Chapter 11 Chapter 8 The Brown Plain Robe

This simple wooden building at the bottom of Thieves' Circle seems to be inconspicuous in the decaying urban area that extends southward from Calimport.The building had a few windows, but it was either boarded up or iron bars, and had no flat roof or balconies.Other than that, there is no writing to indicate the purpose of the building, not even a number on the door.But everyone in the city knew exactly what the house was for, because once through the iron-clad doors, the scene inside was drastically and dramatically different.On the outside you see only old, faded wood, but on the inside there are bright colors and tapestries for ornate decoration, thick wool rugs, and statues made of solid gold.This is the thieves' guild, rivaling the palaces of Calimshan rulers in extravagance.

It has three floors up from the street level, and two more floors hidden underground.The highest floor is also the most luxurious. There are five rooms inside, an octagonal hall in the middle, and four side rooms around it. They are all designed for the comfort and convenience of a certain person. This person is Pasha. Puck.He is the master of the guild, the creator of a complex web of thieves.He also made sure that he was the first to enjoy the fruits of the guild. Puck took a step in the central hall on the top floor, where he received people. Every time he walked around, he would stop to touch the shiny fur of the leopard lying next to his throne.A kind of anxiety that didn't seem like he would have appeared on the round face of the guild leader. When he was not petting the exotic leopard, his fingers would fiddle with it nervously.

His clothes were of the finest silk, but he wore no jewels befitting his rank save a brooch on his tunic, though his teeth did glisten with pure gold.In fact, in the hall stood a row of four hill giant servants, and among them Pook was a half-shrunk version of them; the only man who had once made desert chiefs bow their knees before him; The name is enough to make the most spineless mages on the street flee to the leader of the guild in the dark cave in a panic, such an appearance is a bit inconspicuous. Pook almost jumped to his feet when there was a loud knock on the door leading from the room to the lower floor.He hesitated for a moment, imagining himself making the man squirm in the unease of waiting, but it was he himself who needed time to collect himself.Then he gave absent-minded orders to one of the chamberlains, and went up to the platform facing the door, the overstuffed throne, and dropped a hand on his spoiled leopard.

A slender warrior walked in, and the slender sword hanging around his waist swayed with his steps.He wears a black shawl that flows behind his back and is gathered at the top and fastened around his neck.His thick brown curly hair fell around the cape.His clothes were of a simple dark color, but there were many straps of leather wrapped around them, and at each intersection hung something, like a pouch, a dagger, or some other rare weapon.The pair of leather boots worn to no wrinkles on his feet made his quick footsteps rhythmically. "Hi, Pook," he greeted casually. When Puck saw the man, his eyes narrowed. "Reshita," he replied to the rat man.

Reshita stepped up to the throne, bowed insincerely, and cast a disgusted stare at the leopard leaning there.He smiled disgustingly for a moment, revealing his inferior blood, then put one foot on the throne and bent so that the guildmaster could feel the heat of his breath. Puck glanced at the dirty boots on his beautiful throne, then turned his head back, and responded with an unarmed smile that even the stupid Reshita could see.It suddenly occurred to Resita that his attitude might be a little too casual, so he took his foot off the chair and took a step back. Pook's smile faded, but he was satisfied. "Is it done?" he asked the man.

Reshita spun around, almost laughing out loud. "Of course," he replied, and pulled a pearl necklace from his pouch. Puke saw that he frowned, exactly as the cunning ratman warrior expected. "Do you have to kill them all?" The guild leader said with some dissatisfaction. Reshita shrugged, then put the necklace back in place. "You said you were going to get rid of her. I got rid of her." Puck's hands gripped the armrests of the throne. "I said keep her off the streets until the whole thing is done!" "She knows too many things," Resita replied, examining his own nails.

"She's a useful bitch," said Pook, somewhat calmer now.There were few people who could annoy Bashar Pook as well as Reshita, and few people who had made him out of this room alive. "She's just one of a thousand," the lanky warrior said with a smile. Another door opened, and in came an old man, his purple robe embroidered with gold stars and a crescent moon, and a large diamond fastened to his turban. "I must see—" Puck gave him a squinting look without moving his head. "Not now, Ravel." "But, master—" Pook's eyes narrowed dangerously again, almost to the almost lipless slit in his mouth.The old man bowed apologetically, then disappeared behind the door from which he had come, closing it carefully and quietly.

