of the gate.

Kinnaka bows slightly:

Ohayou. I hope zhe day is finding you werr.

Constable:

As well as may be. Constable Winstell, Agent. And you?

Kinnaka:

Ah, sumimasen, Constabre. Kinnaka. And this Kentalo.

Constable:

Well, met. And now, what can I do fer ye this morning, Agent Kinnaka?

Kinnaka:

I am rooking for a Dame Hakkima, recentry of Greyhawk. I am rooking for guards who may have seen her reave zhis area of town, what you call it? I am hoping you might ask your guards and pass word to next shift man to ask his as werr. We zhink she reft rate February, maybe as rate as sery earry March.

Constable:

Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll pass th’ word. ... When are you lookin’ fer an answer and where can I get it to ye?

Kinnaka:

Prease send message to Sirver Spoon. Zhe sooner we have information, zhe better Dame Permas wirr be feering about zhis.

Constable:

Hah! I’ll keep that uppermost in me mind, I will. I’ll send word. Should be able t’ come up with something this evenin’.

Kentaro:

Yeh got a way ter communicate that ter the other gates that doesn’t interfear with your daily duties?

Constable:

Yeah, I send a lad ‘round t’ speak t’ the other Constables. Nothin’ could be easier.

Kinnaka:

Arigato. If you are in zhe way of needing expenses, I am sure zhat zhe Rady wourd arrow me to pay for zhat. If zhat is being a herp.

Constable Winstell suddenly looses his good humor:

Now, Agent … Kinnaka was it? ... that sounds suspiciously like yer offerin’ me a bribe, which ye don’t have t’ do. It’s me job.

Kentaro:

Oh no … he’s an elf ya see. He’s just doesn’t have much concept o money. He doesn’t mean ter bribe ya

Kinnaka:

Shitsurei shimasu. I humbry aporogize, I meant no disrespect. As you may be noticing, I am not human and am irr understood your customs. I merery am offering to pay expenses. Is that not in my normar activities? If zhat being bribe I am sorry.

The Constable looks from one to the other:

Look, mates – lotsa folks might not see it this way, but way I see it, we’re on th’ same team. We have t’ resort t’ bribin’ each other t’ get our jobs done, we got serious issues.

Kinnaka:

I am agreeing wizh you. Where I am from, we have not zhis concept, but we do ensure zhat one’s job is easier to do, when we have zhe abirity to do so. I zhank you for zhe advice and wirr rearn from it, honoring you and your ancestors. [He bows.]

Constable Winstell looks momentarily confused, then attempts to imitate Kinnaka’s bow, which to Kinnaka’s eyes looks exceedingly awkward:

Yeah, you too, Agent.

Kinnaka:

May your day be easy and your burdens right.

Kinnaka turns and leaves. Constable Winstell stares in the direction they left long after they have passed out of sight until the sudden flurry of activity surrounding a beggar attempting to pass undetected through the Ivory Tower gate recalls him to his senses. When the beggar is dealt with, he dispatches a runner to the other towers, to begin collecting the information Kinnaka requested.

As they leave the Ivory Tower gate, the fact that it is still well before 11:00 prompts Kinnaka to suggest they follow his earlier plan of seeing the city, and the two are soon wandering back down the Lord Mayor’s Promenade at a much more leisurely pace than before, paying particular attention to the Low Market and a few of the more promising side streets. Kentaro is enjoying himself hugely, and even Kinnaka finds enough of artistic interest to offset the fact that he must stay inside this ungodly ugly heap of stone. Both are so engaged in their individual pursuits that they are surprised when the town bells ring 12 bells. Kinnaka is chagrined to realize that they are definitely going to be late for lunch.

Again with the help of random people on the street, Kinnaka and Kentaro find the Circus, which turns out to be a high-end pub. A serving man meets them at the door. He glances askance at their travel-worn clothing, mentally calculating their ability to pay, but says nothing. Upon hearing that they are looking for Crym, he visibly relaxes and takes them to a quiet table in a private room. Kinnaka introduces Kentaro to Crym, then, while their lunch is being prepared, sits back and watches the way Crym works. He quickly figures out that she is nothing short of a magician with words. She never openly asks a question, but phrases her short, staccato sentences in such a way as to make the person she is speaking to give more information with each utterance. He catches himself mentally patting himself on the back, glad that he is not being “interrogated”, then belatedly remembers this morning’s walk and admonishes himself to be more careful around her in the future.

