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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 66:

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Dragon Road.

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After dozens of hours of scouring history books,
Rafe found the key

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to everything in a very old book on clothing.

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It was small and thin, and he couldn't even
remember why he had opened it.

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There was a color drawing on the cover, very
finely preserved.

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Perhaps he wanted to see more of the drawings.

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Whatever the reason, it unlocked Ness' history.

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The book was organized by rarity, and while it was
full of ornate and beautiful

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designs, the most expensive clothes were simple.

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It was why they were expensive that was important.

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The description read... "Spun from the gossamer
threads of small worms, this

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material can only be found in the forests around
Draki, far to the east

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and at the end of Dragon Road. When the Magic
Guild brought the mountain down

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and permanently blocked the road, the material,
known commonly as 'liquid

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cloth', became impossible to procure.

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As such, it is highly valued not just for its
luxurious feel,

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but its great rarity." By then, Rafe had a good
idea that the road running

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through the center of Ness, marked by broad, flat
stones, most likely

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ran west, all the way past the Outlands to a huge
expanse of water

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and a city called Callisto on its coast, and east
past the

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mountains and through a forest to a city called
DrakI.

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He also knew that there was a West Ness, which he
lived in, and an East

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Ness, which was strange and unknown.

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As far as he knew, however, there was no way
through the mountain linking the

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two cities. So, what was this road?

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It seemed impossible to carve a road through the
mountain.

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There were the mines, of course, but even carving
out soft coal was an

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arduous process. How could someone run a road
through it?

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When Rafe had looked at the dotted line on his
map, he had first assumed that

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it was a treacherous path up and over the
mountain, a path long

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destroyed by storms and landslides. Now, he had an
answer.

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A council of thieves. There was a road through the
mountain, but the Magic Guild destroyed it.

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But where? Of the three big questions that
bothered Rafe, it was the one

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he could answer. All he had to do was follow the
road into the

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mountain.

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While he was doing that, he could use the time to
ponder his other two

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unanswered questions: What happened to the Magic
Guild, and what was the

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origin of the Thieves Guild?

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There was no head of the stables yet, but the
Guild Knights overseeing the tower

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found Rafe a gentle horse that wouldn't be too
hard for him to control,

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as he wasn't very comfortable on horseback.

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The trail along the wall was smooth and without
rocks, making the trip

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fairly easy as he led the horse east along the
wall, toward the river

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and the road he knew would be waiting for him.

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While there were no detailed maps of the old
quarter, common sense told Rafe that

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the road through the mountains would be on this
side of the river.

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Ness, when it was a merchant center, had been on
this side of the river, with things

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only changing during the Great Migration.

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That meant that the road led from the former
location of the great gate along the

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river, and then over another bridge that crossed
the old fork, a bridge

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long since destroyed, and along the river, and
then up into the mountain,

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which was where Rafe was heading. To the river,
and then the road that

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would take him into the mountain. Rafe shook his
head.

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As he revealed one answer, new questions were
raised.

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Why was the former gate blocked? Why was the large
bridge over the old fork

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torn down? Why was the important trade route
through the mountain destroyed?

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It was as if, at the same time, the city wanted to
expel the

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wizards, shut down the trade routes, and create
the thieves,

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all while erasing all evidence of it happening.

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Rafe had been traveling for more than two hours,
with the immense Ash Fields to

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his left and the wall to his right.

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The Ash Fields were aptly named, with nothing but
dust and dry dirt as far as he

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could see, and signs of life living only on the
distant horizon.

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The smaller wall that blocked the Ash Fields from
the view of the new parts of Ness

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came into view just as Rafe reached the road.

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To Rafe's surprise, the road didn't follow the
river, but rather curved away from

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it somewhere to the north. From his vantage point,
it looked like the river

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was a good two miles beyond the road at this
point.

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In the distance, Rafe could make out a massive
waterfall that emerged from the

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mountain and created the great river.

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Even from this distance, he could hear the
crashing sound of water falling on rocks

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and continuing as a river.

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It was easy to see, as the great wall around Ness
ended at the road

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and didn't block the view in the distance.

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The sudden sound of a clip-clop from his horse's
hooves broke Rafe's

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reverie over his surroundings. He was on the
Dragon Road.

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It was paved in flat stones and was wide enough to
fit three wagons across.

