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"I don't trust this man any more than I'd trust a sczarni vagabond's silver tongue. He's most likely trying to gouge us.
How about you do us a 'discount' Greevesy? A nice, generous discount for your new friends."
Effie smiles sweetly whilst resting her finger on the trigger of her pistol beneath the desk.
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Haha! The door kick always puts them all on the backfoot, that's the way you ought to do it! Inner Archon is the best for thugs, scares them s~@~less!
"'ow abouh 'alf now an' 'alf later, when we geh tha chance tah verify 'is word?" Rumble suggests, but otherwise leaves it to his allies. Negotiating with slavers, bah! Even Torag has to work with Asmodeus at times though, as long as we keep it all above board and resist temptation.
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"For the man himself," Greeves replies to Zithembe. "If I'd done sold him to someone else then I wouldn't be needin' the money from you, would I? But I like the way you think, gettin' two payments for the price of one body...gotta remember that."
"Anyway, I'm talkin' about the man himself. And if it'll get you lot out of my hair then I'll go down on the price by half," he continues, shooting a scowl at Effie. "125 gold, up front. A steal of a deal, all things considered."
He's not lying about being willing to ransom Xarcious to you but he *does* seem a bit desperate for the coin.
"Yeah, sure thing, lemme see..."
Greeves moves over to one of the other tables sitting in the front office and begins flipping through a small stack of papers. Though his two Fury friends still keep a wary eye on you they do relax enough to lower their hands away from any weapons they might have.
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After the paperwork is put in order and the coins exchanged, Greeves heads over to a door in the southeast wall and unlocks it. Inside is what was once another small office that seems to have been converted into a holding cell/infirmary of sorts. Atop the lone desk in the room a makeshift bed has been cobbled together and atop the bed lies an unconscious, middle-aged Taldan man. His face is bruised and it's clear that he's been beaten at some point.
"Here's your guy," Greeves remarks nonchalantly. "He's been like that for a few days now but I dunno what's wrong with him. I admit I roughed him up a little but shouldn't have been enough to rattle his skull or anythin'."
Upon closer inspection you notice that Xarcious feels warm to the touch. That and other telltale signs indicated that he's contracted filth fever. While he's currently stable he's clearly very sick and close to death.
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"I now see why you were so quick to discount the price," Zithembe says flatly as he moves to the scholar's side and kneels down. He slowly waves his hands over the man's body. "He has filth fever and is not likely to survive. I do not suppose the price would include you and your companions taking a walk for an hour? I am not certain he can be safely moved, and treating him will take time."
The shabti removes a scroll from his belt and unfurls it. His copper eyes transform into sapphires, and his companions feel the spirit of long passed healers and merciful clerics swell within them. He reads the scroll, speaking in an undecipherable tongue and then touches Xarcious.
He then speaks in the same undecipherable tongue and makes an arcane gesture in the air before touching the scholar once more.
His eyes turn back to copper metal as your sense of the spirits fade, and he places his hands on the desk beside Xarcious while he pants. "Give me just a moment, and I can try to do more," he says.
Once recovered, he pulls out his healer's kit and begins to prepare a series of pastes and incenses to burn. As he begins his ministrations, everything appears traditional for the first ten minutes. Then the shabti's hands seem to pass into the man's body without making a wound, and he apparently removes several slimy looking tumors, laying them on the table next to Xarcious.
"He owed me a debt and couldn't pay! How else was I supposed to get my money back?" Greeves retorts indignantly. "You'd think a person could get a decent price for someone that's supposed to be a scholar but couldn't close the deal with anyone I talked to! Then he started gettin' sick and everything just went to hell."
Greeves scowls. "If I'd have known he'd bring me this much trouble I would've cut my losses and just dumped him at the nearest temple. But yeah, me and the girls can scram if you need a place to work. Like I said, he's your problem now."
Whether or not the rest of you actually want to let Greeves & Co. leave or not, Zithembe gets to work on treating the sick man, with Maria helping where she can as well. First, Zithembe does what he can for the damage the filth fever has had on his vitality and this alone noticeably improves his condition as his fever subsides somewhat and his breathing grows less shallow. Then he applies a hefty dose of healing magic, mending the bruises and other injuries Xarcious has sustained in his captivity.
After a few seconds, the scholar's eyes flutter open.
"Wh...where...?" he croaks, staring up at Zithembe and Maria as they continue to work, combining their talents to treat his filth fever.