Partway through Crym’s conversation with Kentaro, Seth arrives, and a three-way conversation ensues, with Crym now collecting information off both Kentaro and Seth in turn. From Seth, Crym finds out that Dame Hakkima’s family has been involved in Hardby politics for at least three generations, with one Mayor, two council members, and a number of important functionaries amongst their number. Dame Hakkima, herself really does nothing, but then, she doesn’t need to. Her family is very rich, having made their fortune in the shipbuilding trade, though what she did to be made Baronet is beyond Seth.

Before Seth leaves, he drops off a a list of properties—one owned by Dame Hakkima in Hardby, and a number of others that belong to various members of her family. These latter are scattered amongst most of the major and minor towns on the County’s southern shore. He also leaves a promise to get back to the others with news from his fellow guardsmen regarding whether any have seen her leave Greyhawk.

Once Seth had made his farewells and expresses his appreciation to Kentaro for a magnificent lunch, Crym reports that she found the cook that worked for Dame Hakkima while she was living in Greyhawk. She wasn’t sure what her boss’s plans actually were – the Baronet never confides in her hired help – but several servants overheard her say that while she liked Greyhawk tremendously, she wanted to get back to Hardby as quickly as possible, so she assumes that’s where she went.

Crym also reports that she made some inquiries about Dame Hakkima’s new post, and found that the official seat of the Baronetcy is at Greysmere, though as far as anyone who Crym spoke to knows, she’s never yet actually traveled there.

Kinnaka tells Crym that he is interested in talking to some of Hakkima’s friends who may have talked to her before she left; the closer the friends, the better. Crym responds that she will be happy to set something up – or even better, she’ll get them an invitation to one of their parties.

Kinnaka thanks her and mentions that if they are to be visiting Greyhawk’s elite, he will need some pointers on Greyhawk etiquette. Crym is more than happy to oblige, and spends the afternoon with Kinnaka, showing him the way things are done. While they are so engaged, Kentaro returns to the stable to finish the task Kinnaka interrupted earlier. When he finishes with that, he peeks back into the common room, and finding Kinnaka and Crym still occupied and the hour still too early for supper, he decides to investigate the immediate neighborhood, and stumbles across a small pub called the Kettle and Thrush not too far from the Silver Spoon. He stops in to exchange a few words with the barkeep and manages to negotiate the trade of a few bits for a pint of ale. By the time he has finished with a few pints, the clock is approaching 4 bells, so he figures it’s got to be safe to return to the Spoon by now.

He is just reaching for the door handle to enter the Silver Spoon when he notices movement out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head and finds two Greyhawk Guardsmen in full uniform. One of them addresses the half-giant.

Guardsman:

Oi, you Kinnaka?

Kentaro:

Me? Nah. Work with ‘im tho.

Guardsman:

Great. Ye know where we kin find ‘im?

Kentaro:

Tha depends on why yer lookin fer him. Whatcha need?

Guardsman:

We’ve a message fer ‘im. Constable Winstell sent us.

Kentaro:

Well why didn’tcha say so? He should be in ‘ere. Come on in wit me.

The guardsman shrugs and follows:

Just did say so.

Kentaro ignores him and enters the Spoon’s common room, where he can see that Kinnaka is still talking with Crym, but it is fairly obvious that the lesson has ended for now. Crym is laughing, and Kinnaka has a strange look on his face and a small pile of round, blue objects in front of him.

Kentaro addresses himself to the elf:

All right Kinnaka?

Kinnaka [with a sour face]:

The preasures of the Periannath are quite beyond me. I am finding zhis not so nice, much to zhe preasure of my esteemed company.

Crym:

But everyone loves Klatalas! Everyone! Well, until now. You should see your face, Kinnaka. You should see it!

Kinnaka:

Ahem … and zhese men are ….

