Pleased that they had managed to get out of that situation without unnecessary violence, Granite nods his assent to Ran. Truthfully, he had more questions, but things were already uncomfortable enough as it was. Besides, if this were as big of a problem as the man had said, they should be able to find others who might know something. Perhaps even the guard, though it sounded like any intel they had might be rather biased.
Ikit tilts his head more. Humans. So eager to fight. At least when they faught it was only to gain terratory. No personal grudges. Life was too short for little fights and deaths. All for the colony!
-Posted with Wayfinder
Magnimar - Washers’ Row in Dockway -
Zograthy shrugs, "Perhaps I should not have... still I hold information you hold coin, the choice is yours as to whether you will part with one to get the other".
Granite moves to stand just outside the tent, clearly prepared to move on. He either thinks the man is simply scamming them or is more eager to leave before he decides that ambushing the group is more profitable.
Ran stops when Zograthy speaks up:"We paid your price, old man. If there's more you are holding back, that does not speak for you. Still, an exchange could be to all our benefit, if information is a trade good to you. Tell us what else you know, for the gold we already paid, and if we find out more about why your people disappear, we'll let you know...certainly, that would be something valuable to know in your line of work."
If he reacts favorably, Ran will stay, otherwise, he will exit the tent, not willing to spend more gold on the charlatan than they already did.
Magnimar - Washers’ Row in Dockway -
Zograthy considers Ran's offer and lowers his voice, "Very well but next time you must send a messenger for what I have to share with you is not something I should share with gorgios.
Natalya was, at least until recently, a member of a Sczarni gang known as the Tower Girls, a group of cat burglars. They are themselves searching for Natalya, and word is that when they find her, she’ll be in deep trouble. I don’t know exactly what is going on with them but I heard them say that Natalya went mad before her disappearance".
"Much appreciated. If we learn something, you'll learn it, too. I stand by my word.", Ran exits the tent, then waits for the others, making sure no one is close enough to eavesdrop before he speaks up:"We at least know which gang to look into, now. Probably should still check with the Watch, just be be sure. Get all our facts right before we deal with more Sczarni-how's that sound?"
If he spots the girl from earlier, Ran will throw her another Silver. Not because she earned it, but because sometimes it paid to be on the good side of street urchins that were not paid much attention, but did pick up the weirdest things themselves, from all sorts of places they should not be at.
"We shouldn't ask the watch about her specifically. Instead we should present ourselves as looking into the disappearances in general, perhaps as hired by a group of folks who've had relatives dissappear. That might gain more help and less suspicion."
"Maybe. But if the watch took her into custody, we'll learn nothing unless we ask about her, specifically. If you want, we can split up...me or Granite asking if our 'Girlfriend' got into trouble, the others asking about the disappearances in general..."
"Or we can just ask about the disappearances in general, and then mention that one name we managed to glean as someone who had vanished was 'Natalya' and we wanted to make sure we weren't pursuing a dead end by checking her out."
Magnimar -
The Arvensoar, the watch’s barracks and fortress, looms in the southern part of the city, high above the districts of Lowcleft and Naos. The tower itself is about 400 feet tall, with the lower portion built into the side of the Seacleft that splits the city in half.
As you approach the fortress you see Watch Officer's scurry around like so many ants in a nest. Near the front entrance even none stop to speak with you.
Guessing that those scurrying about outside were all very busy and possible in a hurry, Granite heads inside to look for a less frantically moving person. When (if?) he finds one, he approaches and asks, "Excuse me, we were looking for some information about some local disappearances lately. Who would be the best person to talk to about such things?"
Magnimar -
A member of the Watch slows down enough to stop and respond, "Yeah ok, take a seat on ona those stone benches and I'll send someone out".
"Ahh, thank you, that would be lovely. However, I'm afraid there's a bit of a time crunch, shall we say. My companion here--" he indicates Zhai "-- might be better at explaining the urgency" As he speaks, Granite moves one hand behind his back and begins desperately waving Zhai forward.
Ran was oblivious to the bureaucratic delay-mechanism...but picked up on Granite's explanation and gesturing, trying to give Zhai a moment more to consider her words: "What he said. Plus we're requesting information on behalf of more influental people. The sort who hires people like us to do things they want done, while they spend time drinking tea with the captain of the Watch. You know the type-". Ran shrugged.
