Welcome to my table.
Venture-Captain Alissa Moldreserva, a fiery red-headed woman who climbed from the depths of Galtan revolution to become one of the Society’s finest (and most well-connected) venture captains, stands in the great meeting hall of the Grand Lodge in Absalom. She stares down her hawkish nose and sighs. I ask for the best and they send me you. Lucky me. The Society’s best contact in Osirion, Grand Ambassador Dremdhet Salhar, informed me this morning that his lovely Chelish wife, the Lady Anilah Salhar, was kidnapped and sold into slavery.
Normally, I wouldn’t care a bulette’s eyeball about who was or was not enslaved in Absalom, but Salhar is the Society’s best avenue for acquiring all of the necessary official paperwork to make our frequent delves into the tombs of Osirion cheap and legal. This is a relationship we want to preserve and since the Ambassador made it clear that our status is in jeopardy, I’ve been instructed to send our best agents to find her and return her safely to Salhar.
She looks you up and down. I guess you’ll do.
Salhar hasn’t sat idle since his wife was taken—his own agents are prowling the streets and dug up one possible lead. A one-eyed Andoren, a grit junky named Fredrik, is known for selling or helping to sell nobility into foreign markets that desire house slaves. Being enormously illegal, this trade makes Fredrik a fair bit of coin that Salhar’s agents assure me all go straight into the pockets of the Second Chance, a grit den dockside in Puddles. That’s all I have to get you started. Go quickly. The fate of our Osirian exploits is in your hands.
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"Oh, how terrible! If only we could abolish this monstrous practice altogether. One step at a time, I guess."
The red headed human stands up, straightening his quarterstaff.
"We'll make sure she's freed as soon as possible, captain. Of course if I manage to rescue others along the way, it's an added bonus!"
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"Saving a Chelaxian from slavery. Ironic, no?"
Sinaryn sighs but quickly begins smiling and twirling her pistol in her hand.
"Well...everyone deserves freedom even her. Good news is I likely get to put a lot of holes in a few drug dealers and slavers.."
She also nods to her new companion.
"Damn right! She won't be the only one broke loose if we can help it. I already like you. The name is Sinaryn. I am the captain of the Squall's Purchase but it is more like being a mother to a bunch of misfits."
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I suppose I will keep my opinions on the matter of lawful mercantilism to myself. While her sale is clearly beneath the law and must be rectified, not all of the slaves will be of a situation to grant them clemency of their fate. These appear to be the dangerous sort of rabble rousers too... "I am Itami," the old man, leaning on a staff announces. "We will do as you bid," he responds simply. As the others continue to converse, he fusses at a thick white bandage covering his right eye.
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Sir Falcon nods in excitement at the prospect of PUTTING HIS NAME in the mouths of fine nobles from here to Osirion and sees this as a great opportunity to make something of his fine inheritance and blades of FIRE!
Ka-Kaw, dont you worry, you can count on me. I am the GREAT FALCON VON RAPTOR. The Fastest Flashy Man of old Lung-wa. THE FLAMING BLADES OF GOKA, The flurrying feathers of Oppara. Simply put the greatest swordsman to ever live....that enslaved Chelaxian is as good as saved so get ready to see my face ALL OVER the Chronicles.
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Tenibri just nods at Jiggo and Sinaryn when they speak of the freeing of even more slaves. [i]I like how they think. I've worked hard and made a lot of noise to get on another slavery case. I'm liking that they've given me some allies in that. I suppose it could be just chance, too, but it still bodes well for what we have to do.
"Okay, I guess we're looking for a grit den?" He looks around at the others assembled. "What do you all think, perhaps a bit of disguise to go in there? It should be believable that we'd be going into such a place."
Dimly lit by cheap oil lamps sputtering on walls punctuated by painted-over windows, the Second Chance reeks of unwashed humanity and pungent ash. Threads of sickly sweet smoke drift like smog from tin hookahs. Ale kegs lurk in each corner, and cheap clay mugs hang from nails on the walls.
Behind the bar a large sign states NO WEAPONS . Next to the bar, the owner of the Second Chance, a thick scowling Keleshite named Elo, grips a bloody scimitar in one fist, blocking one of the den’s rear doors. At his feet lies a fresh corpse, blood slowly seeping into the floorboards from the dead man’s slashing wounds.
There is an unconscious man in a back corner of the room and a skinny, one-eyed wretch stands atop a wobbling table in the centre of the room. He kicks at several thugs surrounding him as they try to drag him off the table.