Kentaro:

O yea. I almost forgot. Kinnaka, these men want ter pass you a message from the constable.

The taller guardsman introduces himself as Pharndich, and his partner as Jestrip. He reports that the two of them were working the Yellow Tower, which leads from the Ivory Tower to the Port about two weeks ago. In the early morning hours, a white carriage with gold trip took Dame Hakkima and two servants to the Port. The carriage returned a short time later, with no passengers. Crym states that since the carriage bore no arms, and given that Dame Hakkima was only in the city for a short time, it was likely a rental owned by a man named Grimman.

Pharndich suggests that if they are looking for a boat, they should ask at the Port Authority, the organization that monitors the Port and logs all the boats in and out. It’s run by a woman named Tessa. Kinnaka thanks them, and Kintaro dismisses them.

What follows is a short discussion about their next move, which will Kinnaka decides should be a visit to Grimman in the morning. Crym advises Kinnaka take is slow with Grimman, who is, she says, “clean, but proud.” Kinnaka thanks her, and they agree to take the rest of the day off, and meet first thing in the morning. That being the case, Crym bids them farewell, and heads off to wherever it s that she goes in the evenings. Kinnaka and Kentaro spend a little time talking, then have supper and another wander around town, where they notice that the buildings and roads immediately adjacent to the Lord Mayor’s Promenade are actually starting to look familiar. Kentaro is happy about the realization; Kinnaka simply thinks that he’d like to get out of the city as soon as possible.

The thought puts Kinnaka, who had actually been in a very good mood all day, in a much more morose mood—so much so that Kentaro is actually glad when the elf retires to his room early. The common room seems much jollier after he leaves, and Kentaro finds himself having a very good time. Unfortunately, since he has an early morning, it is over for him all too soon, before he, too, heads up to his room and bids the day farewell.

01 Mar

02 Mar

03 Mar

It is perhaps half an hour after lunch. Kentaro and Kinnaka are riding slowly, an extra large lunch sitting heavily in their stomachs. Neither particularly wanted the third portion of stew, but it was so good, and the aged patriarch of the Flying Pennant was so jolly, the atmosphere of the pub so welcoming, that neither felt rushed to get back on the road. Now, both are feeling the effects of too much food and too little entertainment, and they ride lazily, only half paying attention to their situation.

Both instantly spring into full wakefulness as a crossbow bolt speeds forth from a cluster of bushes near the side of the road and embeds itself, quivering, into a tree on the far side of the road. A dozen men armed with crossbows suddenly appear on both sides of the road, along with one who is not apparently armed. This man speaks, his voice clear and pleasant, his manner friendly and relaxed. His speech is obviously often used, or at least well rehearsed.

Highwayman:

Good afternoon, Gents. Please don’t reach for any weapons or attempt to remove yourselves from your horses or your horses from the immediate area. Just sit quietly and this will all be over before you know it. We have no wish to hurt you, but rest assured, my comrades are expert shots, and will not hesitate to use their weapons if they feel their lives or their livelihood threatened in any way.

Kentaro:

Wots da meanin o dis?

Highwayman:

Ah, we are collecting for … let’s call it a local charity. What I would dearly love for you to do is to drop your purses on the ground. Please do so slowly, and please give generously. You see, I did have a man at the Flying Pennant, so I know how full your purses really are. Your munificence will aid many in need.

Kinnaka:

I so solly. I am having no money. Dame Permas is having money on me, but that money is not mine to give. I am being sure you understand?

The highwayman smiles broadly:

No, no, I understand perfectly. And if it were up to me, obviously I’d have no problem letting you take … ah, Dame Permas’s money elsewhere. Sadly, however, it’s not up to me. So if you’d please, we’d like to have Dame Permas’s money now, and end this in a friendly and blood-free manor.

Kinnaka:

If I am understanding this Country laws correctly, before I am to be giving you anything, I will be needing a receipt and knowing the name of the benefactor of Dame Permas’ generosity.

Highwayman:

Yes, quite right, too. Now drop the bags and I’ll get started on the receipt straight away. ... I’d not take too long about it though. My colleagues aren’t as social as I am, and might start getting antsy about staying so long away from their good deeds.

