The word of today is…Eliskinder

See Also: Bardic Knowledge

The plan to smoke out Eliskinder is very simple. Sofiya will disguise herself as a prostitute and work the room of the Black Shark Tavern, while Brizanthimus enters the tavern later to surreptitiously scout the tavern and get any information that Sofiya will have gathered during her time there. Ludwig and Xarth would wait at a tavern down the wharf for Briz to return with information. There are two men working behind the bar, a pair of prostitutes, and about dozen men scattered about the room. Four of the men are playing a card game in the corner, Briz thinks about joining them but their body language indicates that strangers are not welcome.

Briz goes to the bar and talks with the barkeeper about any work to be found around her. While the barkeep is distracted by Briz, Sofiya attempts to slip into the door behind the bar. She is spotted and the barkeep grabs her by the hair and throws her over the bar. Sofiya lets her anger get the better of her and she leaps upon the bar and acts like an idiot. The barkeep, having enough of her idiocy, knocks her unconscious with a sharp blow to the stomach. Briz can hear the wind escaping Sofiya as she doubles over and drops off the bar. The barkeep then returns to speaking with Briz; although he seems far more cautious after this encounter with Sofiya.

Briz still manages to impress the barkeep enough with a bit of magic to get an introduction with the men playing cards. Briz walks over and after a short conversation with a red-haired man named Brandt he is told to come back later and there will be a job for him. Unfortunately Xarth got impatient and decided to go to the tavern and see what was happening. He finds Briz sitting at a table by himself with a pair of drinks, so he goes up to him and downs one of the tankards. Briz, who had been building his reputation as a man not to be messed with seethes inside at his friend’s stupidity, stands up and casts a spell upon Xarth. Everyone in the bar sees Xarth's body wrapped in flames; although Xarth knows that it is nothing but an illusion, still he has to react and does so by screaming in pain and running out of the tavern until he finally stumbles and falls into the bay.

Sofiya, who had been drug outside by the barkeep's assistant, regains consciousness just in time to see a fiery Xarth jump into the bay. She staggers forward to help him, eventually intercepted by Ludwig who was waiting nearby. They both look for Xarth, but finds no sign of him in the water, meanwhile Xarth uses this opportunity to swim under tavern and check for trap doors. He does not find any obvious entrances, but he does notice several loose boards. Eventually he comes up on the other side of a nearby dock where he meets up with Sofiya and Ludwig. They decide to go to a nearby tavern and await an until Briz's “job” begins.

The barkeep clears out the bar of everyone except those waiting for the job. Over the next hour about a dozen other men until the barkeep bars the door indicating that everyone has arrived. Eventually Brandt comes out from behind the door with Irene, the baker’s girl who asked for their help in the market. She nods her head indicating that she recognizes Briz, who just now realizes that he is in trouble. It seems that Brandt has been having Irene finding strangers in the market and directing them here looking for Eliskinder, Brandt then captures them and sells them into slavery for a tidy profit. Brandt really is holding Ticho, Irene’s father, hostage to ensure that she does what she is told to do.

Down the wharf the men who were kicked out of the Black Shark eventually reach the tavern where Sofiya, Xarth, and Ludwig are waiting. When they over hear the men talking about something going down at the Shark they know it is time to get into position around the Shark. Sofiya covers the far side, Ludwig the near, while Xarth covers the front door. Ludwig manages to find a gap between boards and looks into the Shark to see what is happening. During this time Briz, who opposed getting sold into slavery, has kept the thugs away with his magic. Finally Brandt has enough of Briz's foolishness and orders Thorin, the barkeep, to capture him. Ludwig gives the signal for everyone to get inside and help Briz.

Xarth puts his hand against the door and transforms it into a wooden shield, which immediately causes everyone inside the tavern to turn and look at him. There is a brief pause then the battle is fully joined. Xarth moves to protect Briz, who is casts a seeming that the roof is on fire and collapsing down. The thugs scatter, but are forced back to attacking Xarth by Brandt and Thorin. Ludwig and Sofiya get inside just as Briz has been forced up an inner stair to some rooms above the bar. Xarth would help him, but he has been cornered by Thorin and some of the thugs. Ludwig charges past the melee in the common room and up the stairs to assist Briz. When everyone reaches the top Ludwig slays the four men with Brandt, who quickly offers money in exchange for his life. Ludwig accepts the thief’s money and the release of the baker he is holding, Brandt readily agrees and runs off into the night.

In the common room Xarth and Sofiya finally dispatch Thorin and the men he had with him. When Briz and Ludwig come downstairs they find Brandt’s money stash just where he said it would be and a very terrified Irene huddled in the backroom. They drag her to a temple of Mara and effectively turn he over to them. While Irene might have a choice to leave the temple, after what they told the mother superior she will keep a very tight leash upon the girl. It has been a productive as well as profitable night.