The nosey assistant is doing her job to keep you away from Hasphat. :)
In the break room is a gnome with hair sticking up all over the place, going about putting things in their proper place. He's having a gnome's lunch, consisting of Zilargan pudding, roast beef on rye with lettuce, ice cream, and a delicacy called tiramasu. Apparently his palate loves the ice cream and the pudding, but hates the coffee based dessert.
"Yes, gentlemen, what can I help you with?" he asks. At that moment a fellow adventurer crashes through his window, rolls on the floor. Jumps up, and runs and jumps out the Window shouting, "Geronimo!"
"does that sort of thing happen often?"
Be careful, gnomes are far more dangerous then they look...
"does that sort of thing happen often?"
"I'm bored of it," said Hasphat. "It's sharn. There is always something happening along this vein. So, what can I do for you?"
"not really. Just waiting on my associate while he conducts whatever business he is up to."
Kirin sits without being asked, his Lyrandar-striped tiger sitting obediently on its haunches beside him. "Well, hopefully you won't find this boring." He smiles at Hasphat. "We're here on behalf of a mutual friend. He said to come ask you about how banking works in Breland."
I ought to see how he reacts to this...question, if it could be called such. It is probably a code that our informant chose not to explain to us.
"Oh, you want to know how banking works," said Hasphat. "Okay, I'll tell you. But on one condition. There is an ancient daikhanni Pyramid that is in Margrave University. I need you to make an exact copy and bring it to me."
I ought to see how he reacts to this...question, if it could be called such. It is probably a code that our informant chose not to explain to us.
[dice=sense motives]1d20+9
Your suspicion is right.
Oh, yeah, how are you going to get an exact copy of a Daikhanni Pyramid made? :)
Kirin raises an eyebrow skeptically. "You want us to bring it to you here?"
"Actually, I want you to stick a confetti bomb in the pyramid and rig it to explode," Hasphat says. "Of course I want you to bring the copy here."
Concentrating as the others speak Absylon deploys a flurry of mental missives to tell them to not ruin the game...
Looking at the Gnome the calm and unflappable Absylon speaks, You would do well to give us the information we desire "free of charge". My Employer Thrask d'Tharashk can do many things for an ally, likewise he can make your life miserable. Choose.
Bluff
diplomacy
Look threatening but don't speak unless to threaten, your methods are effective in the field... This isn't the field, unfortunately.
Play along Xov, we don't have time to copy a bloody Pyramid...
Do as your friend Othan does.
Play along here, even if you don't believe my Employer is who he says he is the Gnome doesn't have to know that.
Ebran says nothing to betray the veracity of the crazed one's threats. He enjoys the feel of the luxurious chair, as his stint of luxury was ruined by an assassination and attempted inter-planar theft.
"You can't get anything for free," he says. "Bring me a copy of the said pyramid, an exact copy, and I'll give you the information you need."
While Absylon talks, Xov remains silent.
How shall this play out? Intimidating a dragonmarked heir in his own territory is far from easy. But if he can manage it we shall save a lot of time. Absylon is as deranged as he is skilled.
When it becomes clear that Hasphat is resilient against Absylon's words, Xov tries his best to remain expressionless.
As is to be expected.
If you are unwilling to grant us what we seek for a reasonable price or favor then I am afraid we must depart. I can assure you that I will find the information I require one way or another...
With that Absylon departs and will find Othan.
Unfortunately diplomacy has failed, the task the Gnome requires is simply too time consuming... If we are short of anything it is time, tell the others that I will pull every string I have in Sharn to get the information required. I will find you once I have acquired the information if it can be gotten...
With that missive Absylon departs to perform several errands, Gather Information (banking practices, Aurum)
Gather Information (concerning Hasphat his history, place of residence, connections and places of interest)
Your roll of Banking Practices turns up the usual answers, people are lended money from the bank, they pay back that money and the bank charges interest. Nothing that seems to be sinister, so why are you sent on a mission to bring the Aurum down?
---------
Your Gather Information roll would be more successful if you take 20. Any how, the G.I. roll reveals that Hasphat worked for a dwarf of Khundrak by the name of Dwallin d'Khundrak. The gnome had a hard time trying to get out from Dwallin's thumb, but had gone prematurely grey when he had won his freedom.
