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It's been some times since you've been back here, to the primary headquarters of the Pathfinder Society itself for a mission in the city of Absalom. But here you are, once again answering a request to meat a Venture-Captain, though this one takes you an office in Skyreach itself.
Seated behind a large, antique desk in his wood-paneled office, Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin looks up from the pile of papers before him and shuffles them to one side. “Perfect timing! Welcome Pathfinders!"
“I had an interesting conversation with the Master of Spells Aram Zey yesterday. An old friend, , Archdean of the Arcanamirium here in Absalom—contacted Master Zey. She’s a councilmember on the Low Council, too. It seems her dinner party last week had an unexpected guest: a handmaiden of her fancy guest’s had picked up a scrying sensor somewhere. When Lady Darchana learned that someone was attempting to eavesdrop on her party, she used her magic to trace the sensor back to its source. It sounds as though she didn’t learn anything conclusive, and she’s interested in bringing in an independent party to try and learn more. Master Zey agrees."
“Make no mistake, this is an excellent opportunity for you to impress a well-connected friend of the Society. Lady Darchana requested that the Pathfinders call upon her at her estate in the Petal District once they learn something of the origins of this servant. The owner of the handmaiden is named . Lady Silviana isn’t a councilmember or the like, at least not yet. From what I understand, though, she is an up-and-comer who is rubbing elbows with all of the right people, and she likely has little knowledge of where the slave was purchased. I recommend speaking to her majordomo about the handmaiden, or you can pay a visit to her solicitor, a Chelish fellow named over in the Coins. Questions?”
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A Wayang's feelings can be difficult for other races to read, especially on a face like Xasay's which falls in the more alien end of the Wayang spectrum, but his expression seems to sadden when he learns he is going to be dealing with slaves and those who buy and sell them.
"Can you tell us anything more about this sensor she had?"
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Silver Warden sloooooowly turns his head to stare at the elf, but his mask hides his thoughts.
Stalk a woman because she was being spied on? What is up with this elf?
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Would spying on lady darchana be something that lady silviana would do
"Not that I know of. But, being that it was only a magical sensor that was found seemed to be spying on the party by spying on Lady Silviana's handmaid, and the area around her, it's unlikely."
"Can you tell us anything more about this sensor she had?"
"I'm afraid not. There was no indication that it was anything out of the ordinary for a variety of such magics, but I wasn't there myself. I would recommend you speak to Aram Zey about this for more expert knowledge, but the Master of Spells is also not available."
"A chance to strike at the slave trade? Sounds good to me. I'll see what other information my contacts can find for us."
"While some might find it, . . . difficult, . . . yes, slave ownership is legal in Absalom, though not widespread. Remember, you have a job to do.”
"Can't we just ask the girl where she came from?"
"I recommend looking into that as quickly as possible. My advice would be to speaking to Lady Silviana's majordomo, Milana, about the handmaiden. Perhaps find out where she was purchased at, or from whom. This might be a clue, helping lead us to who was attempting to spy on Lady Darchana's party."
"Or you could try to find her solicitor, Salbus."
"So you say Lady Darchana traced the sensor back to its source but couldn't find anything?"
"This is correct, and also why we have asked you to look into it. It seems Lady Darchana is trying to avoid turning this into a public debacle by working through intermediaries and not alarming other nobles, and Lady Silviana’s recent departure may even be to ensure her safety and silence on the matter. Of course, that’s an educated guess.”
"Do we know anything about Lady Darchana's habits or like a routine she tends to follow that would make her easy to stalk?.
"I myself do not, though I'm certain you could ask around. My
understanding is that she already left for Oppara two days ago, like I said, likely trying to avoid scandal or alarming other nobles.""Was there anything else?"
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"A great many of the noble families where present throughout the day and evening. If you would like a "by name" list, I'm afraid you will need to ask the hostess for that. But, what we do no about the magic scrying sensor is that once it was discovered and identified, Lady Darchana herself tried to track it to the source, but failing that, had the handmaiden removed presumably whatever item she held that made the magic easier destroyed or locked away. I wouldn't think that anyone knows for just how long it had been going on before then."
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Travelling to Dimora Manor does not take long, just a short jaunt across Absalom. The grounds are recently tended with thick, soft grass, several well-placed shade trees, and many species of flowering plants. Directly in front of the manor house is a pond with several large lilies and a lion-shaped marble fountain that bubbles gently.
Proceeding to the door, you are received by a stern-looking woman with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. "How can I help you.", but before you are able to respond, she adds with a formal apology, "Lady Silviana is not available to take unscheduled meetings at this time." It's clear she is getting ready to close the door and return to her work, unless you can convince her otherwise. . .
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Milana shakes her head, touching her hand to her forehead. “Yes, Lady Darchana’s dinner party. What an embarrassment for Lady Silviana. Can you imagine being told that your handmaiden is some sort of… well… spy? Dreadful. The woman’s name is Atlag, and she has been here for almost three weeks! Three weeks! When I think of the private conversations that happened in front of Atlag? It makes me ill, honestly ill.”
