The most dangerous private auction

See Also Bardic Knowledge

While Brizanthimus, Xarth, and Rakul Shaleem were entangling themselves in elven affairs, Amer went to the theodovans Trading House owned by his family to speak with his uncle. Before he can speak to Tycho Terrante the shop keeper speaks to Amer privately. He tells him that things have changed since he left for the east. Cristobal Erasmus has been replaced as the head of the trading house by Girardino da Liovia, a new arrival from Theodova. Supposedly Christobol has left for Theodova, but no Erasmus ship has left in that time.

Upstairs Amer meets with his Uncle Tycho. Tycho is also involved with the vulfgrau_trading_house, except that his means are far more violent that Amer prefers. Tycho explains that on the day Girardino arrived Tycho was presented with evidence that Christobol was stolen from the Trading House. Before night fell Girardino's men took Christobol away and he has not been seen since. Tycho knows that Girardino ranks very highly in the Vulfgrau Inner Circle, but he knows little else of their “cousin”.

After a quick drink, Tycho and Amer go to Girardino's office. Girardino is a young man and greets his family warmly. He makes small talk about the family business and congratulations to Amer for his help in the east. He warns Amer not to get too attached to the people that work for him – their partners do not tolerate failure or weakness. When they are no longer useful – kill them; it is what he does to those who are no longer useful to him. He promises Amer that his continued success will be rewarded with every increasing power.

In order to test him he wants Amer to go to a very private auction. Ephesus, the Master of Tminir Tower commonly called Fog Tower, is holding an invitation only auction. Girardino gives Amer a bag of uncut gems with which to acquire the item in question. He does not care how it wins the auction, but he must bring back the object. Amer asks several times, but Girardino refuses to go into detail about the auction or even what is to be won.

After leaving the office, Amer speaks privately with his uncle. Tycho has big plans for the Terrante family. He wants to elevate them to supremacy within the city of Bornheim. He has already begun to make contact with various people in the city and believes that when the time is right he will be ready to act. Amer agrees with his uncle and although his uncle does not share who his confidants are, Amer can be patient for a bit longer.

After leaving his uncle’s office, Amer returns to Girardino's office. He demands to know what he will get out of the deal – where is his angle. At first his cousin tries to bully him down, but Amer pushes back hard. In the end Girardino laughs and praises Amer for his courage in confronting those above him. He promises Amer that with that attitude it will not be long until he has the office next to his and continues to rise among the Vulfgrau. He does move Amer out of the shared office for the lower family members into a private office adjacent to Tycho.

After securing a temporary place in Bornheim for Dobry and his brother Xarth, Briz, and Rakul return to their rooms hoping Amer has finished with his family business. Eventually Amer finishes with his family’s business and send for them. Rakul agrees to stay and watch over Dobry while the others play the obedient toadies.

Amer is rather unhappy with the entire mess and refuses to help with Dobry. There is no profit in helping the man and his brother for either his family or the Vulfgrau. When Briz and Xarth both agree to give up a portion of their own wealth Amer finally relents and says that he will look into things. Briz suggests Stonearm Clanhold as it is well-known a dwarf would go out of their way to stop an elf just on the principal of the matter.

In either case Amer has business with the Vulfgrau Trading House and takes them to his townhouse. While they are waiting in the library, he sends word to his contact – Master Friedhold, Master of the Wardrobe for Lord and Lady Liese. He wants Master Friedhold’s opinion on Briz and Xarth and if he thinks they can be trusted to know the full extent of the Vulfgrau. Master Friedhold agrees, but he stresses that Amer must get the dagger at all costs – it is very important to their goals as it will cause the downfall of a house that stands in their way.

By the end of lunch, Amer is given permission to bring Briz and Xarth into his confidence – but it will be on his head should they prove untrustworthy given that he saw that both of them are not what they appear. After Master Friedhold leaves, Amer brings them into his study and outlines the full goals of the Vulfgrau. They are seeking to either severely weaken the crown if not outright see the end of Queen Aurora. Briz and Xarth both agree to work with the Vulfgrau for their own reasons.

In thanks for their support Amer does arrange for Dobry and his brother to be sheltered by the dwarves in the Stonearm fortress.

