If Nim has not at least bathed and cleansed... then Mihai would have stern words...
Anton thanks Aerys privately for letting him read her book, and asks if he can get it copied before she goes, so that he can re-read it. The intrepid halfling also promises Jask that of course he'll support him in clearing his name.
Aerys tell you that you will see her again and that she is not leaving town for a while and that you can get a copy when she sees you next.
The clothier is uneventful. Despite your efforts at keeping yourselves together you find that your clothes are for the trash and you buy some pre-made clothes as well as order some clothes if you wish tailored for you.
Jask tells you that he wants to see a particular official, whom he knows won't be involved in the criminal activity...a general named Rotilius Havelar.
You can feel a bit of the tension on the streets as you go further into New Haliad. You are eyed by colonials and looked over by the guard but they do nothing.
The government buildings are large and well-guarded. Jask takes the lead and goes to a military building signed as 3rd Guard Company. He asks for Rotilius who looks completely surprised when he sees Jask. He immediately summons some guards.
Wait Rotilius I am turning myself in, these people were escorting me here! I ask for one favor though..
Rotilius responds, I have little I want to hear from you traitor. You abused your office and your trust!
I did no such thing, I was falsely accused by the real criminal, administrator Milnius. This will prove my statements. I came to you because I knew you would look at the facts. he hands Rotilius the journal.
Rotilius responds, although he seems a little less sure of himself, You are under arrest jask...and who are you and what do you know of this criminal and his accusations? he says to the group.
You respond back to him and tell him a quick summary of what you found...and he arrests Jask, We will see what this says to support your claims...sergeant Torist take 4 men and bring Milnius to my office and well as Minister Fandain. We will see what he has to say. as he flips through the pages.
The rest of you may go. Where are you staying in case I need to call on you?
Mihai bristles somewhat at Jask's treatment, intervening when Rotilius insists on Jask being imprisoned "Good sir, surely that will not be necessary? After all has this man not come forward willingly and without prejudice to clear his name? You reward this honesty by treating him as a leper and demanding his removal from society? He will not run, he will await your level judgement, and the truth will vindicate his innocence... but I would beseech he be treated with respect. Send one man to accompany him to our inn The Dour Maid and chaperone him until you can read that which you hold. Jask will not run... I would pledge my own freedom upon it."
Diplomacy with Empyreal Focus bonus:
"General, we have been shipwrecked on The Shiv with Jask. During that time, we have come to know of his plight. As we sought a way back to civilization, we came across the ruins of this vessel" he says gesturing at the ledgers "And its surviving records. I have been through the documents extensively and would be honored to assist your staff in sifting through its contents for relevant information."
With a meaningful glance, he stops spinning the gold coin and gently taps it on the table as he says "I would also be willing to cover any administrative costs associated with the revue. That is how confident I am that Jask will be exonerated by the contents."
Bluff DC 15 to convey a secret message. I am willing to pay a bribe if that will get this done.
Rotilius responds without emotion, Jask ran when he was accused. He was then caught, tried, and convicted in a court of law in this city. I am willing to listen and review this documentation and his claims against Milnius...this should be enough...for now.
I understand this man is your friend but I must follow protocol and another has been accused in his place. Your help will not be needed. I suggest you return to the Maid before you get yourselves into trouble. Good day!
"Thank you kindly, General. If we can provide any further testimony regarding the circumstances under which the documentation was recovered, it would be our honor to assist."
Since they already know where we are staying, Tragershen is willing to leave them to conduct their review.
Unless circumstances beyond his control force him to do otherwise, Tragershen will return daily to check on the status of Jask's case and, if allowed, visit Jask. He won't be demanding in any way, just persistent. And he is not going to demand to see the general for an update; an answer or brush off from his subordinates is sufficient.
You leave the government area and head to the PF lodge. You see Gelik as well as several other Pathfinders there. One man sits talking to Gelik as you walk in, the others appear to defer to him.
He stands as you enter.
