Elo wakes with a start grabbing for his weapon that isn't there. He looks at all of you and growls. "Get outta my bar!"
You make your way toward Misery Row and the heavily guarded stairs placed along the street every few hundred feet. The guards there are particularly suspicious of any new faces. "You got business?" one says. "Don't look like you're 'ere to buy, eh?" They refuse to let you pass.
The guard raises an eybrow. "Well right this way, sirs! Give old Pardu my best!" Inside Misery Row, you see the reason the place is raised. The entire place is an elevated platform running the eastern edge of the Coins. 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.
Pildapush Chattel is easy to find. A sign out front of one of the buildings announces: "Pildapush Chattel: Absalom's Finest". The strong wooden front door is locked and a "Closed" sign swings from the latch. The few visible windows to the front are barred from the inside. Along Misery Row, the place is filled with shoppers, slaver, and slaves at all times of day and night.
What do you do?
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Ahmande looks on the slaves in the sunken gages with compassion, trying but unable to hide his concern. He himself was by no means a perfect soul; most laws meant nothing to him, and any way to take coin from someone who had to much was a good way to this elf.
But the buying and selling of people... that's just wrong, isn't it?
When they get to the slaver's office, Ahmande puts his ear up to the door, attempting to listen for signs of occupation.
It seems to be occupied by at least one person. Ahmandé just barely hears the scratching of a quill across parchment and someone clearing his throat.
"Go away!" comes a man's screechy voice through the door. "We're closed!"
The man pipes up again. "Don't care! Go away fools. You can't read?!"
Ironshanks checks around back, but there doesn't seem to be another entrance.
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Ironshanks makes his way around the building and finds no other obvious entrances. He gives Ivan a look as he's getting ready to bust down the door "We could just wait fer 'im to come out. Sure's lots o people wanderin' round." He says with a glance over his shoulder.
"But if ya do feel the need fer a rush job..." He digs in his pack a moment and pulls out a crow bar "At least use the right tool fer the job eh?" Ironshanks heads back a ways and takes a seat on a barrel and waits for whatever happens next.
Red Ivan pops the door open but it is indeed quite loud as the hinges moan and part of the door jam comes loose. One man manages to catch glimpse of the breaking and entering.
"THIEVES! CALL THE GUARDS!" He rushes off to bring the Misery Row guards.
Inside, you can see that Pildapush’s Chattel is tastefully appointed: colorful Katapeshi rugs adorn the stone floor, while water trickles gently from a decorative, mosaic fountain. Simple rosewood chairs surround a round table through which the shiny top of a hookah pokes, one braided and ebony-tipped smoking arm per chair. Beyond stands a large, ornate mahogany desk. Two man-sized oval cages, bolted to the stone floor, sit behind the desk.
"What are you--Who are you and what are you doing here breaking in? Thieves!" the Vudrani man behind the desk asks, enraged.
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Ahmande quickly moves into the room, waving his companions inside before he slams the door.
"We're not thieves! You're the thief. Lady Salhar... remember her? Kidnapping a free citizen of Absalom into slavery is a high crime and you know it. Doing it to a noble is a high crime that you actually get punished for! That's going to be the first thing I mention to the guards if you don't call them off, right now!!!"
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Ironshanks moves into the room as swiftly as a stocky legged dwarf in a breastplate can "Aye, what the Elf said." He stands crossing his thick arms across his chest, war axe at his side.
You Rescued the Minotaur Prince: You rescued Nuar Spiritskin, the Minotaur Prince of Absalom and he is quite grateful that you have done so. Though he is absolutely unclear how he got into the Tangle in the first place, he pays this no mind and spreads the tale of your daring-do to his many contacts throughout the city. You gain a permanent +1 Circumstance bonus to any Intelligence or Charisma-based checks made while in Absalom.
Lord Avid's Recommendation: Lord Avid is impressed that you managed to complete your mission without using his writ, and he speaks highly of your discretion. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on all your Charisma-based skill checks against nobility while on the Isle of Kortos. You can cross this boon off your Chronicle sheet to lean heavily upon your connection to Lord Avid. If you do so, the circumstance bonus on one such Charisma-based skill check increased to +4, and you can apply it while interacting with anyone on the Isle of Kortos.
Pardu Pildapush stops his shouting and glares at the elf. "You filthy...accusing me of something? Someone like that may have come through here. Lots of slaves come through here. I will check my records. Come back tomorrow. I may have an answer for you then."
"Whoah now. Fine, just don't hurt me!"
Pardu opens up his drawers and you have a look and all but Graff notices a hidden compartment. You open this up and inside is a record of slave sales, including Lady Anilah's purchase from Fredrik and her sale to the ship docked right here in Absalom, the No Return. Next to Fredrik's name in the ledger is another name: Renmil Emprey.
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Having been sent by Alissa to join the Pathfinders, whose numbers, according to the venture-captain, seemed a little thin, Travail, who actually is a thief and is proud of being called one, slips into the room behind the fountain, hoping to remain unseen until the party has a chance to resolve this unpleasant matter. His bow is drawn, in case things go south.
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Ahmandé stabs his finger down on the paper, at the man's name. "Please, do tell us more about this Mr. Emprey. The buyer, I presume?"
But before Pildapush can say anything, Ahmande interrupts with a nod towards the door. "But please, call off the guards. And remember, slavery is legal, but kidnapping isn't. Don't try anything; it won't go well for you. Just send them away."
Travail is not sure who this person is.
"Okay, I bought and sold the Lady, but I had no idea she was who she was! I sold her to a Katapeshi slave ship called the No Return. I don't know who this Emprey person is! I swear! As to the guards, I didn't call them. You're the ones breaking and entering! The Token Guard'll be on their way soon, you'd better hurry out of my office!"
He is lying about a great many things in this speech.
Travail indeed sees a contingent of the Token Guard picking its way through the crowds, obviously heading toward Pardu's shop.
You make your way to the docks, hurrying through the streets as the afternoon sun beats down on you. Eventually you come to the pier leading to where the No Return is moored. The crowds are thick here. Workers unload crates and barrels of every type of foodstuff imaginable. Slaves are dragged across gangplanks. Bosons snap whips and bark orders, and sailors go about their business, off to a tavern or two no doubt after a long voyage. It is here you find the ship, a long Katapeshi vessel situated against the pier. But just as you start down the pier toward it, you are attacked by several halflings hiding in the crowd! Red Ivan's keen eyes pick out the gleam of a short sword in the heavy crowd. Two halflings are atop the tavern in the center, taking aim with their short bows, and three are on the ground, stalking toward you.
In Combat!
Bold may act.
Active party buffs:
Environmental effects: Difficult Terrain, Crowd (all across the pier)
Surprise Round
Travail
Ahmandé
Red Ivan
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Puddlejumpers (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange)
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Ironshanks Magee
Graff Leogil