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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr

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(dramatic music plays) . Episode 83:

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Greeting the Refugees.

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Relan made his way over to the bridge.

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The flow of refugees showed no signs of abating.

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"Are they clearing the entire Lower Quarter?"
Relan thought.

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It seemed impossible. There were so many people
that mobilizing everyone seemed

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unlikely. But the real thing that seemed
impossible to Relan was that the

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Harvest Guild members would just blindly follow a
command to leave their

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homes.

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Were the fires that frightening?

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Hey, I know you.

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Relan looked down as a boy about Relan's age
stared up at him

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on his horse. Filos edged forward on his horse,
keeping a wary eye

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on the boy, who was a bedraggled Harvest Guild
member, clearly following the

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masses of his guild mates to the Old Quarter.

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"Do you..."

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The boy didn't look at all familiar to Relan.

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"You are the guildless one who always told the
stories at the Four Triangles about

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causing mischief with the Merchant Guild."

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The boy nodded his head.

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"Yes,

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you are Larsen's brother."

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The reminder of his past made Relan toss his head
back and laugh.

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It wasn't even that long ago that he lived that
life, running around with

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kids of various guilds and getting into trouble.

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"Yes, my life is different now, but I did cause my
share of trouble."

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Relan leaned down. "What is your name?"

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"Gil,"

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the boy replied as his face scrunched up in
thought.

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"I heard you took over for Ol' Pietro.

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Are you a thief?"

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"We should go, sir,"

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Filos whispered from the back of his horse.

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Relan looked around, and a group of the Harvest
Guild refugees were gathering around

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them. They were surrounded in a pool of green, and
Relan could tell why

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Filos was nervous.

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Although they were on large horses, there was no
easy escape or

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any other guild members to help.

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Relan replied by holding up his hand to Filos and
answering Gil.

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"Yes, my rotten brother made me the guild master
thief."

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Relan smiled and spread his arms. "But as you can
see,

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it turns out that Ol' Pietro was not just a kind
and gentle man.

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He was the leader of a kind and gentle guild, as
you will all see soon."

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The boy looked unimpressed, which only made Relan
like him more.

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Well, I don't much like thieves, but you tell good
stories.

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And if you can get back at your brother for
burning the flats,

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I won't be too upset over all the stealing you
thieves do."

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It was the second time that Relan was confronted
by Harvest Guild members

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with the belief that thieves were evil, stealing
from others.

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He was tempted to explain to Gil and the crowd
milling about them that thieves were not

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evil and didn't steal for personal gain, but it
would be like trying to

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dam the great river with a pebble.

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The actions behind Relan would stop the river of
anger more than

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anything he could say.

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Changing tack, Relan smiled and asked, "How is the
old Four

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Triangles?"

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The boy frowned.

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"Burnt to the ground."

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"No!" Relan considered that he finally could get
some

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insight into what was happening in the Lower
Quarter.

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"How bad are the fires?"

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At the question, the boy's visage turned from
curiosity to anger.

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"They are bad."

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An older woman shouted-

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"The merchants set them. They have burned down
Ironsides and the entire

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Street of Inns near the river."

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Another voice, even angrier.

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"Yes, they have purposely destroyed our history
and our

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homes."

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Angry murmurs turned into shouts of, "Revenge!"
and

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"Betrayal!" and "War!" and several other words
that gave

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voice to the simmering anger of the citizens whose
lives had been ruined.

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Filos edged his horse forward, and people fell
back.

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Shouts started to increase in volume when Relan
stood up in his saddle and

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raised his voice. "Your pleas are being heard.

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Keep moving and find shelter and food.

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We will prepare to make things right."

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"Larsen must die!"

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A voice from the distance yelled out.

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Relan nodded grimly. "We will restore your homes,
and justice will

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be served."

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He didn't specifically address Larsen, but the
crowd appeared to like what he was

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saying as they mumbled in agreement.

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Returning his attention to Gil, Relan asked.

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"And what of the Lower Triangle?"

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The boy shrugged, but a woman nearby called out.

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"I am from the Lower Triangle.

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It is awful.

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They have burned the Green Belt, and there are
rumors of fires approaching Trader's

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Bridge."

