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Thran shakes his head as if thinking of something
"I think it would be wise if we would get help in here right away..let's pick up Imrizade and carry her back outside to her family and then we can report on what happened here."
"..I'm fine with leaving the brain here and sending in a team of experts to study it later, but I do feel we need to hurry"
Thran then sheets his falchion and picks up the woman and heads back upstairs.
You leave the cylinder here and take Imrizade to the Grand Lodge for healing. As she awakens, she immediately starts attacking anyone in sight. Andrezi feels a small compulsion to help her, but can refrain himself. The compulsion is getting harder and harder to resist though. She is subdued again and you rush to the museum to destroy the braininavat which Andrezi by then is referring to as "master Kubburum".
With a couple of hard hits from your weapons, you manage to destroy the item. With the ancient aberrant sorcerer Kubburum Ishmedagan destroyed, the Gate of Beyond is crumbles and Imrizade and Andrezi are freed from his control.
You later learn the possession had an effect on Imrizade, tainting her sorcerors skills. She retains an aberrant bloodline, and is plagued afterward by strange dreams of nightmare vistas and bizarre beings from the Dark Tapestry. You also earn the gratitude of Nigel Aldain, the powerful Blakros family, and Imrizade herself, who happily turns over the Osirian artifacts she collected, and grants the Pathfinder Society unrestricted access to the Blakros family archives.
With some urgency, Adril Hestram sends you to Sedeq. You are to meet with Venture Captain Yasmin Kal'al with regard to the recent discovery of some Osirian artifacts. The journeyn itself was unadventurous..
You meet with her soon after your arrival in Sedeq.
"Welcome to glorious Sedeq, Pathfinders. I trust your stay has been pleasant so far."
The speaker is a strikingly beautiful woman, slender and dark, dressed in the most modern Qadiran fashions. Her study is opulently appointed and seems to have mementos and trophies of past adventures covering every available surface. She favors you and your comrades with a slight half-smile and continues in her thick Qadiran accent: "I am Venture-Captain Yasmin Kal’al—I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced."
"I am here as you are, by request of honored Venture-Captain Adril Hestram. I have been asked to brief you on the local situation as regards the Osirian artifacts. As you know, the smuggler Matzal Chaim moved the four statues out of Sothis into Qadira. The statues are supposed to be quite valuable and had been confiscated by the Osirian authorities for study. We are not sure how Chaim got access to the statues in the first place—he likely had accomplices inside the Osirian Cultural Ministry.
At any rate, Chaim brought the statues here. Sedeq is his permanent headquarters, though he spends most of his time traveling abroad. When he is in town, he spends the lion’s share of his time on the Qalli. While most of the city is given over to the human-chattel trade, the Qalli Spice Market is almost as lucrative as the rest of the city combined. Much of the money seen in Sedeq begins and ends in its stalls and processing plants. The saffron trade alone—" she brings herself up short. "But never mind, this is not of relevance to you. Chaim spends a good deal of his time at the Topaz Pavilion bathhouse. We believe that he uses it as a point of contact with his various associates. Once you find Chaim, you will have to convince him to tell you who he sold the statues to—yes, they are no longer in his hands, we are sure of that. Time is of the essence—if Chaim’s buyer sells to others, the artifacts may quickly move beyond our grasp."
Chaim is a human, about forty years old. Somewhat past his prime in physical condition. He has a small beard, somewhat like Andrezi here, but is almost bold, like, erm, nevermind. But I think you better ask around the bathhouse about his whereabouts.
Andrezi remembers about the bathhouse when he asked about local places of interest. "Close to the Qalli Spice Market, you can find the Topaz Pavilion Bathhouse easily. It is located prominently on the corner of Candlewood Street and Shackle Street, a scant block from the ramp down to the Central Market."
You arrive at the bathhouse and after a short survey, you see a man who clearly matches the description of Chaim. For the briefest of moments he notices you, his eyes widen, and he flees deeper into the bathhouse. You give chase, following him inside.
