|
Mh i don´t know if that´s a good idea. Knowing how short lived and rash in your decisions you tall people are, i say we should visit Lady Darchana first and find out if she knows something about that ship or the captain. There might be connections and constellations we oversee else. Or we might be running into a trap right away. Who knows, perhaps this is a ruse so we´ll be the Pathfinders for auction tomorrow? Something about this is most suspicious.
"Mmm... you might be right Koemi. We have little to lose and plenty to win if we go check with her first." Kyra seems convinced by Koemi arguments and precautions.
The Pathfinders leave the depressing sight that is Misery Row and easily travel to Lady Darchana’s estate in the Petals District. It is located further north than Dimora Manor, much closer to Azlanti Keep. A tall wall of polished stone surrounds the property and its gardens, and many of the plants have arcane or alchemical uses in addition to their aesthetic value. A doorman greets the Pathfinders and escorts them into the three-story residence. He takes you to the estate manager, Jemina. She thanks and dismisses him.
"Pathfinders, excellent. Lady Darchana has been expecting you, please follow me." she says leading you to the upstairs study.
The walls of the study are inset with bookshelves that are brimming with texts of all varieties. A large drawing table in the middle of the room bears an unrolled map of the Inner Sea region. At the far end of the study stands an impressive darkwood desk, and seated behind it is a woman dressed in midnight-blue robes. Her piercing gray eyes look expectantly at Jemina.
The estate manager softly clears her throat and announces, “Senior Lesser Councilwoman, Archdean of the Arcanamirium, Second Spell Lord of Absalom, Lady Darchana of House Madinani, please receive these agents of the Master of Spells Aram Zey of the Pathfinder Society.”
Lady Darchana beckons with a short hand movement, “Pathfinders, join me. That is all, Jemina.” She folds her hands together and waits for Jemina to close the door behind her, then continues. “After my conversation with Master Zey, he agreed by necessity to keep the details that were passed on to you to a minimum. I am keenly interested to hear what you were able to learn based on what you were provided.”
Lady Darchana focuses her attention on Thaddaeus and motions with her hand, "Please, tell me what you have learned thus far."
|
|
Seemingly taken by the impressive women Koemi steps forward and curtsies.
Lady, we could learn that seemingly none of the initial suspects were involved in the scrying incident probably. Instead, it seems they slaves came from a yellow sailed Okemi pirate vessel called At Sea, captained by a certain Waheeda Wardak. Do those names mean anything to you?
|
"I know it's hard to believe, but there appears to be no small amount of corruption in the slave trade." Thadd's words are so dripping with sarcasm he expects a servant to appear with a mop and bucket. He reiterates Koemi's statement and expresses his hope that she might have some information to solidify their lead. "Any knowledge you have may help a great deal...no matter how trivial it may seem."
“An Okeno pirate captain? Captain Wardak of the At Sea.” she nods her head, a brief smile. “Yes, that would stand to reason.” She flips open a ledger sitting on her desk that bears the seal of the harbormaster and begins scanning the pages, “When I became aware of the eavesdropping handmaiden, using my own magic I was able to follow the arcane trail back to it’s origin. I only got a brief glimpse of the heavily veiled perpetrator, but based on the distance and direction, I knew the culprit was on Stonespire Island—somewhere underground on the island at any rate, with a powerfully enchanted mirror. The Okeno pirates’ base of operations is a city on that island, and the Fleshfairs may be the largest slave markets on all of Golarion. It is a cunning place through which to move these sensored slaves.” Her hand finally comes to rest in the ledger. “At Sea, here we are. It has been to Absalom two other times in the last three months. According to this, however, it has been marked with a bounty. ‘Failure to fully declare cargo value for taxation.’” She clicks her tongue loudly. “Excellent. You said Mahjub Mahdi was expecting another shipment from the At Sea tomorrow? If it hasn’t already docked, it’ll be anchored outside the Ship’s Graveyard, waiting for a pilot. ” Lady Darchana continues, "By law, a ship like the At Sea must have a Pilot’s Guild member bring it in through the hazardous Ship’s Graveyard. If you will excuse me for a few minutes, please..."
She sees herself out, and after a moment Jemina returns with a man following behind her with a massive silver tray of refreshments and snacks. "Please enjoy this while you wait." Jemina says as the man sets it down near the large map. There are several carafes of iced water, a light elven wine, and a small, beautifully decorated teapot with hot green tea. The snacks include fresh fruits, hot rolls, an assortment of cheeses, and several sweet lemon pastries.