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"Someday, Greevesy, somebody badder an' meaner than you is going to decide that you owe them. You're a piece of work, you know that? Reconsider your life choices, Greevesy, or pray our paths don't cross again."
Effie watches Greeves and his henchwomen go. If looks could kill, the three of them would be on their way to the Boneyard already.
"How's our man doing?" Effie asks softly.
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Maria gives her bestest smile (it isn't comforting) and looks down at the man, "Well, you are currently lying on a bed in a prison cell. You were days, maybe hours from death as filth fever had taken hold. However, you should be able to recover with a bit more assistance."
She slips the unused antiplague back in her pouch.
"Now to the matter at hand. We are a group of pathfinders. We were tasked to communicate with the sewer dragons, which you apparently have some association with. To that end, we tracked you down and have purchased your contract from Greeves. Now, my friends are probably a lot more altruistic than I and would be happy to promise your freedom and further healing if you cooperate, but I'll just simply say that you owe us big time and leave it at that. If everything works out for our mission, I'm sure we all would be happy to release you from the contract. So can you assist us?"
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We should have apprehended them and taken them to the guard! Doubt they'll stop doing this in the future... Rumble spits as the trip leaves but keeps himself reigned in.
He does his best to let it go and waits for Xarcious to answer Maria's question. "An don' leave nuthin' ouh. We're tryin' real 'ard fer peace, an' keepin' stuff from us is gonna make their death more likely, 'cause Sledge an' aye don' lose," he warns.
"You simply wish to-- to find the Dragons? And then I am free?" Xarcious croaks out. He descends into a coughing fit, though he tries his best to lay still for Zithembe and Maria to continue to their work.
"I can certainly tell you about them," he manages when he's stopped his weak hacking. "I spent the better part of several years among them, you know. It's certainly the least I can do for all the trouble you went to to secure my freedom and my health!"
The story is occasionally punctuated by coughing fits, but Xarcious relates to you that the chief of the Sewer Dragons, Kibizax, is getting quite old now, and probably is likely to turn over the command of the tribe to one of the two children that he had been hired to teach: either Yippitok, the son, who according to Xarcious is an alchemist as well as a trap-master, or Yiddlepode, who followed in the arcane arts like her father.
"Yiddlepode is much easier to deal with," Xarcious wheezes. "She's fascinated by human culture, while Tok is...less...open-minded. Yiddlepode loves the theater, of all things. She actually convinced her father to expand their...their territory to include an old underground theater and she comes up to take in the air, and the shows, up above ground."
There's a pause.
"In disguise, of course. At least, she used to. It's been several years since I saw her. I know the entrance to get into the their complex, but it was guarded in those days, and likely still is. Do you have some parchment? I'll give you the directions to get there..."
Once Xarcious has dictated or written down the directions to get to the Sewer Dragon's underground theater, he offers a few more bits of advice.
"If you want my advice, you'll try and catch Yiddlepode above ground, at a show. Despite the disguise, she might be easy to spot; when we parted, I gave her a pretty, bright blue cloak, which she adored and swore to wear everywhere. Charming child, for a reptile," the scholar sighs. "You might be able to talk more freely with her out of the eye of the rest of her tribe, and her father. Or... ah... if your intentions are more violent, then I suppose you might...have a hostage. For leverage."
Xarcious looks briefly unhappy at that thought.
"She probably favors the poorly-attended shows, the less likely for her disguise to be spotted. She's clever, and knows what would happen to a kobold caught above ground here in the city."
"Oh no, I'm enternally grateful to you for what you've done for me but your business with the Sewer Dragons is your own," Xarcious is quick to reply with a shake of his head. "And to be honest, even though it doesn't sound like I will have to worry about Greeves anymore, I...think I may take a holiday from Absalom for a time once I am strong enough to travel. Just in case."
Even though the question about the theatre shows isn't necessarily directed at him, the scholar shrugs. "I couldn't say for certain. You might be able to ask around the Ivy District and learn more. Never cared much for that sort of thing myself."
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"'ow did tha Kobolds feel abouh ye?" Rumble asks Xarcious. "Did ye leave on amicable terms? Can Yiddlepode read? Migh' be easier tah write ah note tah say we're friends o' yers than anythin' else," he continues, thinking out loud.