One of the thugs gives Falcon a shove.
Round 1 - Bold may act
Tenibri
Thugs (Red, Yellow, Blue)
Itami
Falcon
Sinaryn
Jiggo
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Tenibri advances in the room, but moves parallel to the thugs, weaving arcane magics together as he moves. Slippery words tumble out of his mouth as his hands begin the motion of packing a snowball... which suddenly begins to appear and form! It only takes a couple of passes until he has the ball packed hard and dense; he quickly flings it at the thug in the torn and stained yellow jerkin.
You conjure a ball of packed ice and snow that you can throw at a single target as a ranged touch attack. The snowball deals 1d6 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 5d6) on a successful hit, and the target must make a successful Fortitude saving throw or be staggered for 1 round.
The yellow shirted thug falls to the ground, unconscious in a cloud of cold.
The blue shirted thug stays and continues trying to get Fredrik off the table as the red thug approaches Tenibri and swings a single punch.
The punch lands squarely in Tenibri's belly.
Round 1 - Bold may act
Tenibri (-3)
Thugs (Red, Yellow, Blue)
Itami
Falcon
Sinaryn
Jiggo
Seeing Jiggo swing his staff, Elo puts two fingers in his mouth and gives a whistle. Out of the corner Slobber stands and joins the assault and Elo himself rounds the bar.
The blue shirted thug falls to the ground, knocked out by Jiggo.
Round 1 - Bold may act
Tenibri (-3)
Thugs (Red, Yellow, Blue)
Itami
Falcon
Sinaryn
Jiggo
Slobber
Elo
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Naturally, the first thing these simpletons do is start a fight over a drunk. With a loud sigh, Itami makes his way through the doors. Looking to the left, he assess the scene and decides to go the other way, beginning a spell as he does. "...the sign says no weapons..." Am I the only literate one too? Have I displeased Zon-Kuthon?
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The blue thug falls to the floor as Sir Falcon swings a bar stool.
Slobber runs over to Jiggo at the behest of his master. Elo moves to Jiggo too and swings his scimitar. No Weapons
The blade slices into Jiggo.
Round 2 - Bold may act
Tenibri (-3)
Thugs
Itami
Falcon
Sinaryn
Jiggo (-7)
Slobber
Elo
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"No weapons but assault is okay? Don't make me knock some sense into you."
Sinaryn reloads her pistol and and see Slobber running over so she makes a snapshot with vicious accuracy.
"Now call it off. And we can put away all the weapons."
Sinaryn fires at Elo and the shot strikes true. He throws down his scimitar. Alright, you proved you point. That guy I cut down at the bar and that guy over in the corner he indicates the two corpses came in here looking for this bloke up here on the table. They come in, weapons waving and so I dealt with it. I only have 1 rule. You can fight, but no weapons.
With the fight over Fredrik jumps down off the table and makes for the door. He doesn't make it very far however. he is out of his mind on grit and his reflexes are terrible. He takes 3 steps and trips over a broken bar stool.
Fredrik looks at Sir Falcon through glazed eyes. What you want? he asks.
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"Phew. Glad that's over." Jiggo uses some of his newfound energy to heal himself and everyone else.
"Sorry about the weapon usage. We'll leave now. We need to talk to this guy, anyway."
Jiggo helps the man up. "Fredrik. You need to come with us."
Jiggo escorts Fredrik out of the bar. "Let's find somewhere to sit. We need to talk to you..."
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Assault is easily a lesser transgression than armed assault. What logic have they twisted to reach this point in their lives? Dangerous, dangerous people I've been paired with. Itami walks over to Sir Falcon, collecting a piece of cloth along the way and begins to dry off Fredrik's face. "He is not in his own mind. The grit may have to run its course before we get anything useful."
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"Apologies for the blood, then. I just figure it is best to be armed in case someone else wants to break the rules."
Sinaryn offers to help patch up any of the regulars who aren't dirtbags according to Elo (Not that she has any skill in it).
Then she stands behind Jiggo letting one of the others lead any discussions.
They always tell me I am too rough. Not that a grit addict deserves better. For the Society, I suppose.
Elo takes his place behind the bar again. He casts your group a wary eye every now and then, but leaves you to your business with Fredrik.
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"Itami? Can you order a glass of water? This man is dehydrated. Grit ruins priorities."
Slave to your own addictions.. it somehow got worse.