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Relan had heard of the Green Belt fires, but fires
making it to Trader's Bridge

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were new to him. He wasn't sure how much was rumor
and what was fact,

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but the reality was that scores of people were
fleeing the Lower Quarter, so

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something was happening.

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"Guild master, these crowds are blocking the
bridge,"

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Filos pointed at the great bridge. The crowd
around Relan had grown large

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enough in size that the refugees approaching from
the bridge had to slow down

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or even stop.

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Nodding, Relan yelled out-

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"Keep going. You will find friends here.

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The thieves were never about stealing from you.

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They were about stealing from them."

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Relan pointed across the bridge to the burning
city beyond.

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Not waiting to see how his message was received,
he sat down in his saddle

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and slowly turned Calisto back to the center of
the Old Quarter.

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As he and Filos made their way, Relan considered
the future.

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He could see no way forward without declaring
outright war on Larsen and the

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Merchant Guild.

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A civil war would lead to countless deaths.

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The Thieves' and Harvest Guilds had strengths in
numbers, and they had two bases of

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operations that were strong and defensible, the

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Old Quarter and the Fields and Harvests District.

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Furthermore, the wealthy members of the Merchant
Guild lived in the Upper

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Triangle, which was within easy striking distance
of the Harvest Guild.

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Yet Larsen had Saxx and the Knight Guild on his
side, and they manned the

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wall and were more heavily armed and capable of
unleashing death from a distance with the

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archers of the White Guard.

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It would be a horrific war.

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As they cleared the large groups of refugees,
Relan turned to head back to the

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Thief Tower. Rather than a canter, he continued to
follow a light trot

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while Filos kept pace.

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What do you know of Saxx?

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Relan assumed that Filos, like Allard, was a
former knight.

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Peering at Relan for an oddly long time, Filos
finally replied-

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Enough.

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Why do you think he is supporting Larsen? What
drives him?

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Do you think we could convince him to join our
side?

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Filos's reaction surprised Relan. He laughed.

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You assume Saxx has joined any side. He is a cruel
man who cares about

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nothing more than battle. With whom the battle
rages doesn't matter.

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The outlanders, thieves, renegade guilds, he
doesn't care.

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He just wants to prove his might over everyone.

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Relan thought over Filos's comments.

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So are you saying he would be happy if we had a
civil war?

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Only if he got to see his men leave a trail of
dead behind them.

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He wants to operate from a position of power, but
beyond that, I think all he

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wants is victory defined by the field of battle.

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This makes no sense.

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Relan replied-

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So all he wants is violence with no end?

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Otherwise, he serves no purpose.

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But he defends the walls and protects the streets.

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Meaningless to him. The Rangers are the true
defenders of Ness.

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Filos shook his head.

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What do you know of Executioner's Hollow?

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Relan had heard Allard speak of it, and perhaps
others.

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It was where the knights executed thieves.

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But beyond that, he had no idea of what it meant.

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Not much more than that is where the knights
execute the thieves.

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No.

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It is where Saxx lives out his fantasies.

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Filos said no more, and Relan could tell from the
tone of his voice

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that Filos considered it the final comment needed
for the conversation.

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Yet Relan had thought of something, and it began
with Filos's comment about

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Saxx needing to prove his might.

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If given the choice between fighting the
outlanders and killing Harvest

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Guild members as they are swept into the Old
Quarter, which do you think he would

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embrace?

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Filos replied with a wide smile.

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Guild master, are you asking me that if the
outlanders had somehow decided

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now was a good time to invade, would Saxx no
longer concern himself with Larsen

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as an ally?

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The thought is indeed crossing my mind.

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Well, the only thing Saxx enjoys more than killing
thieves is killing

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outlanders.

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Relan was going to thank his guard for his
insight, but before he

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could, Filos added-

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But you can ask Allard about that.

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Allard, outlanders, Saxx.

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Just when Relan felt like he had a sliver of an
opportunity, it got

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complicated again. He kicked Calisto to a canter
and continued to his

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tower, wondering if the key to saving Ness was
inviting Wilhelm to

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invade it.

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(dramatic music)