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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 75:

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Our Broken, Burning City.

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As Rafe returned to the library, he felt
optimistic.

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He had solved one mystery of Ness' past.

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The city was connected to the east via a road, the
Dragon Road, that

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somehow had been lost to history and yet was right
there in front of

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everyone.

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Of course, it was blocked in the mountain, but it
almost certainly

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also led to the west. "Wait, Raylan had traveled
along the

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road to Gautland," Rafe thought. "I can simply ask
him."

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Raylan had been spending all his time on his
balcony, peering off into the

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distance, doing his best to see what was happening
in the Flats and Lower Triangle.

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The distance was too great, however, so Rafe
figured Raylan did it to feel like he was

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in control of the situation, although that was
clearly not the case.

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All he could do was wait for Elard to return, Kude
to maintain the order in the

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Old Quarter, and Durk to arrange a strong defense.

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If you want something to do, you should help me.

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Rafe said as he approached his friend, who was
indeed on his balcony.

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I

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don't do well with books, but some conversation
wouldn't hurt.

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Raylan motioned to a bench.

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Tell me how your studies are going. Discover any
new secrets?

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You will be happy to know that I got on a horse to
do some research.

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Pray tell. It must have been important to drag you
away from your books.

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Raylan smiled.

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Well, I've been hoping to have confirmation before
filling you in on several important and major

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discoveries, and I have evidence, so the time is
right to finally share what I found.

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Important and major?

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Raylan turned to face Rafe, his attention fully on
what Rafe was about to

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explain.

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Well, in historical terms. I'm not sure what it
means today.

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Rafe pulled out the map of the world that showed
the cities on the other side of the

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mountains, the Dragon's Teeth.

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I've shown this to you before. We had talked about
how there must have been a trading pass over the
mountain.

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Yes. Did you find it? You mentioned the Magic
Guild blocked

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it.

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I did find it, but it wasn't over the mountain.

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Rafe tapped the map.

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It's a road through the mountain.

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Through the mountain? How can that be? We have
trouble mining ore.

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How can there be a road?

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I thought the same thing, and I don't know the
answer, but there is a road.

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The trouble is that just inside the entrance to
the north of here, it has collapsed.

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That's what I believe is meant by the Magic Guild
blocking the road.

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They must have fled down the road from Ness and
then brought the mountain down, making it
impassable.

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Raylan was going to say something, but Rafe held
up his

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finger.

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I've been there. The road is paved with stones,
even in the mountain itself.

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It is wide enough to fit two or three wagons, and
it has a curb of some sort.

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You mentioned the road to the Outlands. Is it
similar?

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Raylan paused before answering, staring at Rafe.

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This is unbelievable, but the answer is yes.

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I couldn't understand it, but the road extended
for miles from Ness to Gautland,

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and it was paved in stones, even through the
plains.

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Raylan nodded out into the unknown from his
balcony.

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I don't know if it extended beyond there, but it
must have.

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It does. I'm sure of it.

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Rafe leaned forward, sitting on the edge of his
chair.

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Things are becoming clearer. We know there was
some kind of guild civil war, and that it was at
that

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time that the Magic Guild left Ness. We also know
that this is what led to the great migration north
of the

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river. So, right about that time, Ness was a great
trading center.

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There was even a state guild that managed affairs
with other cities.

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You didn't tell me that.

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There are lots of guilds that have died out, and I
wanted to get more clarity on what has happened.

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I didn't think Ness as a trading center would be
that central to our history with a mountain behind
us, and

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the only path, a treacherous path, over it.

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But now that we know there was a road, it is
clear.

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Ness was a trading center of some importance, but
that all ended with the departure of the

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Magic Guild, the destruction of the road east, and
the closure of the gate on this

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side of the river.

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So, what happened?

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I don't know, but I'm sure it has something to do
with the creation of our guild.

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It all happened at the same time, and the only
missing piece is our guild history.

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Raylan stood up and started pacing.