"Fredrik? Fredrik? That's your name, yes? Here, drink up. We need your help. We're looking for a woman named Lady Anilah Salhar. We were told that you saw her last. You may even know where she is."
"How about you tell me where she is and we can go somewhere a lot nicer. Where thugs aren't out to kill you."
With a smug grin Fredrik says Yeah, I was hired to nab her and I fobbed her off on Pardu Pildapush at his office in the Pits. ’Nough gold for a whole week o’ grit! As he finishes he coughs and red phlegm foams at his lips.
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"Ah, I see, I see..."
Jiggo notices the blood, the body's movements. It's pretty clear this man doesn't have time left, and Jiggo's face makes it obvious.
"I don't... are there any relatives of yours who live here? If you could see them tomorrow, what would you tell them? Any god in particular you worship?"
"Pardu Pildapush in the Pits, got it...say, how about we take a walk to a nearby temple? I bet they will have some nice food there!"
Fredrik is becoming increasingly unresponsive. He just slumps in the chair and periodically coughs up a little more foamy red phlegm.
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"The Pits... that's Misery Row..." Tenibri says with a dark tone to his voice. "I've been there before... seen that despicable depravity..."
He shakes his head. "But we have to get him out of here." He looks at the bartender, finger pointing accusingly. "Letting your customers get like this... you're no better than a back alley mugger who leaves his mark to die in a pool of blood. I hope you get yours ten times worse." He spits on the floor, then moves to help Jiggo try to guide or carry Fredrik out of here and to a temple.
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"These drugs are robbing people of their freedom and their lives! Not all slaves are in chains!" Sinaryn screams while smashing a fist into the table.
She nods at Tenibri shakes.
"Yeah. They all deserve worse and it sounds like The Pits will be just as bad..." she adds while stepping outside and reloading her gun.
You take Fredrik to the temple of Erastil here in Absalom, leaving him in the care of a young initiate there. You then head to Misery Row.
Pardu Pildapush keeps an office on Misery Row, the only street in Absalom on which slaves are legally bought or sold. Misery Row is a massive elevated platform running the length of the Coins’ eastern edge. The platform’s base forms a wall between the Coins and Merchant districts. The slavers sunk cages inside the walls, accessible only from the top of the Row and filled with languishing slaves. These are the windows through which a prospective buyer sizes up future chattel. Between the cage pits and the slave trade, all of Absalom knows Misery Row as the Slave Pits of Absalom.
There are heavily guarded stairways up onto the Row every few hundred feet
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Tenibri shakes with fury as he stands there, gazing at this dirty wooden monument to slavery. A painful vision of the last time he was here... embarrassment as he had screamed of the slavers' sins to an uncaring audience; they just continued on their way to buy and sell more intelligent persons.... You need to get a hold of yourself. If you're going to be of any use on this mission, you need to be in control of yourself. It's a hateful trade... but we're going to get at least on person out of it. Maybe more, if the opportunity presents. Focus on that.
The little wayang in his dark-cowled cloak start breathing more evenly, and the pulsing shake melts out of his shoulders.
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Seated at the bar, Itami raises an eyebrow in confusion as the accusations, proclamations, and shows of force pass. I am reaffirmed in my decision to refrain from offering my point of view to these people. Independent choices are blamed on others and a bartender is responsible for the overall health of his customers. What a world on the outside of Nidal...
As the others leave the temple, he makes a point to tip off a priest that the man they brought in has kidnapped a noblewoman and sold her illegally into slavery. The law will have its due with this one.
Approaching the Slave Pits, Itami risks speaking. "Slavery is legal here," he reminds the group, before slowing his gait, letting the party get a few steps ahead of him. If one of them loses it, I'll need some space to get out of here and out of sight for a while... Hopefully they can keep themselves in check long enough to prevent a scandal.
Walking past the cages, he drags his hands wistfully along the bars. I miss the chains sometimes. The cold steel gripping my wrists, the feel of the blade or the lash splitting my skin. I do miss Pangolias sometimes. Yet as quickly as the moment fills him, he sighs loudly, ending his brief joy. Yet treason is treason and I can never return. They would surely find me. I doubt I'd even make it through the Uskwood undetected anymore.
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Falcon nods his head Rest assured that there are some things worth more than the letter of the law. Liberating a single slave and leaving the others seems cold hearted...if I have an OPPORTUNITY to seize glory I am going to, just saying.
The proud Tengu holds his blades at his side as he makes his way into the slums.
The guards bar your way up to Misery Row. What business have you got down here?