CHAPTER XL
in which the Silver Foxes turn their attention to an enemy in the East ...
The Spoils of War
Now that Thorn and LeShrac are down, Haas, Brenthia, and Grevis are able to treat for a ceasefire. Everyone comes to an agreement with Thorn and LeShrac taken into custody by the Brenthians and returned to the Plains for justice. With LeShrac imprisoned, the Weaver collects the unused dream tools.
As a reward for their contributions to the war effort, the Silver Foxes are each given a Medal of High Command, Sage's Tome, and Artisan Work Orders. Thus, their quest fulfilled, they are left to their own devices and must decide on a new direction to take. Their are many options. Glad is still curious about Serosan. There are reports of desert bandits and incursions. Theruk remains a mystery. But perhaps the most pressing issue is unfinished business with the Heretic.
Give the Devil His Due
When they first began travelling together, the mercenaries who would become the Silver Foxes were hired as bodyguards for a trading caravan led by a greenscale named Remiuda. Fairly soon into this mission, they chanced upon trouble in Felspar wherein they found themselves embroiled in a plot to transport drugs for a mysterious kingpin known as the Heretic. Through the kidnapping of her unaligned sister, the Heretic tried to coerce Remi and her band into his drug smuggling operation, but they resisted and foiled his plans. He sought retribution on a number of occasions by tracking their movement and sending low level thugs after them, but each attempt was also rebuffed. Haas also unfinished business with LeShrac, believing him to have orchestrated the framing and takedown of rival crimeboss Kovius, for which she had a central part. And together, the Silver Foxes have run into the Heretic's people while on business with Akani. That episode ended with them entering into a tentative truce predicated on not interfering any further with the Heretics operation.
Sovelus appreciates the Silver Foxes skill and, having nothing for them to do immediately, agrees to finance their investigation into the Heretic. To that end, he has Ezra transport them to Attria, but warns that they won't have a transport back because Ezra will be busy.
Lay of the Land
They are joined in this endeavor by new recruits, including a Veckran, a Silvestri, and Red, a devout, born-again follower of the First. They make inroads into determining the power structure of Renamore through various means. Red attains information from a dock worker he offers charity too. Through this they deduce that human smuggling is likely happening at the docks. But the port authority refuses to act without proper evidence. Haas and others attempt to gain information from various temple authorities, going to both the First and Azzur for intel. She learns that Kovius' downfall left a vacuum in the power structure that was quickly subsumed by the Heretic and that he and his people have been able to operate without impunity for the last year. Glad hits up seedy hiring spots in an attempt to infiltrate the Heretic's organization, but starts off on some fairly low level shakedown jobs that reveal, at most, some minor weapon smuggling.