Everyone agrees that investigations go much better with a pint and head off to make that happen. Gar’s Last Meal is a reasonably priced and relatively comfortable inn, whose only downside is that it smells of fish. Apparently the taproom at the Gar’s Last Meal is a fairly popular local hangout and is quite crowded.
The girls laugh at the inspectors sushi comment, even though it was not a joke, apparently finding humor in the mans comment.
Lily says, "I heard the thefts were fake. One of those Pathfinders was in here a few weeks back asking around about the Shining Crusade, wanting to know if anyone had a picture or a drawing of what the soldiers back then looked like. I asked her about the thefts, and she said it was all a lie to let the smugglers drive up the prices.”
Lilah adds, “Yeah, I remember that elf. She gave me the willies, her and her boyfriend both. Glad I haven’t seen them around town lately.”
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Jax follows along, not really knowing how to be of much help, but happy to be around such an effective group of investigators. After the second mention of pathfinders acting in what would seem a contradiction to the Society’s aims in the area, he frowns.
”You think this is Aspis work?” He pauses to think, taking a bite of a spiced roll from the Gar’s Last Meal, ”Or is there something we don’t know about Society efforts ‘round here?”
”You think this is Aspis work? Or is there something we don’t know about Society efforts ‘round here?”
The two women cannot elaborate further beyond identifying both supposed Pathfinders as elves who had a strong herbal scent about them. They shrug and elaborate, "They sure smelled like Aspis."
"You've never smelled an Aspis agent before!"
"I know, but if I did I bet they smelled like THAT"
The girls both fall into laughter and finish their drinks.
The ladies graciously accept the offer from Trevyn and toast to their good fortune before heading back off to work.
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After getting a bite to eat and some cold ale to drink, Bregan passes over to the market to buy the Pathfinder version of Deep Woods Off, no need to be an itching mess if one can help it
While conversing with the merchant there he inquires as to any strange sales the merchant might be privy to recently.
He's looking to see if the half-elven pair has been here as well sowing dissension among the locals for the Society.
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"This my friend can be considered an alchemical miracle when used right. Spent some time in the swamps before and they are truly beautiful places even with the snakes, feral swine, and alligators. However the tiniest of bugs are the ones that come out in the greatest numbers, veritable storm clouds of them. However instead of rain they drop biting insects.
Well on my previous trip, I noticed the captain neither participated in the swat-duck-scratch dance everyone else was 'enjoying' but also hadn't the slightest bite marks on him. When pressed about it he confided in me what is commonly known as vermin repellent is at its best while traipsing through the swamps. The biting insects leave you be and harvest their next meal from those unprotected first.
As a bard, can you see me trying to sing or perform anything while recovering from the aforementioned dance and the red welts are the devil to cover for a performance as well." Bregan responds with a smile and a laugh.
The merchant doesn't recall ever seeing the pair around. If looking for shady dealings however, the merchant points them in the direction of Gilligam, a tall obese middle-aged human male with a a scraggly red chin-beard who is a purveyor of contraband substances of all kinds.
When you confront him on the subject of contraband he reacts poorly. “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!”
The man clears his throat and scratches his bear as he looks up to the sky thinking. "Uh, I don't know his name! He, uh, is uh, short and uh reddish hair. Yeah. Is that it? I need to get back to work."
The man nods several times. "Right. Yep. Absolutely. Probably only one."
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Not overly happy with the responses the merchant is giving but smiling all the while....
One thing before we go friend. I would like to see some of the items that the the swamp Pathfinders are passing to you. We'd truly hate to accuse the wrong person of this crime. With the items, one we can return them to where they belong, but more than that we'll be able to trace them through magic back to the those that stole them."
and
Gilligam is clearly lying, which both Jaxin and the Inspector call him on. He throws his hands up as his forehead starts to sweat. "Alright-alright-alright. Look! Okay, okay, they come from the river! They sell for half what I used to pay Karela! I hope you never catch them though! I--"
Before he can finish his statement the sound of coins clattering to the wooden walkway and bouncing against each other silences the crowd. Nearby, a young woman stands next to Inspector Pendergast holding a raggedly cut pouch in her hand and a shocked expression on her face. A man from the crowd immediately steps out, seizing the woman's arm and shouting, “Thief! Cutpurse! I saw the whole thing! She cut his purse!” he says as he points to the Inspector. As he glances at the pile of coins still settling on the ground, he releases her arm and shouts, “Wait, those are Molthuni coins—a bribe from your Molthuni paymasters? ” The crowd gathers around and begins to murmur as they stare down the Pathfinders and cries from the crowd begin to escalate for justice to be done.
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"Now, now," the Inspector replies calmly, "In order for the claim of 'thief' to be true, one must have stolen something."
