He looks at his girls, "Go wait for me over by the stairs." The two girls comply with his request, and he continues in a lower voice, "Well, the wife is a pirate and the priests claim that she cheated them out of some treasure, but that ain't a good reason to sacrifice a person's family! I'm guessing she's hiding out until things cool off, which is exactly what me and my girls are going to do as soon as we get out of here."
The man thanks you one last time for saving his life and the lives of his daughters before swiftly departing the Besmaran temple.
The party then makes it's way through the rough streets of Riddleport to its final collection point. Upon first glance, it is hard to imagine the House of the Silken Veil as a brothel. It is a large, grimy marble building topped with an ugly blood-red steeple. Nevertheless, its three entrances are each hung with freshly laundered curtains and the heavy, floral smell of incense wafts from the building.
As you enter, the group is immediately set upon by a group of attractive and scantily clad men and woman of various races offering numerous 'services.' "If you want some fun company, you've come to the right place," A well-built gnome says to Quiella, while a pair of half-elf twins both wink at Melufiuos.
"I'm sure we can handle all your needs down here, honey." A nearly naked blonde human woman coos in Moadis' ear, "Why would you need to talk to her?"
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Mel may have been flirtatious before, but anything resembling smoothness disappears here. It is painfully obvious that he is just a kid who has clearly never been with a woman and probably never even seen this much exposed skin. He is enthralled and uncomfortable at the same time (although mostly enthralled).
The woman tsks in disappointment, but leads the group to a room at the back of the temple. Lounging there is an attractive tiefling woman who looks up with befuddlement at the party and their guide. "They said that had business with you, but wouldn't tell me what that was." The blonde explains, but the tiefling just waves her off.
Standing up and stretching for perhaps a few moments too long, the tiefling looks you all over and says, "I'm Shorafa Pamodae, high priestess and madam of the House of the Silken Veil." She smiles and begins to pour a glass of wine, "Please have a drink and tell me your important business."
Shorafa's smile widens at when 'Thestil' introduces herself and the tiefling gestures to the various couches laid out in her office, "Oh, in that case, I insist you make yourselves comfortable. You should have just shown your badges to my girl at the door, she would have led to me much more quickly." She then begins to busy herself pouring more glasses of wine and offering one to each of you. "It's an excellent Chelish vintage, you really should try it."
Regardless of who takes the wine, she continues, leaning forward seductively from the table, "I do have the boring old dagger your Aspis overlord asked for, but I can tell some of you are intrigued by the services our temple provides. So instead, I wish to offer each of you the best wine and my most skilled acolytes for a few hours. In exchange, all I ask is a sign statement from Ms. Shadowtongue stating that all my temple's debt has been repaid in full, including past interest. Believe me, my acolytes are very good at what they do, so everyone wins in the end."
Despite her veneer of hospitality, you can tell Shorafa is doing her best to hide her anger at your presence.
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Valik hangs his head as the young man Mel, looses focus at the task at hand. He simply gives Mel a look, to keep focused and attentive. There is time to sow his oats as a young man when not on Society time.
Valik, does not drink the wine, for he wants to keep a clear head and he focuses on the woman's posture and body language. He can tell she is a bit antsy and uncomfortable. He leans into Ophelia's ear, and whispers to her, She may seem hospitable, but she is trying her best to hide her anger. He lip quivers give it away
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Mel barely restrains himself from taking the wine, reaching forward but then noticing the others are not drinking.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Fine." The tiefling woman replies in a cold tone as she pulls an iron case from a drawer in her desk and places it on the table. The box has a glass lid and inside you see a dagger shaped like a wasp stinger. A sturdy padlocked keeps the weapon locked up securely in the case.
"That concludes our business." Shorafa says with finality, "I'll summon some servants to show you the fastest way out."
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Something about his recent training fires in his head, and he leaps in the paladin's way, keeping him from touching the box. "could you please open the box for us, first? And take the dagger out. That is a pretty box and we would not want you to over pay."
At the same time, he detects magic on it.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Shorafa glares harshly at Melufiuos, "Keep the box. If Venk wants the damned dagger so badly, he can get it open himself."
