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"Well, we did rely on your assistant to provide us with some ilicit materials for the party. However we were led to believe these mixtures aee not considered contraband on this plane."
"As to the contract, our legal expert was entrusted to reach an amicle deal for both parties to ensure the document was signed, as requested."
We completed every task. What is she playing at now? She must have some alterior motive.
The detective looks to see if their host looks as if she has made any preparations for an ambush or combat.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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“You did a good job getting Carlin out of trouble with that inevitable. I fear your efforts may have been wasted, though: I received word that he’s been arrested. Odd, they seemed to have some detailed information about his illegal activities. You wouldn’t have any idea what happened, would you?”
"Luckily Milton offered Carlin his card and explained he was a barrister when we first met. Hopefully Carlin still has it on him."
Milton pulls out his card...
"Carlin, I am a barrister, would you like to retain my services to litigate this matter on your behalf?"
"I am sure Milton could get any charges dropped, or if it does end up going to trial, he could have it dismissed do to insufficient evidence. They do require actual evidence in this city, and not just hearsay, do they not?" Sai says flatly.
------
“I reviewed the signed contract you brought back, and I noticed that there were a few adjustments made. Can you enlighten me as to why?" she asks about the water contract.
"You did tell us to do whatever was necessary to make Soheili sign the contract as that was the most important aspect of the mission. Milton looked over the contract and if not for his adjustments, and some difficult negotiations, the contract would not have been signed. Everything seems to your specifications. I am confused by your query." Sai says with a slight tilt of her head, indicating her confusion.
“Do whatever you need to do to make Soheili want to sign the contract, of course. The important thing is that you come back with a signature.”
A few minutes after combat begins, a squad of Zjarra’s kolyarut peacekeepers arrives to arrest the pathfinders (and Basira, since he’s still alive). It does not take long for the pathfinders to explain they are innocent, in that Basira attacked them.
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+10+1d6We completed every task. What is she playing at now? She must have some alterior motive.
[Dice=Sense Motive]1d20+18+1d6
-Posted with Wayfinder
A small emphasis on the way she says 'mortals' 'material-worlders' and 'humans' implies she is reminding herself that you are not efreeti with the power to grant wishes and the desire to twist them. She seems slightly impressed that the letter of the agreement has been followed even if the spirit has not. She does not expect intentional trickery from you, and is merely trying to ascertain how much you have been involved.
Qalkami smiles and congratulates mortals on a job well done. "I assure you I am impressed by your work. Once I have relocated to the City of Brass I will call in the last piece of what the Pathfinder Society owes me," she says. "I will be sure to request you personally."
The pathfinders are released and they can return Golarian on the next scheduled trip, later this evening. Of course until you get called on a mission, you are welcome to remain here as well.
After a short interlude...
The adventure begins shortly after the Pathfinders arrive in the Galley Quarter of the City of Brass aboard a cargo ship from the nearby trade city of Zjarra. Upon disembarking, the party meets an approximately octopus-shaped Large fire elemental that signals to them, introduces itself broken Common, "I are Zohz. I offers to lead you to Qalkami Mishalq." Zohz is true to its word, and it cheerfully serves as an inarticulate tour guide along the way, regularly pointing out important sites and observing whether or not they’re flammable.
Qalkami has reserved a private dining area in a tavern and incense bar known as the Chromatic Dragon, a brass building with scaly, red-lacquered doors. The interior is thick with fragrant smoke that wafts among the tables, chairs, lavish couches, and booths that surround a well-furnished fire drake enclosure. Zohz lazily salutes the proprietor before ambling to a back room, where Qalkami reclines on a divan beneath a picture of a red dragon triumphantly roaring atop the bodies of its black, blue, green, and white kin. She tosses a satchel of pungent herbs to Zohz, who immediately coils around it and rolls back to the common area to enjoy his now-smoldering payment.
“Ah, outlanders, over here. Sit.” Qalkami Mishalq motions to a crimson couch made of reddish leather. “Welcome to the City of Brass, or as we efreet like to call it, Fommok Madinah. You may find this a less welcoming place than Zjarra, but I prefer to think it keeps out the riffraff. Now, we have the deal, the Society and I, to exchange services, and you owe me only one more."
"Centuries ago, three efreeti houses thwarted one of the largest shaitan invasions ever to attack the City of Brass. My family played an instrumental role. As time went on, however, betrayal, crime, and greed riddled our family’s affairs. Instead of helping us, the other two houses threw us to the flames, seized our assets, and dug up evidence to condemn us. Now one of these houses, the Cinderfurys, is teetering at the edge of oblivion, having tied its prestige too closely to the late grand sultan.” Qalkami swirls a glass flute of golden liquid, chuckles to herself, and takes a sip.