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He wasn't sure who kept the road up, but it
appeared

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well-cared-for.As he turned to the right to follow
the road into the

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mountain, it was all right there in front of him,
a broad arch that covered a

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dark entrance into a tunnel. Following the road,
Rafe crossed the

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threshold under the arch. There were two immense
sconces on each side of

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the arch as he entered, but they were unlit.

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He was a little nervous making his way into the
dark, but the road was just as

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clear inside the entrance as it was outside.

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Rafe wondered how far he could make it before
having to come back another day with

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torches. There were torches on the wall in regular
intervals, but

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like the large decorative ones at the entrance,
they were unlit.

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As his eyes got better, used to the increasing
dark, he realized that

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there was no need for light.

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About 50 yards inside the tunnel, the road was
completely blocked.

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It looked as if the entire mountain had collapsed
on the road.

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Boulders the size of two wagons and larger were
stacked from left to right,

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blocking everything.

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The ceiling looked like it had collapsed, or was
somehow brought down by an

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incredible power.

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Dismounting from his horse, Rafe looked at the
collapse more closely.

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There were smaller rocks in between the larger
ones, and as far as he could see,

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there wasn't even room for a mouse to make its way
through the barrier.

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Rafe nodded and walked back to his steed.

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There was a road that led through the mountain,
but it had been blocked centuries

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before.

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The failed mission.

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Larson hadn't been in such a good mood since
before his brother was named the

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guild master thief.

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Everything was finally back to going his way.

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The problematic Harvest Guild families were under
lock and key, their houses

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burned to the ground, and the rest of the guild
was about to be swept into the

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wretched quarter.

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His deal to the members of the guild would be
welcomed: "Join up with the

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merchants, and you can return to your homes."

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The only loose end didn't matter anymore: the
Outlanders.

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Larson had just been informed that Karch had
returned from his mission.

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Larson didn't care if Karch was successful or not,
he was just glad he had

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returned. His presence would help immensely with
managing the relocation

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efforts. There was a knock on his office door, and
Larson rose to

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uncharacteristically meet his deputy.

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Why not? He was in a good mood, he may as well
share the good

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cheer.

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Karch entered, looking his normal grim self.

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Larson walked toward him with his hand
outstretched. "Why the frown, Karch?

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While you were gone, I've solved our problems."
Larson swept his hand toward his couch,

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a place he'd rarely used to meet with Karch.

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"Come, let us update each other."

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Karch stared at Larson for a moment, and replied,
"Of course, guild master."

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Larson's goodwill ended at the couch, and he
didn't offer Karch a glass of the

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ever-present water on the table.

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Larson leaned back. "So how did things go with the
Outlanders?"

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Karch's voice was flat and emotionless.

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"They shot my guards off their horses at the
entrance to their city.

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I would have been captured if it weren't for
Raylan." Larson's jaw dropped at the mention of

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Raylan's name, while Karch's face was emotionless.

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Larson took a breath. He couldn't show surprise or
weakness to his

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inferiors. Clenching his teeth, he replied, "Tell
me." "The

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accursed Outlanders shot my horse out from under
me.

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As their guards approached on foot, Raylan
galloped in on his horse, gave me a hand, and
pulled me

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up. I then escaped." "You escaped? What about
Raylan?" Larson

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couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I threw him
off the horse." Larson laughed.

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"Dead at the hands of the Outlanders. Fantastic,
Karch.

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A failure in your first mission turns into success
in a second." "Raylan is alive." "What

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do you mean?"

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Larson's voice was strained. He hated being made a
fool, and

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his deputy was now doing just that. "Do not toy
with me, Karch."

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"I'm not toying with you, guild master." Karch
lowered his head.

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"I merely have not concluded my story." As Karch
looked up, Larson

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nodded his head impatiently. "I was on the road
back to Ness when Raylan passed

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me on a large and fresh horse. I can only imagine
that it was given to him by the Outlanders."

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Before Larson could cut in, Karch continued.

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"I can only assume that he went on his own mission
there.

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There are rumors of Allard being sympathetic to
the Outlanders, and perhaps Raylan was going there
for

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help. Whatever reason he was visiting them, he
overtook me at the time of their

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attack. After I threw him off the horse, it
appears that the Outlanders welcomed

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him."

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Larson squeezed the arms of his chair so tight
that not only his knuckles,

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but his fingers also turned white. "So, Raylan has
the Outlanders

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defending him."

