|
Ananta flicks his tongue out, musing upon the information provided. "We will keep in mind all that you have ssssaid, wise Pravezak. It ssseems we have asked all the questions we have at the moment. I sssincerely hope you will honor us with more answers ssshould they prove necessary and within your ability to provide. In the meantime Pathfindersss, perhaps we should conversssse with the Great Varunasi. His experience with caravans as a merchant may prove... Insssightful."
Pravezak agrees that the merchant Varunasi would likely have more information on recent caravan activity.
The group finds Varunasi, a high-caste merchant, at her clothing shop in the Commerce District. She’s a mature woman of conservative but stylish dress, and gladly chats over tea and a meal once she reads Raheem’s letter. She explains briefly how the Jalmeri government functions.
“The Thakur is a figurehead with little real power. The true influence rests with the temple mystics, the monastic masters, and the nobles of the highest castes who make up the Maurya- Rahm. Yet even as a figurehead, when the Thakur cried out against his cousin’s murder, the Maurya-Rahm and those with influence agreed that attacking the Thakur equates to attacking Jalmeray itself. The common people are scared for the Thakur, and killing him would greatly destabilize the nation despite the true administration of Jalmeray falling to the Maurya-Rahm.”
"As far as recent caravan activity, I'm afraid I don't have much information on that. Most of the caravans that have been attacked have been heading towards Niswan, and so disappear before they arrive here. Whether they are being infiltrated at their point of departure, I could not say."
|
Drax stares at some of the fine silks and saris on display, sitting awkwardly in his chair with a delicate teacup held in his big scarred hands. The droning about the government goes in one gray ear and out the other, as far as he is concerned. He grunts indifferently.
"--how much for the yellow dress?" he rasps, with a jerk of his chin at one garment in particular.
|
Quarr nods appreciatively at Varunasi for letting them know all that he knows. His head jerks to the side and his eyes narrow at Drax as he inquires about a dress.
Quarr scurries over to the dress and back to Drax and back to the dress. His thick fingers stretch the material a bit. You may need two of these to fit you Drax...
|
|
Konrad mutters under his breath, nodding to himself.
"This sounds significant, that they have all been heading to Nisvan."
He rouses and grins at the merchant. Konrad smacks him on the shoulder in a gesture of macho brotherhood.
"Thank you for you assistance, my good friend! Vhere is the point of departure for caravans here?"
|
|
"Noble Konrad. We are in Niswan. Perhaps it would be a better question to ask how many roads lead into Niswan." humbly offers Ananta. Turning back to the Merchant "This simple-minded foreigner only has one question before he makes ready to leave your to your tasks, Mistress Varunasi. In your opinion, apart from this cult, is there anyone else who would benefit from the downfall of your Thakur?"
Turning to Drax: "You have a keen eye my friend. This garment is made from the finest silks in all the land, handwoven and carefully embroidered by the most skilled dressmakers in all of Jalmeray. Normally I would not part with it for less than 150 gp, but seeing as you are on important business for the Thakur, I am willing to let is go for 75 gp."
Pondering Ananta's question, she replies:"I am not currently aware of anyone else who would benefit from his death. As I said, the Thakur is mainly a figurehead, so the real power lies with the Maurya-Rahm. And he is good to his family, so his death would not really advantage a killer overmuch."
With little more information to add to the discussion, she bids you good luck in your search.
As the group is exiting the building, an arrow comes streaking out of nowhere, lodging in Elenial's shoulder.
There is a note tied to the shaft of the arrow with bright silken thread. The note is in Common, and reads "This is your final warning!" The note is in different handwriting than the previous warning note.
|
|
Musing over the information provided by the Merchantwoman after their recent goodbyes, Ananta is surprised when the arrow streaks out of nowhere to strike at his companion. Wordlessly, he removes the arrow from her shoulder, tonglen easing her wounds as blood begins to ooze from Ananta's face. "Perhapsss one could try and look for the sshooter, but I fear it might be in vain. It does ssseem that sssomeone is vehemently opposed to our investigation. Thusss, I sssay we pressss on. Perhaps we should ssspeak to Lord Mahindra, the rumormonger."
|
|
Quarr leaps as the arrow whizzes past his head. He catches a glimpse from his eye a ways away. It came from over there!
Using his bat-like wings he leaps into the air, keeping an eye on the area to follow the movement where the arrow came from. He quickly darts well ahead of the others.
As he keeps his eye on the source he draws a noxious looking green bomb from his satchel. his hand rolls about in the now nearly empty back, though he doesn't seem to notice of care.
As Quarr flies up to find the attacker, he spots a feathered form spread its wings, and jump off the far side of the building. By the time he reaches the rooftop, there is no sign of the attacker. The far side of the building looks out over a busy market square, full of bustling people. There is no sign of anyone with wings, much less anyone with feathers.
|
|
Konrad stows his earthbreaker with a disappointed "harumph." He turns to Elenial and reaches for the arrow, she removed.
"If I could perhaps have the arrow for a minute or so, I may be able to learn something about our mysterious rooftop follower. I have an affinity vith veapons und armor und shields. They leave traces of their history that ve can look to."
|
|
Quarr flies back and lands near Elenial. You ok? That came out of no where. He looks back. I chased something away but lost it in the crowd..... something with wings. He waves his arm about in the area to show where he saw the winged creature, completely forgetting he is holding one of his noxious green bombs. The bomb hurls from his hand, shattering on the ground nearby.
