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The litter seems thrown from the other hallway, mostly useless and destroyed receipts and letters. Examining and trying to piece together what you can,
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Fifi ponders out loud, her hair swirling-"Jacquo rings a bell, definitely...that's right! Baron Jacquo Dalsine! He is an influential man, based in Taldor, and associated with the Society. It was thanks to his name that I was able to put in line his cousin, Chalfon Dalsine. This latter noble conducted a violent raid on a Sarenite sect - the Dawnflower Blossoms, but now his made-up face can only be seen in paintings."-making a prayer signal with her hands.
Kess moves forward slowly and peeks in.
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Ready for combat, you proceed deeper, only to find a jarring scene.
The décor in this section of the caves is an abrupt change from the dusty and unfinished slave quarters. This large room includes many of the trappings of a noble household: a table laid with fancy place settings, a vanity and wardrobe that would be at home in a lady’s boudoir, oversized oil paintings of stuffy nobles, a grand staircase and balcony, and even a chandelier suspended from the ceiling.
A plain stone platform overlooks the room with a double door behind.
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”Tch! That is no way for a servant to treat a master’s space.” a booming voice interrupts the ransacking.
A large blue-skinned humanoid, who’s lower half disappears into a cloud of mist, dismisses the invisibility he had been using while watching from the platform.
”Welcome to her lady’s training room, I am Jairo the Enlightener. If you are the next batch of slaves to be made into noble servants, I am your trainer on expectations and etiquette. If you are guests of her ladyship, instead take seats and enjoy some wine. You are not to pass this stage without her express permission or password.”
Kess starts moving towards the blue skinned creature with slow steps but remains silent otherwise.
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”It is among my commands that I fight off any intruders that do not present the password. I have been kind enough to invite you to the table, as such do not approach me on the platform or I will have to dispatch you, forthwith.”
The checks of the room were not enough to notice the invisible creature before lifting the veil, but it does appear all the items here are of high quality and that the paintings are real portraits of Absalom nobles of some repute.
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"Hmmm... the Desimires. Aglorn and his brother, Tancred, no?" Tenibri notes aloud, for both the Pathfinders benefit and perhaps also as a bit of posturing, a way to show that he belongs where he is. "Affiliated with the Aspis Consortium, both killed by Pathfinders, though they had accumulated no small amount of renown prior, of course." He takes a seat at the offered table then looks up at the blueish creature.
"Guests, obviously," he points out in a seemingly helpful manner. "Did the lady give you an allowance to offer some finger foods as well?" He reaches for the wine bottle and a glass. "I'm awfully famished."
Kess does not move further but watches the blue skinned creature closely.
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”Serving food and drink as such is my duty, and I believe I was mistaken about your intentions here. Guests are welcome to have food and drink, and as the lady is indisposed at the moment, I will summon her whole meal here. Guests are not welcome to go rooting around the other training equipment, and are not allowed entry into her lady’s private quarters without the password.”
An elegant, large meal is presented at the table with a simple wave of Jairo’s hands.
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Fifi takes great interest in Jairo, noting his blue skin and his lower half being composed of mist. Her outsider heritage evident, she asks-"Mister Jairo, if I'm not mistaken, could you be a genie? A djinn, or perhaps a jann? I'm the daughter of an Efreeti myself - an ifrit, as much as I try throw it under the bridge."-trying not to come off as superior to the man.
Fifi remembers battling with her efreeti heritage - how the fire genies have evil in their flames that cannot be separated, and are directly opposed to djinns, who hold good in their sparks.
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The food is real and high-class, if a little heavy on the vegetarian side of the menu.
To Tenibri: ”The lady leaves on business from time to time, and though this was an abrupt departure today after a poignant argument with the Gnoll staff of the fort, I give her return within a week with sufficient force to quell the canine resistance, within a year at worst. You could wait as I will.”
To Fifi: ”Such a good guess, I am indeed a Djinni,” he proudly puffs up his chest, with emphasis on the difference in pronunciation from genie, ”though you might not see that I am of noble blood. I would expect nothing less than such a guess from one of genie blood. You should try to guess the password. But do not expect a wish in return, one of the rules I am bound by is no wishes to others than the Lady.”
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Guess the password. Well, so much for it being fooled about if we are supposed to be here.
Betty says “Food looks mighty good. Ah would say Top Notch would be appropriate password.”
She takes one of the veggie sandwiches and tastes it. “Fresh!”
“When yer speaking a’ being bound, suspect ya mean by magic. Did ya give yer consent?”