After chasing Chaim through what must have been half the rooms in the bathhouse, jumping pools and slipping across slick tile, the body of Chaim lies on the floor of a steamy room, a bloody gash where his adam’s apple used to be. An exasperated voice from further in the room exclaims, "’Think,’ I said, ‘before you stab.’" The steam separates, revealing two sweaty half-orcs in heavy armor, one looking abashed with a bloody kukri in his hand. A man sprawls luxuriantly in a small steaming pool in the center of the room. His visible skin is covered with horrible scars as if from badly healed burns. Behold Grandmaster Torch, the notorious information broker who has "helped" you in the past with the location of Nessian's hide-out.
He continues dressing down the half-orc with the kukri until he notices you. He appraises you with a quick, sharp eye taking in their varied appearance, outlandish garb and visible weapons. Then he says, "Please forgive the mess—my bodyguard was a bit ... overzealous in guarding my privacy. I recognize you from before, what brings you so far from Absolom?"
He nods in comprehension, "He didn't seem the helpful type though. Well, whatever you wanted him for, I’m afraid he won’t be able to provide it now. If it was information you were looking for, I’ve got all kinds in stock."
He laughs.
Of course not, but I'm willing to sell it to you. What is it you need information about? I'm certain we can come to an understanding.
"Sigh, you pay, I deliver. Or, as we did before, you do me a favor, or promise me a favor in the name of the Society and I deliver."
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"I myself am curious as to why you are here, rather than Absolom, though I suspect you'll charge for that information. What do you know that this man would have?" Andrezi kicks at the corpse in front of his feet, still embarrassed from the slip into a tub occupied by rather heavy merchants.
Andrezi shrugs heavily, "Not sure we can make such a promise, but if its the only way we can get the information we need I'm sure the VCs won't mind."
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Azar stares at the carnage and at Grandmaster Torch.
"Have you no shame, sir? What did this man ever do to you?" he asks, clearly knowing he won't receive any satisfactory answer. "I know the answer: nothing. But how convenient that you are now in the position of sole information broker. You are a shrewd businessman, but your practices sink you further into evil."
Azar grips his spear with both hands. Not threatening, of course.
"The Inheritor would frown on you. But I am prepared to take your confession and repentance, now."
"You God isn't the only God around here young man. But do remember I'm not in this business to be liked by everyone. I sell information that is worth fortunes. There are always people out there that are unhappy about that. Of course never my customers.", he adds with a smile.
He turns to Andrezi, "I go where business brings me, mister Nichols was it?", he says, impressing you with remembering your name.
He then looks at the man on the floor.
"So you seek something this man has, or perhaps had?"
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Andrezi pinches the bridge of his nose and rubs at his eyes with his fingers. "We are looking for several statues this man had in his possession. They were smuggled out of Osirion, likely with the help of corrupt officials within the Osirion ministry, and traveled here. There are four statues total. Grandmaster Torch, on behalf of, and in return for a favor from, the Pathfinder Society I implore you to tell us what you know."
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"You God isn't the only God around here young man. But do remember I'm not in this business to be liked by everyone. I sell information that is worth fortunes. There are always people out there that are unhappy about that. Of course never my customers.", he adds with a smile.
He then looks at the man on the floor.
"So you seek something this man has, or perhaps had?"
** spoiler omitted **
"Of course there are other gods. They just aren't as just or righteous as Iomedae. If you decide to worship the Reaper of Reputation, that is your own decision. If you come to your senses, Iomedae is awaiting. Or any of a thousand other gods more righteous than Father Skinsaw."
He doesn't seem impressed by Azar's threats, he has heard more and worse before.
"Ah, you seek the four Osirian statues this man formerly possessed. They are now divided. You seek Nasir Tandir, Viraj Arpani, Buri Buri-Ban, and Saldin Marafi.
As a freebie I'll add something extra, a small, yet very important tidbit of information." He eyes Andrezi and Thran. [/b]"Keep the statues in a thick bag and don’t let your arcane friends there hold them when they practice their art. Bad things will happen."[/b]
He pauzes and then continues. "Don't worry too much about the favor in the meantime, I'll make sure to collect soon enough."