Welcome brave survivors of the Shiv! I am Armivor Glaur. I am the current senior Pathfinder at the lodge.
I have spoken with Gelik at length about your tale...and more importantly what you have found. Come sit and par-take in some wine.
You introduce yourselves and share a little bit that you want about your group. He nods and seems to take it all in.
First, I would like to thank you for your discovery of the Journal and agreeing to give it back to us. Here is a small token of our appreciation for that. he hands you a small bag. Inside are thirty small rubies…they are worth 1500gp total.
Second, you potentially have information of great importance. Gelik has mentioned that the papers you have talk about a city, a city named Saventh-Yhi.
Saventh-Yhi is one of the Mwangi Expanse’s most famous lost cities. Information about its location would be worth quite a bit of gold, but would also create danger for it’s owner. We know little about the city or it’s location…but it was said to be a metropolis that disappeared around the time of the Star Fall that shattered Azlant. It has never been found since…the knowledge…the lost treasures…it would be a find like no other!
So far you haven’t made much progress in deciphering the notes from what Gelik has mentioned. We can help with that…if you wish. This is your decision of course though.
How can we assist you…sorry to be so direct but the notes you carry could be very important.
Anton accepts the rubies from Armivor Glaur and gives a moderate bow in modest appreciation. "Thank you. That will help us prepare an expedition, if we're able to figure it out. I'm afraid I don't even know what help we need, since I couldn't make heads or tails of it."
Mihai is somewhat despondent at his words being so easily dismissed by Rutilius, and is reserved and quiet when returned to the pathfinder's lodge. Still defensive, his eyes narrow slightly as he asks "Oh? and what indeed has Gelik told you? And assistance is welcome... though I would want be sure of price or expectation before it is received"
I wouldn't be too mad at Gelik, he has told us your entire adventure and included as many details as he could. It is whas he does, tells stories. It didn't help though that when we last saw him he had just gotten himself in trouble...but that is another story.
Our expectation would of course depend on how we help you and what help you want. If you decide not to work with us and try to investigate this on your own that is fine as well.
We are not a threat to you Mihai...but I can't say the same about many others in this city. As I mentioned ths city could be filled with untold riches...many would lie, cheat, or kill you all to get the information.
Corbius does not follow the others with Jask instead choosing to relax at the Maid until the meeting with the pathfinders. He shakes Jask hand before they leave. I wish you luck my friend. I am sure with the evidence you have found plus the help of the others you will be exonerated.
Corbius spends the rest of his day relaxing at the maid and generally enjoying their return to civilization until it is time to return to the pathfinders.
Corbius is clearly disappointed that Jask did not return with the others. Shrugging he follows the others knowing there is nothing he can do right now.
Nim listens to the exchange between Mihai, Anton and the Pathfinders, but says nothing...
Mihai gives a guarded smile "Ah, but as a collector of stories yourself... you would know that tales are colored by the context and affect which shroud the words. Given the travails endured to retrieve the text... and it's now value shown true - I would be loathe to let it leave our embrace. However the plumbing of it's depths are not within my grasp, that is better left to my more learned colleagues... as to whom they trust, well it is upon them to decide."
Then think on my offer. Just keep the papers and notes you have safe...as I said it won't be long before other groups in the city know of the items in your possession.
We would be willing to pay you for the rubbings and copies of the Azlanti spells you have discovered...come back any time and we can arrange payment in exchange for them.
Couple of options to keep in mind.
You could hire a scholar to help you. There is also Eleder's Colonial Archives. This is really just a large library that could assist you as well if you want to take another crack at figuring out the Serpentfolks notes.
The next day, after Tragershen makes his daily visit to the government offices to see about the status of Jask's case, Tragershen will go to work in the privacy of his inn room. He'll memorize Comprehend Languages in all of his spell slots and go to work. He'll cast the spell repeatedly to try and get a baseline translation of some passages to help his more complete translations. If anyone else wishes to help, he would welcome it.