True to the highwayman’s words, there is a general rustling amongst the speaker’s colleagues. Kentaro slowly reaches for his purse, and as he drops it to the ground, he feels himself starting to get tense, which he notices seems to happen frequently when Kinnaka interacts with humans.

Kentaro:

Kinnaka…he’s a thief. He can call it wot he wants but he is a theif. He works fer a theif and the steals like a thief. We go no choice anyway.

The highwayman smiles: That’s right. There’s a good lad. ... A good, and very large, lad!

Kinnaka looks aghast:

Rearry? Your ways are as foreign to me as an erk in zhe sun-drenched desert.

Kinnaka slowly goes for his purse and lets it slip through his fingers to the ground by his horse’s feet. … Oh, so sorry. I not too … um … how you say? good wirth my fingers.

Highwayman:

Excellent! Now, if you’ll just be about your business, I’ll have my men clean up that untidy mess you’ve left behind. Oh, and about that receipt, I’l have that ready for you soon. You can pick it up in about an hour. For now … [He does a sweeping theatrical bow.] … good day, gents. It’s been a real pleasure.

The two spur their horses on, though whereas the elf moves off unflustered, the giant grumbles, frequently bringing up the incident. Kinnaka is confused by his attitude, pointing out that they are only coins, after all. People have been giving them coins for a while now. There always seem to be more of them. To placate his irritated partner, he promises to report it when they arrive at the next town.

This they do, though neither is under any illusions that anything will be done about it. The local constable is overworked, and the highwaymen are far away. It just isn’t high on his priority list. On the positive side, however, the rest of the day passes without incident, though the pair must now resort to sleeping rough, as the few coins they have left after the robbery are sufficient to provide food, but lodging is out of the question.

04 Mar

05 Mar

06 Mar

The evening sun is a mere hour from setting on the 6th of March when Kinnaka and Kentaro, riding through a series of cultivated, but as-yet unplanted fields, when they first catch sight of the 30-foot high walls of Greyhawk. They are obviously white, but have been darkened by their own shadow as the sun drops ever lower beyond them. Kinnaka is ambivalent, but Kentaro cannot hide his disappointment. It is a widely held belief that one’s first glimpse of the “shining white walls of the Jewel of the Flanaess” is a sight one never forgets.

Kentaro:

Bunch o lies they are. I though it’d be nicer than this!

Kinnaka shudders at the sight of the huge pile of stone:

Nicer? High warrs are a monstrosity not befitting an eregant city of man. But I forget how warfur man is. I suppose he needs them in his war against nature.

Kentaro:

Nature? Nah. More against each other is more like it. Elves don’t fight much?

Kinnaka:

Not often. It is horribre when we do. Much ross of rives. We have not many chirdren, so zhe mothers are crying much. My cran stays in forest, not wars for us in many years.

As Kentaro remains silent trying to imagine such a way of life, Kinnaka starts slowly singing the most melancholy song that Kentaro has ever heard. He does not understand the words, but the oddly sweet, yet discordant notes send daggers directly into his soul. He is not the only one so affected; the first gasping breath of a nearby child beginning to weep shakes Kinnaka out of his melancholy. The realization that for the first time in days they are not alone causes him to quickly fall silent.

Kentaro mutters:

Ya know, I’ll bet you can depress a bride on her weddin day.

Kinnaka ripostes, equally quietly:

I wourd not have a bride. It is being not fair to her.

Kentaro seems stunned by this intelligence, but in the sudden silence also seems to become aware of their fellow travelers for the first time. They now share the road with an increasing amount of foot, animal, and cart traffic. That traffic increases in scope in direct proportion to their steady decrease in speed as they approach the gate. The extra time gives Kentaro a chance to take in the sheer size of the city, which increases with each step. He instantly revises his previous estimation: the Greyhawk is much larger and more magnificent than any human city he has ever seen – easily a quarter larger than Dyvers. The walls are fully half a mile in length and are festooned with multi-colored banners, alternately of yellow and black, and yellow and blue, billowing from the parapets that top the walls at 10-foot intervals. At the northern end of the massive enclosure, a stunning castle easily twice the height of the walls appears even taller because of the rise upon which it is built.