"Whah abouh gifts? Don' tha diplomats always bring gifts 'n' such? Whah do tha buggers like fer gifts?"
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Once Zithembe has finished creating a psychosomatic sense of well-being in the scholar, he stands and wipes off his hands. "This will not last too long, but you should be able to make it to a temple or chirurgeon without loosing your breath," he says.
He taps the copper bands at his wrists together and then his clothes transform into high fashion for Absalom. "I have not partaken of the theater here, but I can play the part," he comments.
"Oh yes, Yiddlepode can read," Xarcious nods. "Kobolds are much smarter than most people give them credit for. And sometimes that comes back to haunt them, I might add."
"But as for me, yes, I left on amicable enough terms but they wouldn't exactly be expecting me back, either," he adds. "I'm happy to write a note you can show to Yiddlepode when and if you manage to find her."
As Zithembe finishes his ministrations the scholar shakily gets to his feet. "Thank you all, again. I know there's a temple not too far from here that I should be able to make it to. Good luck with your business with the Sewer Dragons and I pray that you can resolve it without violence."
Provided no one else has any questions or concerns, Xarcious takes his leave, still wheezing a bit but definitely much, much, much improved over how you originally found him.
During all this, Maria tries to recall what she can about the opera in general and what's currently showing over in the Ivy District. It's pretty much a no-brainer that armor and openly-displayed weapons are not permitted inside of most of the opera houses and it's also unlikely that animals or any other strange creatures would be permitted either. She also now recalls seeing a number of advertisements posted about the city regarding various shows - three of them, to be exact:
A traveling Andoren troupe’s performance of the Chelish history Fall from Glory
A local diva’s rendition of Serpent’s Song
A comedic opera called The Trouble with Swans
But which of the three would Yiddlepode be most likely to attend? Maria knows that The Trouble with Swans is a hugely popular show performed by a largely gnome troupe while Serpent’s Song is a tragedy about a dragon who falls in love with a princess. She's heard that crowds are expected to be thick for Fall from Glory, as Chelish operas are known to often feature actual bloodshed in place of special effects. And she's also heard that the only showings for Serpent's Song that aren't sold out for a month solid are its midnight performances - and even those are said to be rather crowded.
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Hep will check the Serpent's Song for the kobold girl.
It's about a dragon. It plays at night, when people don't see too well. Maybe there's even kobolds in the show? It's about a princess, anyway, and the little kobold girl IS a princess.
Make sense.
Or not.
Who cares? Not Hep.
Good place to hide in plain view, in Hepsubia's opinion.
Even if she spots the kobold, she won't be the one to point finger at her. She learned her lesson. You don't accuse someone to be a kobold unless you have concrete, tangible proof. And maybe even being a kobold is nothing to be accused of. It's not as if Yiddlepode had any say in the matter, anyway.
So Hepsubia keeps quiet, get into a corner, sulking, and looks around for the kobold, while listening to the play.
You know, just in case someone asked her to prove she was really there.
Who knows, maybe the actors would be great. Nothing to get jaded about.
You can nearly hear her snickering.
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Rumble goes out with anyone who wants to learn more about the shows during the day.
At night, he heads out for the Serpent's Song. His armor freshly polished, his beard and hair meticulously placed, he still looks every bit the warrior he is, but with a refined edge. In the theater, he sits near the front and periodically looks back to scan the faces of the audience. Never been much of a fan for these performances. Much less this. Who falls in love with a dragon?
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"Hey, that's what I need Zith! Do they come in something other than big bangles though? I suppose I'd just change them straightaway though, no problem. Beats carrying around a load of fancy dresses on a mule.
Serpent's Song seems like the best bet based on what we know so far, I'll see if I can find out anything more whilst I go shopping."
Effie buys her own set of Sleeves of Many Garments, and when she goes to the theatre uses them to mimic a fancy dress. Having never actually worn a fancy dress that wasn't part of a circus show, her choice is pretty flashy and unfashionable, but at least she feels more like she belongs.
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"Greeves shouldn't give you any more problems," Parison says, falling in step beside the scholar. "But I hope that you will choose to stay in Absalom once you're feeling better. If we are able to convince Yiddlepole and her tribe to work with us, I think you would be a great choice for a liaison between both groups."
After Xarcious bids his farewells, Parison turns to Zithembe. You did well in treating him. I don't believe I could have done any better."