Linguistics
"Sure, Nim, that sounds good to me." Anton had hoped that getting off the island would allow them to relax -- and yet here they were, having another private council, just like so many times before. "Languages aren't my forte, but I do know several, and I love libraries. I'd be happy to help with any research." The halfling stretches. At least we're clean. That's different. "What about their offer to buy the rubbings and copies of the spells? I'd be fine with that."
"We can start right away. But as we work there, we must be careful to keep our documents to ourselves. We cannot leave them unattended, and if we can hire a private room within the library to converse in peace, that would help. Alas, I don't have any magic powerful enough to preclude arcane eavesdropping."
"And I agree we can and should sell the rubbings and such to the Pathfinders, but first let us make sure we do not end up needing them in any portion of our research or translations."
Nim spends the next few days assisting those deciphering the notes in any capacity he can, waiting for word from Sasha and attempting to locate an armorer to craft him a magical dragonhide breastplate. If this proves impossible he may settle for enchanted hide armor.
Progress by the Day: You can make checks by the day instead of by the week. In this case your progress (check result × DC) should be divided by the number of days in a week.
There were a few items that Anton and Nim had become accustomed to leaving at camp, that got left out when they were divvying everything up. "Here, this was your scimitar originally, not something we found there. My old breastplate, my compass... and four tindertwigs and four flasks of oil." He'd also given a few sunrods to Aedalis, but didn't mind if he kept them.
Later, Anton tags along with Nim to the armorer, hiding his amusement at the deterioration of the druid's basic math skills in his time away from civilization. I'm probably no better. "I'd like to sell this ordinary breastplate and this magical breastplate, and buy that high-quality chain shirt. How much would it take to get a basic protective enchantment put on it?"
While he's there, he also gets a finely-crafted buckler; then, the diminutive ranger hunts for a darkwood composite longbow with a little stronger draw , so that it will have a bit more punch. Masterwork thieves' tools, an ioun torch, and a traveler's any-tool are also must-haves, with a longer mental list to fill his pack later. For now, he needs to get back to the archives...
You decide after a day or two rest to get started on trying to decipher the notes yourself with the archives. Aedalis and Tragershen seem to be in their element. The archives are old and contain quite a bit of information. You decide to go with the more expensive option of 1gp fee per day.
This gets you a small room and access to a scribe that knows the library and helps you find particular tomes when you ask.
You stop by the magistrates office for the first couple of days. The first two days you are denied being able to see Jask but by day three the official at the desk asks you to stay here. He disappears in the back and about 10 minutes later General Rotilius Havelar appears...
It appears yours and Jasks claims may have some merit. The journal you found was quite interesting and quite complete. We may need your help to testify to the judge in a ten day or so. Can you stay around in the city for that long?
Let's go and see Jask.
Havelar takes you to what appears to be a light security area of the jail.
Jask is staying in a nicely furnished room...a guard stands at the entrance to this building a short walk from the jailhouse, Its good to see you my friends! They are treating me well and I think I should soon be free. Luckily the journal gives them everything they need to arrest and try that scum Milnius.
How are you doing? Have you been able to decipher the notes yet?
Havelar asks you a few questions about yourselves and your exploits...as a military man he seems to be almost gauging you fighting skills. You are actually surprised when you find out he has quite a bit of jungle expedition experience...although he does seem quite proud of it. He also assures you that Jask will be well treated and Milnius will face the full force of the law.
Mihai does not spend his days at the archive, believing Tragershen and Aedalis more suited to that task. Instead he whiles away his time in common rooms, town squares, food carts and other areas where the public congregate. Not seeking anything in particular, merely intent to listen to stories as they are told and offer the gift of the harrow whenever it might be asked for.
Anton does his best to help with the research in the archives, and proves surprisingly helpful with sections in his own native tongue, or even the bizarre language of the gnomes. However, he's more interested in seeing Jask free; and with his newfound fortune, he can't help sneaking in a little bit of shopping here and there. "Not yet, but we're making progress," he tells Jask. "There are a lot of holes to fill."