For his part, Kinnaka finds himself fascinated instead by a series of isolated vignettes. An elven couple with a small baby traveling in a small two-wheeled cart. A complex web woven by a large yellow and green field spider. The play of sunlight and shadows on the path. The complex pattern hand-sewn into the back and shoulders of a tinker’s jacket. The awesome majesty of Greyhawk in all its splendor is completely insufficient to distract the elf’s attention from these tiny wonders, each of which in his opinion far superior to the ugly heap of stone that grows larger by the step. He is fascinated by Greyhawk, however, if only for the promise of the million tiny wonders it holds confined within its cold stone walls.

Eventually, of course, they do reach the gate, Kentaro staring open-mouthed at the expanse of buildings visible through the open gateway, Kinnaka staring open-eyed at a wonderfully carved lintel in the entryway to a small shop nearby. After only a few cursory questions, the guards pass them in.

As Kinnaka is about to pass through, he stops and asks the gate guard for directions to the Lord Mayor’s Gate. The guard readily gives him directions that are clear and easy to follow, but then informs him that visitors are only rarely allowed inside after dark. They’ll be better served to find lodging for the night and try their luck in the morning.

Kinnaka:

Arigato.

Guard:

You’re welcome. [Then, at Kinaka’s surprised look, he laughs.] No, I don’t speak the language, but you do this job long enough, you pick up a few bits and pieces.

Kinnaka:

Hai. One so knowredgeabre might be abre to terr me if it is considered rude to ask for rodging at the gate at such a late hour.

Kentaro:

Kinnaka, we got no money. We hav’ to attempt ter see her today.

Kinnaka:

I word not insurt our hosts.

Guard:

Rude? No, not rude. Can’t hurt to ask, eh? Most of those in charge tend not to be there late though.

Kinnaka:

Arigato. Arigato.

The guard smiles again:

Good luck, my friend.

The two giants find the guard’s directions very easy to follow, and soon find themselves before the Ivory Tower gate, the gate that passes through the wall that divides the Hub – Greyhawk’s business district – from the Ivory Tower – the rich area. They are held briefly, but are passed through without difficulty. The senior guard advises them to stay on the main road, the Lord Mayor’s Promenade. It will lead them directly to the gate they are looking for. Kinnaka and Kentaro thank him and resume their walk.

They road continues for two blocks, then skirts along a market, after which it begins a rapid rise toward another wall and another gate. Kentaro and Kinnaka present themselves at this gate, which leads to the Lord Mayor’s Compound. When challenged by the guards, they hand over the letters Tirask gave them back in Fort Leman. The guard looks at the letters briefly, then summons the Constable, who glances down, tells the pair to wait here, and disappears through a door. They spend the 20 minutes until the Constable returns looking back down the ramp that leads up here and at the city beyond.

Their height allows them to see clear across the city, from the Port to the west to the Dregs to the south, and all areas in between. Simply stated, the view is spectacular whether you’re admiring the buildings or the early evening mist rising off the Selintan river. It seems all too soon when a man in full Order of the Ram regalia arrives and introduces himself as Sir Varristan, Knight of the Order of the Ram, 3rd Class. He is here to escort Kentaro and Kinnaka in to see Dame Permas.

Sir Varristan leads them across the courtyard beyond the wall. Kentaro and Kinnaka are both disappointed that they bypass the ornate doors that obviously serve as the primary entrance to the soaring castle that serves as the Lord Mayor’s office, public rooms, and residence.. Kentaro is disappointed because he’d love so see the halls of power that people of his mixed race so rarely see. Kinnaka because he would like to see the carvings more closely. They really are exquisite. But it’s not to be; the small group head instead to a smaller structure attached at the left side of the castle proper.

The knight leads them to an unassuming wooden door just beyond the junction of the small building and the main castle. Inside and to the right, a steep wooden staircase winds upwards and a hallway leads straight ahead, doors on both sides. Sir Varristan stops at the first door on the left and opens it without knocking. The trio enters to find themselves in a very well decorated ante-room, fastidiously tidy and scrupulously clean. A tiny, very pretty, but tired-looking woman sits at a desk near the only other door in the room. Sir Varristan reports that Kentaro and Kinnaka are here to see Dame Permas, then excuses himself and disappears back out the main door. The small woman thanks him. She asks the other two to sit, then turns and knocks lightly on the other door before opening it and heading in immediately. She closes it behind herself.