---[15 minutes pass]---
Lady Darchana returns, a look of absolute glee in her eyes. “I have spoken with a contact at the Harbormaster’s Grange. There is an outstanding docking request for a ship called Kat Season, which is likely our ship with a flimsy disguise.” She writes out a letter, seals it in wax with her seal, and hands it to Koemi. “Carry this note to the Harbormaster’s Grange—it authorizes the inspector to provide you with a rowboat and a pilot. So long as you can confirm the ship’s identity, you are legally free to claim the bounty, in the sum of 1025 gold, yourselves. We cannot allow those slaves to make it to the Docks unaccompanied! I trust I count on you to help?"
|
Whilst she is gone for those 15 minutes, Ozymandias helps himself to a few lemon pastries. He is the middle of eating one when she returns, and so delicately wipse his mouth with a handkerchief and gives Darchana a bow. "You have our word, that we will be of use. After all, the Taldan nobility are always glad to be of service."
|
Malus takes a bow to Lady Darchana, any one so accomplished in the arcane arts has earned his full respect.
"Lady Darchana, another item begs discussion. We have obtained a list of all of the slaves of the same lot as Lady Silvana's own, and a corresponding list of the nobles these have been sent to. Perhaps a discreet warning to them on your behalf, while we investigate the pirates, could prevent a similar situation recurring?"
Kyra drinks some tee but abstains herself of the sweets.
When Darchana cames back, she asks for confirmation "So you ask us to assault the ship, lead the pilot to the helm, and convince the pirates either by stealth, good words or brute strength to surrender the ship and make it into the docks to this be released to the authorities? And we have to get evidence of the authentic identity of the ship, as well to discover why the pirates where using the slave and if other slaves had been used in same way?"
Kyra whisppers to Koemi "You have plenty of good intuition Koemi" winking and eye to her.
Lady Darchana smiles at Malus' revelation. "Yes, that is most excellent news! I will discreetly set into motion following up on that list. Very impressive Pathfinders!"
Nodding to Kyra, Lady Darchana says "Blessed Daughter of the Dawnflower, you understand my wishes in this matter perfectly. This act on your behalf will certainly help convince others on the Low Council that the Pathfinders are powerful friends indeed."
"We just try to fulfil our duty at our best Lady Darchana." Kyra gives a reverence to the woman and moves forward to the door.
"I guess this means we are moving to the docks, isn't it?"
"Excellent! I look forward to further word of your success!" Lady Darchana says excitedly. Saying their goodbyes to Lady Darchana the Pathfinders leave the study heading back to the front door. On the way out Lady Darchana calls after Ozymandias, "Stay a moment if you don't mind."
“You have impressed me Ozymandias. I'm certain obtaining the list of the other slaves sold by Mahdi was your idea. None of your companions seem that clever, frankly. I have spoken at length with one Lady Gloriana Morilla, who has demonstrated considerable ambition in Absalom and abroad. Among her strengths is her dedicated and talented corps of agents whose virtues she has praised at length. I have had few opportunities to see these agents in action, but consider me tentatively impressed. I would request a favor while you are at the Harbormaster’s Grange, and I trust you might complete it for me with discretion as a sign of good faith between your patron and us. Find and remove the docking certificate for the At Sea, then destroy it when you have the chance. It is perhaps not the easiest of feats, but you have proven your resourcefulness.”
Leaving Madinani Estate the Pathfinders make their way to the Harbormaster’s Grange. It has been an eventful day going back and forth across Absalom, now as they head to the Docks, the Pathfinders see the sun sinking lower toward the western horizon as it will soon set for another day.
The Inspection and Pilots’ Office of the Harbormaster’s Grange is cramped and perfumed by a particularly smelly bowl of salted fish stew that’s cooling on one of its several desks. Ledgers and loose papers occupy most of the horizontal surfaces in the office, and a bookshelf on the southern wall sags under the weight of heavy files.
At present only one inspector is on duty. The sleepy-looking halfling woman sits up, covers a yawn, and says, “Welcome to the Harbormaster’s Grange. I’m Inspector Second Class Lilia Ginsi. How may I be of service?”
|
|
|
|
Iason, who has been in silent, brooding communication with his companion for the last hour or so (as his typist became busy), suddenly recalls he is on an active Pathfinder mission. He nods and hands over Lady Darchana's missive to the halfling clerk.
