The moment you guys take the idol from its perch, a humm emits from it.
The portal slowly closes.....
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Waiting while they figure out what to do with the hellmouth Ting drinks the potion.
Still worried about someone opening the hell mouth, ting sheaths his sword and picking up Hafshi's mace. Taking all his frustration from the terrible day out on the temple wall, he attempts to deface the mural where the hellmouth was opened at, taking several whacks at it.
Stopping and dropping the mace, Ting lulls his tongue smiling his tengu smile, looking at the ruin he caused. "Wells, I don't knows about you's blokes, but I's feels better, wroight."
Despite Ting's striking efforts, , the relief is still mostly whole.
But seeing as Brallenera would likely bash apart what remains of it, you wrap things up with her hauling the idol, taking leave at your leisure.
That is, do you leave Gali there, or would he be taken as prisoner?
=========== When you get back ============
The VC looks up from paperwork, as you come in.
"Ah, i take it you bring good news."
He sees the idol Brallenera's carrying, as she comes from behind the others.
"Good news indeed. That looks like a sinister idol indeed.
Edward!!"
A scholarly yet muscular type steps from around a corner into the room.
"Yes, sir?"
VC: "Here's an idol for further studies. Be careful with it, and around it."
As Edward takes it off Brallenera's care.
VC: "So, please do tell, what happened over there?"
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Despite Ting's striking efforts, , the relief is still mostly whole.
But seeing as Brallenera would likely bash apart what remains of it, you wrap things up with her hauling the idol, taking leave at your leisure.
That is, do you leave Gali there, or would he be taken as prisoner?
=========== When you get back ============
The VC looks up from paperwork, as you come in.
"Ah, i take it you bring good news."He sees the idol Brallenera's carrying, as she comes from behind the others.
"Good news indeed. That looks like a sinister idol indeed.
Edward!!"A scholarly yet muscular type steps from around a corner into the room.
"Yes, sir?"VC: "Here's an idol for further studies. Be careful with it, and around it."
As Edward takes it off Brallenera's care.
VC: "So, please do tell, what happened over there?"
Joseph looks over the corpse of the woman and after making certain to remove any items they can use, attempts to push her into the lava, unless stopped.
"We had some trouble with the followers. I think we might have angered Moloch, but I wouldn't worry." at this he pauses for a moment and, uncharictaristically, grins as his voice alters again to a feminine one. "He's a minor being who will be crushed in time. For now, his followers, as few as there are, are scattered."
Well she'd slowly be consumed, she's already dead though.
But it'd make for a very nasty smell.
You are once again sent to Qadira for this one....
"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."
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Awwww... I'm Brallenera Thalkham. And I'm honored. I find your clothes beautiful, really. Fitting for the season, or at least for the hot sun and sand you seem to always have here. I work for the Silver Crusade myself. Can I get a look at your trophies? You seem to have had an interesting time in the Pathfinders...
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Following Brallenera into the office is a black tengu only six inches taller than the dwarf herself. He wears an emerald robe covered by Lamelllar armor made of darkleaf and a conical Sedge-grass hat, which is decorates with multi colored ribbons, yarns and strings. From his belt and bandolier poke the handles of several varied and exotic blades. As he lifts his head revealing a nasty scar on his beak and a pair of goggles, which magnify his yellow eyes to look like glass bottles, he cocks his head and opens his beak lulling his tongue in a tengu smile. "It's a right pleasure ta make yer acquaintance yer Captain-ness. I's be named Ting Tang but called ting by me friends, wroight." he stands on one foot and quickly preens under his arm with his beak, looking back up he asks. 'So's what can we's do ya fer?"
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Meeting with the bunch that he would hesitate to even call 'rag-tag', Carr enters the office behind a stout woman and a bird. A joke strikes his mind but is quashed by his entire lack of a sense of humor. The Aasimar looks friendly enough, and his walk seems jovial but it is a practiced habit, a mere affectation of living among humanoids as a sort of detached observer. His mountain pattern armor is so shined that even the rivets appear to have been cleaned individually. The longsword at his side shines, the symbol of the open road clearly emblazoned upon its hilt declaring that not only is he a pathfinder of the highest caliber but also a supporter of that soul beyond reproach, Venture Captain Ambrus Valsin (may his mutton chops ever grow).
"It is not unpleasant to meet you, Venture Captain. I am Carrsoth Van Beldenar of the Grand Lodge of Absalom, personally assigned to your plight by Venture Captain Ambrus Valsin himself. There is a plight, correct? Either way, suffice that you may call me Carr an it please you, and I shall be absolutely dedicated to your cause for the next few days assuming this holds my interest." Possessing that most inelegant trait of candor, it is perhaps the one failing Carr might admit to, were he ever to admit to a failing. He would not see it as one regardless, but it tends to wear on others.
@ Brallenera.
"When it is all over, you can, for the matter at hand is pressing."
@ Carr.
"Indeed there is a plight, mr Carr."
In general again:
"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."
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The bird's speech patterns notwithstanding, he had a point. Or several, not including those on hat and beak. "Indeed, to what extent may we employ our various enhanced interrogative techniques, and while I expect we are on retrieval detail, what restraint must we display in dealing with any nuisances which arise?" There were always such moral matters in these times, which Carr didn't personally understand. Things like 'don't kill the townsfolk' or 'those are the emperor's jewels'. Such petty trivialities were hardly worth noticing, but it did seem that people took them quite seriously. "On a side note, this bathhouse, what services does it offer and are those being covered by expenses?"
Yasmin nods.
"The statues are to be retrieved, yes. I would prefer to have talk over force, and keep us from looking like mere enforcer thugs.