Given the directive to get he knife to be auctioned off at any costs – they decide to get rid of any competition they can first. They only have a short period of time before the must leave for the tower or risk missing the auction.

Briz and Xarth decide to put Briz's ability to act as a magical lodestone and seek out the most powerful magicians in the city. They talk to a great deal of magicians before finally stumbling on a cabinetmaker in the Himmelward. His wife at one time served the Master of the Tower and in exchange for information about the strange ring Briz wears she will help them. Briz happily shows off the Incar and tells the woman about them. She tells them to come back in the morning and she will have something for them to use.

While Briz and Xarth are sleeping – and Rukul carousing – Amer looks to his own resources to deal with the competition. Spreading out not only some wealth, but the fear of the Terrante name in certain quarters Amer gets a lead on two people that might be involved in the auction. The first is Lord Hubbert Beck, the head of a long ennobled Dakarian house that has fallen on hard times. The second is someone rumored to have arrived aboard Kinikitys Heart, a hashan vessel that is currently anchored in the bay.

Amer arrives at the Holtenwertz estate, which is little more than a small house surrounded by a stone and iron fence, with a dozen armed men in case he has to get rough. It is after the second bell of the third tide, so all proper houses are closed up for the night. Still, Amer rings the bell until a manservant comes to investigate. The servant refuses to let Amer through the gate, nor will he fetch Lord Hubbert. A bit of coin changes his mind and soon Amer is waiting in the parlor when the Lord of Holtenwertz arrives.

A verbally sparring with the elder Lord, Amer gets to the point. He knows that the Lord has an invitation to a rare auction and would like to have the Lord give him the invitation instead. Lord Hubbert Beck does not deny it, but demands he leave his household or he shall thrash him. The auction is far too important to the Holtenwertz family to surrender it so cheaply – its power will establish the family among the strongest nobility of the kingdom.

Amer makes a counter-offer that Lord Hubbert accepts. The Terrante family has a unmarried daughter that has not yet been betrothed. He offers the marriage of the daughter to the Holtenwertz family in exchange for the invitation. With the Terrante money and the Holtenwertz lineage both families can prosper. The Lord agrees to exchange the invitation when he gets the betrothal contract.

The next morning Xarth arrives at the cabinetmaker's shop and gets the promised help. A small glass bowl inside a wooden box. The bowl is filled with water and small beads of colored glass. When brought within a few blocks of an invitation the beads will point the way. Xarth, with Briz trailing way behind, spends several hours traversing the city. He finds a really weak presence near the north gate, but a much stronger indication inside of the Temple of Luminous Kaskade.

Xarth moves around the great cathedral for nearly an hour, but he cannot determine who exactly has the invitation because so many people move in, out, and about of the cathedral. Frustrated, Briz heads towards a few acolytes and begins a religious debate that he quickly escalates into a heated discussion on the nature of the gods and those who worship them. Briz's performance eventually draws in more and more people until there is a full-blown debate roaring back and forth.

This gives Xarth the opportunity to finally see that the stones line up pointing at two priests of Karash. After asking a few questions he finds out that Fathers Ernst and Jana have recently arrived from the east and will be leaving in a day. Xarth nods to Briz, who extracts himself from a debate that looks like it will be going back and forth for quite some time.

Their last remaining lead pointed to the north. The woman had told them that its range would be farther out of the city, but Briz and Xarth were not prepared for how far. It was over two hours until they found there the stones pointed. Upstream along the Zaber River is a large village controlled by the stone cutters called Kernwerk. It is here that the stone and marble quarried to the northeast are worked before being sold in Bornheim.

Xarth and Briz walk through the walled village, but get a very distinct impression they are out of place. Clearly this is not a village where people pass through on their way to someplace else. Luckily, they manage to get a good reading that whomever has the invitation is in the large donjon that dominates the village. Briz does manage to find out that Mistress Eva runs the village after the death of the husband Lorag, who was the towns previous Master Stonemason. The guild has yet to send another Master Stonemason to run the town, which has many on edge.

With the feeling that too many people are taking unhealthy notice of them, Briz and Xarth return to Bornheim to speak with Amer.