"Pilot and boat. This is a matter of some urgency," he says, echoing Koemi, though with less smiling and grace about it.
The lurking figure in the back continues to stew, at the utter lack of bone-breaking it has gotten to do lately.
Handing over the letter, Koemi says "Can you please provide us with a ship and a pilot? Best the pilot that is to see the Kat Season, we will accompany him. Or has that ship docked already?"
Inspector Ginsi is happy to help after reading Lady Darchana’s request. It takes her only a few minutes after reading the request to confirm the pending docking request for the Kat Season in her ledger. "Nope, it doesn't look like they've docked yet, they are still at sea." She then takes a different ledger out, locates and sign out a rowboat, and finally locates the pilot roster. After looking over the pilot rosters, she excuses herself to notify a pilot to prepare for departure, leaving the Pathfinders alone in the empty office.
You can imagine that the Inspector is over worked and under paid, but her willingness to take a bribe seems suspect as she appears to be quite deliberate in her procedures and attention to detail.
Also, your initial scan of the office only confirms your suspicion that there is paperwork everywhere and it seems to follow some kind of chaotic system of 'organization.' It will take several minutes per attempt to locate the docking certificate.
Oxymandias begins searching like a madman through the piles of paper, stacks of ledgers and other assorted mess in the office. After four minutes he finds what he is looking for, nervously looking to the door every 10 seconds or so. About two minutes later Inspector Gilsi returns , all smiles. She says they have a pilot waiting at Docking Slip 49, a dwarf named Zigil. "She's a hoot and a half! You'll love her!" Ginsi exclaims.
"I think me and my friends are ready Sir. Where will we find the boat and the ship?" Kyra fixes her dress and covers herself with a dark hooded cloak.
Zigil grunts a greeting as you arrive a the small rowboat. "You row, I navigate." she says curtly. "Let's get underway."
The rowboat seats four rowers, and the pilot. It's a good thing Ozymandias and Koemi are small. It is a crowded and friendly boat ride.
As Lady Darchana eluded to, any ship that carries more than six people or 500 pounds of cargo cannot, by law, sail through the Ship Graveyard except under the guidance of a registered member of the Pilot’s Guild. Regardless of its own captain or pilot’s skill, a specially trained pilot travels out from the Harbormaster’s Grange to a waiting ship once it has signaled. This pilot then directs the ship through the ever-changing maze of wrecks that constitutes the Ship Graveyard.
Absalom’s harbor is an inky, shifting landscape of shadows at night, illuminated only by the city’s lights, the waxing moon, and the distant blaze of the Absalom Lighthouse on Pilot’s Island. Eventually, a three-masted ship with white sails comes into view. It’s just over one hundred feet in length, and its bowsprit is a weatherworn representation of a canine-headed mermaid. The crew is busy as they await an escort through the Ship’s Graveyard. A rope ladder hangs from the rail of its starboard to a foot above the waterline. The natural darkness of night gives everything an eerie feeling combined with the stillness of the water.
The approach of the rowboat does not go entirely unnoticed, you hear a sharp whistle on deck and then see a half-orc, wearing a black bandanna on his head, look over the side of the boat at you and says "'bout Go-rum time!" He moves away from the side yelling "Pilot made it finally!"
|
|
Before we get too close to the ship, I'd definitely appreciate it if someone took this wand of Mage armor and scroll of spider climb and used them on me.
And then let's see if I can't swim silently to the ship, leaving the camel with my winter clothing and rope so I am enencumbered. I take 10 to swim for a 12 (my trait allows me to do this)
Once I get there, I will climb on the side of the ship and wait for an opening to sneak on and inside. A map would help, but if not, I just slink around in the shadows of night and behind barrels and things of the sort.
Unless of course anyone stops me from doing so.
Illusion of dice rolls.
Ozymandias climbs up the side of the ship and onto the forecastle's deck, where he can look down on what's going on. Even with his low-light vision, the lighting situation is pretty bad. The helmsman at the stern of the ship is using some small candle for light, but the half-orc and gnolls move about on the deck in the darkness with ease. Ozymandias notices several folded yellow sails laying on the deck. There are two doors underneath him that lead into the forecastle, and he can see two staircases that lead up half flights of stairs to the quaterdeck and helm at the stern of the ship.
