A new spy
Yesterday, our four heroes sneaked into the grounds of the Chiraque residence and successfully sent a message to Nina via a stable boy, who is now supposed to pass it on to them. However, since the meeting will not take place until today, our friends first made their way to Udo in Fichtenstein. After an entertaining evening and a slightly hungover morning, the four are now ready to leave in the backyard of Udo’s inn, saddling their horses to make their way to the agreed meeting point with Nina. The four horses trot slowly through the cold autumn air, while the sun’s rays sparkle on the frost of the wide meadows. After three hours, they leisurely reach the small turnoff to the residence. A little way off, a good twenty meters from the road, they tie up their horses and then continue on their way through the muddy Telzer Moor. They hardly have to wait at their meeting point when they hear a soft rustling. Footsteps slowly approach, and finally Nina steps out of the shadow of a large willow tree. “Hey, guys,” she greets the four cheerfully and smiles at them. “What’s up?” she asks, looking attentively at Aldric. “Um, well, we wanted to find out what’s new with you. Have you made any contacts, and what about new information?” Aldric replies. Nina happily tells them how much she enjoys her new job, as she can continue to practice her old profession—and earn significantly more than before—while also taking on a new challenge. For her, it’s like a game in which she has to get as much intimate information as possible out of her clients without being noticed. She has created a separate entry in her diary for every relevant person within the residence and for all external contacts she has met at parties or other celebrations. These are updated after each meeting and are constantly growing in size.
“That’s fantastic news,” says Löwenzahn happily. “So you’re going to continue?” asks Theo euphorically. “Sure,” Nina confirms.
The five then discuss minor details, such as payment and which location they want to use as a dead drop in the future. Afterwards, our friends say goodbye to Nina and return to their horses. “It’s great that we now have such a well-placed spy in Nina,” Aldric says happily. “Shall we go straight to Lieutenant Kampf today and tell him the news?” He receives nods of agreement, and so they head back to Fichtenstein. However, Kel, Aldric, Theo, and Löwenzahn only stop at Udo’s for a quick drink before continuing on to the harbor.
In front of the harbor office, the four tie their horses to a wooden beam and enter the building. They make their way through various crates and sacks before climbing the small staircase to Lieutenant Kampf’s office. Löwenzahn knocks cautiously on the door. Immediately, a harsh “Come in!” rings out, and they enter. Lieutenant Kampf sits behind his huge solid wood desk and looks at them in surprise. “Oh, you’re back again?” he asks defiantly, raising his eyebrows skeptically. “Of course, we only wanted to bring in the best option, not just anyone,” Aldric replies directly, looking at him expectantly. But Lieutenant Kampf does not engage in a war of words, instead leaning back in his leather chair and saying, “Then tell me what your spy can do.”
Together, the four of them report on their search for a suitable candidate, their idea with Nina, and how they have already tested her performance. “Not bad,” Lieutenant Kampf finally replies, visibly impressed. “I didn’t expect such a clever choice.” Then he adds, “You have proven yourselves to be worthy contractors. If you are interested, I have another job for you.” Our heroes look at each other eagerly and finally nod in agreement.
“All right. I have received a valuable amulet that must be delivered to my guild’s main base,” Lieutenant Kampf begins. “Since this hideout is secret, you must find a key in the former quarters on Selbinger Rock Island that will show you the way to a hiding place. There you will find an encrypted description of the location of our base. Only if you successfully complete these trials will you be able to reach our quarters alive,” Kampf continues mystically. “I have a little something to help you,” he finally concludes his story and hands Dandelion a bottle of clear liquid. “Also, this time you will be paid in advance. You can choose two of the four possible rewards: twenty shadow arrows, a pair of leather pants from the Initiative, a bomb set, or a serrated spear.”
Our friends look at each other excitedly and fall into a lively discussion about which items are the best choice. However, you won’t find out what they decide until the next Arkanthia Pen and Paper blog in two weeks.