Oh, a stretch, possibly, but the leader of the Pathfinder Lodge by all means was an influental person, and the Pathfinders did cooperate with the local Guards and Watches on certain matters...
Zhai opens mouth to speak, but figures Ran's words were sufficient.
Magnimar -
"Yeah buddy, you and everyone else in this city works for someone who has more coin else you'd be somewhere else right? Have a seat".
The day grows long as the group waits for someone to arrive, finally post lunch in the mid-afternoon a human female Watch Officer arrives, "Afternoon citizens I am Watch Officer Kasadei. How can I assist you?"
Ikit tries not to make a scene. Humies always freaked when they saw him. So he stayed hidden in his miss matched pile of clothing
-Posted with Wayfinder
Magnimar -
Watch Officer Kasadei looks down at Ikit eyebrows raised but does not address him or rebuke him.
Seeing nobody else was speaking up, Granite clears his throat. "Pleased to meet you Officer Kasadei. I'll try to keep this brief, as I'm sure you're busy. My name's Granite, and we're looking into some of the disappearances by the waterfront that have been happening lately. We were hoping you could provide us with any information you had gathered thus far."
A few other sentences flash through his mind. One aimed at diffusing the situation if she thought they were stepping on guard toes. Another for dealing with if she thought they were implying something negative about the group. Yet another whose goal was simply to flatter. But rather than trying to cram all of those in, Granite chose to keep those statements unvoiced, less he appear to ramble and take up too much of the woman's time. Once he knew her reaction he would have a better idea of what tools might be needed. If they were lucky, she'd be only too glad to free up her own resources for something else by throwing the case to them.
Ran was busy watching everything else going on around them. He never had much reason to be in a guard station. The wait, of course, was unwelcome, but it was interesting to see the inner workings, for once.
He found it horribly ineffective, to be honest. In the Arena, there was no bureaucracy...just as he was wondering wether it WOULD have been a good idea to ask Hannah to follow this lead, the Watch Officer approached them and introduced herself.
While Granite spoke, Ran took a moment to take a look at the officers well-trained body. He was used to try and estimate how powerful of an opponent someone would be, what kind of combat style they would probably follow, how long they could last before being out-of-breath, and wether they seemed to have weaknesses.
Of course, woman sometimes misinterpreted that. Not that Ran cared very much...out of those who misunderstood his intention, the amount of those who seemed uncomfortable was about as high as those who considered it a compliment, so it all balanced out.
Deciding that his initial attempt to talk with the guard was not a success, he rather remains silent when Granite spoke, waiting for a reaction.
Ikit simply stood still and waited like it seemed most of the people around him did. Not a rat for words much. Words were seldom needed for what his life was about. So the pile of clothes simply waited and listened
-Posted with Wayfinder
Magnimar -
Watch Officer Kasadei replies, "They are a non-issue. What frustrates me are the persistent rumors that the city watch is doing nothing to solve the disappearances—especially considering that we’ve confirmed that the rumors of Nidalese slavers are false, and that the majority of those who vanished have actually been found.
Rumormongers don’t find happy endings nearly as fun to gossip about, and as a result news that the vanishings have been solved isn’t nearly as gossiped about as the vanishings themselves have been. In fact, as far as the Watch is concerned, the investigation into the disappearances is concluded.
Have you a personal stake that interests you all in these rumors or are you just concerned citizens?"
"I figured the rumors of the watch doing nothing were false, no surprise there, but the more hands looking into it the better, after all, the watch can be in only so many places at once. I notice that you said who wasn't behind this, but you haven't said who or what was. We seem to be following some of those few that have yet to be found, so if you could tell us the result of the investigation, that could help us greatly in both finding some of those still missing, as well as easing the minds of our employers."
Completely lost on how humans act any clue or tell tale is lost on the confused ratfolk
-Posted with Wayfinder
"I am quite certain the watch is doing a splendid job. I am not very fond of rumors, myself. Alas, you seem...concerned, about these recent, as of yet unsolved vanishings. Which, frankly, is disconcerting, as I do have a personal as well as a professional stake in the matter...that's why I took on my current employment in the first place. We are not members of the guard. If we can help in some unofficial way to help solve any mysteries that remain, do not hesitate to tell us everything...I believe we are working towards the same ends, here."
Granite nods, slightly relieved to have the others step in to talk. While he wasn't terrible at talking to people, he did tend towards overthinking and over analyzing sometimes. It's why he preferred writing letters; plenty of time to plan and come up with his next move.
