The Thieves Guild, by Jake Kerr. Episode 128: Karch and Vesper. Karch sat across Larsen's former desk in Larsen's former office, facing the young snot who Karch was sure had killed Larsen. Carris looked annoyed as he leaned on a pile of papers that Karch was sure probably needed his signature days ago. The large window overlooking Founders Park was covered with wooden slats, and the room was lit with several gas lamps. The flickering light only made the surrounding mess look even more chaotic.
"You seem overwhelmed." That only seemed to annoy the boy more. "Overwhelmed? Of course I'm overwhelmed. My uncle keeps asking me to calm down the guild members, but how am I to do that with assassins running around? So I named one of my friends deputy guild master to help, but he just gets laughed at, and Uncle won't let me send guards to beat respect into those that do it because, in his words, 'We need to build trust.'"
Carris shook his head. "But how am I to do that?" The youngster was getting angrier and angrier, and Karch had to suppress a smile. He wasn't so unlike Larsen after all. Carris pounded his fist onto the desk and a pile of papers fell onto the floor. That seemed to be the last straw, as Carris shoved the rest off his desk and stood up. Karch watched the entire display with a detached interest. Carris turned to pace, his nervous energy apparently needing some kind of physical outlet.
"Your uncle sent me to help. As you know, I left as an enemy of Larsen to join the Knight Guild, and yet I have deep knowledge of this guild and its inner workings. In fact..." Karch tapped the desk and Carris stopped and looked down where Karch was tapping. "Larsen had me take care of all this quite annoying paperwork." Carris's eyes went wide, and his frustrated excitement changed to optimistic excitement.
"You could handle all these things?" He waved at the papers that littered the desk and floor. "Indeed, I could." "Do you think the captains would listen to you and do the things that my uncle tells me to command them?" "We have a long history. They may not all like me, but they respect me." Karch couldn't believe how easy this was going. The boy didn't want to manage a guild. He wanted to just have the title.
Oddly, Carris's shallow desire for the appearance of power without the responsibility made Karch think of Raylan. The boy was considered a figurehead with the false trappings of power, when the reality was that he was leading a guild. It wasn't until this moment that Karch suddenly realized the enormity of what Pietro had built. Being powerful and hiding it was much more difficult than not being powerful and having people believe you are.
It was a lesson Karch was determined not to forget, as it was critical in his current situation. "This is wonderful. I'll clear your old office and you can start working on this stuff. Then you can wander about and make all the captains happy." "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Guild Master." Carris frowned. He clearly wanted it to be that simple. Karch raised a hand. "There are traditions and symbols.
You will need to name me Deputy Guild Master as Sax had named me Assistant Guild Master, and the guilds won't think positively of me returning to the guild in a lesser role. It will not make sense to them, and thus they won't trust me." "Of course, of course." Carris sat down. His excitement was palpable. "I'll demote Bobby to some other role. He won't really care. He didn't like how he was treated as a deputy anyway." "It is indeed a challenging job." "When can you start?"
"Why, I can start now, Guild Master. Both Guild Master Sax and Orion were rather keen on my doing all these things to help you." "Fantastic." Carris looked like he had just won the grand prize on Founders Day. "There is more however. I will need your guild seal." Carris looked down at the Guild Master's ring on his finger. He looked up, suspicion clouding his face. "Why?
This is what signifies I'm the Guild Master." With the subtlety of politics experienced his entire life, Karch shrugged nonchalantly. "It is the title investments, and your name that make you the Guild Master. Can you imagine the insult if you were to wander the guild, and someone were to claim you weren't the Guild Master simply for not wearing a ring?" Carris's arrogance clearly gave him pause as he considered Karch's
words. Of course no one would question his leadership just because of the ring. Karch continued, sealing the foolish boy's fate. "But if you'd rather not, I understand. Larsen had me hold the ring for him, as it was required to deal with all this paperwork, and he loathed such annoying details." Karch leaned back, looking totally relaxed. "But I understand if you want to keep the ring and manage the paperwork. After all, it is one of the duties of the Guild Master."