Reshita smiled at the sight. "Well done!" "You should imitate Ravel's manners," Puck told him. "Come on, Pook, we're a partnership," Reshita replied.He hopped up to one of the two windows of the room, which looked out to the south on the pier and the sea. "The moon is full tonight," he said excitedly, and turned to Pook. "You should join us, pashar! It's sure to be a feast!" When Puke thought of Resita and his Wererat: like the famous ape man, the Wererat looked like ordinary people in normal times, but would become half-human and half-rat under special circumstances. It is a vicious monster.The partners were trembling a little as they were preparing for the feast of death.Maybe that bitch isn't dead yet...

He shook his head, dismissing those thoughts. "I'm scared, I have to say no," he said quietly. Reshita knew it well, and deliberately provoked Pook's disgust.He ran back to Pook and put his feet on the throne again, making Pook smell bad again. "You don't know what you're going to miss," he said. "But the choice is yours; it's what we negotiated." He took a step away, then bowed. "And you are the master." "It was a decision between you and your people, and it turned out well," Pook reminded him. Reshita spread her hands a step back, and then clapped her hands. "I can't deny that my guild is doing better after you let us in," he bowed again. "Forgive my rudeness, my dear friend, but I cannot restrain my joy at my good fortune. Tonight will be a full moon!"

"Then go and have your feast, Reshita." The slender man bowed again, gave Leopard another look, and then bounced out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Pook ran his fingers over his own brow, and through the remnants of his thick black hair, which had been braided into a fashionable style.Then he put his fat palm on his cheek helplessly, and murmured his dissatisfaction with dealing with the Ratman Reshita. He looked at the door of his harem, trying to forget about this partner.But then he remembered Ravel.The wizard wouldn't come to bother him, especially when Reshita was still in the room, unless his news was really important.