Magnimar -
Traffic near you is heavy at the moment as Watch Officer Kasadei replies to your request for more information, "Many of those who had disappeared were not vagrants, but rather were gainfully employed merchants, fishermen, shopkeepers, and laborers. In many cases, they were found days or weeks after they vanished, living as homeless wretches in the city slums.
Those who were questioned proved to have amnesia and had no idea of where they had been during their disappearance. They seemed none the worse for wear other than their amnesia and the effects of their deplorable living conditions. I am my fellow Officers are baffled as to what may have caused the amnesia.
However, since most victims seem to have returned safe and whole otherwise, the watch has declared the spate of vanishings to be a closed case". She pauses for a few moments waiting for anyone within earshot to continue on with their business.
She lowers her voice, "I am worried about what is going on in these cases. My hunch is that the city of Magnimar’s not seen the last of it, and if your group is truly interested in assisting and can figure out what’s been causing hard-working citizens to abandon their lives and become amnesiac vagrants, I’ll see to it that you all get a 1,000 gp reward for your efforts".
"Thank you for time, we appreciate it. Our investigation continues. I hope to return with good news. However, there is one last thing, we were to meet with an individual, but she did not show up, and no one knows what happened to her. I'd like to make sure she isn't being held by the watch before I add her to the list of the missing. Can we do that?"
Magnimar -
"Yes certainly. Give me the name and if I know it I will tell you and if I do not I will head inside and find out..."
"Of course, her name is Natalya Vancaskerkin."
Ran tenses up when Zhai speaks the name.
He did claim to have a personal stake in this, so it was just as well. The real reason, though, was that the woman may well be on record in some other way, or the guard may link her to Hannah.
"We appreciate your help...and your trust in us. We'll do what we can to help. For everybody's sake."
Granite stroked his chin in thought. What was the purpose of kidnapping people just to give them amnesia? The only thing that came to mind was for labor on a secret project. But then, why give them amnesia afterwards? Why not simply kill them? Were they hoping to avoid extra guards getting involved by not dropping bodies? It's true that he wasn't yet all that familiar with magic, but the spells he was aware of were significantly shorter term than would be required for this.
Of course, the other side of this is that we should be on the lookout for those wishing to affect our minds in a similar manner. Being in a group should make it harder as they'll have to hit all of us at once. But we may wish to take precautions to communicate what we've learned periodically if anything happens to us.
Magnimar -
Watch Officer Kasadei purses her lips when the name is mentioned, "Natalya Vancaskerkin is known to the city watch. She’s a petty burglar known to run with the Tower Girls.
That Natalya has vanished is news to me she hasn’t been picked up by any patrols. I'm not surprised that Natalya’s disappearance hasn’t been reported, the Sczarni tend to try to solve their own problems. If anyone knows more, it’s probably the Tower Girls.
What are you mixed up with a character like her for? You all seem..." she pauses and looks at Ikrit, "like upstanding citizens though I suppose appearances can be deceiving".
"Oh, we are upstanding citizens, of diverse expertises. And it's exactly her choice of profession that makes us look for her. She obtained something valuable that does not belong to her...we are to retrieve it. Amiably, if possible, since an agreement was reached. But that is made a bit more difficult by her disappearance.", Ran explains apologetically.
Granite nods at Ran's words and then adds, "Might you know where we are most likely to find some Tower Girls who we might ask? Admittedly, if they tend to keep these things to themselves, they are unlikely to tell us, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to try."
Well, maybe that's not so true. There are definitely ways it could hurt, possibly even literally. But it was always good to have options.
Zhai face palms, sighs, then silently lets the others chat. She starts thinking of alternative strategies since these companions seem intent on openly revealing everything to everyone.
A claw seems to reach out from the walking and talking bundle of clothing and tugs at Zai's clothing
"Psst. Psst. Ikit think this is bad bad.... we should be sneaky sneaky.... why so much talky talky?"
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Zhai quietly responds, "You'll have to ask them. I was trying for discretion, they were the ones to blab everything in the middle of a busy, and nominally public, place."
Magnimar -
Watch Officer Kasadei narrows her eyes watching the interactions of the group and replies, "This is the time where I would normally ask who you are working for and what you are looking for. However, I've been doing this for a while and your crew seems new, by new I mean you all never worked together before. Certainly I've never seen any of you before so I'm betting that you are Pathfinders.
