# [Riddle of Steel] The Thief of Greyport



## Jeph (Jan 16, 2004)

This will be a story hour based on a solo game I'm running for my friend Peter, who posts here as Corlon. The system used is the quickstart version of The Riddle of Steel, using a few modifications (notably, sorcerers go mad instead of aging at a preternatural rate). You can find the rules set here, about halfway down the page with a big bold yellow "IMPORTANT!!!" tag preceding it.

And now...

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*Introduction: The Shades*
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You see epic, seeping mountain ranges, soaring up high into the clouds; snow-kissed monuments to the glory and power of God. You see wide swaths of emerald and dark green forests in all their natural majesty. You see mile upon mile of rolling hills and plainsland, a perfect pastel so stylized it might be a painting, one would think, were they to view it from a distance off. You see an endless see of the deepest gry green, rising and falling with the selling tide. And then you see a blackened boil with a handful of gaudy jewels sprinkled on top.

This is Greyport. Some call it lavish, others call it a festering mud pit, and a few hundred unlucky thousands call it home. Among these poor souls is James Allknock William Broachman, Jr., more commonly known as Big Jimmy, or just Jim. Big Jimmy's about twelve or thirteen or maybe even fourteen; he doesn't know and he doesn't care, and neither do any of the score or so other urchins that look to him as their leader. It's a tough life, out on the streets, and Big Jimmy always manages to pull them through. "Don't worry," the older kids say to the younger ones. "Big Jim won't let us down. He never has, he never will."

They may be dirty, they may be poor, they may be so starved, disease ridden, and poorly clad that it's a wonder their still alive, but that doesn't stop them from being one of the most respected gangs in the Docks. Plus, the Thief likes Big Jim, and the Thief has connections and, some even say, _powers_. When the Thief isn't Thieving or drinking or sleeping or spending time in the back corners of the Royal Library doing who knows what--a place in which his intrusion should merit the parting of his head from his shoulders, were it known--he can typically be found down at the docks, donig parlor tricks and juggling and telling stories to Big Jim's band.

But he's not at the docks today. Jim's sitting on a nice big crate, and most of his band are off being inconspicuous. Jim's acting as lookout. When he whistles, the show of inconspicuousness is temporarily lifted, and a few unwary passers by find themselves relieved of a silver crown or two. Jim perks up, because two men have just come ont his pier. But then he sinks back down again. These don't look like the type. See, Jim looks for the sort of guy whose manner is genial to the parting of purses--fat old merchants coming down to oversee a ship, for instnace--and these chaps don't exactly give off "Rob Me!" signals. Everyone in the Docks carries a sword, but these don't just carry them. As narrow the gap is between being carried and being wielded, the swords of these two men traverse it twice and once again.

Jim tries to make himself inconspicuous, too.

Too late. They've seen him, and are striding over. This is unusual, as most often no one pays attention tothe urchins, and if they do, it is simply to adjust their course so that their passage and the locus of the poor wretch in no way cross. But these men are walking towards Big Jimmy, which means they want something with him.

Blood hell, who cares? Jim can fence better than most grown men. "Gentlemen," he sais, and bows a bit.

His courtesy is rewarded with an icy stare. "Yer James Allknock Et Cetera?" asks one of the men.

"James who? Never met him." Big Jim has caught site of the pommel of one of the men's swords. Upon it is a circular device, cut through the center with a sinuous line. Half of the circle is scratched so as to appear darker than the other.

This is the symbol of the Shades. Best to get away as soon as possible.

The other man smirks. "We'll take that as a yes, then?" Teeth flash like steel. Jim sets his jaw. He was supposed to be good at bluffing.

"Stay away from the Theif," the first man says. "Our client knows someone who knows someone who thinks you're a good kid." His expression clearly shows his opinion of that sentiment. "So it would be to our disadvantage were you to get hurt."

With that, the men twirl and stride away. When the have again reached the shore-end of the pier, they stop, and one hurls something towards Jim. It soars gracefully for a few seconds, a black streamer making a dramatic cut of the sun, then lands with a small clatter at Big Jimmy's feet. He bends to pick it up. On the end of the ribbon is a stone encased in a bit of parchment. "Wear this," it says.

Grimly, the lad braids the black ribbon into his hair.

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end
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Expect the next update in a week or two. 

Hope you enjoyed it,
--Jeff


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## Paka (Jan 21, 2004)

As someone once wrote on my own Story Hour, "_Not half bad writing.   _  "

Is the P.C. playing the Thief or Jimmy or what?

More about the Shades, please.  Who are they and what have the urchines heard about 'em?

Who rules Greyport?

Thanks.


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## Jeph (Jan 24, 2004)

Paka said:
			
		

> As someone once wrote on my own Story Hour, "_Not half bad writing.   _  "
> 
> Is the P.C. playing the Thief or Jimmy or what?
> 
> ...




The PC is the Thief.

The Shades are one of the three big smuggling rings/thieve's guilds in Greyport. They deal more in assassinations than the other two, and are generally considered to be quite spooky. They can be identified by their device, a sort of yin-yang symbol without the dots, that they tend to have engraved on their weapons, jewelry, and clothes buttons. Many have connections in high places, few in low.

Greyport is nominally ruled by the ancient King of Cities, his Good Majesty Benovir the Old. Of course, the emphasis is strongly on nominally, and the real power is often in the hands of some merchant, noble, sorcerer or other, who changes from month to month or year to year.

First real game's this weekend. 
--Jeff


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