Gray dawn leaks through the warehouse slats. John Smith stands over the paper, its fresh tear and ink smear stark in the pale light. Gervais is written there at last, a name that tightens the room.
The door creaks open. A lean man in a plain coat steps in with a crate hugged to his chest, then freezes when he sees the paper and the bloodless faces around it.
The Carter
Pardon, messieurs. I am only here to unload fish barrels. If I have walked into trouble, I can leave at once.
He edges backward, but his eyes keep darting to the name on the page, curious despite himself. Healer Gaston shifts aside, giving the stranger room to retreat or stay.
Healer Gaston
Wait. You know this warehouse, and perhaps the man who uses it. Speak plain, friend, and no one here will trouble you.
The Carter
I know the carts that come before dawn. One of them is for Gervais, a clerk with clean gloves and a dirty ledger. He pays in silver, and asks no questions.
The Carter licks his lips, then nods toward the paper without stepping closer. Outside, the river wind rattles the boards while John Smith holds the torn evidence steady in the cold light.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn how Gervais uses the warehouse
✓ Quest Accepted
Confront Gervais
“Ask the cartel to help me get to gervais”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +0)
John Smith
Help me get to Gervais, and I will deal with him myself.
The Carter
If it is Gervais you want, then you do not need the whole city. He comes by the loading side before the bells, quiet as a priest with a guilty purse.
Healer Gaston
That matches the clerk's habits. The warehouse is a stop, not a destination.
The Carter
He favors the south stacks, where the beams hide him from the yard. He counts crates there, then hands off his notes and leaves no mark but his boot mud.
The Carter
If you mean to reach him, I can point out the route after I unload. I do not care to quarrel with clerks or men who chase them.
Healer Gaston
That is enough for a start. Speak, and we listen.
The Carter loosens his grip on the crate and nods toward the back of the warehouse, his unease giving way to a cautious willingness to talk.
Quest Complete
Learn how Gervais uses the warehouse