"You're welcome, lad!" Analis thanks Chyras. "I hope you'll find what you're looking for."
While looking for leads, Milo runs into a male Andoren Almas University don by the name of Chulo Varotien. Gossipy and full of himself, Chulo loves to prate about his colleagues at Almas University, particularly if they’re up to anything potentially scandalous. He’s oblivious to the fact that he’s a blabbermouth, and is happy to talk Milo's ears off for a while. If Milo’s willing to sift through some petty details about Chulo's coworkers, Chulo will be able to tell him that one of the Spider’s henchmen wanders around the Mercantile District at odd hours of the night.
"Let’s just say I know someone who knows someone who says that one of the Spider’s cronies does odd jobs in the Mercantile District most nights. Around two hours past midnight, I hear, this skinny feller’s either on foot or with a carriage, and he’s up to some shady business, hauling loads of cargo from his shop to the docks. Weirdest thing is, he goes to the docks with the carriage, but comes back without it."
It's early evening when you receive this bit of information.
"So....someone's a supplier to a ship huh. Doesn't that scream to be investigated? Best case, you'll get a errand boy to interrogate."
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Milo's mood is obviously fouler after listening to the overly-chatty fellow from the university go on and on.
"Carked gull choker wouldn't shut his hole." He grumbles in annoyance after he gets back.
He nods, as Alanya suggests the mysterious crony.
"We press the prig and fan him for lay of it." He adds in agreement. "Maybe gaff our way to the boat."
After some more information gathering on the streets by Branson and Chyras the party learns the man who snoops around at night is the owner of Jarovar Investments, and where this shop's located.
The shop's closed when the party arrives, but there's still light inside. You decide to wait inside an alley, and after some time the light inside the shop's dimmed. Several seconds later the front door opens. A crusty half-elf who doesn't appear to care much for personal hygiene exits the shop, and heads into the streets. He doesn't seem to be aware of the party's presence.
The half-elf almost rounds the corner of the street. If you're interested in following him, you may want to get moving.
The half-elf notices you're following him and runs off. You follow him, but it doesn't take long for most of you to lose track of him.
Inside an alley, not too far from where the majority of the party is standing, the half-elf stops for a moment to catch his breath. Milo's suddenly standing next to him.
"Woah!" the half-elf exclaims, and as he steps back he trips and falls on his butt. "Who are you?!"
Meanwhile the other party members have caught up on the half-elf's position, and join him and Milo in the alley.
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"Now ain't you a rum pigeon." The gnome growls, doing his best to look dangerous, until the others find their way there to help out, the small flame flicking into and out of existence in one hand, as if itching to be used.
Otherwise, he tries to keep the man from running off 'til the larger folks get there with more obvious ways of backing up a threat.
He tries not to appear too relieved when the others catch up, instead offering, "Git tried ta make scarce. But keenin' he ain't looking to get done up none... specially after findin' us this nice dark alley to put down in."
The half-elf gets back on his feet at the same moment the other Pathfinders also enter the alley. "What do you want from me?! Who are you?!"
Alanya is trying to put a little pressure on the guy, to "encourage" him.
"Say...if he doesn't talk to expectations, i get to play with him don't i?", she flexes her sharp claws visibly.
"They need a new shade of coloring."
"Okay, okay!" the half-elf says as he thrusts his arms up in the air. "I'll cooperate!"
While interrogating him, you learn the half-elf, Jarovar, is originally from Katapesh. Here a business partner of his told him that he could make a lot of gold in the slave-trading business, and that the Spider was looking for someone to look after the money and resources necessary to accomplish this illegal feat.
"I'm merely a pawn! I swear! I didn’t even think I was getting into slave-trading, but just running errands for people who might be slave-traders! If you really want info you should check out the Sailswift or the Captive Audience. There the real trading goes on."
"I swear I just transport goods, I don’t even know what they are!" After another glare from Alanya, Jarovar squeaks. "Okay, okay! I sometimes hear muffled sounds coming from the back of the cart! But I just drive the wagon from the playhouse to the ship, that's all! About once a month, really!"
It's revealed Jarovar doesn’t know who the Spider is, as he only deals with two people, both of whom give Jarovar the creeps: an eccentric gnome named Senlokto Boraminder who runs the Captive Audience and whom he collects the goods from, and Ruovarn Krillis, the captain of the Sailswift, whom he delivers the goods to.
"That's all I know, really! I swear it!"
The clues you've gathered earlier are enough to figure out where the Sailswift is located, and Milo happens to remember where the theater named the Captive audience is located.
"W-will you please let me go?" Jarovar meanwhile begs. "I swear I'll leave here! I won't do it again! Please overlook this, just this once!"
"I'll tell you! Just... please let me go after I do!" Jarovar begs. He doesn't care much about Chyras' words, but the presence of Alanya is enough to squeeze some more info out of the half-elf.
"Ruovarn Krillis, who's the captain of the Sailswift, he's a dhampir. His crew also consist of dhampirs. At this time of night there are usually four crew members aboard with Krillis!"
Mido recalls some rumors about the Captive Audience, which is putting on another one of its extravagant plays in a few days. Rumor is the actors have nearly been worked to death in the process. This isn’t at all unusual for the establishment; the theater is known all over the city for its eccentric and demanding director, Senlokto Boraminder, who has always been a bit on the odd side, but has been acting even loonier than usual since the recent renovation to the Captive Audience about a year ago.