With that, the tiefling madame waves some attendants in who had been loitering near the doorway, "Be so kind to escort these...people out. Now."
Peering through the glass, Melufiuos can still clearly see that the dagger is magical.
It's a +1 Dagger
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Mel again follows the guidance of the fatherly paladin, fading backwards and leaving with the party.
Quietly, only for the party's ears, "Sorry, I was afraid that the box may be trapped or that the glass lid was an illusion."
When we get a chance, Mel would like to check for traps.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Once the group is safely 'escorted' out, Melufiuos has a moment to examine the box. He does not find a trap on the box itself, but it is secured with a superior lock.
Although it's a bit difficult to notice through the glass, the elf does happen to see that some substance matching the color of the blade lightly coats the sharp surface.
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"We're more than capable of seeing ourselves out, madame," Ophelia sneers, motioning for Melufiuos to take the box with the dagger. "Come. We've wasted enough time here."
Once outside, she visibly slumps, apparently exhausted. "I'm weary of this deception," she confides. "I fear I'm going too far." She attempts to straighten herself, smooth out her appearance. "Let's finish this and be done with it."
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To Moadis, Mel says "Oh yeah, good point. But at the time all I saw was you getting blown up by some kind of demonic, anti-paladin ward. And thanks for helping me get my mind back in the game. How in the world do you ignore gals like that? If I walked out of there alive, I'd have been copper-less"
Then his eyes twinkle and he works his way over to Ophelia. With his hand resting gently on her back, "No, you're doing great. I'm sure Pharasma would be proud of you..... And besides....., you're kinda cute when you're bossy." He winks and then backs away quickly to avoid getting slapped.
With the three religious items in hand, the group returns to Barracuda Cartage and the Aspis Silver Agent, Vidrin Jenk.
The thugs in the courtyard give you all respectful looks as you head up to Venk's office and, unlike last time, you have the man's full, undivided attention upon arrival. Clutching a piece of paper in his hand, Venk appears anxious, or perhaps excited, "Did you acquire the items? Show them to me."
To Melufiuos' sharp eyes, it appears to be a letter with a seal at the bottom. He does spot the word "Lissalan" written on the document, maybe more than once.
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Ophelia glances at Mel in surprise, having no time to reply before he moves away. Cute when I'm bossy...? she thinks in bewilderment, staring after the elf.
Upon reaching Venk's office, she nods briskly to the others, placing the mug on the table. "Some were less cooperative then others," she mentions, "but we managed to aquire all three with little trouble."
Jenk picks up the mug and gives it a cursory examination, "Yes, I'm certain some were more pliable than others, but they all realize the Consortium has many less civil means of recovering our losses if our debtors go into default. Where are the other two objects?"
"Excellent." Jenk says with satisfaction as the other two objects are presented to him, seemingly unconcerned that the dagger is being kept in a box, "It would appear that circumstances are in our favor this evening, I've just received word from our superior that you are to deliver these gifts to the Lissalan temple tonight. You will find the cultists underneath the Silver Needles tattoo parlor near Zincher's arena. All the information you need is in the letter." He hands the piece of paper to 'Thestil' and waits a few moment for the group to peruse it.
"You are to go to the temple immediately, we mustn't let this opportunity go stale!"
Agent Jenk,
You demonstrate excellent initiative in collecting our overdue debts and offering them as gifts to the Lissalans. This way, we can start to stem the hemorrhage of our goodwill with the Lissalans for very little actual cost to the Consortium. Deliver the items to the Lashmistress at the Lissalan safe house with our best wishes for future negotiations. If Thestil Shadowtongue’s team has impressed you, they can make the delivery in your stead, but be sure they understand that the situation is politically tenuous. Indelicacy here could do us serious damage.
The Lissalan safe house is located underground. Their complex is accessible via an abandoned tattoo shop called “Seven Needles” just south of Zincher’s Arena and the Gas Forges.
The Lissalans remain paranoid, secretive, and edgy. Tread carefully, so we can turn this situation around. Success so soon after our arrival in Riddleport would mean accolades for me, and thus for you.
—The Spider