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Fhlangorn sighs, "I suppose it matters not if helping Mr. Karela is helping an illicit trade, if our Venture-Captain and Ambrus Valsin both want us to help in this matter."
"Oraiah, what's the best way to ask someone their birth date? Oh, and do you know the exact dates that the shipments went missing?'
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Zavra shrugs, "Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter much to me. There are some drugs that are useful for improving the bodies effectiveness in absorption of potions and other useful effects. I doubt that would be why they are selling them, but it could mean an apothecary, alchemist or healer would even have interest."
"Let's go!"
The party departs for the Marketplace. It is a bustling centre of activity in town. There are salesmen of many degrees - southern perfumes, northern furs, western fish, Eastern weapons and armor.
After two hours... Zavra manages to find a purveyor named Gilligam.. tall, obese man with a scraggly red chin-beard.
Several of the hospitals and temples in town are running low on medicines and potion-brewing components ever since several key blockade-runners stopped making deliveries to Tamran. It’s said the Pathfinder Society had worked with these smugglers before, and the Society has paid them to divert goods to Molthune instead.
While most of the goods Karela smuggled into town are no longer available, some of the more illicit or expensive items like drugs are still for sale in the market from less scrupulous merchants. Rumor has it that the Pathfinders are trying to get the Nirmathi soldiers addicted to drugs.
A Varisian traveler in town was flashing around a wayfinder and claiming to be Karela’s associate. He tried to solicit bribes from local shopkeepers to keep the flow of smuggled goods coming. When they refused, he made veiled threats. Shortly thereafter, the shipments slowed considerably.
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"Dices la verdad, Zavra. Corre el rumor de que...." starts Poncho "...I mean...there's rumor running around that the city's hospitals and alchemists have been running low on supplies. Once we're finished with this pig we should head over to the hospital."
"Mucho gusto, hombre!" exclaims Poncho as he nods his head in greeting, "A man of your...stature...is clearly a successful man. I envy the fortune that has gifted you the sweet indulgences this life has to offer!"
"Hello! I'm Augusta Undermountain, it's a pleasure to be meeting your acquaintance!" She moves forward and gives him a hard slap on the back. She steps back and gets a good look at him. She stands waiting for his reply as she messes with her armor and her weapon seeming quite antsy.
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"Word has it that Gilligam here has some of those tinctures we were looking for. Strangely enough, people are saying that it was Pathfinder that were selling them."
"Hey Gilligam, can you tell us something about this Varisian you've been dealing with? Never met the guy, but would love to have a chat."
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"Why is all the stock so dry? There are no mushrooms.. MUSHROOMS I TELL YOU!!! Word around here seems to say some runners stopped making their way this way with supplies?" Prizm eye's the mans reaction.
"Do you think they met harm? Do you by chance know what paths they took? Maybe that would be a grand place to look to help clear up issues!"
The gnome smiles inwardly as he feels very quizzical and on point to the parties designs for a change.
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Suddenly the dodo appears with an apple far too large for his tiny head in his beak, running helter skelter away from a small boy minding a fruit cart.
As Bert weaves this way and that to avoid the boy he notices Prizm asking somewhat intelligent questions and stops on a dime to gawk.
His tiny beak pops open wide, the apple lands with a *thud* and the young boy chasing him is unable to stop quite as quickly as the fowl… goes crashing into Gilligam.
The little bird leaps at the sudden commotion and goes back to gazing with disbelief at his gnomish master.
”bert?”
The child chases down the dodo... and demands a silver from Prizm in a huff and puff.
The tall man is manning a small shack of trinkets of small value. He is taken aback as the motley crew of well armed adventurers step up to him and are acting so friendly.
"hello hello! Here to buy some lovely souvenirs for the ladies? We have exquis..." he coughs as Augusta reaches around to slap his back, and side steps a little.
"Oh sir... i am but a humble merchant scraping by a living..." he says to Poncho.
At Zavra's question, he seems genuinely perplexed.. "I am afraid i do not know who you speak of. Though Varisians are not uncommon visitors here, I am not friends with any... Now my new friends! Come see what treasures you can gift your friends with!" he is quickly back to being a salesman.
To Prizm... he points at a nearby shack. "i have no mushrooms. Joe over there has the freshest of course! Tell him Gilligam sent ya."
go away is your interpretation
"Tell me my good man, We are looking for something specific. What do you have to sell. Do you have any Tinctures?"