The Lodge has had run ins with the Watch before, some good some bad. My experiences have always been positive so I'll not follow my normal procedures here. Be advised, this isn't the middle of nowhere Magnimar has laws and we enforce them strictly. Picking a fight, even with criminals, is our job not yours. So if you run into trouble, come get me first, it'll save you a lot of headaches if another Watch Officer answers the call of an incident you're involved in.
Now, finding the Tower Girls could be a problem. In fact, tracking down any of the Sczarni gangs is tricky normally but as far as I know, the Tower Girls themselves have recently changed their headquarters. No informants have yet been able to update the city watch as to their new headquarters, but I do know that a few months back, the Tower Girls had a falling out with another Sczarni gang, the Wreckwash Blades.
For several weeks after that, rumor was that the Tower Girls were slumming it in an abandoned warehouse in Underbridge that they shared with a disreputable local by the name of Fenster the Blight. He may know where the Tower Girls are located now whether he'll tell you is another story. I can provide you with directions to this warehouse if you provide me with the information you discover after you discover it".
Now that their bickering is non-verbal, Granite is wonderfully oblivious to the continued tension between Zhai and Ran. He continues to nod as Officer Kasadei talks. More in acknowledgement that she is talking and he is listening than any real comment on the content of her words. It did not occur to him that others might take it as anything more.
As she mentions "normal procedures," he resists the urge to ask her what would normally be done; the answer would serve naught but to indulge his own curiosity. He also resisted the urge to clarify if defending yourself, as opposed to picking a fight, would be ok, guessing that such a comment would likely be taken as an attempt to find a loophole rather than a request for reassurance that they would not be held liable for a situation beyond their control. Instead he says, "Be assured that I have very little-" he pauses as he considers, "No, actually make that no interest in getting in to a fight. Or of getting in to trouble. I find there are more productive uses of my time."
"As to your offer for a trade of information, may I ask what kind of intel you wish to learn? If we take you up on your offer, it would be useful to know if there's something in particular we should keep our eyes and ears open for." In Granite's experience--which admittedly was somewhat limited to reading about poor souls who had made bad deals with devils--it was good to get more specific terms of a deal. He admittedly wasn't keen on making a blanket bargain that could theoretically mean they must report absolutely everything they learned to the city guard. He also suspected the officer had particular information in mind that she hoped to learn rather than, say, finding out that Fenster's bad breath was the cause of his "the Blight" moniker.
Of course, they could always agree and then lie to her about it. But she had been helpful thus far, and he'd prefer not to reward that with a slap to the face as it were. Plus such things were not his forte.
"I'd be happy to share whatever info we find, but I do agree, it is easier to keep an eye out for something if we know what we are looking for."
"Your help is greatly appreciated. Granite is right, while we are prepared to end trouble coming to us, we are not looking for any. We came to the watch hoping for cooperation, we'll not ruin it by involving ourselves in anything untoward."
Already prepared to leave again, having learned about new leads, new places to investigate, Ran holds when Granite asks what the watch may wish to learn.
Ran had simply assumed that they were supposed to pass on anything they considered worth mentioning, but Granite was right...they may have suspicions, and it was well to ask if they should keep their eyes open for anything specific.
Magnimar -
"Specificity eh? I like that. Alright, I am interested in names, locations, and numbers of the Sczarni gangs. I'll not necessarily act on these tips right away but knowing this information can prove vital if the Watch did need it down the road. Now, if we are done here I am busy and it seems you all have a tall task o your hands. I wish you good luck".
She shakes each of your hands and heads back into the Arvensoar.
"So, where should we head? If these Tower Girls had a problem with the Wreckwash Blades, those are not very likely to help...I think this Fester may be a better option. Even if not, taking a look at that warehouse my provide more clues - I'd suggest heading to Underbridge, but I'm open for anything-", Ran summed up his thoughts on the matter.
He did not feel strongly about this. It seemed most likely they could learn more from Fenster, but either approach would be fine with him.
Granite bows to the woman. "Thank you very much for your valuable time. We will leave you to your other tasks." He then leaves with the rest of the group.
"Yes, the Underbridge and the warehouse seems like our best lead for now. Though I'm not sure what our best approach once there will be; I would imagine they'd be wary of outsiders asking about one of their own. Though perhaps more willing if they've had a falling out and that's why they're also looking for her, in which case a quid pro quo deal might work."