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Fifi lights up at the suggestion of guessing the password-"Ah ha! If you're a Djinni, are you bound to the Lady by your own volition? Or bound against your will?"-her eyes bright and dazzling. Her smile broad and her hair flickering, she adds-"While I've only dabbled on Milani's teachings, I find it aligns with my desires to free all those who wish to be free. We could work together! Take it from fellow geniekind, we mean you no ill will."
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Jairo dismisses all talk of his freedom and history with a polite and amused, ”Any freedom of mine is bound in the lady’s ring. Not even wish magic alone is powerful enough, you would have to capture the lady and wrest the ring from her.”
To Betty, ”Tut tut, you are clearly making guesses at the password. However, you have not been taught the proper way to address the guesses to me. I should deduct a guess on pure audacity. You should state plainly, the password is…” he waves a hand to emphasize the phrasing.
He waits long enough to make it clear the next word is not the password, ”Password. Well, what is a password? More than a simple physical key, it’s a spoken declaration of belonging or devotion to a cause. What could be that important to Pasha Muhlia al’Jakri?”
He continues with the eloquent speech as you eat, making it appear like a host’s dinner announcement, especially addressing to the very polite and reverent Fifi from his perch. ” Like many mortals, she is consumed by a mad quest, her every spare thought given to plotting the downfall of a group called the Pathfinder Society. I honestly find her a bit of a bore, but I do wonder how the that group wronged her to provoke such wrath.”
”My master has few friends these days, but I suspect that was not always the case. Her password sounds like a mortal’s name, someone she was fond of in the past, I would guess. But I digress, you should be the ones guessing.”
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Taking another bite of food, Betty says “Meant it more as complement fer this spread…” she gestures to the table with all the food laid out “…rather than real guess.”
“Sounds like name? That does help, thank you.”
Looking to the rest of the group, she says “Got a few names jes from portraits and such. Not sure how many guesses we git. Should we try Tancred first?”
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Tenibri pipes up between bites. "You said 'deduct a guess.' How many guesses are we allowed? And what happens if we use them all up without guessing right?" He takes another bite and--with a wink--adds "not that we're guessing of course; we know the password, but I do so dearly love to find the edges of things."
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Fifi seems exhilerated at the task at hand, saying-"I knew it! You're trying to help us! Why provide such a clue if not to help us in our ordeal?"-smiling broadly and adding-"There must be good in you, and while I might not have the power to bring this master before me, I will one day will. What are a few years to a great Djinn?"-with a determined look.
"We've found this Master had a strong connection to the Desimire brothers. Tancred and Aglorn. She also had a connection to Baron Jacquo Dalsine, but we know little of their connection. If we know she hates the Society, from the clue we know the baron is out. That leaves both of the brothers' names."-pondering out loud knowing the particular phrasing Jairo gave allows for open discussion.
"But there are two names. Is she fond of Aglorn, or Tancred more? Then the password would be one of their names. But what if she is fond of both of them, and the password is Desimire? We have to make a choice between the three words, and we only have two guesses."
Kess thinks.
“Well, if we’re not fighting then I can definitely try to support any kind of solution! Usually I’m super bad at puzzles but your situation relates to freedom and that is a part of life which can support!“
She starts thinking.
“Desimire!!“ Kess suddenly says.
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Jairo nods and crosses his arms. ”That is correct. You may proceed, though you are free to enjoy the meal. You may need the nourishment. The Gnoll leader is in the Pasha’s suite as she is allowed, with her vile attendant. I do not know what her Lady sees in these creatures. Truth be told, I am tiring of my service and this institution of slavery. If it gives you kind visitors some solace, if there is no one here to serve I may wander more freely. Mayhaps you will find some way to alert these Pathfinder enemies of the ring, and liberate the magic item before her return.”
"Yes, let us go. I am looking forward to meeting some more gnolls!" Kess says with a smile.
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Jairo waves you on, summoning a half-dozen medium-sized colorful duplicates of himself to clear the table. ”Best of luck. The gnolls seem to think their leader’s second hand uses bad luck like a weapon.”
Beyond the doors, the hallway turns deep into the rock of the spire. Scraps of paper and splinters from the busted chests you found earlier line the otherwise unremarkable 100 foot hallway toward nearly wide-opened double doors at the end.
Beyond the doors you can see partly into the larger room beyond. It is a nicely-tiled room, with the sheen of a shallow pool of water set in the floor and a set of heavy curtains beyond.
Kess moves forward!
”Let us find the gnolls!!“
She opens the doors and enters.