She is only gone for a few seconds before she returns and tells the others that they may enter. Dame Permas can see them now.

The pair enters the office, which is airy, very large, and very neat and clean. The woman herself sits behind an oversized desk, but she comes out from behind it to shake both their hands. After welcoming them, she waves them to a sitting area and asks them to sit. Kentaro chooses to occupy most of a large sofa, while Kinnaka picks an overstuffed easy chair. Dame Permas takes the pair of Kinnaka’s chair, and introduces herself.

Over the next 15 minutes, she quickly and without bragging or (apparently) exaggerating, provides a short biography of herself, and elicits the same from the two men. After getting to know them, she turns the topic of conversation to the general reason that they are here, and specifically introducing their task of the moment.

The highlights of that conversation are as follows:

1. Her past:
   1. She was born in Greyhawk; her parents are still alive, but she has no brothers or sisters
   2. She became a guardsman when she turned 16
   3. She was promoted to constable at 22
   4. She was a newly promoted chief constable four years later when she was first knighted by Lord Mayor Halverine for her role in breaking up a plot to kill the Lord Mayor
   5. For the past 7 years she has served as a senior investigator in high profile cases; then as a supervisor of similar investigations; in both roles she had a very good conviction rate
   6. Only a month ago, she was informed of the new Order of the Ram and her promotion into the second class of that Order. The order came with a promotion to the Vice Chancellor-hood of the County of Greyhawk.
1. She works directly for Lord Tar, the Lord Chancellor, formerly a Knight of the Ram, 2nd Class and Captain of Tar’s Company. His rise has been even more meteoric than her own
2. Their recruitment:
3. The Chancellery is responsible for all peacekeeping in the County; her job is a continuation of her old KR-4 duties
4. Kinnaka and Kentaro’s actions and success level caught the eye of Dainel, who bragged to anyone who would listen about his “dream team”
5. All the new Barons and Baronets have been requested to stay on the lookout for exceptional people to promote into the Chancellery, which is basically a sort of high-powered County-level guard force
6. Sir Miles, the new Baronet in Olmarr Province has passed Kentaro and Kinnaka’s name as candidates; Dame Permas plans to use them in a “fetch and recover” role – their job will primarily be to find high profile criminals and bring them in for prosecution
1. If they do well, other roles are possible
2. Their current job:
3. The sudden change from Duchy to County has left many current border areas in want of proper peacekeeping; leadership is urgently required in those regions
4. The Count has appointed the leadership down to the Baronet level, but Sheriffs and Masters-at-Arms will be another 2-5 months before they are even nominated, an probably another month after that before they are on station. Then there will be a “lag period” until they have their organizations up and running smoothly. Bottom line – it could be up to a year before they can truly rein in this threat, and in the meantime, the bad guys practically have carte blanche to do what they will
5. The Count has ordered the Baronets to do everything possible to stabilize the situation. Things are moving well in three Provinces, but in Stythe Province, the Baronet has not yet done anything. The Count wants her in Ryell Pass immediately, to be more closely involved in the transition
6. The woman in question is Dame Hakkima, Bt. Until recently she lived in Hardby. She arrived in Greyhawk in late December 1211 or early January 1212.
7. In January, she was invested by Count Aphic. For six weeks afterward, she lived a high-profile lifestyle in Greyhawk and after that, she disappeared
8. Her new official seat is in Greysmere, though she has no other known connection with that location
9. K&K need to find her and convince her to go to Ryell Pass – without using violence. That might not be easy. Ryell Pass is known as a quiet provincial backwater, and the new Baronet is a high society person by breeding and inclination
10. When she does go, they are to go with her to ensure her safety

1. Should the men find it impossible to convince her, they are to give her this – “this” being a blue envelope, sealed with the Count’s seal. One week later, if she still has not made it clear that she intends to head to Ryell Pass in the very near future, they are to present her with a second envelope – this one red. Dame Permas doesn’t know the contents of the envelopes, but she can guess…

Kinnaka thinks deeply:

I am wondering Dame Permas, what two strangers courd say to a Greyhawk nobre zhat wourd convince her to reave?