Composing herself, Milana continues, “Lady Silviana retains a solicitor, a Chelish gentleman named Solvius Salbus. He works out of an office in the Coins called the Red Letter. He drew up the paperwork for my Lady to complete the transaction on Atlag with a man named...” She wags her pointer finger a few times, shaking her head as she tries to recall the name. “Mahdi Mahjub. No, Mahjub Mahdi! He does his business down in Misery Row, of course. It’s a small shop with several large windows to allow passersby to see into his display parlor from the street. ‘Mahdi’s Chattel: Absalom’s Finest,’ so the sign claims. Honestly, I think every third building in Misery Row claims to be ‘Absalom’s Finest.’ I wonder how many spies like Atlag he’s sold over the years? It’s a dreadful, dreadful business."
She seems on the verge of saying something more, but stops herself.
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After you left the Venture Captain's office, Silver Warden departed, saying that he had some matters to attend to, but his friend, Glomtin Weol, would be joining you to help with the various sleuthing tasks at hand.
Upon exiting the lodge, a wayang with graying skin introduced himself as Glomtin Weol and said he was sent to help with the investigation. He offered little else by way of introduction.
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At the door, Glomtin raises his arm. "Madame, if you would be so kind, we do have a few more questions for you. But first, you seemed to be on the verge of speaking. Whatever were you going to say? I assure you we are most interested to hear all of your thoughts."
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“You seem to possess a keen understanding of how things work in Absalom, so perhaps you might be willing to perform a small service for my Lady. It would be unheard of for Lady Silviana to demand recompense for her handmaiden purchased from Mahjub Mahdi; however, were you to secure such a deal, it would be gracious gesture that might lead to a budding friendship, don’t you think? And should he refuse you, who were you to ask in the first place?” She shrugs her shoulders and frowns slightly.
Leaving the Petal District for Misery Row requires you to cross through two other districts to arrive at the coins, and a little bit longer to actually track down 'Mahdi’s Chattel: Absalom’s Finest'.
Misery Row is an enormous, elevated platform that runs along the eastern edge of the Coins district, and serves as the main destination to buy and sell slaves in Absalom. The cages are set into the platform such that slavers and prospective buyers can walk over the pits to inspect the merchandise easily. Mahdi’s Chattel is located along the platform, where his many-windowed storefront can catch the eye of discerning buyers. The massive wooden platform is well worn by foot traffic, and is active all hours of the day and night. The Token Guard, the guards responsible for patrolling this part of the city, intervene only in particularly egregious crimes or those they’re paid to investigate. As a result, petty criminals have numerous opportunities to ply their craft.
A hanging sign identifies the single-story building with large, full-length windows as “Mahdi’s Chattel — Absalom’s Finest.” Heavy curtains are drawn over all of the windows—one of which has been smashed—and a small painted sign that reads “Closed” hangs over the latch of the door. The door is not completely closed and shows signs of scratches and damage to the wood around the latch.
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"Madame, surely we might speak with the girl herself? She might be able to tell us something to aid in our investigation."
After speaking with the slave, Glomtin informs the party he has some matters to take care of, but he will rejoin them later.
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Silver Warden meets the party as they approach the chattel. "What's going on here? Do any of you hear that? There's a low, threatening voice speaking in there--they just broke a bottle!"
"I'll go scout it out."
Silver Warden tries to sneak in, preferably through the broken window if it is large enough, otherwise through the door.
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Standing back for a moment while Silver Warden goes to take a closer look, (is he paranoid?), he crawls begins to slide one of the windows open and fits himself inside. Mahdi’s Chattel is pleasantly decorated. An Andoren rug lies over the polished wooden floor of the entryway, and a small decorative table holds a curious stone statue. The eastern half of the room is in slight disarray, apparently from light renovations that are nearly complete.
Inside, Silver Warden see's a large half-orc and a human man standing threateningly just outside the doorway leading into another room.
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SURPRISE ROUND
Silver Warden ()
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ROUND 1
Thug 1 () & Thug 2 ()
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Silver Warden ()
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Half-Orc Leader ()
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[ooc]assuming there is a reason to act)
Fenn (), Caladrel (), Ailil (), Van (), & Xasay ()
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Silver Warden quietly maneuvers his way to see who is inside the door, then casts a spell.
Once the spell hits the thugs, Silver Warden shouts "Pathfinders!" and draws his sword cane .
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so for now i will go to there and ready action shoot anything that makes movement this way
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Silver Warden, seeing a few threats inside, unleashes a spell to debilitate the closer enemies, then calls on the group to attack. The sudden blast of bright colored lights alerts everyone inside to the threat that is the party, leaving Silver Warden in a very danagerous position, especially as it seems that no one was affected.
The two human thugs move towards Silver Warden with short swords in hand, and surround him. He is able to get a lucky hit against one of them as he comes around, drawing blood, but it's not enough to stop them from attacking back.
ROUND 1
Thug 1 () & Thug 2 (-4)
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Silver Warden (-15)
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Half-Orc Leader (Ready Intimidate first target)
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Fenn (), Caladrel (), Ailil (), Van (), & Xasay ()
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Van will move in to where he is and ready an action to hit the orc if he moves/makes a threating act toward party
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