Thick, green fumes quickly spread in a wide area, covering everyone in the party. Though the explosion does not hurt anyone Quarr quickly gets instantly sick. The smell of rotten eggs and cabbage waft throughout the area.
Quarr is quickly cut off as he throws up all over the ground. He swats his hand all around the air. Though the wind quickly dissipates the stinking cloud Quarr still seems a little green in the face.
We should head back to our rooms and figure out what to do next...... and lie down.
|
|
Drax squints at Quarr through his mention of someone with wings. He bares his teeth in a displeased growl.
"If they can fly they will be difficult to follow as they will leave no marks from their feet," Drax-the-master-strategist observes sullenly. "Perhaps also they use some high tower as their place of cowards! Perhaps--"
Further words are cut off by Quarr's disgusting bottle breaking and Drax inhaling a lungful of the roiling green gas. He struggles for air, retching, and when he can breathe again he turns a murderous glare on the gnome.
"FOOLISH FOOL! I WARNED YOU! I WILL FEED THE REMAINDER OF YOUR STUPID BOMBS TO YOU, THROUGH THE ORIFICE OF YOUR STUPID MOUTH!"
...perhaps wiser heads might prevail....?
|
|
Konrad huddles over the arrow for a minute, carefully examining it from tip to tail by touch, close gaze, smell, and even taste as he searches the arrow's psychic history for phenomenological traces.
He finally rouses, waving for everyone to come close.
" I have discovered a clue from this object! These arrows in the fletching are quite unusual. They are from a Garuda! Garuda are a type of outsider vith a mixture of humanoid und avian features. They often vatch nearby communities from afar, protecting them."
He packs the arrow away into his haversack, taking care not to damage it.
"Perhaps our mysterious follower is a Garuda himself, und he thinks he is helping us by keeping us avay from some great danger? Or maybe a villain has slain a local Garuda protecter und has made arrows of his feathers as a grave warning?"
|
|
Fortunately for the sake of intact skulls on both sides, Drax is distracted from his threats by Konrad's words.
He listens with the usual confused squinty scowl on his face. Ultimately he grunts, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We still have the name of this man who tells things to other people. We will speak to him and ask him also about these people who are mixtures of birds and people."
|
"Yes, I'm fine, thanks." Elenial answers to Quarr. She's a bit surprised by the smell, but is glad that the bomb was only a stink bomb and not its explosive sister. "Calm down, it could be worse! You could have lost an eye brow or an arm." she says to Drax.
She listens to Konrad's notes about the arrow. "And what did I do wrong that this thing was attacking me with this arrow? What is it protecting?"
|
|
Quarr dosn't even seem to notice or pay much mind to Draw as he grabs the feather and quickly begins to investigate it.
Is this the same featehr I saw on the avian creature I chased?
He shoves the feather in his pocket to research more later in his free time alone. Lord Mahindra may know more about the Garuda.
Without any other solid leads, the group decides to visit the rumormonger, Lord Mahindra.
Mahindra is an elderly man with a graying beard and fatherly demeanor. He acts as a matchmaker and information broker in the Heights. When presented with Lord Raheem’s letter of introduction, Mahindra thinks for a moment, stroking his beard, then tells the group about two incidents he believes may be related to their investigation.
“A headless body was recently found in the Commerce District, a particularly gruesome affair unlike even the most violent of Niswan’s crimes. I’ve also heard rumors of informants in the palace guard, though who they sell information to is something even I can’t glean from local chatter. Raheem is a good friend, and you seem like honest folk; I promise to try to find out more. Come back in the morning, and I will report what I am able to learn. I can also find you dedicated spouses if you’re in the market, heh? Although, I some of you may prove more difficult to match.”
He glances quickly over at Drax as he makes this last statement.
|
|
"I am sssure our friend here wishesss to find hisss own according to hiss custom." offers Anata placatingly, not too subtly interposing himself between the clueless rumormonger and the formidable fighter. "Pleassse though, an infinitesimal moment of your time Lord Mahindra. Are there any Garuda communitiesss nearby? And thisss headless body... Hasss anyone identified the remainder of the corpssse?"
|
|
Quarr's smiles as he ushers Drax from the room. We will most definitely be back in the morning eager to hear what you are able to find.
As long as someone else doesn't try to send us a message while we sleep that is... His smile fades for a second but comes back quickly. Unless that message is a spouse of course.
Quarr follows Drax from the room as he continues to talk to the large man nonstop. Is that why you were looking for a dress Drax? Was it a wedding dress? Did you already meet a spouse here?Is it a flying woman like I saw earlier?
Mahindra doesn't have any relevant knowledge about garudas, but he does give the group directions to the scene of the crime.
"Vitusa was an outspoken, unmarried woman of the merchant caste who openly agreed with the Thakur’s banning of Dhalavei worship. She owned and operated a small but successful incense shop in the Commerce District, and it was there that her body was found."
Heading to the incense shop, the group is greeted by Nabeeka, one of Vitusa’s employees, who only speaks Vudrani. Speaking through your interpreter, she invites the party in.
"I am deeply saddened by Vitusa’s death. She was a kind and generous mistress. Vitusa was forthright in her negative opinion of Dhalavei. She told customers that banning the worship of Dhalavei was the best thing the Thakur ever did. I am afraid it also made her a target of the wicked cult."
Vitusa doesn't have any information on the cult, and can't remember anything out of the ordinary from before the murder. No customers stand out as being any more peculiar than any of the others.
However, as this is the scene of the crime, she will allow the group to examine the shop, if they wish.