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The thought outraged him. His own family turned
traitor to Ness.

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Still, it was perhaps a blessing.

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Larson took a breath and loosened his hands. "It
matters not.

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Raylan is now an enemy of Ness. We know this and
can use it.

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He is back in the city and can do no more harm via
the dangerous help of the Outlanders,

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so for now, he's not worth discussing." "Yes, that

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seems right," Larson thought. "It is perhaps wise
to keep an eye on him."

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Larson's temper rose again. "And how do you
suppose we do that,

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Karch? Do you volunteer to wander into the
wretched quarter and watch over him?

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Do you have some network of vile scum that live
over there that can tell you?

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Do you?"

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"No, sir."

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"Let me tell you why it doesn't matter.

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I've worked with Orion on a new plan. It's perfect
because it requires nothing of a guild master vote
or

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risky assassinations. All it requires is us to
move some people, and then kindly offer them a

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return.

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But here, let me outline it for you.

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I will need your help."

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Larsen's good mood returned as he outlined his
entire plan,

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starting with the description that was his new
favorite, killing the body of

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the snake to destroy the head. In this instance,
the body would be the

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Harvest Guild members, and the head would be the
soon-to-be deposed guild

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master, Polo.

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As Larsen was outlining how the first night had
gone, Karch interrupted

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him. Not quite believing that Karch had the gall
to stop his fantastic

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overview, Larsen once again gripped his chair.

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"Sir, you do understand that the Harvest Guild is
the largest by far in

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Ness. Their membership is not just in the Flats
and Lower Triangle.

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They have important families in the Upper
Triangle, as well as large numbers of families
that live in

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the Harvest District itself, not to mention those
that live in the outer fields and the

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mines.

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Any kind of physical confrontation has a low
likelihood of success."

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"Do you think I'm an idiot, Karch?"

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Larsen took a few breaths. He was tempted to pull
a dagger on Karch for his

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insubordination, but Karch's years of service made
Larsen keep at least

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a modicum of control over his temper.

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"No, sir. It's just-"

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"Say another word and you'll end up in the
dungeon."

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Karch didn't move, his face once again devoid of
any expression.

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"This is not a call for civil war, you dolt.

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We're imprisoning the troublemakers and the
members who no one cares about, those in the Flats
and the

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Lower Triangle. It will be enough to call for
Polo's dismissal, and then embrace the Merchant

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Guild as their brothers."

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Karch stared at Larsen.

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"What I need you to do is to oversee the
relocation efforts.

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Get every Harvest Guild member in the Flats and
the Lower Triangle to the Wretched Quarter.

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I don't care how you get them there, just get them
there.

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Drag them across the bridge if you have to."

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After taking a deep breath, Karch replied.

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"So, I am to oversee the relocation of hundreds of
families across the bridge.

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And by doing that, we will offer ourselves as
saviors and welcome them into our guild

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to bring them home?"

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"Exactly."

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Larsen didn't like Karch's tone, and wasn't quite
sure why his deputy,

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who had served him well for many years, was
suddenly hesitant.

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Perhaps the attack by the outlanders had scared
him.

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Yes, that must be it, Larsen thought.

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"Look, Karch,

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00:14:52,043 --> 00:14:56,163
I understand you've just survived an attack and a
grueling journey. Get with Pattis.

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00:14:56,683 --> 00:15:00,143
He will give you an update on everything and
present you with more details.

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00:15:00,743 --> 00:15:02,623
After talking to him, you'll understand."

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00:15:03,043 --> 00:15:04,523
Karch bowed his head.

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00:15:04,523 --> 00:15:08,023
"Yes, sir. I will discuss this with Pattis right
away."

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00:15:08,023 --> 00:15:09,023
"Very good."

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00:15:09,563 --> 00:15:11,923
Larsen waved Karch toward the door.

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00:15:11,923 --> 00:15:13,043
"You are dismissed."

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00:15:13,923 --> 00:15:17,323
He watched as his deputy slowly walked out of his
office.

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00:15:17,903 --> 00:15:22,643
For all of Karch's exhausted confusion, Larsen was
glad he was back.

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00:15:23,203 --> 00:15:27,963
While the plan was strong, having Karch execute
the details meant it

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00:15:27,983 --> 00:15:29,463
was destined to succeed.

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00:15:29,463 --> 00:16:00,923
(dramatic music)