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She inspects the potion very meticulously, "hmm, hmm, this is from the material plane, perfect perfect, I can reverse engineer this to understand the materials from your plane." She turns to the doors, and to make sure no one is about, locking it behind as she walks back in.
"Well, you're in luck, my shop is at a very advantageous location. “Saw some of those crackling elemental bullies fly out of here in an awful hurry. I’d wager that their bounty got called in, though I didn’t see them taking any prisoners. Didn't see them all leave though.”
You thank her for the information and make your way, she points you to your next informant, an unlikely one, a criminal djinn, wanted by his own kin charged with a vast list of petty crimes. Mostly dealing in stolen goods. His name is Ramzi, and is here because this port is an excellent hiding place.
You approach him with caution in his hideout, "Ah, strangers? In Port Eclipse, I know, you must surely be looking for information on the Janni? Well, I've got the right information for the right price."
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"I've come into good information that I know who claimed the bounty on the Janni's head. Jamila is it? Her name?" He smirks.
He's striking confidence no doubt tells you he knows something about this. Probably very useful information to your cause.
"50gp, that's what it'll cost you. It's a very generous offer if you ask me. Although his information is likely solid, it would seem he's trying to haggle you and would likely settle for less.
Feliciatas will smile and checks her slush fund.
"That is a steep price, but we seek the information. Consider it a deal." To Belinda she smiling says."Let me pay it!"
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The Djinn gladly accepts the gold, grinning widely. "You won't regret this, I assure you my information is solid. I heard the Coldfire King, an efreeti overlord, claimed the bounty not too long after it went up. Can’t say I’m surprised. Everyone knows half the ice his operation moves in and out of Port Eclipse has people stuck inside. That tavern his thugs operate, the Sleet Saloon, is probably the closest thing Port Eclipse has to a prison. Dodgy and dangerous stuff of you ask me.” He further explains that the Coldfire King is an efreeti with interests across the multiverse. He specializes in shipping ice throughout the Plane of Air, and his clientele range from nobles seeking ice for their exotic cocktails to fellow efreet maintaining cold torture chambers on the Plane of Fire. The Coldfire King dwells within a floating iceberg near the borders of the Plane of Water, but several underlings manage his operations in Port Eclipse. His operative in Port Eclipse is a particularly cantankerous ice troll named Bitterbite.
Since travelling out of the floating rock is out of the question this very moment, you conclude that the likely next best thing to do for the investigations is to pay a visit to the sleet saloon. The Sleet Saloon is a rundown steel building, resting along the outer fringes of a jutting stone stalagmite. A series of wooden docks extends along the sides of the Sleet Saloon, acting as scaffolding to access the building’s sides. The building is bafflingly tall, with a 30-foot-high ceiling. A primary entrance rests on a polished portion of the adjoining stalagmite, while side entrances are accessible from the north and south scaffolding. The main entrance is a heavy steel door with a single viewing porthole, that is kept shut during most hours of the day—an oddity for a building that openly declares itself as a bar. In fact, the whole ambiance is suspect, with no customers and all it's doors locked.
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The porthole is shut from the inside. Which disallows anyone with a curious eye to see what is going on inside.
Checking with a few locals indicate people rarely visit the place, with majority making it through the front entrance, but definitely nobody they can recognise.
It's quite evident people are aware somewhat to avoid the tavern as it is a front for dodgy activities.
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Fung finds a discrete corner, away from sight, and pulls out a couple of wands. Miraculously, he only takes a very short while to get them to work, increasing his movement, and awakening his senses. He then concentrates, drawing in greater power through his psychic connections to the winds, grunting with the strain The breeze that is present around him grow faintly in power.
He then turns to examine the tavern. "Well, if need be, I could try to pick the lock, but that would likely alert whoever's inside. How about the side doors?"
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After tampering with the door, Fung does magic with his fingers and unlocks the door. Opening the door reveals a very run downed looking tavern, with broken, dusty, old, chairs and tables. The most eye catching feature of the make-do warehouse is the great blocks of ice stacked in the various sizes on all sides of the building. Several larger blocks hand from the expanded ceiling of the tavern. The hanging ice blocks vary from medium to huge size, and are mostly strapped in place with metal chains. Among the huge blocks nestled right in the centre of the room, one serves as a frozen prison for a Janni that matches the exact description of Jamila. She’s visible within, despite the thickness of the ice. Four metal chains hold the ice block in place. Jamila’s prison rests just above a hole in the saloon’s floor that leads down into the open air beneath the building.
