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Your journey back to Nantambu from Azlant Ridge goes without incident, and Aya is thrilled to hear about your containing of the fiendish threat and successful rescue of Juliet and her team.
After giving you a chance to recover and shop, she calls you back into Sharrowsmith's Exports for a briefing.
The sun bears down oppressively through the jungle’s humidity, causing the air to shimmer and lending an even greater feeling of otherworldliness to the Mwangi city of Nantambu. Aya Allahe enters the sweltering room in the local Path nder Lodge with a worn and harried look in her eyes. “Thank you for continuing to help me,” she begins.
“As you know, the venture-captain of this lodge, Nieford Sharrowsmith, perished while heading an expedition into the interior of the expanse. A week ago, I received a letter addressed to Sharrowsmith from our agent working in the Aspis Consortium-controlled city of Bloodcove, Malika Fenn. The letter appeared to be a routine report, though I recognized that it hid an encoded message that describes an impending Consortium expedition up the Vanji River, planned to depart within the week.
“Malika additionally informed us that this expedition’s aims are of great concern to the Pathfinder Society. She has collected substantial intelligence to this effect but is unable to get the information out of the city for fear that the Consortium will detect and intercept it.
I ask that you travel into the lion’s den to retrieve the information that Malika has gathered on this expedition so that we can find out what it might be connected to. Malika has indicated that she left a message for us in the Witchlight Inn that will help us find her information, so head there first.
"“Though these are grim circumstances, they also present us with an opportunity. Once you have infiltrated the city, try to sabotage the Consortium’s preparations for the expedition. You won’t be able to stop it completely, but you can at least buy us some time to determine its nature and formulate a response."
I also want you to make some inroads for the Society in the city. Gaining the
ability to move agents and supplies through Bloodcove more easily would be a massive boon for our operations in the Expanse. I have some information on some disenfranchised citizens of Bloodcove who may be up to the task."
"Finally, gather some intelligence of your own. Talk to the people of Bloodcove and see how complete the Aspis’s control over the populace is. Report to me any groups or people of influence who may be sympathetic to our cause and support us in future moves against the Consortium. Once you’re done, get out of the city. Leaving in a different way than you arrived tends to be best.”."
She provides you with several forged bounty postings, providing one option for a cover story explaining your presence in the city.
She also gives you the name of one of her business contacts, Novaria. She serves House Cartagehn, one of the smaller trade houses in the city, and has worked with the Society in the past. Using Aya's name should help make her likely to meet you.
Though Fola Barun is not present, having returned to the Ekujae in Jalunth, she has left you packages of supplies for your journey.
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Most of you are familiar with basic information abouut Bloodcove after spending so much time in the Expanse.
Bloodcove lies on the western edge of the Mwangi Expanse. The local culture blends the traditions of Cheliax, the Shackles, and the native Mwangi people.
Bloodcove sits on the headwaters of the Vanji River, and much of the city rests atop the roots of massive mangrove trees. Wealth from the jungle interior flows through Bloodcove, making the dingy city surprisingly wealthy. Prominent features in the city include the Witchlight Inn and Free Trade Square.
Though ostensibly ruled by the elected Grand Admiral, fiercely competitive trading houses wield the genuine power behind Bloodcove politics. The Aspis Consortium currently dominates the political and economic scene.
Aya will mention a couple other possible cover stories based on D'lack's comments.
"While posing as bounty hunters or mercenaries might make sense in such a rough city, there are other options. As such a major port city, disguising yourself as merchants might also be viable, though if you're too heavily armed or richly equipped you might draw suspicion. D'lack's likely the only one who could pretend to be a local, but some of you might be more adept at avoiding notice entirely. That said, merchants, mercenaries, and locals all acting independently may raise eyebrows more than a more coherent group."
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Those of you who are exceptionally talented at covert operations or deception may try to actively lay false leads, helping distract prying eyes from your less subtle party members. That significantly increases the DC (so you'll probably want to roll rather than take 10). Failure may help call attention to your activities, however.
You'll have several opportunities to do this, so you can opt to do this down the line if you wish.