He scratched the pet leopard's cheek one last time, then walked through the door on the southeast side of the room to the wizard's dark little room.Ravel was so absorbed in his crystal ball that he didn't notice him coming in.Puck didn't want to disturb the wizard, so he sat quietly at the small table and waited, while the wizard ran around, watching Ravel's messy gray beard through the crystal ball to pass the time. Ravel finally looked up.He could clearly see that the tense lines on Puck's face were still there, which was a normal thing after the Ratman's visit. "So they killed her already?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. "I despise him," said Pook. Ravel nodded in agreement. "But you can't give up the power Reshita brings to you." The wizard told the truth.In the past two years that Puck has been allied with the Ratmen, his guild has become the most famous and influential organization in the city.He could live comfortably on a fraction of the protection money the dock merchants paid him to protect them from his own guild.Many merchant captains who came here knew that when they met Puck's men to collect money at the docks, it was best not to send them away. Those who don't know will soon learn their lesson. No, Puck couldn't deny the benefits of having Reshita and his men help.But the leader of the guild didn't like those disgusting mutants. They were beastly people during the day and half rat and half human at night.He also doesn't like the way these guys do things. "I've had enough of him," said Pook, putting his hand on the black velvet tablecloth. "I'm sure I'll need half a day in the harem to get over this meeting!" He grinned, showing how pleased the thought pleased him. "But you came to me just now, what's the matter?" A big smile appeared on the wizard's face. "I spoke to Obernor from Baldur's Gate today," he said with some pride. "I know something that will make you forget all about your conversation with Reshita." Pook waited curiously, letting Ravel do his part.The wizard is a useful and loyal ally, the closest thing the guild master has to a friend. "Your killer is back!" Ravel announced suddenly. It took Pook a while to figure out what the wizard meant.Then the words startled him so much that he jumped up from the table. "Entreri?" he said in surprise, barely breathing. Ravel nodded, almost laughing out loud. Puck ran his fingers through his hair.three years.Entreri, deadliest of deadly killers, was coming back to him after an interval of three years.He looked at the wizard curiously. "He caught the halfling." Ravel answered his unspoken question.Puck's face lit up in a smile.He leaned forward longingly, his gold teeth gleaming in the candlelight. Ravel was genuinely happy to please his master by telling him the news he had been waiting for. "The Ruby Pendant is back too!" the wizard declared, punching the table hard. "That's great," Pook yelled, and broke into laughter.His jewel, his most valuable possession.With its hypnotic power, he can gain greater wealth and power.Not only can he control all the people he meets, but he can make them happily controlled. "Ah, Reshita," murmured Pook, suddenly thinking of the advantages he could have in this partnership. "Our relationship is about to change, my rodent friend." "What else do you need from him?" Ravel asked. Pook shrugged, then looked across the room, where there was a small curtain. That's the tarot circle. Ravel's face turned pale at the thought of that thing.A tarot circle is a powerful magic item capable of transporting its master or its master's enemies to a different plane.But wielding its power doesn't come without a price.The essence of this thing is evil, and Ravel has only used this thing a few times, and each time he finds his life force is sucked away, as if the Tarot circle got its power from him.Ravel hated Recita, but he hoped that the guild master could find a better solution than using the tarot circle. The wizard looked back to see Puck staring at him. "Tell me more!" Pook insisted eagerly. Ravel shrugged resignedly, and put his hand on the crystal ball. "I didn't get to get a glimpse of them in person," he said. "Artemis Entreri always has a way of evading my detection. But according to Obonor, they are not far away. They are sailing the seas north of Calimshan, if they have not yet crossed the border. They Advance as fast as riding the wind, master. It will definitely arrive in a week or two at most." "Is Regis with him?" Pook asked. "yes." "Still alive?" "Live well," said the wizard. "Good!" said Pook with a sneer.How he wished to see the halfling traitor again!How he wished his fat hands could strangle Regis's little neck!The guild had indeed had a rough time when Regis ran off with the magic pendant.In fact, much of the problem came from Pook's insecurity in dealing with people without the gem, on which he had long relied, or from the hassle and expense of hunting down halflings.But for Pook, the flames of anger were directed at Regis.He even blamed the halfling for his cooperation with the ratmen, because if the pendant hadn't come off, he wouldn't need Reshita. But now everything seemed to be going perfectly, and Puck knew it.With the magic pendant and the ability to control the Ratmen, maybe he can consider extending his influence beyond Calimport, and his magic friends and mutant allies will allow their guild to dominate the Southland. When Pook looked back at Ravel, the wizard seemed more serious. "How do you think Entreri will feel about our new allies?" he asked nervously. "Oh, he doesn't know," said Pook, who understood what wizard meant. "He's been away for too long." He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "They're working for me anyway. Entreri has to accept him." "Reshita pissed off everyone who met him," the wizard reminded him. "What if he pissed off Entreri?" Puke heard it and laughed. "I promise you, Reshita will only mess with Entreri once, my friend." "Then you have to rearrange the leader of the Ratman." Ravel snickered. Puck patted him on the shoulder, then walked toward the door. "Try to look for what you can find," he instructed the wizard. "Report to me if you can find them in your crystal ball. I am anxious to see the halfling Regis' face again. I owe him so much." "Where will you be?" "In the Harem," Pook replied with a wink. "I'm stressed out, you know that." After Puck finally left, Ravel slumped back in his chair and reconsidered the return of his main rival for favor.In the years since Entreri had left, he had gained many advantages, even moving his room to the third floor, which meant he was Puck's chief assistant. This room, Entreri's room back then. But there has never been any conflict between the wizard and the killer.If not friends, they have a good relationship and have helped each other many times in the past.Ravel couldn't count how many times he had shown Entreri the shortest path to his goal. And he once had friction with his fellow mage Mancas Tifulus.The other wizards in Calimport called this man "Mancas the Mighty," and when Ravel and Mancas got into an argument about the source of a certain magic, those wizards felt that Ravel was very pitiful.Both claim to have invented the magic themselves, and everyone is waiting for the magic war to break out.But then Mancas left abruptly without leaving an explanation, leaving only a note stating that the invention of magic had nothing to do with him, but Ravel was to be credited.Mankas was never seen again, either in Calimport or elsewhere. "Ah, good." Ravel sighed, looking back at his crystal ball.Artemis Entreri had helped him a lot. The door opened suddenly, and Puck poked his head in. "Send a messenger to the carpenters' guild," he said to Ravel. "Tell them we need a few skilled men right away." Ravel tilted his head to one side in disbelief. "The harem and treasure will be waiting for me," said Pook enthusiastically, feigning frustration at the wizard's inability to see his train of thought. "Of course I won't give up my room to others!" Ravel thought he understood, so he frowned. "Neither will I tell Artemis Entreri! He can't get his room back," Pook said. "Not after he has completed the task perfectly!" "I see," said the wizard despondently, thinking he had been herded back to the lower floors again. "So we're going to make a sixth room," laughs Pook, proud of his little game. "Between Entreri's chambers and the harem." He winked again at his important assistant. "You can design your own room, my dear Ravel. Don't save any money!" He closed the door and left. The wizard wiped the moisture from his eyes.Pook always surprised him, never frustrated him. "You are a generous host, my Bashar Pook," he said to himself into the empty room.Pook was a brilliant leader indeed, because at this point Ravel returned to his crystal ball, gritted his teeth and made up his mind.He'll find the Strayeye halfling. He will not disappoint his generous host.