“It would be politically damaging were I seen sabotaging my old enemy. Thankfully, I have a friend in the Society,” she remarks, eying each of her guests in turn, “which can reveal the Cinderfurys for the treacherous worms they are. All that’s necessary is ensuring that the right people find the right evidence in the right places at the right time. Your job involves getting that evidence to the right places. While you’re doing that, I’ll gather the right people at the right time to witness your handiwork."
"Simple enough."
“There are a few details and addenda, of course. First, the estate in question is Emberhearth, which keeps most of its security on-call and off-site. Unless you relish drowning in armed guards the moment you make a mistake, you’ll need to neutralize them first. Second, the Cinderfurys maintain a pristine set of local records, and I would like you to secure any local security contracts you find in their library. Third, they keep an heirloom known as the Cinderfury gorget, which you should bring to me. Finally, I have plans for the estate; do keep the destruction to a minimum."
“Once we begin this operation, you’ll have perhaps four hours to complete everything—perhaps less if you dally or make too much noise. It should be more than enough time to infiltrate and escape Emberhearth. If you take any longer than that, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
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Her familiar black and white mask hiding her facial features, Sai'Dothwyn nods in greeting to Qalkami upon arrival. She does not sit, instead taking a neutral stance near the rest of her party.
Standing quietly, she patiently waits for the others in the party to speak their questions first before voicing her own.
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Awen, Grog, and Cuchulainn meander along behind the fire elemental. Arriving at the meeting with Qalkami, he leaves his friends outside and steps into the room, nodding his head to Sai and waiting for the others.
Once the others have arrived and Qalkami finishes talking, he asks "How do you want us to deal with this "off site security"? Do you have any suggestions?"
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"Indeed, what do you know of this off-site security? Do you have a floor plan for Emberhearth, and wherever this security is located? What exactly does this Cinderfury gorget do? Specifically, does it radiate magic, what sorts? Is it dangerous to beings from the Prime? If we bring you the contracts, and the gorget, then the Society's debt is satisfied?" He pauses a moment before adding, "oh yes, and regarding collateral damage, what percentage of the structure and its contents would you say need to survive, in order for us to have met that particular request on your part? And I do note, that it is simply a courtesy request, your real intent is the contracts and the gorget."
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Seems like Milton is back to form.
"My colleagues have valid inquires. Despite the activities we were able to complete during our last deployment, a heist of the nature you casually insist upon should require a significant investment of time and resources to successfully execute. That said, you mentioned that most of the security is off-site, but not all. What or whom stands in guardianship of the locale? Constructs, summoned and bound servants? Elementals? Of the three families, what are the Cinderfury's known for? Force of arms? Arcane expertise? Underworld connections? I do not want to find myself in a situation where I have violated local laws to fulfill your request. What is the possible backlash The Society could face from the Cinderfury family? Lastly, are we to understand that your deadline is actually later this day and that our 'timer' has essentially already begun?"
"Any way you see fit. The Cinderfury family considers it uncouth to keep more than a handful of guards at each of their estates, but they value having deadly force on call if needed. You do not want them to send in nearly inexhaustable re-enforcements. The guards are mostly salamanders and azures." She turns to Milton. "I do not have either floor plan. The barracks are off-site, but magically speaking the two are quite close." Xojject Cinderfury does have a pet elemental.
"“It’s a unique token of military merit and rank earned by the Cinderfurys’ ancient ancestors and disgraced by their descendants. I intend to see it returned to the sultana, not stolen by some enterprising vulture.” It is not magic, nor dangerous to mortals.
“The Cinderfurys are poised to collapse sooner or later. If they do so without someone securing the contracts, those deals would vanish, leaving countless mercenaries and vagabonds unemployed and within reach of innocent civilians. I know your stories and how they cast my kind as villains, but we would not sacrifice society’s wellbeing; we’re not monsters.” Qalkami also adds, "They are a noble family fail and suffer the consequences. Attract too much attention before you succeed you will fail." The family's power is its nobility gained from a military conquest ages ago. Xojjit has some arcane knowledge (beyond what is normal for efreets.)
One cannot attack a noble's house and expect no consequences, "“Once we begin this operation, you’ll have perhaps four hours to complete everything—perhaps less if you dally or make too much noise. It should be more than enough time to infiltrate and escape Emberhearth. If you take any longer than that, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
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"Where is the off site security located exactly? This is critical information so that we may, as you mentioned, neutralize it." Sai says quietly but still loud enough to be heard.