Dame Permas:

Well, perhaps she isn’t clear on exactly how badly the Count wants her in place, or even THAT he wants her in place. It may be that simply informing her of the fact, combiined with your official credentials may serve to convince her. If not, perhaps appealing to her social conscience might help. Much will depend on the true situation and the Dame’s feelings about that situation.
Kentaro:

Can we hav a physical description of dis a Dame Hakkima. Might be helpful in pickin her out o where ever she may be

Dame Permas:

That will not be a problem. I’ll see that you get one.

Kinnaka:

Officiar credentiars?

Dame Permas:

Yes, I’ll have them ready for you tomorrow. I wasn’t exactly sure when you’d arrive, and wasn’t expecting you or a few days yet. I’ll make sure you receive them first thing in the morning. Where are you staying?

Kentaro:

Well er…ah..ya see, we were robbed and we hav no money at the moment. I suppose we’ll jus be outside o town in our tents. Right Kinnak?

Kinnaka speaks at the same time:

We haven’t estabrished a prace to stay yet.

Dame Permas doesn’t appear to have heard Kinnaka. She is silent for a short while. When she finally speaks, it is through clenched lips:

Now that will never do. MY men are robbed in my own jurisdiction? No, no, no, no, no. That simply is not permissible. I will see to that. As soon as we finish here, you are to give a full report to my secretary. She’ll see that those responsible are heartily punished. ... This will not happen again, gentlemen. I will not have my organization made into a laughing stock. Hell if we cannot protect our own personnel, how can we be expected to protect the populace! ... Damnation!

She stops, and sits thinking silently. Kinnaka bows his head and says “Hai!” Kentaro mutters to Kinnaka, “Guess I shouldn’ta told her that.” Dame Permas seems oblivious to both these statements. Eventually, however, she stands.

Dame Permas:

Wait here.

Kinnaka immediately stands and bows again, repeating, “Hai!” while his new boss stalks to the door and flings it open, then says something inaudible to the secretary, though the vitriol in her voice comes through quite clearly to those inside. She then returns and addresses herself to K&K.

Dame Permas:

I will see to it that you have your credentials before you leave this office tonight. I will also provide you with money to carry out your mission. You will have the option of staying inside the castle tonight, or staying downtown, either in an inn we have on retainer, or at one you select yourself, or stay where you will. You will, however, be recognizable to those in town. They will know you work for me. You should have no trouble in Greyhawk. Outside these walls, knowledge of our organization or its regalia has not proliferated very far, I’m afraid. I aim to change that – and quickly.

Kinnaka:

Hai. Oyurishi kudasai I am wondering if you are having a guide for us avairabre?

Dame Permas seems to relax:

Oh yes. I have just the person for you. Her name’s Crym. You’ll like her.

Kentaro:

Sorry ter trouble yer…a you about this Dame Permas.

Dame Permas:

Yes?

Kinnaka looks at Kentaro an eyebrow raised. Kentaro either doesn’t notice him, or ignores the gesture.

Kentaro:

No no…I meant, sorry bout bringing up the robbery.

As Kentaro starts to turn red, Dame Permas responds:

No, that’s no trouble. That exactly the sort of thing I need to know about. Immediately.

Kentaro:

Well we apprecaite you takin care of us. We’ll do our best, o course, not that we wouldn’t ave anyway, jus that your …ah…

Kinnaka:

Hai.

Dame Permas:

Hmm. Quite. ... I’ll just check on the arrangements.

As she goes back to the outside office, Kinnaka turns to Kentaro:

You have a preference for sreeping arrangements, no?

Kentaro:

No. I got no preference. Jus … ya know … thought she’d ask us to send word when we got there … and we weren’t gonna actually be there.

Kinnaka:

I know not zhe town. We wait for zhis Crym, I guess.