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Arriving at Bloodcove, you make your way to the Witchlight Inn. There are no obvious signs of people following you. The occasional passer-by looks at you strangely, though no more than other foreigners and tourists.
The dim atmosphere inside the Witchlight contrasts sharply with the bright Mwangi sun. The sour stench of unwashed bodies and stale beer fills the air as a throng of warehouse workers, ship crews, and less reputable folk take their morning meals. The innkeeper stands behind the bar chatting amiably with patrons, while servers hurry between tables.
The servers seem to take unnecessarily complicated routes as they weave through the tables, and often linger near certain tables. It seems they're eavesdropping on patrons' conversations.
A board of bounties, job opportunities, and other postings dominates much of the far wall.
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Dunkel, upon arriving, steps into the Withlight and squints against the light.
He assesses the room.
"Looks about right."
He then looks to Thorn as his patron, nearly forgetting its actually a cover story while his mind starts to calculate the proper sized shafts to deliver himself, Doubtful and Beorin to the choicest gold veins in likely digs within the area.
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One note in particular catches your eye, as a familiar name appears:
Reward: 342 Gold Pieces to be paid by the bounty poster, Kreighton Shaine, upon return of his valuables.
Before you have an opportunity to discuss the note, the door to the tavern swings open with a bang, and everything goes silent. The new arrival is a tall, slender Bonuwat man with long but neatly kept dreadlocks wearing long robes and a brightly colored necklace of beads. Two Bekyar men accompany him and leer menacingly at bystanders. The robed man draws a rolled piece of parchment from his robe, opens it, and announces in a clear voice, “We have ten jobs available for today, working the warehouse at dock twenty-two. Any strong, able-bodied person is welcome to see me for assignment.” He then moves to a table near the door and sits down, and a line begins to form in front of him.
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Dunkel, having fully embracing his role as a diggin' merchant in Thorn's employ, looks to his patron as the offer of dock work is presented.
"What's th' deal boss? We diggin' this week, or do me n' th' lads 'ave th' option t' do some dockwork?"
Dunkel gives Doubtful and Beorin a nod and makes his way to the line, seeking to eavesdrop on any details being shared about this job, in the case the employers seem to be their Aspis rivals.
His time is mixed with thoughts about the note he just scanned.
Kreighton Shane? Ah know 'im... master o' somethin' or another..
Terra Fas? Tha' real? Code? Another language?
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Several of you recognize that Terra Fas DeQuere isn't based off any Inner Sea language. D'lack is the first one to realize that it is an anagram for "Free Trade Square," the major marketplace in the city. The 342 gp reward is oddly low and weirdly specific. That could be directing you to a particular building or market stall, which use numbers to identify their addresses.
Overhearing several of you discussing the new arrival, one of the servers leans in. "He is Na’alu, one of the Consortium’s men. Been coming here for two weeks, looking for day workers to load up supplies on some big ships the company is sending upriver. They work you like dogs, but it’s good money and they feed you at midday.
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Getting in line with the other laborers, one of Na'alu's assistants hands each of you a contract. It stipulates that payment is dependent on completion of a full eight hours of work. Failure to complete the full shift results in non-payment and possible breach of contract fees. The pay is trivial for adventurers like yourselves, but pretty generous by the standards of the typical laborer.
Na'alu and his guards look you over as you wait in line, but don't seem particularly concerned about you.
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You are some of the last laborers selected before being led by Na'alu's guards, though the man himself goes his own way.
Three large sailing vessels sit in the river slips. All three are serviced by a large warehouse, which contains pallets of food and barrels of water. You do find a couple locked crates, which remain in the warehouse.
Three large sailing vessels sit in the river slips. All three are serviced by a large warehouse, which contains pallets of food and barrels of water. Three human guards patrol the warehouses and docks, supervised by a powerfully-built half-orc. A massive hyena stays a few paces behind him, occasionally snarling at the workers.
The work is exhausting labor. While you can act now, the guards and the other workers around you make it virtually impossible to avoid the eyes of others.
You can also use this chance to examine the site and figure out your eventual plan, if you'd like to return later.