The previous questions asked by Milton and Awen and were fine, but she was vague in her response. Perhaps this will be more direct, allowing us to draw our own conclusions through research.
"Will we be allowed time to scout out and gather our own information regarding all aspects of this endeavor before we begin the mission clock? We realize that once we contact you and begin the mission, we will have four hours to complete it, because that is when you will have the right people at the right place at the right time."
Qalqami smiles, "If you start a land war in Tien, you had best be finished by winter. Authorities will respond if a citizen is attacked and I estimate four hours before they catch up to you. Contacting me doesn't mean anything to the authorities, but breaking and entering, vandalism, explosions, and murder do."
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"Thank you for answering some of my questions Qalkami. It was in a most indirect and colorful way."
"I still require one answer though..."
"Where is the off site security located exactly? This is critical information so that we may, as you mentioned, neutralize it." Sai says quietly but still loud enough to be heard.
The Plane of Fire is extraordinarily hot, and those who lack powerful defenses against fire quickly perish. Certain parts of the City of Brass are merely uncomfortably warm, and peddlers in the city sell protective tokens at gouging prices.
The City of Brass is a legendary trade metropolis that sits in a magically tempered brass basin in the roiling seas of fire in the Plane of Fire.
Many of the buildings in the City of Brass are made of a material called living brass. Living brass is made from the souls of mortals who’ve had their wishes twisted by the efreet, and it is used in buildings throughout the city.
Non-efreeti citizens of the City of Brass are permitted the most privileges, second only to those of the efreet. Creatures that are not immune to fire receive only grudging tolerance and limited access to the city.
Although the azers are far more populous on the Plane of Fire, the efreet are better known because of their oppressive empire and their enslavement of many of the plane’s inhabitants, including azers, elementals, magmins, and mephits. Efreeti nobles maintain opulent lifestyles, but as individuals fall out of favor, their wealth quickly evaporates. This is true of the Cinderfury family, which has recently sold two of its three large manors to pay off debts.
Without a special permit, outlanders are not permitted in the Inner Ward of the City of Brass. Those caught violating this rule are often stripped of their possessions and sold into slavery.
It’s rumored that there is a secretive cult of free azers named the Eye of the Red Worm, located somewhere in the Common Quarter, that worships a great fire worm said to possess ancient teleportation magic.
Qalkami passes out a set of incandescent orange, palm-sized disks. "These talismans serve as visas for nonnatives entering the Inner Ward and protect the wearer against the region’s ambient heat. She pauses. "I must stress that these tokens are quite expensive, so losing them would be very unfortunate."
The efreeti supplies the pathfinders with a metal case containing of six pieces of incriminating evidence against the Cinderfurys. She further instructs the Pathfinders how to reach the security complex and Emberhearth.
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Once the group leaves and is safely out if earshot, Sai says, "It was quite helpful in our last hostile encounter with an efreeti noble when the azer slaves escaped. We should seek out this organization of free azers as it will likely be of help in our mission to do so, considering that the security force is at least partially made up of azers. Given what we know of this place, they are likely slaves."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Pathfinders,
A cool breeze graces Katheer as I write this, as if acknowledging the way in which you masterfully tame the Plane of Fire itself. It is time for you to leave the comforts of Zjarra behind and embark for a far more ambitious and dangerous locale: the City of Brass!
As you may recall, the Society has retained the services of an efreeti information broker named Qalkami Mishalq, who owns a secret we dearly need. The Pathfinder Society negotiated an exchange of services, and I just received word that several of our very own agents have fulfilled many of the efreeti’s demands. We owe only one task more, and that debt draws us to the fire genies’ capital. Remember that efreet are wily and often cruel, and the City of Brass is their own playground of opulence
and mischief. Your safety depends heavily on your patron’s satisfaction; she is a citizen with many rights, and you will be a visitor with few. You need not commit atrocities in her name, but neither should you assume your own moral compass grants you the right to start fights with passersby.
This is such new territory for the Society, and already I have heard your names spoken with awe for accepting this challenge. We shall feast together and toast your success when you return to Katheer.
May shade never be far,
Venture-Captain Esmayl ibn Qaradi
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Guaril Karela waves Ka Kaw over as the Pathfinders depart the Chromatic Dragon. The plane’s heat has not been kind to him, and he sweats profusely while directing dockworkers who move crates stamped with the Exchange’s symbol.
...
