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Afternoon, Last Seed 16 
Used Sundries, Evermore 
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Three hours before the Liberation Banquet... 
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Gustav bought a failing tool store. 

Unfortunately, it's not the worst business decision he'd made. Looking back, Gustav found his career had been full of bad decisions, and buying up failing businesses seemed to be his favorite. There was that time when he bought a mine full of frostbite spiders, and devoid of minerals. There was that time when he sponsored a fledgling smithy, only for the smith to disappear with all of the funds the next day. Truth be told, Gustav was a mediocre businessman at best, before corresponding with his mysterious prophet. So was it really a noble and cunning financier the prophet saw in him? Or was it a gullible fool willing to throw away his hard earned money on lofty promises? 

Right now, Gustav was leaning towards the latter. 

He had spent way too much money souping these mercs up, and how did one of them repay him? Desertion. Fickle Do'Karth, that son of a cat who couldn't even read, just up and left. Well, at least he left before he got paid. Though he also left Sevine brokenhearted, or that's what it looked like. Sevine's not having a good time, so Gustav put her on light duties until she recovered, or pissed him off enough to fire her. Gustav was told that he used to do that in the relationships of his youth. He's not doing relationships any time soon, because he's married to money, and money didn't do divorce. 

There were good news too. The trip between Jehanna and Evermore was uneventful, and could even be called pleasant. Good road, clear, warm weather and none of the dreaded Wrothgarian Reachmen; must be Jehanna putting the trade tax Gustav paid to good use. These calm days allowed injured mercenaries to heal. 

The company got a new quartermaster. Gustav had concerns about logistics after promoting Edith. He could handle it by himself in the short term, but having Saddi around made things a lot easier and solved the problem in the long run. In addition, Saddi was a business-minded man like Gustav. He's related to Dar'Jzo, and through his post as quartermaster, Saddi is technically Dar'Jzo's superior as well. Their relationship would complicate things, but for now, Gustav couldn't say no to new talent. 

Anyway, the reason he bought Used Sundries was how little attention it drew. Before it was a useless tool store, the place sold equally useless trinkets. Few people bothered stopping by, even though it was located just outside of the royal district. It had a dilapidated single storey main building, topped with a dusty attic, backed with an overgrown yard that contained an old tool shed, and had a large empty basement. It had been on sale for months now; the former owner disappeared last month and the real estate broker was more than eager to get it off their hands. 

In short, it was the perfect place to get ready for the banquet. 

Gustav didn't have his own office in Evermore like Solitude or Jehanna. He traded here before, and even visited in-person. There were no familiar faces, and fortunately, it means he's not a familiar face around here either. Not too many people looked to Used Sundries as mercenaries set up cots in the basement, stored weapons in the attic and began hanging out in the yard. 

The attires bought for the mercenaries exceeded that of the tool store. At first, Gustav gave everyone an allowance to procure their own attire. But it was apparent that the demand for banquet clothing drove up the prices beyond normal in Evermore. Also, some mercenaries spent their allowances on alcohol instead of kit. 

So, Gustav almost bought out a tailor too, just to outfit his company. The money got from trading in Tmeip'r's gold was gone and the down payment for this job was running low as well. 

Rounding out the long list of purchases were the means of access. Castle maps, fake identifications and even a case of lockpicks. Thankfully, Used Sundries had a few crowbars laying around. They were old, but sturdy and from the well-reputed [i]Friedmann[/i] brand (Sagax would love these). The mercenaries would be examining every hidden face, check every locked room and search every tucked corner for suspicious activities, and they would need every advantage they have. 

Under the pretense of renovation, the main floor of Used Sundries had been converted to a dressing room. Members of the company were gearing up for the roles; some adorned the elaborate suits and gowns of Breton high society, some prepared themselves to work as castle servants for the night, and some had to make sure they (and their equipment) fit inside cargo containers. 

Off in a side room, where the former record room was converted to a temporary planning room, Gustav and his officers checked over their plans for the last time. He had received a message from Jehanna this morning; they found Dumhuvud's smashed up body washed up on the beach. How come these messengers were so timely delivering the news of death? Whatever the case, Gustav shared the news with his officers, and it propagated down the ranks; the entire company seemed relieved. 

Well, the entire company except for Sevine. Not only did she have to deal with Do'Karth leaving, she also had to deal with Leif not being here. Due to his immense help steering [i]Kyne's Tear[/i] out of Smuggler's Cove, Leif was offered a permenant position on-board, replacing the late Hargjorn, and he accepted. So Gustav assigned Sevine the easiest position: staying behind in Used Sundries and making sure it's available as a fallback location, in case the banquet goes south. 

"Alright, everyone, show time!" Gustav clapped his hands as he walked back into the dressing room, officers in tow. He spoke with enthusiasm, because some cheerfulness was what this company needed to get back on their feet (and start making money again). 

"You all know where to go and what to do." Gustav pointed to the roster sheet pinned to Used Sundries' notice board. He passed around a stack of paper (several of them enchanted) he spent much of the caravan ride making copies of. Then Ariane brought a box six lockets; they were made from a strange mix of Tmeip'r's coral and Jehannan mammoth bones, and smelled like garlic. She made those based on the communication crystals used on Bleakrock Isle. With Maj's help in Jehanna, Ariane vastly improved the device's usability.

This would be the first mission he personally led, and Gustav meticulously prepared it the only way he knew how, like that of a meeting. "This sheet has the guest list in the front, and a sketch of the castle map in the back. Edith, Ariane, Cilo and three of you will each have a locket. Press it against the back of the map will show where the other five are. When you're in danger or need assistance, break the locket; it will alert the others. Finally, retreat back here if you're injured." 

"Those of you disguised as servants will go report to the staff quarter with Edith within the hour." Gustav motioned to Edith, whom was dressed as a butler. "You have two hours before guests start arriving, so check behind the scenes and make a record of the inaccessible areas before it gets busy. Try not to start any confrontation before the banquet start, so you don't give yourself away. But if you need to defend yourselves, look for meat cleavers, shovels and heavy frying pans." 

"Those bringing in our equipment will be smuggled in by Cilo in East Empire Company containers. These containers are marked as personal gifts from the EEC in Skyrim; only their recipients are authorized to open them." Gustav looked to the backyard, where Cilo was in EEC emissary robes and painting company markings on empty crates. "Be sure you stay hidden, because the rest of us will only have what we carry on-person until you bring our weapons and tools in. 

"Of course, the rest of you will attend the banquet three hours from now." Gustav nodded to Ariane, almost unrecognizable in a diamond-studded quilted suit and thick layers of makeup. "Memorize your identity, and don't clutter around each other too much. Security's tight, so you can't get past with anything other than the most concealable weapons. But once you get in, you should find Cilo with your gear in the eastern wine cellar." 

"That's it, ladies and gentlemen; let's go catch vampires!"