Kyra shouts at the sailors "There are reasons to think you might be in danger right now and the docking needs to be performed earlier than previewed. We were send by an ally with a pilot to help you through the waters. Can we embark the ship?" her voice thunders around the misty waters from the shadowy hood that covers his face and his desert cloths.
|
|
Iason waits to see the response from the ship is agreeing or questioning. No reason to interfere with Kyra's story if it is unquestioned-- too many people spoil a tale-- but if they are challenged, he is ready with words of his own.
"Mahjub has important buyers lined up already-- buyers who want to circumvent some of the local tariffs, as well as the Andoren fools who'd just love to raid a ship like this. We're here to make sure that you unload safely and that we all get our cut, so stop wasting time, fools."
He whispers quietly to Koemi, "You can't weigh much. If you will cling to my bodyguard's shoulders, he can climb aboard with you without a problem, if it comes to that."
Not believing a word of it, Bleoran drinks his potion of darkvision. Curtzog looks to the First Mate for direction.
A voice calls out from the darkness, "Curtzog, get that pilot up here then so we can get underway!"
The half-orc pokes his head over the side again and bellows, "Well den? Cummon."
Kyra casts light on her holy symbol hanging from her neck. She hides the lighting symbol under her armor.
Then she makes some individual prayers for each of the companions still in the boat including herself.
Reserving the gods guidance for some other opportunity, Kyra starts climbing to the top of the ship.
As she arrives to the deck she tries now to get access to the slaves. "We have to talk about business here. We come in name of Mahjub. He knows a special cargo is here for tomorrow's sale and he fears someone else will take advantage and buy it ahead. Instead he decided to send us with a pilot to get the ship to the docks an get the priceless slave. Will you be so kind of accepting Mahjub deal and lead our pilot to the helm and us to check the merchandise? Or will you send us home and risk to not get a pilot tomorrow?" Kyra talks with serious and self-confident voice in front of the pirates while poking her coins bag to produce clinking coin sounds.
Then she gives a look around to the ship, trying to locate any point from where more pirates can arrive and entrances into the ship rooms.
She readies an action to cast a spell in case she or her allies are attacked.
Sadly for Kyra, as she reaches the top of the ladder and begins to climb over onto the deck, the angry looking half-orc charges right at her trying to push her into the water!
The cleric is pushed off the boat and splashes into the rough water below, much to the surprise of everyone!
Round 1
Malus
Curtzog
Thaddaeus
Kyra (swimming)
Gnoll 1
Iason
Bleoran
Ozymandias
Koemi
Gnoll 2
Malus is up!
Surprised by the strong slam Kyra loses feet and starts falling miserably to the void. Totally failing to catch at the deck, she hits the water with a sounding SPLAAAASH!
All her companions reach to listen is "Holy cra..gl.gl..gl..glpl!!"
With all her strength she tries to fight against the falling inertia pushing her underwater without success. The breastplate pulling down the cleric maintains her under the water for more she tries to swim up.
Round 1
Malus
Curtzog
Thaddaeus
Gnoll 1
Iason
Bleoran
Ozymandias
Koemi
Gnoll 2
Kyra (underwater, 24 rounds)
Malus is up!
|
|
Kyra!
Koemi turns her head between the half-orc, the creatures on the other side of the boat and her comrades.
Go fend them off, í´ll help her!
She touches the flank of the ship and a ten foot wide stairway, sparkling in moonlight, begins to extend into the water, right to the spot where Kyra went under. Koemi then walks down the stairway and dive after Kyra.
The half-orc moves back toward the side, looking down at the rowboat and taunts Thaddaeus, "Git up 'ere bIHnuch. Ima spill yer blud all over dis deck!"
vs. DC 15
Round 1
Malus
Curtzog
Thaddaeus (shaken 4 rounds)
Gnoll 1
Iason
Bleoran
Ozymandias
Koemi
Gnoll 2
Kyra (underwater, 24 rounds)
Thaddaeus is up!
|
|
Iason's eyes widen slightly as he registers the Sarenite landing in the drink. He siiighs to himself.
A low rumbling in a graveling, raspy voice may be heard from under the hood of his bodyguard.
"Master, I sense the disposition of your whim
"May I remind you I do not LIKE to swim?"
"Your objection is noted. Now kindly carry this end of the rope to my comrade," Iason says shortly.
The hulking figure hisses a wordless snarl, but offers no further argument as it takes the rope from its master's outstretched hand and disappears into the chill and salty water.