Snowball hits the crew member, but the rest of the hits between Garn and Snowball flail.
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The crew member decides to keep trying to attack Jarlaxle.
He continues to flail.
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- Bolded Characters May Post Their Turn
Malakiah (-0) - Mage Armor
Jarlaxle (-0)
(-6)
Finn (-0)
Garn (-0)
Snowball (-0) - Mage Armor
(-11)
(-20)
Rogar (-0) - Mage Armor
(-37)
Malakiah fires a Magic Missile at the enemy, causing him to fall.
Jarlaxle fells the last remaining member with his longsword.
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Malakiah (-0) - Mage Armor
Jarlaxle (-0)
Finn (-0)
Garn (-0)
Snowball (-0) - Mage Armor
Rogar (-0) - Mage Armor
(-18)
(-16)
(-20)
(-37)
During the fight, the captives didn't pay much attention to what was happening, but stayed out of it. Upon their captors losing, they again repeat, "Would you please hire us? We are great actors!"
Upon searching the area, you find a letter. --> Second letter on the last slide on this link <--
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Garn reads through the notes they have acquired from the playhouse and this ship. "Would these be enough proof that Ouidda is still trafficking in slaves?" He then gestures to the charmed actors. "I think they are proof, too."
"Captain Alissa told us to stop her speech tomorrow morning. How do we do that?"
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"At the beginning of today, Moldreserva said that the Spider will speech at mid-day in two days, not tomorrow. So, I think we still have some time to investigate it more."
Malakiah looks to the others, then asks: "to Jarovar's shop or meet the Spider?"
The party quickly asks around and finds the location where he is likely at, "Jarovar Investments."
As the party approaches the store this late at night, you find the only door of the establishment to be locked, and there is no light shining out from the windows.
No back entrance is found. Just windows with no light coming from within and one locked door.
The party finds a local inn to rest at and decides to come back in the morning.
Upon returning to the building, the party finds that the lights are on and the door unlocked. Outside of the building is an empty wagon that was not there last night. The party walks inside and sees a man sitting behind a counter. On the counter, there are numerous papers, an abacus, and a ink pen with inkwell. The lone half-elven man sitting behind the counter is picking his long fingernails, which look gnarly.
He looks up at the party and states, "My name is Zirunne Jarovar. Would you be happening to look for an investment, maybe a loan?"
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Jarlaxle gives the man a sunny smile.
"Wonderful! I have some bad news, and some good news. The bad news is, that we know that you are involved in the slave trade here in Andoran, which is a decidedly unhealthy thing to do, as we know they *really* disapprove of that sort of thing around here. The good news is, we are going to give you a chance to snitch on your boss, in order to avoid the death penalty."
Jarovar's face turns pale as he covers his face with his hands. His voice cracks as he speaks. "No! Please don't kill me! I don't want any trouble! I'll tell you what I know!"
"I am a businessman from Katapesh, and I was told from a business parter that I could make a lot of gold in the slave-trading business, and that this 'Spider' was looking for someone to look after the money and resources necessary to accomplish this illegal feat."
"I'm... I'm merely a pawn in this scheme! I also didn't think I would be toting slaves around. I thought I would just be dealing with some slave-traders themselves. If you want to get to the bottom of this scheme, go to the Sailswift or the Captive Audience, where a lot of the real trading goes on. I just transport the goods, I swear! I just drive the wagon from the playhouse to the ship about once a month!"
"I don't even know who this 'Spider' really is. I only deal with the gnome at the playhouse and the dark looking fellow on the ship."
After a few more voice cracks, he slows down his story and catches his breath.
"I swear, if you let me go I will go back to Katapesh on the next possible ship if you will just spare me this once."
"No, they wouldn't execute me, would they? Please, I just want to go back home!"
He's basically powerless to stop you, so I assume you take him to the authorities?
Jarovar looks somber but accepts his fate, relenting to being turned over to the authorities.
People start piling into the auditorium for the legislative meeting where Ouidda will slander the Pathfinder's name. As the party approaches, they are greeted by an usher, saying that those who are not of the legislative branch are permitted to sit on the upper balcony, as the lower level seating is reserved solely for representitives. Ouidda is nowhere to be found before the hearing.
The auditorium is filled to the brim, especially the balcony seating. It appears that many, many people want to hear about today's topic. The lower seating level is filled to the brim too, as the vast majority of the local representatives showed up.