Kentaro:

Ya I surpose

When Dame Permas returns, a small old man shuffles in behind her. She introduces him as Divlea, a mage. He is here to perform a small spell. Dame Permas asks them each to hold out one of their hands.

Both hold out their hands, and Divlea announces that he is ready to begin. He closes his eyes and begins to chant and wave his arms. After about 30 seconds of this, he stops suddenly and grabs a pot of some sweet-smelling paste. He smears a small amount of this paste on each person’s palm, then sticks a small (2”x3”) bone plaque imprinted with a red, black and grey seal into the paste. He begins chanting again, and the room begins to grow cold and fill with a fine mist, which begins to grow thicker.

Dame Permas:

Divlea, what did I tell you? No theatrics. Just the spell, please.

The mage is visibly annoyed, but with a quick swipe of his hands, the mist clears and the temperature returns to normal. He then tosses some sort of sandy material on their hands, which apparently causes a rune to glow on each plaque. He then raises his voice and practically shouts the final few words, at which a puff of blue smoke rises from each plaque and the runes disappear.

Dame Permas:

Thank you, Divlea. You may go. [After the man shuffles out, she turns back to Kinnaka and Kentaro and shrugs.] Divlea really is a most excellent mage. His weakness is that he is given to showmanship.

She goes on to tell them that the plaques bear the recently approved official seal of the Office of the Lord Chancellor. It will serve as their professional identification, and has been ensorcelled to provide a means for them to obtain money to pay for daily necessities and small items on the road. They need merely present them at any money lender or exchanger, and they will give the men up to 10 pennies per day.

She cautions them that every time they use the card, the amount owed will be registered by one of the Count’s people. Excessive use WILL result in the card being turned off. If they lose the card, they will have to return to Greyhawk to have it replaced, but don’t need to worry about the lost card. It won’t work for anyone except them.

She then hands each a small medal that can be worn on chest. The ribbon is also red, black, and grey, and has a starburst medallion. This medal identifies them to those who recognize the medal. Currently, that is basically limited to those inside the City of Greyhawk (and not even all of them), but shortly, word will spread, first to the most senior personnel, then to the peacekeeping organizations, and ultimately to the people. She doesn’t know how long this will take, but it is her stated intention that the timeframe will be as short as possible.

Kinnaka asks politely what their responsibilities and powers are to be. Dame Permas looks stunned that they have not been informed already, but the look is short-lived. She launches into an obviously well-rehearsed outline of the Chancellery as a whole, followed by the Lord Chancellor’s and her own responsibilities. Beneath her are Special Agents, who are the intermediaries between herself and the Field Agents, which is what Kinnaka and Kentaro are. Well, they are provisional Field Agents. If they work out well, they will be brought on as full-fledged Field Agents.

Field Agents can arrest people and have them arrested and held in the name of the Chancellor. To do so, however, they must have evidence. They may not arrest people because they MIGHT be guilty. After a few more minutes of discussion of what they can and can’t do, Kinnaka asks if it would be possible to find a tutor to help them understand the human Greyhawk laws. Dame Permas replies that she will assign someone to teach them.

She also tells them that Crym is not currently available, but if they have no further questions, she will have someone sent for to show them to their lodging for the night. Crym will find them there first thing in the morning. Kinnaka thanks her, bows his head fairly low and backs out of the room. Kentaro follows much less formally. Dame Permas brings up the rear.

Back in the anteroom, they find a young man sitting chatting with the secretary. On seeing the others enter, they immediately break off their conversation and stand. Dame Permas orders the young man (Vinnim) to escort the Agents to the Silver Spoon and to see that their needs are met for the night.

Vinnim nods and opens the door for Kentaro and Kinnaka. He leads them directly down the Lord Mayor’s Promenade, back through the Hub Gate, and to an inn just off the main road. This is the Silver Spoon.

Once checked into their rooms (two rooms across from one another on the top floor), Kinnaka requests a bath, followed by a meal. Kentaro requests a meal alone, followed by another meal with Kinnaka when he’s ready. Afterward, neither really feels up to wandering the town, and retire to their rooms, Kentaro to get a good night’s sleep, Kinnaka to sit awake late into the night and admire the carvings over the fireplace.