The Inspector then steps forward quickly and grabs the woman by the wrist.
"I am sure, that if those coins happened to be dusted for fingerprints, or analyzed psychometrically, that there is a higher likelihood of them belonging to you, rather than I." He stares her in the eye.
Then, turning to the man, "and, perhaps you? I think your voice carries rather too well. Suspicious coincidence, that."
The crowd seems puzzled by Pendegast's words, unsure exactly what a siko-whatever thingy is. The man grinds his teeth. He speaks in loud boisterous tones with a bold flamboyance designed to incite the crowd. "You accuse ME? I'm not the one who is hindering this town and causing the people to suffer. Suffer unfairly! You and your Molthuni friends are not welcome here!" At the end of his statement several nods and cheers are heard throughout the crowd. The woman speaks up, "It's you fault I've had to resort to such crimes to feed my starving sick children! I can't get the medicine I need and little Timmy is barely still with us!" She pulls her arm away from the inspector and begins to weep. The crowd takes notice.
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Jaxin shakes his head at the two. ”How long you two rehearse this whole bit? It’s a damn fine sob story. Too bad ain’t a word of it the truth.”
He pauses just long enough for one of them to try to respond, then he cuts them off. ”I got an idea, and the Inspector here will like it, I reckon. Let’s put a test to it. How about we all turn our pockets out and see who is holding Molthuni coin and who is not.” He shrugs, turning to the woman, ”And how’s about we go find your little Timmy. I wonder if we’ll find a sick kid … or is he just another piece of your little rehearsed lie altogether?”
He steps forward, trying to cow the two where they stand. ”And if you’re considerin’ runnin’ .. that ain’t gonna make your little story seem much more plausible, neither.”
He pulls his coin-purse from his pocket, opening it to reveal only about 6 gold worth of coins from Absolom. ”Your turn?”
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"Good people, if you let these charlatans continue their ruse then it will be you that become their ultimate victims. As an outsider, I clearly see the suffering that this blockade has caused on your city. A crowd elsewhere could not so easily be riled by a couple of tricksters. You are being used for their gain. I suspect this is not the first group of 'Molthuni supporters' that has been found out in a crowd...?"
He lets the question linger, and pauses to look at individual members of the crowd for nods.
"I propose a solution. This woman may be guilty of being a cutpurse, or a charlatan. I may be guilty of being on the side of Molthune. We should both be detained, and the truth be revealed. And, this helpful, loud man should join us. He is clearly, at least, a witness. Yes?"
He stares the man in the eye, "I presume you would not object to being held for questioning? I would even be happy to pay for a local to cast truth-telling magic on us."
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Esh comes back a few steps as he notices his companions don't follow him. After seeing the scene and the reaction of his colleges, he steps on Jaxsin's side, grinning widely and displaying a tongue split in half. He lets the inspector talk to the crowd and begins to slither some words, his eyes wide open, clearing playing the game of his bizzarre appearance.
"You two! Quit playing your miserable play. Who paid you for this? YOU BETTER ANSWER!"
The crowd begins to sway to the direction of the Pathfinder who eye the man and woman suspiciously. When it appears they are going to lose the crowd altogether both draw arms and shout, "They're going to attack! Run for your lives!" A third armed man appears behind the group with a blade in his hand as well joining the fight.
As the steel begins to come out the crowd begins to disperse and get away from the forthcoming bloodbath. The man in the rear gets the jump first since he had previously been unnoticed. He leaps out of the crowd and buries his sword in Bregan's back, pleased with landing his sneak attack on the half-elf .
The female cutpurse produces a blade and quickly slashes it at the inspector, but in her haste misses completely. After her failed attempt she falls back behind the loud man.
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The Inspector steps back 5 feet, drinks an extract of Shield, and draws his shortbow.
"This would have been an ideal time to use one of those dye arrows I've heard so many good things about. I knew I'd forgotten something as we came into town. I'm betting our little cutpurse will try to make the slip and warn her friends."
Jaxin grabs a hold of the loud man before he has a chance to act and Goran steps around the people who are fleeing to bury his morning star into the retreating female. Mr. Stabby attempts to stabby Bregan again to take him out of the picture but whiffs badly because Trevyn waves a kukri in his face which causes him to lose his focus. He takes a step away from the annoying dwarf.
People continue to flee from the scene of the brawl as more weapons emerge and blood is spilled.
The grappled man laughs loudly and shouts, "THIS REMINDS ME OF THE TIME THORNGOAT WAS ASSAULTED BY TRAITORS!" He begins to sing and launches into a tale meant to inspire his allies.
The cutpurse seems insipired by the tale and swings around the side of Goran and slashes the cleric across the body with a wicked blow
She shouts, "Take down these sympathizers for Tamran!!! We shall protect this city."
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