Some representatives, Ouidda included, enter from the backside of the auditorium once 9 am rolls around. After a few opening remarks from a halfling representative about the goals of the meeting, Ouidda steps up to the podium. She wears a very nice purple dress, and has a starknife that holds up her hair in a bun.
"The first order of business we should talk about is about the Pathfinder Society. The Pathfinders have cause much trouble of late. They cannot be trusted!" She takes out a piece of paper. "Here are the misconducts that they have performed. After you hear this, you will agree with me they should be outed!"
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Jarlaxle strides forward, and in a booming voice, butts in:
"People of Almas! We have uncovered alarming proof of a slavery ring operating right here in the heart of Almas - the most recent 'shipment' being a bunch of magically-interfered-with actors,, he says, motioning the actors forward, "whom we discovered on a ship called the Sailswift."
"The Captain of this vessel had a letter,", he says, holding the offending document aloft, "signed D.O., which notes that another shipment of 'supplies' had been sent, and noting that the author had a speech to give in a few days, the sole purpose of which was to slander the Pathfinder Society."
"Tracking the trail of the slavers back to its source, we uncovered a corrupt merchant by the name of Jarovar," he says, motioning the man forward, "responsible for transporting the wrongfully detained soon-to-be-slaves to the Sailswift. He identified his employer as 'The Spider'; note that the signature on the letter we have already presented also bears a stylised representation of such a creature."
"Of crusade on behalf of the Citizens of the Free Republic also took us to the Captive Audience, a burlesque in the Theatre District, well known over the last few years for putting on a new show every month, with entirely new actors each time. A gnome named Yero was overseeing the place,", he says, motioning the gnome forward.
"In his possession was a letter", he says, triumphantly holding the letter aloft, "again signed D.O., urging him to stop being such a good stage manager, and to focus on what he is really there for - to ensure as much 'young talent' as possible falls under their influence, so a decent profit can be turned on their sale.
Hidden away in the basement, we also found the decomposing body of the true owner, Senlokto Boraminder, as well as the deed to the playhouse, and several documents", he says, flourishing the offending documents, "relating to recent renovations, signed by 'Boraminder' and Citizen Ouidda. However, Boraminder's signatures were forged!"
"Citizen of the Great Republic of Andoran, I urge you to see the truth - that Citizen Ouidda has been responsible for master-minding a slavery ring here within the Birthplace of Freedom, depriving the young talent of the Republic of the very rights that the Heroes of the Republic fought so hard for!"
As Jarlaxle begins to speak, interrupting Ouidda, the crowd beings to chatter. However, once he mentions the Sailswift, the crowd becomes completely silent, Ouidda included, while he monologues all the evidence.
As Jarlaxle presents the first note, the crowd whispers being to grow louder, and when Jarovar is mentioned even louder still.
From the balcony, Jarlaxle continues shouting out his speech to all those who can hear. As he makes his final point, the chamber bursts into chaos. The halfling in charge takes out a gavel and bangs on the podium to get everyone to silence. It takes about half a minute to quiet everyone down. There, Ouidda stands there speechless and desperate.
The halfling speaks. "We shall be taking Dorianna Ouidda into custody for now until we investigate this matter further." As he says that, two armed guards grab Ouidda by the shouldur and begins dragging her away backstage.
After that, the meeting is called to a close, and the party begins walking out of the hall with the rumor-ridden crowd.
A crowd of people, many of which were part of the hearings, seems to be amassing along a side hallway of the auditorium.
Coming from the crowd, you hear people scream and shout. You hear one lady say "She's killed them!"
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Garn stays silent during the legislative meeting, his hand holding on tight to Snowball, in case his pet bolts at the crowd of people pushing and jostling. He himself wishes he could bolt, but he had to see this to the end.
Jarlaxle had matters well in hand, swaying the crowd over easily. He nods and smiles to congratulate him.
Until the screams came. "Keep at my heel!" he commands Snowball, while pushing through the crowd to see what happened.
Upon approaching the amassed crowd, the party notices the bodies of the two guards who escorted Ouidda out of the auditorium, dead. There is a set of bloodly footprints leading from the two guards that are easily trackable.
The halfling leader from before approaches the party. "You're Pathfinders, right? Here's a chance to prove everything you said in court. I know Pathfinders are the strong-man type. Would you catch Ouidda for us? She is far more dangerous than we first had thought, and we don't want her to destroy any damning evidence against her she may have. I believe she is headed to her personal quarters."
He winks to Jarlaxle. "By the way, nice speech. I had been suspecting her for a long time of criminal activity, but never could manifest any evidence of it myself."