If he forcibly resists, however, use force if needed. Try not to kill him if you can, he's a smuggler, not a pirate per sé. Even people from the underbelly could be shown the proper path."
She wears a small broche, shaped like this
The emblem of Sarenrae, who has redemption in her portfolio.
"On your question of restraints on others, defend yourselves where needed. Aside from the obvious bathes, the bathhouse offers some refreshments. It's a location of relaxation, after all."
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Carr looks rather crestfallen at the response regarding the bathhouse, as if he were expecting another set of options. "La, so not a Calistrian establishment. One wonders how the markets make due." He looks around the Venture Captain's office, down a bit to see the Tengu and Dwarf, then gets a quizzical expression. "Aren't there usually, you know, more people assigned to these tasks? Not that I need more, simply wouldn't want to deprive others the opportunity to stand in my radiant presence."
"You're asking for Calistrian services?
The closest you'd get there, are professional massages."
She looks sideways briefly, as she notices some eyeing from Brallenera at her trophies.
"There is a 4th supposed to arrive, yes."
She chuckles at Carr's declarence of radiance.
"None in the mortal world are as radiant, as the lady Dawnflower."
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'radiant, what on odd thing to consider valuable, I mean we all like shiny baubles, but who wants to glow themselves' Ting listens to the odd conversation, then finally adds. "Ya like tha lady said, we's is expectin' lordy Joey ta shows up any times now, He's a bit of an odd bird, or's song bird as the Mistress o Mayhem, 'ear likes ta call 'im, wroight."
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Is that thing speaking, or merely mimicking sounds it has heard? I think those are words, but can't say for certain. Carr listens in turn, but sometimes it falls to consideration whether he's actually listening or merely waiting for his turn to hear himself talk. "Oh I'm not asking for them, I merely tend to the flock from time to time. Shelyn and Calistria are not so departed as to be irreconcilable. Who said I was mortal, dear lady?" His eyes twinkle with positively inhuman golden hue, and streaks of it flow through his hair when the sun strikes it just so (though obviously not indoors). "But I digress, where is this fourth?"
You lazy youngling. I guess it's up to me to get you through the morning. Now it's my turn to guide this coach.
While Ting is tapping his feet, the door behind the trio holds the latest figure. A young man with a keen gaze, but with the to Brallenera (and Ting, maybe?) familiar slightly different tone in voice.
"Someone held me up. I'll not waste the lady's time, you guys can fill me in as we go."
---------------------------
After you've departed, you wander about, looking for the bathhouse.
While a DC 10 diplomacy to gather directions works, you otherwise stroll for 15 minutes, before coming to the front of the establishment, where it is located prominently on the corner of Candlewood Street and Shackle Street, a scant block from the ramp down to the Central Market.
Well you'll be, yonder is a man matching the smuggler's description.
When he spots you, reacting to some noisy children running by, his eyes grow wide....and he runs into the bathhouse, as if a pack of bloodhounds are onto him.
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As they leave the office ting explains the task at hand to Joseph . ”Well tha adventure captain , lady name o’ Yasmin Kal’ somethin' er other, well’s she asks if we’d run downs a bloody smuggler, feller called Chaim, ‘e sold some floggin’statures ‘e weren’t supposed ta have, so’s we gotta find who ‘e bloody well sold ‘em ta and fetch ‘em back, wroight.” ting stops talking long enough to nod at the new member of the team. ”An’ shiny boy wants ta stop at tha red light district if’n ‘airs time, wroight.”
After getting directions, arriving at the location fairly quickly. Seeing a man matching the smugglers’ description run into the bathhouse, ting looks at Brallenera and ask ”You’s want we’s should follow tha bloody bugger?”
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Not particularly subtle, Carr calls out to him. "Sir, might we have a word?" Then as he darts inside, "Well that's rather rude. How inconsiderate. We should follow him and address this blatant lapse in propriety." His words sound hollow, as though he were saying them as an excuse, to be relied upon later should the authorities question their motives. "Pish-tosh, little one. They haven't anything you haven't seen before... or if you haven't, it's time you ought."
With that, Carr confidently strides toward the baths. Confidently being the operative word, because one would certainly not call it quick, expedient, or even efficient. The hitch in his step is noticeable only if you look, as he tries to hide it in flamboyant gesture and manner.
J: "How predictable, they run the moment we see them, typical."
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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, a notorious information broker who has helped the Pathfinder Society in the past—but always for a steep price.
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Entering the room with his fellow pathfinders, bastard sword now wresting on his shoulder, looking from the body of Chaim to the man in the pool and then to the half-orcs. Ting lulls his tongue in a tengu smile: "I hope one of you's blokes can bloody well answer tha same questions, 'at Chaim could'a bloody well answered, wroight."
Must've been a tough mission, given he's an important character.
Grandmaster Torch appraises you with a quick, sharp eye taking in your varied appearance, outlandish garb and visible weapons.
"Please forgive the mess—my bodyguard was a bit … overzealous in guarding my privacy. I recognize Pathfinders when I see them, though, and I’m always happy to be of service to the Society."
He leans back comfortably, his gaze still as sharp.
"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."
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Carr gives Torch a dubious look, the man's reputation preceding him in an unfortunate fashion. "I am not sure we can afford your information, I left the deeds to my lands and estates in my strongbox..." And you've just told him there's a strongbox. Kiss all that goodbye then, I suppose. "Regardless, he had performed a transaction regarding some statues, the Society has an interest in these statues. What will knowledge of the statues' whereabouts cost us?"
Torch grins, and with the surprising seriousness of a businessman:
"Statues? Yes...i might have some information about those.
It will cost you a mere 3000 gold however. A man's got to earn a living."