As the group plans to pick what show or shows they'd like to attend, Parison sees an opportunity. "Maria, the others seem to in the mood to check out the showing of Serpent's Song. Would you like to check out another show or would you rather stick with the rest of the group? I'm fine with doing either one."
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The priest of Sarenrae gives an approving glance of respect toward Maria. While he isn't going out of his way to shower the elven ranger with his compliments, he's not hiding his respect for her knowledge of cultural graces.
"I would not have guessed that you enjoyed theatrical performances. I'm afraid I didn't do a lot in terms going to cultural events and gatherings when I was studying to take my vows to the Dawnflower. I just assumed that I'd have more time to appreciate them when I became a member of Sarenrae's clergy, not realizing that I'd have even less time for anything once I took my vows."
Noticing Maria giving him an up and down look, Parison takes a look at what she's looking at in terms of wardrobe. He's not ashamed of the attire that gives him the look of a common everyman purposefully chosen to put most people that he would come in contact with at ease and instill a sense of relatability, he does notice that they are dusty and bear the telltale signs of long roads travelled. Too bad that the experiences that went with them doesn't show with their usage.
"Now that you mention it, I could do with a bit of polish and shine for tonight's show. Let's go."
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Maria gives a bit of a genuine smile as they shop, "Oh, I'm one who enjoys all sorts of new things. I've had quite a few experiences in my day, one of the advantages of the long life of elves. Though the ones of us on the front lines don't tend to quite make it to those exalted years."
She muses as they get a chance to chitchat while finding their seats, "If we find her, how should we approach?"
After some discussion the six of you decide to break into two groups. Hepsubia, Effie, Rumble, and Zithembe feel certain that Yiddlepode will be out catching Serpent's Song while Maria and Parison decide to hedge their bets and check out the gory Chelish opera Fall from Glory.
Since there's still plenty of time left in the late afternoon and early evening before either of the showings, most everyone takes the opportunity to try and learn anything else they can about the three operas as well as to gussy up and look presentable. The latter is easily done, but the former not so much; though Effie, Zithembe, and Rumble try to pick up additional information they ultimately only learn the same things that Maria had mentioned earlier.
Still, everyone is pretty sure you've got plenty of information to work with. As night falls, you split off into your respective groups and head out for an evening of culture that you won't soon forget!
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At the midnight performance of Serpent's Song Hepsubia, Rumble, Zithembe, and Effie quickly discover that the rumors were true - while not completely sold out, the house is still quite packed. Hepsubia makes it a point to try and slip away and take in the show alone, while the rest of you sit a little closer together. All through the evening each of the four keep their eyes peeled, watching for a halfling in a blue cloak. You see elves in blue cloaks, halflings in green cloaks, and nearly every other possible combination you can think of.
There's even a male halfling in a blue cloak.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
But not a single one of you spy any sign of a female halfling in a blue cloak.
Looks like maybe Yiddlepode wasn't in the mood for tragedy on this particular evening. On the bright side, the opera itself is quite good...if a litany of woe is your thing.
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Meanwhile, over at the opera house where Fall from Glory is being performed, Maria and Parison come strolling up towards the ticket booth. And, perhaps surprisingly, there doesn't seem to be much of a line of people waiting to get in. Of course it's still a bit early yet but given the reputation of Chelish opera one would think that there'd be more people lined up to see a fusion of blood, gore, and operatic singing.
As the pair are waiting in line, chatting and scanning the crowds, Parison's keen eyes spot a short flash of blue swishing into the opera house! And once they're finally able to enter the building themselves, he has no trouble locating a small, blue-cloaked figure sitting alone in one of the balconies...
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Once Rumble's satisfied that their mark isn't in the audience, he stares forlornly at the empty seat to his left. He looks at the pair of tickets in his hand through his blurry eyes, before clutching them close to his heart and settling in for the show.
Tonight's Litany of Woe happens to strike a chord with at least one member of the audience...
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"I wish Effie or Zithembe were with us. They're much smoother with words than I am," Parison remarks to Maria. "But we accomplish nothing if we don't try to talk with her."
The cleric waits until Maria selects their seats and then makes his way to the balcony where Yiddlepole is sitting. "Excuse me, miss," he says, attracting the disguised kobold's attention. "I have something for you. Would you be so kind as to read this before the performance starts?" he asks, offering the letter to Yiddlepole.
