“The time will come when we recover and reclaim all that was lost.  But for now the queen is focusing on building up our strength in our own forests and keeping the Tanglebriar under control.  At the moment this place is secure through obscurity, which is well enough for our uses.”<br/><br/>Listening to the tale of the druid and orcs, the Wasp Queens mulled it over.  “Hmm, an attack on an enemy being intercepted to their advantage, only to more quickly ensure their ruination and downfall?  Delicious.  That sounds like some true work of the Sacred Sting.  Regardless if a tale is true or not, we can benefit and learn from such parables.”<br/><br/>“Yes, their obsession with regimented agriculture can be exploited, using the cornfields and such as cover.  And backup plans are always prudent—when jobs go tits-up, the time for subtlety is often over.”<br/><br/>Alice’s magical tool could twist, expand, and contort itself into many shapes, and while it lacked any glass magnification, she could at least create an astrolabe of sorts to estimate the distance between them and the city walls and their height: 20 feet tall in places, though constant revolutions, civil wars, and simple neglect showed a few places where trees had been allowed to grow nearby, or other sections actually crumbling to erosion and old impacts.<br/><br/>The group didn’t have any messages to prepare, but they did share their common thieves’ symbols for “safehouse,” “mark,” “danger,” and “revenge,” for when they left clues for other Wasps to find.  “The local Order of Vengeance had requested our aid, and said they’d prepare a safehouse for our use.  We just have to get in the city and find the mark in the right area…”<br/><br/>With dusk quickly turning to evening, they had the cover of darkness as they left the fields of wheat and corn to approach the city wall.  The most dilapidated missing sections had at least a single guard standing watch inside, but those with trees growing conveniently adjacent were ripe for infiltration.  It was a simple matter to help each other climb up, peek over, and lower themselves on the inside, quietly landing on cobbled streets.  The inside of the city was a measure of contradictions, with a measure of claustrophobia to reflect life in the thick forest: buildings were built with shared walls, or so close as to make narrow alleyways single-file, and the cobbled avenues were obscured by the overhanging upper stories that spread beyond their footprints like arching canopies.  Many windows and walls hung colorful flags, pennants, and signals of patriotism, but some had been vandalized with painted-on epithets and denunciations of disloyalty, if not totally broken in or gutted by fire.  The streets too followed these extremes—either totally quiet on some enforced or self-protecting curfew, or deafening with the cacophony of mobs of celebrants/firebrands shouting songs and slogans of the latest political movement, carrying alcohol or bricks, regardless of their apparent cheer.<br/><br/>On the surface, it was a dangerous powderkeg, but it played into the Wasps’ hands for now—everyone was either hiding, or too loud and boisterous looking for a drink and/or fight to notice the small group of thieves quietly circumnavigating the bands.  It took some time, but they eventually found a quiet street with a door subtly marked with a bug-like symbol: a Wasp safehouse.  Faunra quietly knocked and listened a moment, and hearing nothing, entered the unlocked building.  With everyone filed in, they secured the area, barring the door, closing any surviving curtains, and double checking the few rooms for occupation.  The only sign of life was a small lockbox in a closet, which they brought out to examine on a central table.  The wood surface was carved with Calistria’s circle of three daggers, a message from the Order of Vengeance.  All of the wasps were competent thieves and burglars, and Tamarie took the initiative picking it open.  Inside were some instructional notes, maps, and a key.<br/><br/>“The Order seems to have tracked down Citizen Goss’ personal office, where he’d be hiding any self-incriminating goods.  He’s riding a dangerous wave of populism, despite how several previous governments and administrations have been taken down by their own insatiable mobs.  It wouldn’t take much to tip them against him.  It appears he’s taken up residence in a former noble’s chateau, ‘redistributing the aristocrats’ wealth to the People.’  How convenient he’s the First Citizen of the People.  Well with this, we should be able to find it, sneak into his office, and ransack the place before anyone notices.  What do you think, Alice, any preparations to make, or do we make this a quick burglary and be back to sipping wine tomorrow night?”<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Yeah, a spyglass is more expensive than many simple magic items, while the any-tool probably just allows one to make any craft checks with the benefit of appropriate tools.  But it can still be creatively helpful now.</div></div>