Champion of Freedom,
Your adventures into the Plane of Fire bring an unprecedented opportunity to spread the word of freedom and democracy. The City of Brass liberally uses slaves and indentured servants to further its fiery agendas. We must remove their eternal shackles of slavery and confront their captors.
The efreet are especially infamous, having enslaved many of the native azers and forced them to do their bidding for centuries. This means few azers even remember what true independence is. We must wrest this power away from the oppressive efreet and provide the azers a life free of oppression and struggle.
In your travels, be on the lookout for ways to spread freedom and decimate corruption.
In pursuit of true liberty, always.
Major Colson Maldris
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Awen remains silent for the rest of the briefing, then follows the others out onto the street. He nods in greeting to Ka Kaw then turns to Sai.
"I don't know about finding some underground organization, but I certainly think we should start in that direction! If nothing else, they should be set to receive anyone we release and could help us in planning." he says with a small smile after making sure that Milton was out of hearing range. He takes his "visa" and shrugs before hanging it about his neck. "I am immune or can mitigate most heat effects, but why take any chances, right?"
He then turns to include the rest of the group in his ruminations.
"So what now? Seems that we have two problems.. an endless supply of guards set to respond to an attack, and then the task itself. We need to scout out both areas and come up with a plan based on that. What do you all think?"
Nestled between two towering spires of bricked brass and filigreed marble in the Common Quarter, the Cinderfury security complex is a squat building that pales in comparison to the other lavish buildings nearby. Only the fiery mosaics etched into the façade of the building distinguish this structure amid the City of Brass’s splendor.
The manor is 105
Emberhearth is the last remaining estate of the Cinderfury family: elegant, grand, and opulent. Made entirely of living brass, it rises to a height of 60 feet and is proportioned almost entirely for the massive genies.
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To an azer who maybe able to tell us something, "Well met. I am on the lookout for something proving a little difficult on this Plane. I was told that the City of Brass may have what I seek. I would like a worm of some kind. Though the color may not be important, I have always been partial to red worms. Have you eyed anything like that here in the City. Please feel free to direct me where you will."
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Sai, not as adept at the fine art of socializing as many others, does her own special brand of information gathering.
She heads to streets of the common quarter, looks for the first azer to pass her by, whether they are alone, with some one, or part of a chain gang, and talks to them.
"You will do." she says simply, reaching out to touch them/stop them/grapple them. Staring through them, she continues, "I recently helped free several others like you from the forced servitude of an Efreet Overlord. I have since heard of an organization called The Eye of the Red Worm. I would like to make contact with them. Help me do that."
Mentioning Qalkami's ambitions gets the following response. “Yes, this city seems quite the exclusive club; if you were born an efreeti, you win, but if you are anyone else, you suffer. It’s quite the cruel condemnation of honest businesspeople like us, yes? What we need is a local liaison who can open those doors for us while letting us go about our business. Ideally this would be an efreeti, but maybe a less privileged creature would suffice. Shop around, and if you find someone suitably connected, cooperative, and capable, make a pitch.”
It turns out very few are willing to mention even the existence of the Eye of the Red Worm. Many azure slaves have been brutally tortured for mentioning it. The talismans given to the party by an efreet make it even more difficult. Eventually it is discovered that many more slaves have disappeared. Some say they have not been killed, but instead have escaped. Unfortunately the most likely place in the common quarter to find them, would turn mortals to ash in minutes. The magic protection offered by Qalqami's pendents will slow this down only somewhat.
The single clue of use is that one acolyte has been staking out the manor of a weakened noble house. When asking for directions, it is quickly discovered the house is the very same one the Pathfinders are tasked to visit: Emberhearth.
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"I recall nothing in the mission briefing from Qalkami or the Society that would lead us to have any reason to seek out any azers. What interest do we have in them? Our focus should be on handling the security forces. Your previous experiences in stealing lawful workers from their rightful owners has no bearing on this mission and is only wasting valuable time."
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"The guards are mostly salamanders and azures." She turns to Milton.
"It is certainly not a waste of time. You were present when it was made known to us that the security forces are primarily made up of azer and salamanders. I have no interest in freeing azer for any reason other than if we do so, it will likely impact the azer working for the security forces, and hence make our incursion go more smoothly."
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Once the group leaves and is safely out if earshot, Sai says, "It was quite helpful in our last hostile encounter with an efreeti noble when the azer slaves escaped. We should seek out this organization of free azers as it will likely be of help in our mission to do so, considering that the security force is at least partially made up of azers. Given what we know of this place, they are likely slaves."
-Posted with Wayfinder