"My companion and I would like to talk to you more about establishing an agreement of mutual peace and trust between our organization and your organization," he says, trying to convey why he's here without giving anything away to anyone aside from Maria who might be observing himself and the kobold. To help clear things, he displays his wayfinder where Yiddlepole can see it.
The halfling looks up as Parison approaches, surprised to be addressed by the priest but also clearly irritated as well. She glares at Parison with deep suspicion.
"Iss thiss ssome sort of joke? I came here to ssee the sshow. Who would be ssending me a messssage right before the curtain rissess?" she asks; there's a slight...something...to her voice, not so much an accent as perhaps a little extra emphasis on the 's' sounds as she speaks.
After studying Parison for a moment she silently and cautiously reaches out and takes the note, reading it over. As Parison watches, he can see the halfling's expression shift from irritation and suspicion to surprise to intrigued.
You can tell that while initially in a rather unfriendly and unwelcoming frame of mind, the note from Xarcious seems to have done the trick - her demeanor is now largely one of indifference.
"Xarciouss...he taught me much," Yiddlepode - for this is clearly she - muses as she folds the note up and slips it into her cloak. "You wissh to sspeak more? I'll give you my ear, then - at intermissssion. Until then, we watch the performance."
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"Of course," Parison says. "Xarcious told my friends and I that you enjoy theatrical shows. We will speak to you at intermission. Until then, I hope you enjoy the first part of the performance."
He returns to Maria. "We'll have to wait for intermission, but she's agreed to speak with us. She wasn't happy about being approached and if not for Xarcious's letter, I don't believe she would have talked to us at all."
"Thank you," Yiddlepode nods at Parison. "And I promisse, I'm not going anywhere. One, you and your friend musst have done a lot of work to track me down...and if Xarciouss vouchess for you, then I trusst hiss judgement. And two, I'm not about to wasste my money by leaving before the sshow iss done!"
Though Parison and Maria's attempts to speak with Yiddlepode are perhaps a bit more direct and overeager than usual - Maria, in particular, quickly gets shushed as she tries to engage the kobold in talk about the performance - things seem to be going well so far.
When intermission rolls around, she beckons for the pair to rejoin her in the balcony.
"Now...I ssaid we would talk. You wissh to make a deal between the Ssewer Dragonss and your own organization, you ssaid? It issn't every day that humanss come to treat with koboldss. Which organization ssent you and what do they have to offer the Ssewer Dragonss?"
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"We are with the Pathfinder Society," Parison says. To emphasize this point, he shows Yiddlepole his wayfinder.
Remembering what Venture-Captain Drang had told the group about the circumstances to speak with someone in authorty with the kobold tribe, Parison does his best to put all the cards on the table as it relates the best interests of the Society.
"The Pathfinder Society has used the caves and tunnels underneath Absalom to covertly move items in and out of the city within the past year. However, the recent actions of the Sewer Dragons have put these operations in jeopardy and the Society leaders have taken notice of your tribe. A war between the Pathfinder Society and the Sewer Dragons would be senseless and wasteful and ultimately, either side would lose in the long run over what they might gain from such a fight. I don't want this, nor do the leaders of the Pathfinder Society and so we have been sent to establish a truce between our organizations."
The cleric pauses for the space of three heartbeats to let Yiddlepole fully grasp and understand the situation.
"We would like to be able to continue using the tunnels without harassment from the Sewer Dragon tribe. We do know that you're not the only kobold tribe underneath Absalom and if the Sewer Dragons have the Pathfinder Society as an ally up above in Absalom, the other tribes would be hesitant to intrude on or take territory that belongs to the Sewer Dragons if they know that. We might also be able use our influence to ensure that your tribe is left alone by the city's leaders, but I won't promise you that such an agreement will happen."
Parison takes a deep breath. "Our terms for a truce are these: your tribe allows agents of the Pathfinder Society to use the tunnels under the city without fear of suffering hostile treatment or being attacked by the Sewer Dragons. In return, the Pathfinder Society will respect the territorial claims of the Sewer Dragons under Absalom and if you are forced into a war with any of the other kobold tribes under the city, the Pathfinder Society will ally with you and provide your tribe aid. We will also do our best to try to ensure that you are left alone by the city's leaders, though I won't guarantee that such an agreement can be established."
supervillan
Dr. O'mayga
GM Nomadical
Hepsubia Althein
Malachi Malarkey
Soddy Daisy
GM Red