Fung shivers a little as he enters the room, with icy cold temperatures below zero.
Within the room, an Ice Troll walks around and notices the door open and Fung step in. He yells in Auran, "What are you doing? Who are you?"
Two more ice mephits seem to be in the area doing odd chores.
Smiling Felicitas approaches the Troll, but not to close.
"Well met, this is the Sleet salon, correct. We are tasked to take one of your prisoners, by orders of his majesty, the Coldfire King. And you should listen and obey with fear!"
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Nemis doesn't spot anything out of the ordinary besides what is already visible to the group.
Fung recalls much about the lore of ice trolls. Ice trolls are somewhat smaller than normal trolls, but they possess greater intelligence and cunning and are just as voraciously hungry. Like most ice like creatures, there are vulnerable to fire, and immune to the cold. Also like the majority of trolls they have strong regenerative powers.
The troll, although small in brain, seems formidable to the effects of mind reading. He gnarls and stares at the lot, listening to Belinda translate Felicita's demands while gashing his teeth. He looks shocked, and "What? Who are you? I've not never seen you before! Who do you work for?" He seems suspicious of your very convincing tale.
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"He just told you." explains Belinda. "And the Coldfire King doesn't like to have to explain things more than once. We're here to take her" she says gesturing to the iced figure.
"And if you want to explain to the King why you decided to waste his time, you're braver than me. Now time to get her out of here...."
Looking at the troll for a moment worried Felicitas replies. "You question our masters orders. And seem to demand that he personally introduces every new pawn to you. Well we leave, but you explain to him why his orders are not carried out. I am sure his reaction could be frosty!"
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The troll hesitates momentarily, looks nervously at you, the ice, and back to you. "If the Coldfire King said so..." He says.
Then he turns towards his mephits and yells in Auran. [b]"Get that block of ice down. Come on!"[b] The mephits immediately scramble to do his bidding. But the intrinsic way that they hang her up takes a long time for them to bring the ice down.
Meanwhile, while you wait, the chilliness of the room perpetuating from all the ice around the places takes a toll on your bodies.
Glancing around the room, you spot four vials of liquids on the dusty shelf.
The creatures have nearly removed the block of ice, that keeps Jamila frozen, from the chains that hold it. They grumble throughout their work as the Ice Troll continuously hounds on them, but keeps an eye out on you at the same time.
Seeing Toctep move toward the ice, Felicitas tries to hold the attention of the troll by speaking to him and soothing the waves.
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Eventually with the strength of the party, you push, pull, heave, ho, the ice all the way out and far out of sight from any wandering eyes. Although on the way, few passer-by's look funnily in your direction, but they know when to keep about their own business and leave you be.
Hacking the ice is a fairly easy task, as the ice already starts to melt. Without minutes the janni is removed from the ice, and quickly regains consciousness.
Jamila in her exhausted state, takes a couple moments to realise what is happening to her, and in a very tired voice, she questions the six humanoids standing around her. "Who.... are... you......?"
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"We are working with the concordance to help you and make sure a certain musical instrument does not fall into the wrong hands. Of course we first had to free you, why were you so stupid to get caught?" Toctep starts, then realizes it might be better if one of the more charismatic pathfinders took over.
"We are the ones that just saved your hide."
Felicitas chips in from the side. "So I think you should be extra nice, if you do not like being called popsicle.
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She takes some time to soak in the words, and looks thoroughly perplexed and confused. She speaks with a little bit more strength as her body warms up, and she mutters with whatever little breath she has. "Pathfinders? Were they not trying to attack the concordance and vice versa? I am grateful for the assist. But how can I be sure I can trust you? Who.. who sent you?"
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She looks surprised at the mention of Ashasar, and much more at the mention of the horn. Clearly she recognises there might be truth in what you say. She ponders momentarily again, and this time comes up with something more substantial.
" While this sounds unbelievable good...But It's not that I don't trust you... But I don't know you... But I have I plan, and I hope you hear me out as I like to take precaution in the matter at hand." She explains to you, that she is willing to reveal all, but only once she confirms this with Ashasar herself. She has a safehouse not far from here that she detailly explains the location. She's still a wanted person, but she has enough uses of invisibility to get herself safely there. She'll also drop breadcrumbs along the way so that you do not get lost. At the safehouse she has a means to communicate to Ashasar, once she validates your story, she will then let you know the location of the horn to be retrieved, since she herself is unable to do it in her weakened state. She request as well that you be inconspicuous in your movement.