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Wilhelm noted that Pietro promised to reopen the
trade routes with the Outlanders,

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and I said I would work toward that goal.

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But how can I do that if the route is blocked?

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I assumed that he meant trading with Ness so he
could have food and goods.

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But what if he meant trading with the cities
beyond the mountain?

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It's been centuries since that road has been
closed. He couldn't possibly mean that.

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But what if he did? What if Ness has been in this
fortress-like

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location for centuries while the rest of the world
waited for us to show weakness,

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or for us to finally rejoin them?

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Maybe this has been a process that was borne out
of the creation of the Thieves

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Guild, and our role is to finally heal our broken,
burning city.

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Rafe tapped his chin.

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It's possible. There is nothing I can find about
the Thieves Guild, though.

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There isn't a chapter or book about the creation
of the guild. I've looked.

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Raylan had stopped pacing and was looking at Rafe
as he

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continued.

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You could help me. I found the secret of the road
by looking in a small book on clothing.

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Maybe you can help go through some books and just
browse for any mention of our guild.

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I could then do the deeper research.

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Throwing up his hands and then collapsing in his
chair, a visibly frustrated

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Raylan replied,

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I told you, I'm no good with books. I mean, I'm
barely good at

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anything. I ask good questions and Allard helps me
follow up with answers, but I'm

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no Pietro. By the gods, old Pietro would be better
for you than I am.

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I know he liked books as his quarters in the
merchant tower had shelves full of them.

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While Raylan rubbed his temple, Rafe just stared
at him, his jaw dropped

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open.

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Did you say that Pietro's room in the merchant
tower was full of books?

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Raylan looked up.

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Yes, a whole wall from floor to ceiling was
covered with them.

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As Raylan answered, a dawning comprehension filled
his face.

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It's them.

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Rafe replied with absolute certainty.

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Those are the books that tell the guild's history,
and who knows what else.

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Can you imagine their importance if Pietro felt it
necessary to keep the books close?

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Rafe stood up.

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I must retrieve them. They are the key to
everything.

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Holding up his hands, Raylan spoke up.

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Wait, do I have to remind you that half of the
lower quarter is either burning

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or overrun by armed guards rounding people up?

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First of all, how are you going to get there
safely?

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Second of all, how are you going to get to
Pietro's room?

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May I also remind you that it's in my brother's
tower?

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And finally, how are you going to transport dozens
of heavy books back to the thieves tower

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without raising suspicion?

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I'll find a way. This is too important for me not
to.

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The next day, Rafe was dressed in the deep blue

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of a merchant guild member. A thief guard was with
him, similarly

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dressed in blue. They were taking a small wagon
led by a single horse from

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thieves tower to the great bridge.

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On the wagon was a large chest filled with
guilders.

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It was a significant display of wealth, and Raylan
was shocked at the response

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when he asked if they had money for the mission.

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Apparently, Pietro had gathered an enormous amount
of money over the

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years. The chest itself was under a tarp, and the
plan was

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simple. As Raylan said, "Simple plans are the best
plans.

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Remember how we freed you and Allard from the
night dungeon."

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Rafe was to cross the great bridge with a skilled
guard and a story

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that they had been on a mission to collect the
money that had been snuck into the wretched
quarter

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by Harvest Guild refugees.

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They were to take the money to the merchant tower
with the tarp hiding the chest

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and the guard acting as a deterrent against random
curiosity.

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Of course, for official guards who would lift the
top of the chest, the guilders would

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prove to be all too real.

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As the two of them approached the bridge, Rafe
turned to Tilson, the guard.

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"Do you think we will be accosted?"

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Tilson shook his head.

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"I'm less concerned with guild members attacking
us than running out of money after the

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various guards take their handfuls."

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"The guards do that? They would steal from
merchants or demand a bribe?"

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Laughing, Tilson replied...

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"They don't call it stealing. Only thieves steal,
don't you know?"

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(dramatic music)