Gilligam's face turns a little sour. "Nose Clams eh? Tinctures? never done this before have you? I might have some product you are looking for..."
He turns to Fhlangorn irritably "What does that matter?"
He grins, looks around briefly and continues. "Yeah - you look to have the itch. looking for what a little Pesh? Premium Hookah maybe? I got a wide variety of supplies"
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Poncho is so suave that it covers his poor attempt at purchasing narcotics.
At least he's holding, he thinks.
"Sorry, I just got back from Diobel and that's what they call it over there. I didn't know we could be so direct about it here."
"Do you have any fine tobacco? Perhaps some flayleaf, as well?"
"Of course - of course. Flayleaf comes at a 15% premium due to the nature of importing." He quotes an appropriate price market value+15%, but he is starting to appear nervous at the party.
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Prizm frowns inwardly as he takes in the subtlety of the group. He can't help but think if he dealed in illegal substances, that this whole conversation would make him think it was the authority who was inquiring.
Blinking away the rational thoughts he smiles wide at the fruit cart boy and hands him a silver. "Sorry my little friend gets very excited by .. well most things. My name is Prizm! I am a herbalist, at least enough to those folks are sort of making stuff up... Can you show me your wares? Perhaps we can chat about the goings on? Do you or your father know anything about the doings at the blockade?"
The gnome and his stalwart Dodo will go about trying to gather anything else they could require.
Constantly chirping about this and that.
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Bert listens to Prizm attempt to draw attention away from the group. And then hears his master reference him to follow.
Thinking better of conforming the fowl hones his avian skills in the way he knows best.
Squinting his tiny little beady eyes he emits a low growl at Gilligam.
In the middle of his attempt to shake down the merchant, he tilts his head awkwardly at a sharp angle and blinks. "bert!"
The man turns white at Okzat's question. “I knew this was going to come back to bite me! You’re here to break my legs or something, right? Well you don’t have to—I’ll tell you everything! Just don’t hurt me! I used to buy from Guaril Karela; now I buy from whoever is stealing from Karela. Hey, what’s it matter to me? When I meet them, it’s always on the north end of town, so I figure they must have a hideout up north somewhere. Please, that’s all I know!”
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Zavra thinks to herself. She smiles at the merchant with a grin that would make any true Orc grimace in revolsion, straight pearly white teeth with no hint of a sharp point or elongated tusk to mar them. "Great! When and where is your next meeting scheduled? We'll take care of this awkward middle man and get you a better deal straight from the source."
Uuuuuuuuuuh, Who wants to duel!?
The man looks about exasperated and confused.... "Uhh... “Okay, okay, they come from the river! They sell for half what I used to pay Karela! I hope you never catch them!” With that he closes up shop and departs quickly.
As the man is physically manhandled into a arm lock, he cries out in fear "help me HELP ME GUARDS! These foreigners are stealing from me!!!"
Women and children run screaming, while merchants duck under their stalls.
"Oh my! What have we gotten ourselves into now! Leave him alone! Let's move on!
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Fhlangorn looks quizzically at Poncho.
"I knew he looked shady the moment I laid eyes on him!"
Fhlangorn pulls out his dowsing rodforked stick and begins weaving his way away from the merchant's stall.
"Friends, follow me, this'll lead us away from this mad man!"
Fhlangorn walks out of the market. He hopes his friends are following.
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As Prizm sees his friends walk away. He turns to the merchant, his expression of happiness melting away.
"Very disappointing Gilligam. I will inform our mutual friend that you gave away leads the pose risks toward their operations."
The small gnome stresses the words mutual friend.
With that his face brightens and the playful smile returns and he delivers a sly wink, pivoting on his heel he moves to skip his way after the rest of the group.
As Poncho realizes his predictament and runs off after his friends, the only remaining Pathfinder is Prizm who Gilligam snears at before running off in another direction away from the oncoming guards.
The party refers to the captain's note, in addition to their new information gained thus far.
1) The Docks
2) The Gar's Last Meal
3) Forest Bounty
4) The Market District met drug dealer
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"Let's head to the river first. Where our friend here mentioned he purchased his wares at half their regular cost from some unscrupulous fellows." Okzat pauses a moment, looking over his comrades.
"Though, perhaps - on the way there we should discus and agree upon a more ... cohesive strategy to extract the desired intel. Any suggestions?"
River sounds good! Let's go!