-----------
He lives in Upper Duras. He's unmarried, but has a mistress. He also has five children.
Othan will join the group leaving the office, resuming his role as a "bodyguard"
Looks like he is going to steal something from the gnome.
--- He goes to work at 8:00 in the AM, and returns back at 5:00 PM. He likes to buy chocolate to which he woos girlfriends with. Every "tuesday" he goes to a meeting at House Sivis, which convenes at 7:00 to 9:00 in the PM.
He keeps two guard dogs at his apartment, both are alsatians.
Absylon satisfied with his work and information will report back to his compatriots...
After Absylom exits the room, Xov speaks to Hapshat:
"I apologize for my acquaintance's difficulties."
Xov then exits and joins back with Othan.
If this falls through, we shall need a backup plan, and the one provided to us by the Citadel seems like an adequate alternative.
"back to the ship I think. No matter our next step we need to plan. "
On the way out of the place, when they are no longer in the establishment, Ebran adds, "I like that. Best to have a plan, rather than do anything... silly in a moment of weakness after negotiations fall through."
Kirin shrugs. "Bringing a stolen item to your office doesn't seem like the best play to me, but it's your office." The Lyrandar shakes his head at Absylon's failed bluff and gets up to leave after Xov. "We'll see you when we have the pyramid."
-----
On the way out of the place, when they are no longer in the establishment, Ebran adds, "I like that. Best to have a plan, rather than do anything... silly in a moment of weakness after negotiations fall through."
"Did they fall through, though? We don't know what the code phrase meant. For all we know, it could have been a code telling Hasphat that we are the team sent in to steal the pyramid and to give us the information about it. It just seems..." Kirin purses his lips. "It just seemed odd, didn't it? Why would we have been sent there to get information when the gnome didn't want to give it? And such mundane information, too. Very strange, this assignment."
"COPY! COPY! COPY!" Hasphat insists.
Absylon returns to the group wherever they be and focused on Xov's mind.
Xov setup a link if you would, I have been unable to find information concerning the Aurum but I was able to dig up information on the uncooperative gnome... While I hate to admit it Othan's more violent methods may be the best way of getting the gnome to talk.
The biggest obstacle to our getting information from Hasphat in any way more efficient than what we were bidden to do is that we do not know what it is we want. As it should be obvious to everyone, we are not after information about how the banking system works, as that would be too trivial a task. Without knowing what we are looking for, how could we shortcut getting to it?
There is one thing I could try...I could contact some people and attempt to decipher what the code means. Beyond that I can think of no other alternative to getting a copy of this pyramid thing."
:
"Oh, Absylon has information about the Aurum. Do share, please. "
ditto.
Ebran leads them in a roundabout way through some side alleys (to check if they're being followed) to the airship (assuming they haven't been followed).
"Once we are back at the ship."
"COPY! COPY! COPY!" Hasphat insists.
Kirin snorts. "Well, wouldn't my face have been red." The Lyrandar gives the gnome a small nod. "We'll be back with the copy."
-----
Kirin nods without responding verbally to the suggestion they wait to discuss things until they get back to the ship, just a silly nobleman taking his pet tiger for a walk.
you reach the ship in short order. The boat is still where it was, although a lot of kids could not help look at it.
As they all gather around the table in Ebran's cabin Absylon speaks...
Gentlemen where would you like to start concerning Hasphat? I dug into details concerning his past, place of residence, mistresses, children etc...
"Spare us the details of the gnome's sexual life." Xov rolled his eyes. Inform us of any useful information you have about relations to the Aurum...bare in mind though that no matter what you find about Hasphat, you cannot hope to get the desired information out of him without knowing what you are looking for.[/b]"
Nothing on the Aurum, say what you will concerning their practices they run a tight ship. I would advise you to remember something Mr. Eye, ever scrap of information is valuable. Personal details which you find trivial can be vitally important to the subject in question, out of all the varieties of blackmail none is more common nor as successful as cheating on one's spouse or lover.
I may have several ways of getting you the information you seek, perhaps a way to duplicate this pyramid the gnome wants so badly that is not an illusion, gnomes are notoriously resistant to that particular school of magic alas...
"If making a copy of that pyramid was so easy, I doubt we would have been asked to do it."