The halfling is looking positively relaxed and happy these days. It isn't just being clean, well-fed, and having new clothes, though that all helps; it's as if he's more at peace, somehow. He's replaced his slick breastplate with a simple shirt of enchanted chain and a well-made buckler, and only has three visible weapons now: a finely-crafted darkwood longbow, his old lucerne hammer, and a shiny new spiked gauntlet. (Desna only knows what's in his handy haversack, though.) As a result, he moves with a quickness and grace that he used to only show when not wearing armor or not carrying a pack; indeed, he's nearly impossible to follow through the streets of Eleder, unless he's actively trying to remain visible.
Corbius spends much of his time in the archives with the "full casters" :) trying to help in the research.
Despite Corbius lack of Full casting status he is able to offer some insights into the reading (if just barely) that the others failed to notice.
One afternoon Corbius sees Anton come piling in to the common room carrying what must be half the town with him. Whoa did you leave anything for the rest of the town He says a smile playing across his lips. He then listens as Anton shows off his new purchases shaking his head with every new item pulled out.
I have never had so much money in my life and had not even really thought of what to do with it. He mumbles to the overly energetic gnome before heading back to the archives.
Corbius spends much of his time in the archives with the "full casters" :) trying to help in the research.
[dice=Aid Another (linguistics)]1d20+4
Despite Corbius lack of Full casting status he is able to offer some insights into the reading (if just barely) that the others failed to notice.
One afternoon Corbius sees Anton come piling in to the common room carrying what must be half the town with him. Whoa did you leave anything for the rest of the town He says a smile playing across his lips. He then listens as Anton shows off his new purchases shaking his head with every new item pulled out.
I have never had so much money in my life and had not even really thought of what to do with it. He mumbles to the overly energetic gnome before heading back to the archives.
Money means little my friend. It is a tool to help you achieve happiness but gives little else. You should go where the notes take you. You will soon grow bored here and the adventure will be good for you. I will help you to decipher the creatures notes, I do speak and read Azlanti you know.
How are you doing? Have you been able to decipher the notes yet?[/b]
Havelar also assures you that Jask will be well treated and Milnius will face the full force of the law.
"It pleases me to no end that they are treating you well. We are continue to work on the notes; nothing new at this point. I shall continue to visit as they allow."
To Havelar "That is excellent news indeed. Anything I can do to aid the effort, of course." Tragershen will talk to him some about his time on the island, keeping it mostly to the coastal explorations and nothing on the ruins themselves.
Regarding the continuing effort on the notes:
Linguistics
With the groups extensive mind power and the archives at your disposal you make short work of her notes. You are able to crack her simple, yet effective codes for Yarzoth's notes. You find out a number of interesting facts since Yarzoth’s notes prove to be very complete:
1. They detail the Zura cult’s birth in the fabled city of
Saventh-Yhi, their exile to Smuggler’s Shiv, and their planned return to the lost city.
2. According to the notes, however, Saventh-Yhi was hidden behind powerful magical wards, preventing the banished cultists from
simply returning home.
3. Instead, they planned to journey to a smaller Azlanti outpost called Tazion, wherein they could use something called “the pillars of light” to finally make their way into Saventh-Yhi.
Thus, while the notes do not reveal the location of Saventh-Yhi itself, they do accurately describe the site of Tazion.
Armed with this information it would be possible to put together an expedition to the city.
The thorough description places Tazion in the southernmost reaches of the Mwangi Jungle, north of the Bandu Hills, between the Upper Korir
and Ocota Rivers.
Although Anton is not the most competent cartographer in their small group, that's just because they're all such exceptional individuals. The jungle ranger really does know quite a bit about geography; perhaps even enough to help someone else place Tazion...
Mihai is heartened and made wary by the revelations from the tome "No doubt many will be interested for reasons benign and otherwise... we should talk on whom we might be willing to entertain this knowledge with... so as to talk with one voice when queried."