| abstract
| - Tehol and Bugg are discussing the Eternal Domicile. Bugg is meeting the Royal Engineer who is impressed with the work that’s been done shoring up some old warehouses. Tehol asks Bugg to make a call on the Ratcatchers Guild, which Bugg agrees to do on his way to the gravel quarry. Brys is astounded at the number of disappearances from the city in the last year.. around seven thousand. The Ratcatchers Guild has been assigned to look into them. He wonders what Tehol has stumbled onto. Bugg enters an old tomb buried underneath a warehouse. He visits with Shurq and Harlest who have some requests and informs them that the tomb they are hiding in belonged to a Jaghut, and has been warded by the Forkrul Assail to keep out the T’lan Imass. After leaving the two undead arguing, Bugg heads off to the gravel quarry, and on the way calls at Scale House, home to the Ratcatchers Guild, where he is granted an appointment for that evening. Brys is summoned to the Cedance to find the Ceda is distraught. The tile of the Dolmen has been usurped and that of the Azath Hold, the Heartstone has died. He wishes Brys to go to the Azath Tower and investigate. Brys asks the Ceda if he has any more to tell him, and the Ceda pronounces on all the changes he has witnessed to the tiles of the Hold and admits he is frightened. Bugg reaches the quarry to find a cavity had been opened. A creature inside had killed three stone cutters and a necromancer, and none would now approach the cave. Bugg approaches the cave and halts as the air turns bitter cold. He sits and waits and frost, fog and ice bloom out of the cave, along with an approaching figure – a female Jaghut. They discuss the creature hiding in the cave and the Jaghut sends ice into the cave, freezing the Khalibaral demon trapping it inside. Brys visits the Azath house at the behest of the Ceda and meets Kettle. Telling him of the death of the Azath, Kettle tells Brys that the one chosen by the tower, wants to talk with one of her grown-up friends. He agrees and is led to to a barrow, closes his eyes as requested, and his will is tugged away…. He is witness to the calling down of the Crippled God and the destruction wrought by those who sought to overthrow Kallor. His unseen guide speaks of the poison with which the Chained One was now infecting the world, he speaks of tyranny and conformity within civilisations, of prophecy and empire…… When Brys opens his eyes he is standing beside the barrow with Kettle. She asks for help for her friend, to prevent the bad things escaping their own tombs, and that he needs two swords. Brys agrees to help, even though the stranger had not asked him directly. Bugg takes Tehol to the Ratcatchers Guild, where they enter a chamber swarming with rats. Introducing themselves as Onyx, Scint, Champion Ormly, Glisten, Bubyrd and Ruby they berate Tehol for losses on their investments, a little less than half a peak. Tehol offers them a contract for the same amount, and when they quibble he explains that he understand their primary function is that of an unofficial assassins’ guild, a thieves guild and providing an underground escape route for refugees from the border tribes. Disturbed by his knowledge, Onyx sends for Chief Investigator Rucket, and a debate ensues over whom is the more dangerous… Tehol or Bugg. Tehol informs the guild that he wants all tribal refugees in the city transferred out to the islands, along with all resources and supplies, these to be purchased by himself. In addition Tehol wishes to know their findings on the disappearances the Guild are undertaking for the Crown, and finally requests some protection for himself. Brys leaves the Azath and return to the Ceda to inform him the House is dead. They speak of Kettle and Brys talks of the stranger he spoke with at Kettle's behest and the strangers need for two swords. The Ceda takes him to his private collection and choose two swords made in the Letherii Blue Style which Brys will deliver to the stranger, omitting to tell the Ceda that Kettle was dead.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)