"No, do as you did with Larsen." Carris couldn't pull the ring off fast enough. He handed it to Karch. "I will inform Guild Master Sax and Orion of the change, as well as the captains." Karch paused as he slipped the ring into a pocket in his vest. "Unless you would like to write the messages and deliver them yourself." "No, please take care of all this tiresome business. I'll have the guild correspondence delivered to your office, and tell the captains to report to you. Is there anything else?"
"No, Guild Master. That is enough."Allard's mission turned out to be one of the easiest ones Vesper had ever been given. Whipping the Harvest Guild members into hatred of the other guilds took little effort when the other guilds were active participants or passive watchers of the horrible crimes against their guild. In fact, after he visited a small pub between Harvest House and the outer fields, Vesper embraced a new mission, and this one would be much, much more difficult.
But it was one he was doing for himself, and that felt good. He sat over a drink, having chatted with the bartender about the evils of Orion letting Larson and Sachs overrun the lower quarter, when a young guard slid into the seat next to him. The young man ordered a drink, and when the bartender served him, the guard relaxed into conversation after a hearty swig of ale. Has the news reached here of Allard, the Thieves Guild deputy?
The bartender shook his head, and Vesper's attention turned to the young man. Why would he be mentioning Allard, and what news could it be? He was captured by our guild mates, and when he was brought before Guild Master Polo, he imprisoned him in the mines. Aye, 'tis a good punishment for that traitor. Killing him would be too kind. I agree, but that is not why I share the story.
The young man took another drink and looked around like he was sharing a secret, even though he was speaking to two strangers. One of our guild members had an audience with Polo. The rumor is that he carried a message from the guild master thief. At the mention of the guild master thief, Vesper focused all his attention on the story. If the young man didn't share more details, Vesper would coax them out of him. The miscreant, Raylan. I heard he was killed by a blade in the wretched quarter.
Vesper intruded in the conversation in the typical way found in taverns across the lands. He just spoke up after leaning in. The same. He is presumably hiding in the wretched quarter, and I assume is in desperate straits with our guild members now there. He must badly need Allard, and thus the message. A foolish boy will always be a foolish boy. Why would he think Guild Master Polo would listen to him? At that question, the young guild member laughed.
I don't know, but do you want to know the amusing part? Both bartender and Vesper nodded without saying anything. Polo was so offended, he sent my friend, George, with a message to the mines. Waving for another drink from the bartender, the young man continued. The message is an order for Allard's execution. The boy laughed, as did the bartender. Vesper smiled, but his mind was already assessing the situation. Ha,
that's a good one. Threaten Polo to free the traitor, and Polo responds by killing him. Good on you, Guild Master. I assume this friend of yours is on a swift horse and well-armed. This is an important mission. His horse is fast, but he is traveling along Harvest Road, and we all know what that's like. Vesper laughed with the other two, but he did not know enough of the upper quarter to know why it was humorous. Luckily, the bartender once again added his own brand of commentary.
The violence has left the wagons to the silo district so backed up that it would probably be faster for your friend to climb the mountain. Indeed, my friend. I have time, Vesper thought, and his plan came together. All he had to do was find this George, kill him, take his position, and make his way to the mines, deliver the message, and then free Allard once inside. Certainly, George will be let through with such an important mission. I assume he is a captain.
Nay, he is not yet a captain. He isn't even well-known to the miners. Then why send him on this mission? I'm not sure, but I have an idea. The bartender slid another drink in front of the young man, who still hadn't shared his name. Come on now, don't hold your tongue. You've shared enough already. You may as well make us enjoy this final part of your story. George is an axeman, and has implied to me that he has a dark but important role with the guild. Is he the blade?
The bartender leaned forward. Nay, I believe he's the guild executioner. He travels with a mighty blade attached to his back. I didn't even know we had a guild executioner, but I see the need in these dark days. Vesper stood up and slid a few crowns across the bar. For my drink and the rest of the young storyteller's drinks for the night. Thank you, young one. Leaving effusive thanks and good wishes behind, Vesper exited the pub with one goal in mind: to kill an executioner.
(instrumental music plays) A Podcast Alchemy production.